Rapid and reliable characterization of thin, nitrided gate oxide films remains a priority for the semiconductor industry. In this study we evaluate a variety of methods for the analysis of angle-resolved XPS data from nitrided gate oxides. The films have previously been characterized using SIMS depth profiling, and vary in oxide thickness and nitrogen location. Methods based on both ARXPS analysis of core-level photoelectron spectra and on inelastic background analysis will be compared. Trade-offs between rapid data acquisition and high energy resolution N chemistry analysis will be evaluated with respect to ARXPS results. The effect of variation in the electron attenuation length value at shallow angles will be discussed for oxide thickness measurements.