How does Odysseus test the loyalty of his subjects when he returns to Ithaca in The Odyssey?

In Homer's The Odyssey, it is
imperative that Odysseus assess the loyalty of his servants and subjects before
revealing that he is in fact home. Remember, by the time Odysseus finally arrives on the
shore of his island home of Ithaca, it has been twenty years. Ten of those years was
spent fighting in the Trojan War and the other ten was spent trying to make his way
home. It took him ten years to make his way home because he angered the might god
Poseidon by blinding his son Polyphemus, the Cyclops. After twenty years, a lot has
changed. Suitors have taken over his house wanting to inherit his fortune and his wife
Penelope. Odysseus has no way of knowing who has remained loyal and who has sided with
the arrogant suitors. Odysseus needs to know if his kingdom is worth fighting for or if
it is best to move on. Therefore, he must test his servants and subjects to find out
this valuable information. The wily Odysseus does this by disguising himself as an old
beggar, which was advice given to him by his guardian goddess Athena, the goddess of
wisdom. By doing this, he can ascertain the answers he needs before proceeding any
further.