The objective of this work was to use a "built-in" potential electrode method to measure the cathode overpotential in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) directly. The studies were performed on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte-supported SOFCs using La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM) and Sr0.75Y0.25Co0.5Mn0.5O3-y (SYCM) as cathodes and Ni-ScSZ cermet as the anode. The contributions of the cathode, anode and electrolyte to the total cell resistance were investigated using a combination of current-voltage and impedance measurements with the built-in potential electrode technique. The cathode overpotential was shown to be lower for the SYCM cathode than for the LSM cathode, and the difference increases as the current in the cell increases.