educational testing service

The Educational Testing Service (or ETS) is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, operating on a annual budget of approximately $900 million. ETS develops various standardized examinations primarily in the United States, but they also administer tests such as TOEFL in most nations. Many of the assessments they develop are associated with entry to US tertiary educationtertiary and quaternary education institutions. As well as test development, they also carry out internationally recognised educational research. Their international campus-like headquarters (shown here maps.google.com) is in Lawrenceville, New Jersey (with a Princeton, New JerseyPrinceton mailing address); Processing, shipping, customer service and test security nearby Ewing, New JerseyEwing; and European headquarters is in Utrecht_(province)Utrecht in the Netherlands. ETS employs about 2,700 individuals, including 240 with doctorates and an additional 350 others with "higher degrees." ETS is a non-profit organization. However, the organization is also self-supporting, meaning that they need to charge for assessments. Some test-takers find these prohibitively high, although test fee waivers or reductions are available for individuals who can prove financial hardship. See SAT#CriticismCriticisms of the SAT. Much of the work carried out by ETS is contracted by the private, non-profit firm the College Board. The most popular of the College Board's tests is the SAT, taken by more than 3 million students annually.

Tests administered by ETS -

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

SAT (formerly: ''Scholastic Aptitude Test'')

PSAT/NMSQTPSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)

CLEPCollege Level Examination Program (CLEP)

TOEFLTest Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

TOEIC Test of English for International Communications (TOEIC)

Certified Professional Electrologist (CPE)

External links -

ets.org - Educational Testing Service homepage

ets.org - ETS Signs New College Board Contract

guidestar.org 2004 Form 990 from the IRS -lists executive's income

Sources -

rethinkingschools.org - Rethinking Schools Online

Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Assessment development and research organization. Directory of tests for a variety of age groups and subjects. Information for applicants with disabilities, research reports, conferences, careers, educational news.
http://www.ets.org/

TOEFL
Official site of the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Includes tutorials, practice questions, downloads, and information on both the computer-based and paper-based versions of the test. Also markets test preparation materials.
http://www.toefl.org/

ACT, Inc.
The organization responsible for the American College Test, required for admission to the public colleges in the majority of states; manages other tests and programs, too.
http://www.act.org

ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation
A source for information pertaining to educational and psychological testing and learning theories. Links to ERIC digests, short literature reviews on specific topics written for the general public.
http://ericae.net/