Language testing giant ETS has acquired fellow assessment company PSI for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced on Friday.
The deal, which closed on January 25, will see the competing organisations join forces to create a robust “end-to-end suite of products and services” in the testing space, the companies said in a statement.
PSI CEO Janet Garcia confirmed that PSI’s workforce and current organisation structure will remain largely untouched. She will continue to be the company’s CEO, and the logo and company name will remain the same – only with some ETS branding slotted in.
ETS is behind exams including including the TOEFL, which is widely accepted by universities in major international student destinations as a measure of English language ability.
“Out of all of the options that were presented to PSI for potential buyers, ETS was head and shoulders above any other option as far as fit,” Garcia told The PIE News.
“This is an important milestone for ETS”
The group plans to expand further into workforce skills testing and development – a strategy bolstered by the latest acquisition.
“This is an important milestone for ETS as we forge ahead into the workforce development space to become the trusted source to measure, certify and license skills and demonstrate progress,” said Amit Sevak, CEO of ETS.
Sevak added, speaking with The PIE, that the science behind the assessment sector could see a really significant boost as a result of the deal.
“What we’re really seeing and what we think the industry really benefits from, across a common set of platforms, is all different kinds of opportunities to leverage the best science – whether it’s aimed at a high school student, a university student, a nurse, a government official looking to get the best assessment, or a company looking to get the best types of capabilities for their organisation,” Sevak explained.
PSI, a US-based company, runs the Skills for English SELT tests, which are used for work, study and residency, and are approved by the UK Home Office for visa applications. It was also accepted in 2022 by the Irish government for study visa qualifications.
The sheer reach of the organisations together – 50 million people, Garcia estimated – means the companies hope to capitalise fully on the shared advantages of the acquisition.
“As two of the world’s leading measurement experts in design and delivery, this partnership offers clients and test takers an unrivalled set of capabilities and a combined strength and stability to positively impact millions of individuals throughout their learning and career journeys.”
“I think we can be a disruptive force across the testing and assessment industry. You can definitely expect many more briefings coming up,” Garcia added.
