Trinity College London, which has just been named one of only two Secure English Language Testing providers in the UK, has acquired national testing centre chain English Exam Centres.
TCL made the move while working with the Home Office to fulfil a number of conditions that would enable it to offer SELT provision, which included bringing all exam centres used in SELT testing under the direct control of exam providers.
“Obviously, given the recent announcement from the Home Office, this was a sensible strategic investment to make”
“TCL has had a long and positive relationship with EEC and our Council took the decision to purchase the company in January 2015,” commented TCL’s Chief Executive, Sarah Kemp. “Obviously, given the recent announcement from the Home Office, this was a sensible strategic investment to make.”
Outsourcing was one of a number of conditions concerning exam procedure and security that the Home Office used to designate SELT providers from April onwards, as it cracks down on potential exam fraud following the ETS testing scandal last year.
The acquisition was “a very natural next step” for TCL following a three-year partnership, Kemp said.
It means that EEC, which has previously worked with other exam providers, will exclusively offer TCL exams.
EEC’s management team will stay in place, with managing director Eddie Gildea remaining as a consultant to the business.
Kemp said that TCL anticipates that the purchase, as well as its continuing status as a SELT provider, will help fuel continuing growth.
“We definitely have plans for growth,” she commented. “We have been experiencing growth over the last two years and expect to see this upward trend continue following the changes announced by the Home Office.”
