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ProctorU and Yardstick Assessment Strategies Agree to Merge to Form New Digital Proctor Powerhouse, Meazure Learning, and Raise $30 Million in Growth Round
By Henry Kronk
January 14, 2020
Two digital testing platforms—ProctorU and Yardstick Assessment Strategies—announced plans to merge on January 14. The new company will be known as Meazure Learning. The new company has also raised $30 million in a growth round lead by Eastside Partners.
The former companies operate in separate, but complementary spheres. ProctorU provides a series of online test-proctoring security measures through their platform. These include multi-step identity verification processes, video recording, and either AI or human proctors monitoring online test takers.
Yardstick, meanwhile, operates primarily in the professional world. The company designs psychometric evaluations, provides in-person test services, and also offers exam delivery software for assessing test takers.
Broadly, psychometric tests seek to identify people’s cognitive and psychological traits and match them to specific jobs or roles.
Combining ProctorU and Yardstick Assessment Strategies to Form Measure Learning
“By adding ProctorU’s technology and suite of secure proctoring solutions to the Yardstick platform, we are now able to bring enhanced security to physical test center delivery, as well as offering improved service and security for clients seeking and using remote testing,” said Yardstick President Isabelle Gonthier, in a statement. “Meanwhile, ProctorU’s capabilities and success in higher education have never been greater. The merger enables our two businesses to focus on our respective markets, each with our own brand and a dedicated team to ensure we stay at the forefront of both professional testing and higher education.”
At Meazure Learning, Gonthier will lead the professional testing unit.
Besides combining and augmenting each others’ services, not much will change for ProctorU and Yardstick. Both companies will continue their existing work under their current brand.
The two won’t combine offices either. Yardstick is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and has another office in Toronto. The company has plans to open another in Edmonton.
ProctorU, meanwhile, is based in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices throughout the U.S.
The Growing Online Test Market
“Clients like Google, CompTIA, Chartered Accountants of Ireland and many others have made significant bets on the future of learning, and have partnered with ProctorU to help them achieve their goals,” said Meazure Learning Chairman Benjamin Cobb, in a statement. “At the same time, Yardstick customers have leveraged Yardstick’s psychometric and test development services, and developed and delivered the highest-stakes exams possible using flexible and secure technologies such as Measure, Redpen and Itematic. Together, we are excited to offer an unrivaled end-to-end assessment platform, capable of test development, exam delivery and the highest levels of exam integrity. The collective people and technologies allow us to bring new and better solutions to the global market.”
The security of testing and issues of cheating have proven a tough nut to crack for some online courses across levels of education. Proctoring via webcam has been met with enthusiasm by some and concern by others.
One the one hand, test-takers don’t necessarily want to allow an AI or human to watch them in their home or office while they take the test. But many also prefer the comfort of a familiar space while undergoing a stressful assessment.
According to Meazure Learning, the online testing market is currently valued at $3 billion and is only expected to grow. Meazure Learning’s investors have obviously expressed confidence in the sector. With time, online testing may prove more and more viable—even desired—among certain learners across education contexts.
Featured Image: Bench Accounting, Unsplash.
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