ETS Wins Bid to Administer Exit Exam

Educational Testing Service has won the bidding to develop and administer California’s high school exit exam over the next three years.

The New Jersey company, known for administering the SAT and GRE, beat out three rivals, including American Institutes for Research which developed the pilot test that was given to ninth-graders in March. This year’s ninth-graders and subsequent classes will have to pass the exam during their high school years to earn a diploma.

ETS was the only company to meet all criteria for the job, according to Phil Spears, director of standards and assessment at the California Department of Education, who on Thursday presented the decision to the state Board of Education. ETS’ bid was $35 million, well shy of the nearly $140 million contained in the budget.