Examination:Prometric

Prometric is the international company partner of Saudi Commission for Health Specialties for holding examinations for professional classification all year round inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using state-of-the art technology by means of an on-line exam.

Prometric is a wholly-owned, independently operated subsidiary of Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS purchased Prometric from The Thomson Corporation in October 2007 as a strategic maneuver that would give it control of the largest test center network in the world and allow it to meet increased international demand for its exams.

Strategically aligned with its new parent, Prometric is ideally positioned to make substantial technological progress and creative contributions to the testing and assessment industry.To fully understand the history of Prometric is to understand its origins -- even before it was known as "Prometric." "Prometric" is a business that grew and evolved naturally out of other companies that were founded as early as the 1950s.

Prometric was formed by taking pieces of various organizations -- From Block and Associates in the fifties, to the National Assessment Institute in the seventies, to the Insurance Testing Corporation and the Chauncey Group in the nineties – "Prometric" is an innovation in itself, growing and evolving from "many" to "one."In 1990, Drake formed "Prometric," a branch of the company that would deal exclusively with test delivery and administration and the first company of its kind.

In 1990, Novell contracted with Drake Prometric to pioneer its first ever computerized examination, the then-revolutionary Certified Network Engineer (CNE) course. Novell was the first technology company to introduce an information technology (IT) accreditation. Seven years later, in 1997, Sylvan purchased Prometric from Drake to expand its presence in the academic and professional test development and test delivery business.In 2000, Prometric was acquired by The Thomson Corporation as part of an effort by Thomson to expand its reach into corporate education and testing.

Thomson Prometric, to service clients such as the Educational Testing Service, began building its global testing network and infrastructure to support growing demand for test administration and delivery services. Under Thomson's ownership, Prometric sustained and further advanced its leadership position in the testing and assessment industry, servicing a global client base in seven vertical industries.

The acquisition of CapStar and its subsidiary businesses (Experior and Chauncey Group) from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) on August 16, 2004 gave Prometric a market share in the paper and pencil testing market and the state-based market, while simultaneously strengthening its relationship with ETS, its largest client.

As part of its growth strategy in the early 2000s, Prometric saw the need to expand its on the ground presence in the international marketplace. To more rigorously advance its growth in the Asia Pacific and Europe, and to reinforce its commitment to those regions, Prometric opened international headquarter offices in Singapore and in London.

Today, Prometric provides testing and assessment services in 135 countries to over 450 clients and is the sole provider of exams for such high caliber clients such as Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Board of Medical Examiners, Johns Hopkins University, the College Board, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. The company has government contracts in Ireland, England and Saudi Arabia, and federal and state contracts in the United States. Exclusive clients in the technology market include IBM, Microsoft