PSI

What PSI is

PSI is a testing company that develops, delivers and secures exams on behalf of the organizations that own them. Its home page opens with "PSI powers world leading tests. Delivered with trusted science and the very best test taker experience," and the site is split into two doors, one for test owners and one for test takers. The footer names the business as PSI Services LLC and says "PSI is an ETS Company." The markets it lists are certification, admissions, awarding organizations, government, federal and military programs, healthcare, IT, professional associations and higher education, plus licensure for barber and cosmetology, construction, insurance and real estate. It also runs two testing programs under its own name, HiSET and Skills for English.

For this directory, PSI belongs with assessment and proctoring providers rather than quiz builders. A teacher does not sign up and write a quiz here. A certification board, a licensing regulator or an awarding body hires PSI to build its exam, deliver it at test centers or online, and protect it from fraud, and a candidate meets PSI on test day because their exam is delivered through it.

Test development

Development is the first of PSI's three pillars. The home page promises "Expert design, rigorous development and world-class psychometrics. For tests that are reliable, accurate and fair." Two AI products sit under it. AI Test Development is described as a way to "efficiently create high-quality test content, backed by human-in-the-loop quality assurance," and AI Test Prep creates customized preparation material "tailored to individual program and test taker needs." Candidates can also buy preparation material through a test prep store linked from the top of the site.

Development is often where a relationship with PSI starts. Amy Grand, Director of Certification and Accreditation at BCEN, says on the home page that her organization stayed with PSI for a new certification "because we already have such a great relationship with PSI for test development."

Test delivery: centers, remote and multi-modal

Delivery covers "global proctored exam testing centers, remote testing, online proctoring solutions and multi-modal testing." The site runs a test center network and invites organizations to apply to become a test center, so a program can offer in-person seats alongside online sessions. The multi-modal approach is what lets a single exam program serve candidates who want a supervised room and candidates who would rather test from home.

Online proctoring runs on the PSI Proctoring Platform, which the proctoring page says lets "any online exam" be completed securely at home or in the office, at a time that works for the test taker. It offers two models:

• Live online proctoring. Highly trained administrators and human proctors are on hand to support test takers during the session, and candidates book a time that fits around their lives.
• Record and review. In the page's words, "remote computer based tests (CBT) are recorded and then assessed by PSI approved proctors after the test is complete." PSI presents this as a flexible and cost-effective option where candidates decide when to test, anytime and anywhere.

The proctoring page cites its own figure for demand: "Over 75% of test takers who have the choice now opt to take their test remotely with online proctoring." The platform covers ID authentication, customizable test security, and custom reports and analytics, and the page says it supports every phase of the test lifecycle and works with any test delivery system. Candidates sit the exam in the PSI Secure Browser, which the page says protects the integrity of online testing while protecting the privacy of test takers.

AI-assisted security

Security is the third pillar and gets the most detail. The proctoring page lists the tools that support its proctors: advanced ID verification, biometric checks of facial, voice and keystroke similarity, deepfake detection, video indexing to support human proctors, room similarity scans, generative AI response detection, and a global database search that looks for matching biometric profiles attached to nonmatching personal information. PSI's stated rule is that AI supports the people rather than replacing them: "final decisions remain in the hands of trained professionals."

Beyond the exam session, PSI sells program-level security services. Audits and investigations cover "targeted audits, surprise inspections, and mystery shopper visits to uncover vulnerabilities and fraud risks." Data forensics applies statistical analysis to testing data to find anomalies and adds website and social media monitoring. Risk assessment and incident response is pitched as identifying "key vulnerabilities, critical assets, and potential threat actors across your assessment lifecycle."

HiSET and Skills for English

Two programs put PSI directly in front of learners. HiSET is presented as "the first step toward earning a High School Equivalency credential, recognized by every U.S. state, territory and jurisdiction." Skills for English covers English proficiency for work, study and residency, and the home page says those tests "are approved by the Home Office for UK visa applications and widely accepted by educational institutions for academic admissions." A learner preparing for either would use PSI's test taker pages to find the test, book it and get support.

What customers say

The home page and the proctoring page carry named testimonials from exam owners. Melissa Opp, Exam and Operations Manager at NCHEC, says "They listen, they lead, and they help us focus on what matters most: delivering a high-quality certification experience." Clyde Seepersad, General Manager of Training & Certification at The Linux Foundation, explains the move online: "We wanted a partner who can deliver exams anywhere, anytime without someone having to go to a physical testing center. The gap in the market was 'access' and PSI was committed to delivering exams in real time, online." Helen Coleman, Chief Operating Officer of ABRSM, says "We are looking to move more of our exams to an anytime, anywhere model."

Regulators appear too. Jeff Oboyski, Assistant Commissioner for Licensing at the California Department of Real Estate, says "PSI was consistently committed to meeting our deadlines through the many challenges of a pandemic," and Jeff Baughman of the WA State OIC calls a hybrid insurance exam "revolutionary for the insurance industry." Ben Price, CEO of the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, credits PSI with helping it test at the campus level, which he says has "really built our business since 2010." Other customer stories are listed for ISACA, AACN, NBRC and OnlineDegree.com.

Pricing and getting started

The site publishes no prices; test owners start by requesting a demo or contacting the team, and the site has regional versions for the Americas, APAC and EMEA. Test takers get their own section with a test finder, support pages, resources and a blog.

Who it suits

PSI suits organizations whose exam is the product: certification boards, licensing regulators, awarding bodies, professional associations, IT certification programs and admissions or higher education programs that need a test built, delivered at scale and defended against impersonation and leaks. Programs that want to offer both test center seats and online sessions, with a choice between live and record-and-review proctoring, will find all of that under one provider. Learners usually reach PSI because their own exam, HiSET or Skills for English runs on it. A teacher or trainer who wants a self-serve quiz tool for a class is better served elsewhere in this category, since PSI is built around managed, high-stakes testing programs rather than quick quizzes.