Our History

ETS was founded in 1947 when the American Council on Education, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the College Entrance Examination Board contributed their testing programs, a portion of their assets and a number of key employees to form an independent nonprofit organization under the leadership of Henry Chauncey.

In creating ETS, our founders brought to life a concept proposed a decade earlier by Harvard University President James Conant. Conant's belief was that a single organization devoted to educational research and assessment could make fundamental contributions to the progress of education in the United States.

Our Mission

In the more than 60 years since ETS was founded, we have expanded our focus to include learners worldwide. Today, ETS is known for its commitment to sound research, advancing learning and increasing opportunities for students internationally.

Our Mission: To advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services. Our products and services measure knowledge and skills, promote learning and educational performance, and support education and professional development for all people worldwide.

Our Vision: To be recognized as the global leader in providing fair and valid assessments, research and related products and services to help individuals, parents, teachers, educational institutions, businesses, governments, countries, states and school districts as well as measurement specialists and researchers.

Our Values: Social responsibility, equity, opportunity and quality. We practice these values by listening to educators, parents and critics. We learn what students and the institutions they attend need. We lead in the development of products and services to help teachers teach, students learn and parents measure the intellectual progress of their children.