Educational Testing Service (ets) was incorporated in 1947 by the board of regents for the education department of the state of new york as an Educational organization to engage in research, services and other activities in the field of Educational Testing. Mission our mission is to help 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 performance, and support education and professional development for all people worldwide. Vision to be the leading organization in the world at providing the best possible assessment and learning products and services that help improve lives at every stage of the journey to what is possible.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$19.5M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $5.1M a year · under 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$19.5M
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $1.36B in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $1.0M
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$460.1M
25% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 25% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
18
of 19 voting members
Looks good: 18 of 19 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.0B
Spent
$1.1B
To programs
87%
Net assets
$1.4B
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.0B
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.0B
FY2021$1.1B
FY2022$1.1B
FY2023$1.1B
FY2024$1.1B
FY2025$792.0M
Expenses
$1.1B
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1B
FY2021$1.1B
FY2022$1.1B
FY2023$1.1B
FY2024$1.1B
FY2025$756.4M
Net assets
$1.4B
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4B
FY2021$1.7B
FY2022$1.5B
FY2023$1.5B
FY2024$1.4B
FY2025$1.3B

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending September 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jul 1949.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $958.7M Management & general 13% · $139.5M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

61 people listed on the 990; $19.5M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
$1,369,725Pt VII · Sec A
Executive VP & COO
$761,522Pt VII · Sec A
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
$738,180Pt VII · Sec A
SVP & Chief Marketing Officer
$732,907Pt VII · Sec A
SVP, Production & Delivery
$721,190Pt VII · Sec A
SVP & General Counsel
$640,555Pt VII · Sec A
VP & COO College Board
$590,390Pt VII · Sec A
SR Vp-Research & Development
$579,887Pt VII · Sec A

Amit Sevak’s $2.0M as President & CEO is at the 91st percentile of top reported officer pay among 674 $100M+ education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Walter Macdonald End 61522——$2,192,517$1,339,784——
Amit Sevak$2,032,670$1,586,797————
Walter Macdonald—————$1,369,725
Macdonald Walter————$1,324,977—
Ralph Taylor-Smithend 1012024$1,187,598—————
Scott Forrester Nelson—$1,005,888$657,237$494,061—$732,907
Hunt David————$980,675—
Jeffrey Alan Melnick$975,965$917,822————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Administers tens of millions of educational assessments annually through third-party providers worldwide.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $958.7M · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Assessment research, development, and scoring educational testing service ("ets") conducts research on statistical and psychometric methodology to advance the science of educational measurement and ensure the technical quality and fairness of ets's assessments and assessment-related services.

$853.1Mprogram expense
02

Assessment administration & deliveryets provides test administration and delivery services. Ets administers approximately 13 million assessments annually in more than 9,000 location. Ets does not own or operate any test centers; instead ets engages independent 3RD party service providers to administer and deliver assessments around the…

$105.6Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$1.0M
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 181 grants · $6.9M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$188,799
Unitemized GrantFY2024$90,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$20,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$15,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$10,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$7,500
Unitemized GrantFY2024$7,500
Trenton Area Soup KitchenNJ · FY2024$7,500
Unitemized GrantFY2024$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$3,920
Unitemized GrantFY2023$157,143
Unitemized GrantFY2023$85,000
Montgomery Township Board of EducationFY2023$66,490
See all 181 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.0B
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$945.0M
Other incomeLn 4–11$57.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$19.8M
Money outPt IX
$1.1B
Ln 25
Programscol B$958.7M
Managementcol C$139.5M
Owns and owesPt X
$1.4B
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$134.9M
Total assetsLn 16$1.9B
LiabilitiesLn 26$460.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
61
listed · VII A
PaidVII A60
Voting boardVI 1a19
IndependentVI 1b18
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.9M
Government grantsLn 1e$5.2M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$945.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$19.8M
Other incomeLn 4–11$57.2M
Gains on assetsLn 7$11.6M
Total revenueLn 12$1.0B
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.4M
SavingsLn 2$133.5M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$134.9M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.36B
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$102.5M
Other assetsLn 15$15.5M
Total assetsLn 16$1.9B
LiabilitiesLn 26$460.1M
Net assetsLn 32$1.4B
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54,548
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$157.1M$134.9M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.36B$1.36B
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$112.3M$102.5M
Total assetsLn 16$2.02B$1.87B
LiabilitiesLn 26$523.5M$460.1M
Net assetsLn 32$1.49B$1.41B
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$858K$858K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$236K$236K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$17.4M$7.1M$10.3M
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$1.4M$1.4M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$315.2M$266.4M$48.7M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$26.0M$21.8M$4.1M
Other employee benefitsLn 9$39.7M$32.9M$6.8M
Payroll taxesLn 10$24.6M$20.6M$3.9M
Legal feesLn 11b$6.5M$379K$6.2M
Accounting feesLn 11c$3.6M$3.6M
Lobbying feesLn 11d$47K$47K
Investment management feesLn 11f$5.3M$5.3M
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$422.1M$392.1M$30.0M
Advertising and promotionLn 12$19.1M$18.9M$117K
Office expensesLn 13$134.6M$128.9M$5.7M
RoyaltiesLn 15$1.6M$1.6M
OccupancyLn 16$20.0M$14.3M$5.7M
TravelLn 17$3.8M$3.1M$688K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$657K$479K$178K
InterestLn 20$1.3M$1.3M
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$44.2M$41.3M$2.8M
InsuranceLn 23$2.5M$2.5M
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$7.6M$7.5M$113K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.10B$958.7M$139.5M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $792.0M$756.4M$35.6M$1.3B 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1B$1.1B$22.3M$1.4B 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1B$1.1B−$9.7M$1.5B 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.1B$1.1B$5.1M$1.5B 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.1B$1.1B$47.6M$1.7B 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $1.0B$1.1B−$70.4M$1.4B 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,027,876,335 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $10,976,917$5,888,044
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,181,552,202$944,976,526
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $13,648,178$19,826,337
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $88,223,046$57,185,428
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,294,400,343$1,027,876,335
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,207,002$1,093,684
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $426,135,219$424,165,541
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $854,906,898$672,985,104
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,282,249,119$1,098,244,329
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $12,151,224−$70,367,994
Part VI · Governance 18 of 19 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body19
VI-1b Independent voting members18
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,027,876,335 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$5,200,843
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$687,201
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,888,044
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $944,976,526$944,976,526
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business −$288,539 · Excluded from tax $8,545,282$8,256,743
VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $48,688,161$48,688,161
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $18,818$18,818
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $11,569,594$11,569,594
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Unrelated business $8,478,449$8,478,449
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $944,976,526 · Unrelated business $8,189,910 · Excluded from tax $68,821,855$1,027,876,335
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,098,244,329 across 23 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $857,993$857,993
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $235,691$235,691
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $7,131,147 · Management $10,300,101$17,431,248
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsManagement $1,380,436$1,380,436
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $266,441,354 · Management $48,713,244$315,154,598
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $21,814,371 · Management $4,147,869$25,962,240
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $32,861,592 · Management $6,801,321$39,662,913
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $20,648,013 · Management $3,926,093$24,574,106
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $378,744 · Management $6,152,915$6,531,659
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $3,634,750$3,634,750
IX-11d Lobbying feesManagement $47,287$47,287
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $5,281,145$5,281,145
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $392,078,574 · Management $29,973,297$422,051,871
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $18,937,128 · Management $116,815$19,053,943
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $128,919,482 · Management $5,725,188$134,644,670
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $1,639,705$1,639,705
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $14,330,179 · Management $5,702,217$20,032,396
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,089,653 · Management $688,243$3,777,896
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $478,978 · Management $178,275$657,253
IX-20 InterestManagement $1,341,935$1,341,935
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $41,349,326 · Management $2,843,071$44,192,397
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,467,367$2,467,367
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $7,517,825 · Management $113,005$7,630,830
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $958,709,755 · Management $139,534,574 · Fundraising $0$1,098,244,329
Part X · Balance sheet $1,873,205,474 assets, 18 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $39,266,425; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $483,323$1,399,466
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $156,655,773$133,544,491
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $223,529,390$104,067,467
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $31,054,412$26,597,143
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $112,260,237$102,524,482
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $207,122,358$155,398,972
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $1,119,579,153$1,191,882,031
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $33,659,969$7,785,969
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $101,453,235$95,219,722
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,581,658$15,519,306
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,015,061,092$1,873,205,474
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $207,944,543$178,688,955
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $113,305,278$97,047,429
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $202,269,670$184,325,912
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $523,519,491$460,062,296
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,491,541,601$1,413,143,178
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,491,541,601$1,413,143,178
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,015,061,092$1,873,205,474
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,413,143,178 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,027,876,335
XI-2 Total expenses$1,098,244,329
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$70,367,994
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,491,541,601
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$19,069,949
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$27,100,378
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,413,143,178

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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