The Performance Testing Council

What The Performance Testing Council does

The Performance Testing Council (PTC) was a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2002 in Redmond, Washington, following a two-day industry summit organized by David Foster of Galton Technologies. PTC promoted performance-based assessment — measuring candidates' ability to actually perform job tasks rather than answer multiple-choice questions — through its proprietary Testing by Doing™ framework and methodology. The organization served small and large organizations seeking to verify workforce competencies, vendors in the assessment space, and individual consultants across credentialing, licensure, healthcare, IT, and education sectors, with a stated focus on eliminating "Paper Tigers" (candidates who pass written tests without demonstrable skills).

PTC's core product was the Testing by Doing™ Framework, delivered through a web-based membership portal that hosted an extensive resource library of whitepapers, summit presentations, webinars, psychometric reports, tools, and articles covering exam design, item writing, forms construction, scoring rubrics, standard setting, ADA accommodations, simulation design, and VR-based certification. A preferred vendor directory showcased major assessment providers including Pearson VUE, Internet Testing Systems, Microsoft, Netlogon Technologies, PSI Services, and Authentic Testing Corporation. Tiered membership programs (Cornerstone $9,500, Supporting $4,500, Organizational $1,300, Individual $700, and free Community) provided the primary revenue stream via annual subscriptions, supplemented by paid webinars, workshops, and summit fees.

In October 2025, PTC merged with the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), transferring all intellectual property — including the Testing by Doing™ trademark — to ATP. PTC's mission continues through the Testing by Doing™ Subcommittee under ATP's Certification/Licensure Division, with former PTC members receiving complimentary ATP membership through December 31, 2025. As an independent entity, PTC ceased standalone operations.

Name

The Performance Testing Council

Legal name

The Performance Testing Council

Website

https://performancetest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Performance Testing Council was a nonprofit membership organization that promoted performance-based assessment through its Testing by Doing™ framework, serving certification, licensure, healthcare, IT, and education communities. Founded in 2002 in Redmond, WA, PTC merged with the Association of Test Publishers in October 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assessment & Certification Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Psychometric Standards, Test Development & Validation Authorities (EDADAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Assessment Item Banks, Question Authoring & Test Development Content (EDAGADAG), Assessment & Item Writing / Test Content Development (EDAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Performance-based assessment
• Certification testing services
• Psychometric consulting
• Professional membership association
• Exam development resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Redmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The organization generates revenue through tiered membership subscriptions at multiple levels: Cornerstone ($9,500/year with unlimited seats, 8 complimentary seats, exclusive benefits including homepage/email/webinar placement, vendor directory listing, preferred vendor recognition, and full resource library access), Supporting ($4,500/year with 5 complimentary seats), Organizational ($1,300/year with member rate access to webinars, workshops, and standard summit fees), Individual ($700/year for consultants), and Community (free access to attend PTC programming with limited resource access).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Performance Testing Council sells tiered annual memberships to a nonprofit association that promotes performance-based assessment through the Testing by Doing™ framework. Members gain access to an extensive resource library of white papers, psychometric reports, tools, webinars, and vendor directory listings, plus networking opportunities for organizations, vendors, and consultants in the certification and licensure testing industry.

Product overview

The Performance Testing Council (PTC) is now part of the Association of Test Publishers (ATP) following a merger. PTC operated as a membership-based organization promoting performance-based assessment through the Testing by Doing™ Framework, which emphasizes practical, hands-on demonstrations of competency over traditional written testing. The organization offered tiered membership programs (Cornerstone, Supporting, Organizational, Individual, and Community) providing access to an extensive resource library including whitepapers, webinars, presentations, psychometric reports, and tools covering exam development, item writing, forms construction, standard setting, and VR-based certification. Following the merger with ATP in 2025, PTC's mission continues through the Testing by Doing™ Subcommittee under ATP's Certification/Licensure Division.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Testing by Doing™: A framework and movement promoting practical, skill-based demonstrations in assessment that goes beyond traditional testing. All IP transferred to ATP after merger.

Products and services

• Cornerstone Membership
• Supporting Membership
• Organizational Membership
• Individual Membership
• Community Membership Free-tier community membership providing access to attend PTC programming at no cost, with webinars and workshops charged at full rates.
• Testing by Doing™ Framework
• Preferred Vendor Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 million tests delivered annually through member PSI alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Association of Test Publishers (ATP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025The Performance Testing Council has merged with the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), uniting PTC's pioneering work in performance-based assessment with ATP's global network of professionals. The merger advances best practices in credentialing, licensure, workforce skills, and education. All PTC intellectual property, including the Testing by Doing framework, has been transferred to ATP. ATP has launched the Testing by Doing Subcommittee under the Certification/Licensure Division to continue PTC's mission. PTC members receive complimentary ATP membership through December 31, 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Questionmark: Assessment platform provider offering authoring, delivery, and analytics for enterprise and certification exams. Comparable as a vendor operating in the assessment technology stack that PTC's methodology guides.
• Meazure Learning (formerly ProctorU): Online proctoring and assessment delivery provider serving higher education and credentialing markets. Comparable as an adjacent assessment delivery vendor operating in the same credentialing/licensure ecosystem PTC serves.

Direct peers

• International Test Commission (ITC): Global association for assessment professionals that develops guidelines on test use, adaptation, and quality. Directly comparable as an international nonprofit body setting assessment methodology standards.
• Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE): Nonprofit membership organization that develops standards (including the NCCA accreditation) for credentialing programs. Directly comparable as a membership body advancing assessment/credentialing best practices and standards.
• Caveon: Test security and psychometric consultancy founded by David Foster (who also founded PTC). Caveon focuses on test fraud prevention, data forensics, and psychometrics — directly adjacent to PTC's performance-testing methodology mandate and shares founding leadership.
• ASC (Assessment Systems Corporation): Psychometric software and consulting firm specializing in item response theory, classical test theory, and custom scoring. Directly comparable as a specialist vendor serving the same psychometric/assessment methodology niche.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Test Publishers (ATP): Now PTC's parent organization following the 2025 merger. ATP is the global trade association for the testing and assessment industry, covering credentialing, licensure, workforce skills, and education. Directly comparable as the umbrella trade body now housing the Testing by Doing™ Subcommittee.
• Pearson VUE: Worldwide high-stakes test delivery network and PTC Cornerstone sponsor. Comparable as the dominant commercial test center operator whose participation signals adoption of performance-based methodologies.
• NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners): Large nonprofit that develops and administers high-stakes medical assessments, including performance-based USMLE components. Comparable as a nonprofit authority advancing performance-based assessment in a high-stakes domain.
• PSI Services: Global testing delivery and assessment provider (22M+ tests/year) and PTC Cornerstone sponsor. Comparable as a large-scale operator of credentialing and licensure exams that PTC's vendor directory surfaces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/performance-testing-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Performance Testing Council