What Noa does

NOA BV (trading as NOA-VU) is a privately held Dutch psychological assessment provider founded in 1996 and headquartered at Singel 262 in Amsterdam. The company develops and delivers scientifically validated online assessments — covering cognitive ability (MCT-M, MCT-H, MCT-A adaptive), personality (MPT-BS, MP-B6), vocational interests (BKT family), competencies (CT), and specialized instruments for digital skills (DVV), financial fitness (FFV), intercultural effectiveness (VIE), and reintegration (Op weg!) — through its NOA Talent Portal platform, with optional Proctorexam-integrated online proctoring.

The portfolio is anchored by 25+ years of research lineage from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, supported by a dedicated research foundation (Stichting NOA) that finances a professorship and PhD programs focused on fair assessment for persons with migration backgrounds. Tests are available in 12+ languages with culture-fair item design and migration-background norm groups, and the company holds ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications from TÜV Nederland. NOA serves three primary verticals — Dutch educational institutions (MBO/HBO/WO), corporate HR and selection, and municipal/government reintegration (including UWV and major Gemeenten) — and administers more than 2,000 assessments per day to 100,000+ candidates annually across 450+ active customers.

NOA generates revenue on a per-candidate, pay-as-you-go pricing model, with per-test prices ranging from €5.10 per MCT subtest up to €53.36 per full Op weg! assessment. Distribution is direct via named account managers and the NOA Talent Portal, supplemented by training services (test usage, intake interviews, diversity competencies, selection and diversity) and free trials for organizational buyers. Ownership rests with Stichting NOA, a nonprofit foundation; no external private equity or venture capital backing was identified in the source materials.

Name

Noa

Legal name

NOA BV

Website

https://noa-vu.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NOA (NOA-VU) is an Amsterdam-based, VU Amsterdam-founded provider of scientifically validated online psychological and cognitive assessments — including adaptive cognitive, personality, competency, and reintegration tests — serving Dutch educational institutions, corporate HR, and municipal reintegration buyers across 450+ customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Psychological Assessment Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cognitive Ability & General Intelligence Testing (BPACAMAB), Remote Proctoring, Test Security & Online Assessment Platforms (BPACAMAL), Psychometric, Aptitude & Cognitive Ability Test Content (EDAGADAK), Diagnostic & Adaptive Assessment Content (Skills/Readiness) (EDAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Psychological assessments
• Online assessment platform
• Cognitive ability testing
• HR selection instruments
• Career assessment tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Per-Candidate Test Revenue: NOA charges per candidate per test or assessment package. Prices vary by test type, from €5.10 per subtest for MCT tests up to €53.36 per candidate for the full Op weg! instrument. This is a per-transaction, usage-based revenue model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NOA develops and delivers scientifically validated online psychological assessments, including cognitive ability tests (MCT-A, MCT-M, MCT-H), personality questionnaires (MP-B6, MPT-BS), competency tests, vocational interest inventories, and reintegration instruments, delivered through its proprietary NOA Talent Portal. The portfolio targets HR professionals, educational institutions, and Dutch municipalities for selection, study guidance, and reintegration of benefit recipients.

Product overview

NOA (NOA-VU) is a psychological assessment organization founded in 1996 by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, offering scientifically validated online assessments and psychological tests. The portfolio consists of the NOA Talent Portal (replacing NOA Online 2.0) as the core assessment platform, complemented by individual test instruments. Cognitive ability tests include the MCT-A (adaptive for all levels), MCT-M (medium level), and MCT-H (higher level). Personality assessments feature the MP-B6/MPT-BS (Big Six model) with standard, quickscan, and study variants. Competency and interest instruments include the CT (Competency Test), BKT (Vocational Interest Tests at H/M/R levels), DIT-M, MLV (Motivation & Learning Styles), AWV, WVL, and SDV. Specialized questionnaires cover Digital Skills (DVV), Financial Fitness (FFV), and Intercultural Effectiveness (VIE). Education-focused products include Startmeter MBO, Studiekeuzecheck, and Studiethermometer. HR products include Employabilityscan, Loopbaanscan, Talentscan, and Leadership scans. Re-integration offerings feature Op weg! for out-of-work individuals and newcomers. Additional assessment tools include Taaltest Nederlands, Tekstopbouw, Speltoets, Engels Tekstbegrip, and Wiskunde. The organization also provides proctoring services and training programs on test usage. Operating from Amsterdam, NOA serves over 450 active clients and assesses more than 100,000 candidates annually across education, HR, and re-integration sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NOA Talent Portal: Online assessment platform for administering psychological tests and generating candidate reports
• NOA Online

Products and services

• NOA Talent Portal Proprietary online assessment platform for administering NOA psychological tests, managing candidates, and generating automated candidate and expert reports. Successor to NOA Online 2.0, includes 2FA authentication and integrated Proctorexam proctoring for high-stakes testing.
• MCT-A (Adaptieve capaciteitentest) Adaptive cognitive ability test measuring verbal, numerical, and spatial intelligence with adaptive question difficulty adjustment; suitable for all education levels from age 15. Six subtests covering verbal, numerical, and spatial reasoning.
• MCT-M (Capaciteitentest - middelbaar niveau) Cognitive ability test for medium education level (VMBO/MBO) candidates, measuring logical reasoning, numerical, verbal abilities, perceptual speed, and spatial insight. Available online and in paper-and-pencil format.
• MCT-H (Capaciteitentest - hoger niveau) Cognitive ability test for higher education level (HAVO/VWO to WO) candidates, measuring logical reasoning, numerical, verbal abilities, perceptual speed, and spatial insight. Available online and in paper-and-pencil format.
• MPT-BS / MP-B6 Persoonlijkheidstest

Quantifiable outcome

• >100,000 candidates assessed per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• COTAN (Commissie Test Aangelegenheden Nederland)supportingOthers · 1 January 2020NOA submits its developed tests for COTAN review (a committee of the Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen that evaluates all tests in the Netherlands on 7 assessment criteria). NOA's director Remko van den Berg serves on this committee.
• Nieuwkomers aan de slagsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership for naturalization and integration of newcomers (statushouders). NOA provides assessment tools for evaluating newcomers' capabilities and integration progress.
• ProctorexamsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Proctorexam provides online proctoring/digital invigilation services for NOA's online assessments, enabling secure remote test administration.
• Tilburg University - Departement Sociale PsychologiesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016NOA collaborates with Tilburg University on scientific research in social psychology, including Dr. Djurre Holtrop's work on personality measurement and AI in selection.
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) - Sectie Sociale & OrganisatiepsychologiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996NOA originated from the VU's Department of Work & Organizational Psychology in 1996. The organizations maintain a close, ongoing research partnership. Stichting NOA funds the chair 'Labor & Personnel Psychology for persons with migration background' at the VU, and NOA collaborates on scientific research projects and symposia.
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam - School of Social and Behavioral SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996NOA collaborates with Erasmus Universiteit on scientific research, including work with Prof. Dr. Marise Born (who holds a dual appointment at the VU and Erasmus). Research areas include diversity in assessment, AI in selection, and refugee integration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GITP: Dutch HR consultancy and assessment provider offering capacity tests, personality questionnaires, and selection tools to the same Dutch HR and education buyers NOA targets. Most direct domestic competitor for corporate and education assessment.
• LDC (Lubbers Deelman Consultants): Netherlands-based HR consultancy developing and distributing psychological assessments, personality tests, and selection instruments for Dutch corporate and government clients. Overlaps with NOA's HR/selection and reintegration segments in the same Dutch market.
• Mettl (Mercer | Mettl): Online assessment platform (now owned by Mercer) for cognitive, personality, coding, and skill-based assessments delivered to enterprise HR and education customers. Direct overlap with NOA's online cognitive/personality/competency product family.
• SHL: Global leader in psychometric talent assessments covering cognitive ability, personality, and situational judgment tests. Closest global analog to NOA in product scope (capacity, personality, competency tests), serving enterprise HR selection at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• TestGorilla: Modern pre-hire assessment SaaS combining cognitive, personality, and skills tests for SMB and mid-market recruiting. Emerging direct competitor to NOA on online capacity and personality testing, with strong UX and modern delivery.
• Pymetrics: AI-driven behavioral assessment platform using neuroscience-derived game-based tasks for recruitment and internal mobility. Emerging competitor on the AI-augmented psychometric evaluation side of the market NOA is positioning toward.

Broad incumbents

• Aon Assessment Solutions: Aon's global assessment solutions arm offers end-to-end psychometric assessment, talent analytics, and workforce decision tools. Operates as a broad incumbent inside a much larger HR consulting portfolio, competing directly with NOA in HR selection and development assessments.
• Pearson TalentLens: Pearson's psychometric assessments business publishes widely-used cognitive (e.g., Watson-Glaser) and personality instruments. Comparable to NOA in selling scientifically validated cognitive/personality tests to HR and education buyers.
• Cubiks (part of CEB/Gartner): International talent assessment consultancy providing cognitive, personality, and 360-degree feedback tools within the broader CEB/Gartner HR research portfolio. Comparable to NOA in psychometric product depth, with much larger international reach.

Others

• TestPublisher (NL) / COTAN: COTAN is the Dutch standards committee for psychological tests (part of NIP); not a competitor but a related ecosystem participant whose review status materially affects buyer perception of NOA's tests. Director Dr. Remko van den Berg sits on this committee.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@noaonlineassessments
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/noa-vu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Noa