What Stanard and Associates does

Stanard & Associates, Inc. is a privately held human resource consulting firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1976 and operating for nearly five decades. The company specializes in psychometric assessment instruments and validated testing systems for public safety personnel selection, with a portfolio of proprietary examinations including the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST), the National Corrections Officer Selection Test (NCST), the National Firefighter Selection Test (NFST), the National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST), the National First- and Second-Line Supervisor Tests (NFLST & NSLST), the National Detective/Investigator Test (NDIT), and the Teller Test, alongside personality and psychological evaluations, structured oral interviews, physical ability testing, and job task analysis services. Underlying technology centers on content- and criterion-validity methodologies developed with input from hundreds of incumbent professionals and expert panels, producing legally defensible selection instruments for hiring and promotional decisions.\n\nThe company's go-to-market is sales-led and direct, targeting public safety agencies nationwide via the stanard.com website, dedicated order forms by state, and a toll-free sales line; candidate-facing commerce runs through the separate ApplyToServe.com portal, which distributes study materials. Three state governments—Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming—have mandated use of the entry-level written exam for police officers, and products carry endorsements from 29 state associations of chiefs of police. Secondary revenue streams include corporate management assessments, customized and off-the-shelf employee surveys (including the Law Enforcement Morale Survey (LENS) and Sarbanes-Oxley Leadership Survey), and a banking vertical anchored by the Teller Test; the Teller Test is the only publicly priced product at $375 per 25-test package, with all other services sold on a quote basis. Customer segments span thousands of public safety agencies and hundreds of multi-national corporate clients including Fortune 500 employers.

Name

Stanard and Associates

Legal name

Stanard & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://stanard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stanard & Associates is a Chicago-based HR consulting firm founded in 1976 that provides validated psychometric tests, psychological evaluations, and employee surveys for U.S. public safety agencies and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pre-Employment Testing and HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Policy, Governance, Compliance & Risk Advisory (BPACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Labor Relations & Employment Practice Advisory (BPAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Public safety testing
• Pre-employment assessments
• Psychometric evaluations
• Employee survey solutions
• Promotional examinations

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Entry-Level Testing Products: Sale of standardized entry-level examinations for police, fire, corrections, and dispatcher positions. Products sold as test packages (e.g., 25 tests per package at $375 for Teller Test). Both printed and online options available.
2. Psychological and Personality Evaluations: Comprehensive evaluation services including personality assessments, structured interviews, and psychological evaluations conducted by licensed psychologists. Takes place at Chicago office or on-site for larger groups.
3. Employee Survey Services: Conducting organizational surveys including off-the-shelf surveys (51 questions measuring 16 facets), customized surveys, and web-based exit interview systems. May include executive summaries and index reports.
4. Management Assessment Services: Individual assessment process for hiring and promoting management positions, combining psychometric instruments with expert consultation. Tailored to organizational needs.
5. Custom Written Promotional Exams: Development of customized promotional examinations based on agency-specific policies, procedures, and source materials. Includes more test questions than needed for selection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stanard & Associates provides validated pre-employment and promotional testing products, psychological evaluations, and employee survey solutions primarily for U.S. public safety agencies (police, fire, corrections, dispatch) and corporate clients. Core offerings include entry-level cognitive skills tests, job task analyses, structured oral interviews, physical ability testing, assessment centers, management assessments, and a portfolio of organizational employee surveys. All products are content-validated through job analysis and backed by nearly five decades of psychometric research.

Product overview

Stanard & Associates offers a portfolio of human resource consulting products centered on employee testing and assessment systems, primarily serving public safety agencies. The core offering consists of entry-level and promotional testing products for police (POST), corrections (NCST), firefighters (NFST/NFST-EMS), and dispatchers (NDST), complemented by psychological/personality evaluations, physical ability testing, structured oral interviews, and job task analysis (JAQ). A second major product line encompasses employee survey solutions including off-the-shelf and customized surveys, the Law Enforcement Morale Survey (LENS), Exit Interview Survey, and Sarbanes-Oxley Leadership Survey, along with supplementary reporting and benchmarking modules. The company also provides management assessment solutions for corporate clients and a standalone Teller Test product for banking. All products are delivered through a Chicago-based consulting operation founded in 1976.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Teller Test™: Bank teller pre-employment test measuring arithmetic, problem solving, number pattern recognition, and candidate success probability.
• POST
• NCST
• NFST
• NDST
• LENS

Products and services

• The National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) An entry-level basic skills test for law enforcement agencies measuring arithmetic, reading comprehension, grammar, and incident report writing. Four different forms available; validated using content and criterion-related validity strategies.
• The National Corrections Officer Selection Test (NCST) An entry-level test for corrections officers measuring reading comprehension, problem solving, and report writing, developed with input from sheriffs, wardens, and corrections officers nationwide.
• The National Firefighter Selection Test (NFST) and NFST-EMS Entry-level basic skills tests for fire service agencies measuring reading comprehension, mathematics, and listening comprehension, available in Firefighter and Firefighter-EMS versions.
• The National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST) An entry-level test for 911 dispatchers assessing reading comprehension, listening, problem solving, prioritizing, and multi-tasking, with content directly related to dispatcher tasks including simulated 9-1-1 calls.
• The National First- and Second-Line Supervisor Tests (NFLST & NSLST) Off-the-shelf promotional exams for first-line (Sergeant) and second-line (Lieutenant, Captain) supervisor positions, assessing management/supervision knowledge, major court cases, community policing, criminal investigation, and patrol tactics. Developed with input from over 50 police chiefs and commanders.
• The National Detective/Investigator Test (NDIT) A 75-question, content-valid written exam for selecting or assigning officers to the rank of Detective or Investigator, covering Criminal Investigations, Major Court Cases, and Investigative Interviewing.
• Custom Written Promotional Exams Customized written promotional exams developed from a client's specific source materials, policies, procedures, and General Orders, with local expert review of test items and inclusion of more questions than needed for selection.
• Entry-Level Personality Evaluations Psychological assessments for entry-level public safety candidates including a battery of mental ability and personality tests, a writing exercise, and an in-depth structured interview by a licensed psychologist.
• Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations Evaluations to determine if a sworn law enforcement officer is behaving in a manner that would interfere with their ability to function effectively on the job, appropriate following incidents or unusual behavior.
• Special Duty Assignment Psychological Assessments Psychological assessments for evaluating candidates seeking specialized duty assignments such as Bicycle Patrol, K-9 units, dive teams, or Rapid Response Units.
• Promotional Assessments Comprehensive assessments for promoting the right individuals to leadership positions in public safety agencies, including job description reviews and day-to-day duty analysis.
• Structured Oral Interviews Oral board programs using situational and behavioral question types to assess candidates' interpersonal skills, teamwork, service orientation, and problem-solving abilities against standardized evaluation guidelines.
• Physical Ability Testing Content-valid physical ability tests that simulate essential physical functions of public safety jobs, including CPAT transportability studies for fire service agencies.
• Job Task Analysis (JAQ Online) Job analysis questionnaires administered to incumbents to identify essential functions, tasks, and knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a job, providing the foundation for testing and assessment solutions.
• Assessment Centers Promotional assessment exercises including work sample and situational exercises that replicate actual supervisory and command job tasks, with standardized evaluation guidelines developed in partnership with the agency's local experts.
• Individual Management Assessment Process A comprehensive assessment process combining psychometric instruments with industrial/organizational psychology expertise to evaluate candidates for management positions across public and private sector organizations.
• The Teller Test A bank teller pre-employment test measuring arithmetic, problem solving, number pattern recognition, and providing a composite score for probability of candidate success; priced at $375 per package of 25 tests.
• Off-The-Shelf Employee Survey A standardized employee survey containing 51 questions measuring 16 facets of organizational climate including benefits, communication, customer orientation, empowerment, pay, supervision, teamwork, and training, with space for up to 15 customized items.
• Customized Employee Surveys Tailored employee surveys developed for specific organizational objectives covering categories such as advancement, benefits, communication, customer service, diversity, empowerment, pay, recognition, training, and working conditions.
• Exit Interview Survey A web-based exit interview system that sends electronic survey invitations to departing employees via email, with three levels of restricted access for Client Administrators, Client Managers, and Exiting Employees.
• Sarbanes-Oxley Leadership Survey A survey assessing the Control Environment within a company for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, measuring integrity, ethical values, management philosophy, organizational structure, and human resources policies through senior and finance/IT managers.
• Law Enforcement Morale Survey (LENS) An 85-statement survey measuring 15 facets of satisfaction and morale in law enforcement departments including job stress, training, communication, performance evaluation, and satisfaction with fellow officers, producing morale index scores for departments and subgroups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Iowa has mandated use of Stanard's entry-level written exam for police officers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aon Assessment Solutions: Global professional services firm offering pre-hire assessments and talent analytics as part of its broader HR consulting practice. Comparable in assessment capability but a much larger incumbent with cross-industry reach.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering talent assessment, leadership development, and executive search. Overlaps with Stanard's management assessment and HR consulting work but operates at much larger scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Hogan Assessments: Developer of personality-based assessments widely used in personnel selection, leadership evaluation, and development. Comparable to Stanard's personality evaluation battery and management assessment work.
• Wonderlic: Provider of pre-employment assessments including cognitive ability, personality, and skills tests for hiring decisions. Closely mirrors Stanard's pre-employment testing portfolio for both public sector and corporate clients.
• SHL: Global leader in psychometric assessment and talent measurement for hiring and selection. Directly comparable to Stanard's psychometric testing and personnel selection offerings, though serving a broader cross-industry client base.
• Criteria Corp: Provider of pre-employment testing (CCAT, OPQ) for cognitive ability and personality, used in corporate and government hiring. Directly comparable to Stanard's validated cognitive and personality testing products.
• Assessment Systems International: Developer of psychometric assessments and selection testing platforms used in personnel selection and certification. Comparable to Stanard's psychometric test development and validation capabilities.
• PDRI (Previsor Group): Specializes in assessment centers, structured interviews, and personnel selection solutions for public safety and corporate clients. Closely aligned with Stanard's public safety promotional assessment centers and structured oral interview offerings.
• Berke Assessment: Provides pre-hire assessments measuring personality, aptitude, and integrity for employment screening. Comparable to Stanard's pre-employment selection testing and psychological evaluation services.

Emerging players

• Cangrade: AI-powered pre-hire assessment and talent matching platform focused on hard and soft skill evaluation. Represents the emerging tech-enabled direction of the personnel assessment market that Stanard competes in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Stanard and Associates