Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services

What Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services does

Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services is a privately held, family-operated educational services company founded in 1987 by Curt and Jenny Bumcrot in Oregon. The company provides standardized achievement testing for home school families, primarily using the California Achievement Test (CAT) and TerraNova 2/3 — nationally normed instruments covering reading, language, and math. It operates an NCCA-accredited home school high school diploma program with transcript services, and sells supporting products including the One-Hour Practice Test, Achieving Peak Performance practice tests, ELO Quick Assessments, a Privately Developed Plan (PDP) program for students with learning disabilities, and instructional booklets such as 'How to Ask Questions That Matter.'

The business model is direct-to-consumer and community-led. Revenue is generated through per-student testing fees (in-person private, in-person group, and remote group via Zoom), annual diploma program subscriptions, and unit-priced practice test and booklet sales in ebook and paperback formats. Payment processing runs through PayPal, the e-zine is delivered via AWeber, and remote testing is delivered via Zoom — the company operates no proprietary technology platform. Primary distribution is through the company website, blog content, email newsletters, Facebook, and word-of-mouth within Oregon's home school community and Education Service District network, with nationwide reach unlocked via Zoom-based remote testing since 2020.

The customer base is entirely U.S. home school families, concentrated in Oregon due to state-mandated testing in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Headcount is described as a small team (11-50 range), and the business has remained independent with no external funding, acquisitions, or partnerships on record. Founder Curt Bumcrot has been managing an AL Amyloidosis diagnosis since 2018, with operational responsibilities progressively shifting to his wife Jenny, daughter Natalie, and staff. Pricing is promotional-heavy, with January and Black Friday discounts of $5-$10 per student and $50 diploma enrollment discounts, indicating a value-positioned offering rather than premium pricing power.

Name

Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services

Legal name

Basic Skills Assessment and Educational Services

Website

https://basicskills.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services provides standardized achievement testing (CAT/TerraNova), an NCCA-accredited home school diploma program, and practice test products to U.S. home school families, primarily in Oregon and nationwide via remote Zoom testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home School Educational Assessment Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Standardized Test Prep & Practice Materials (EDAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD), Assessment, Testing & Exam Prep Publishing (MPAJABAF), Official GED/HiSET Testing Centers & Proctoring Services (EDAAABAF)

Keywords

• Home school testing
• Standardized achievement testing
• Home school diploma program
• Practice tests
• Educational assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oregon City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Achievement Testing Services: Provides standardized achievement testing for home school students in required grades (3, 5, 8, 10) using California Achievement Test (CAT)/TerraNova 2 and TerraNova 3. Offers in-person private testing, in-person group testing, and remote group testing via Zoom. Testing is required by Oregon law for home schoolers.
2. Practice Tests and Assessment Tools: Sells One Hour Practice Test and Achieving Peak Performance practice tests in both ebook and paperback formats. Products designed to familiarize students with test directions, item types, and time limits.
3. Diploma Program: NCCA-accredited home school high school diploma program that includes course content guidance, transcript services, and official transcript requests for students and graduates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services administers nationally normed standardized achievement tests (California Achievement Test / TerraNova 2 and TerraNova 3) to home school students in required grades, delivered in in-person and remote (Zoom) formats. The company also sells practice-test products in ebook and paperback formats, operates an NCCA-accredited home school high-school diploma program with transcript services, and offers the Privately Developed Plan (PDP) program as an alternative for students with learning disabilities.

Product overview

Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services offers a portfolio of educational assessment and support products centered around standardized achievement testing and home school services. The core offerings include the California Achievement Test (CAT)/TerraNova 2 and TerraNova 3 nationally normed tests, supplemented by practice test products (One-Hour Practice Test and Achieving Peak Performance Practice Tests). Academic support is provided through the Diploma Program for earning a home school high-school diploma, the Privately Developed Plan Program as an alternative for students with learning disabilities, and the ELO Quick Assessments for progress checking. Additional educational resources include the Investigating Career Paths course and the How to Ask Questions That Matter instructional booklet. Services are delivered in both in-person and remote (via Zoom) formats, with products available in physical and digital download formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Achievement Test (CAT) / TerraNova 2 and TerraNova 3 Testing Service Nationally normed standardized achievement test administration that evaluates reading, language, and math, available in in-person private, in-person group, and remote group (Zoom) formats for home school students in Oregon and nationwide.
• One-Hour Practice Test Standalone practice test available in paperback and digital ebook formats that familiarizes students with test directions, item types, and time limits before taking the actual achievement test.
• Achieving Peak Performance Practice Tests Comprehensive practice test program available in ebook and paperback formats to help students prepare for achievement testing and reduce test anxiety.
• Home School Diploma Program NCCA-accredited home school high school diploma program that includes course content guidance and official transcript request services for currently enrolled students and graduates.
• ELO Quick Assessments Quick assessments for grades 1 through 8 designed for quarterly progress checking during the school year.
• Privately Developed Plan (PDP) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Nationally normed test results provide objective comparison to students nationwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Riverside Insights: Riverside Insights publishes the Iowa Assessments and other nationally normed tests used by schools and home schoolers; while it operates as a test publisher rather than administrator, it is a key upstream partner/supplier in the same ecosystem.
• Bob Jones University Press Testing: Bob Jones University Press offers standardized achievement tests (Iowa Tests and others) plus a broader home school curriculum and publishing portfolio, making it a larger incumbent in the home school testing space.
• Pearson Clinical Assessment: Pearson Clinical publishes standardized assessments (including some used in home school contexts) and operates a broad educational measurement portfolio, representing a major incumbent in the standardized testing supply chain.
• NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association): NWEA provides MAP Growth and other adaptive assessments widely used in K-12 schools, with growing presence in home school contexts; represents a larger, more tech-enabled incumbent in standardized assessment.

Direct peers

• Seton Testing Services: Seton Testing Services offers standardized achievement testing (CAT, Iowa Tests, etc.) for home school families nationwide, mirroring Basic Skills' core service of administering nationally normed tests to home schoolers.
• Bayside Testing Services: Bayside Testing Services administers standardized achievement testing for home school and small private schools across multiple states, using similar nationally normed tests to Basic Skills.
• Hewitt Home Schooling Testing: Hewitt Home Schooling offers standardized testing services and educational curriculum for home school families, with overlapping testing products and home school-focused content.
• Scholastic Testing Service: Scholastic Testing Service provides standardized testing programs for home school and small private schools, including ability and achievement tests, directly comparable to Basic Skills' CAT/TerraNova offerings.
• Christian Liberty Academy Satellite Schools: Christian Liberty Academy provides standardized testing services and accredited home school diploma programs to home school families, overlapping with Basic Skills' diploma program and testing administration.

Emerging players

• TheHomeSchoolMom: TheHomeSchoolMom is a home school resource community that helps families find testing services, curricula, and diploma programs — functioning as a discovery channel and indirect competitor for niche home school service providers like Basic Skills.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/basicskills
• Xx.com/NCCABasicSkills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-covenant-christian-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Basic Skills Assessment & Educational Services