Donnoe & Associates

What Donnoe & Associates does

Donnoe & Associates, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned firm founded in 1987 that provides personnel selection and examination services exclusively to U.S. public agencies. Headquartered in Fair Oaks, California with 1–10 employees, the company serves cities, counties, fire districts, law enforcement agencies, prisons and jails, universities, and special districts nationwide through a direct, sales-led B2G motion anchored on its website, email list, and phone/email outreach.

Its core product portfolio comprises (1) multiple-choice written exams across eight sub-domains — Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Administrative, Maintenance and Trades, Custody and Corrections, Technical and Professional, Dispatcher, and Clerical — offered as stock, build-a-test, or fully custom formats; (2) the proprietary iAHQ (Achievement History Questionnaire) online examination system, which evaluates candidates' training, education, and work history on an unproctored, any-device basis and produces auto-scored eligibility lists, built on the California State Personnel Board's Three Ranks model and validated via Donnoe's 2011 evaluation of that state's multi-year pilot; and (3) assessment services covering assessment centers, oral exams, and performance tests, supported by online panel-rater training and certification plus a standardized candidate orientation module. All exams are designed for content and criterion validity in compliance with the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time licensing of written test rentals (test books reusable twice in a two-week window) and iAHQ exams, complemented by professional services fees for assessment centers, oral exams, performance tests, rater training/certification, and candidate orientation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is entirely direct to public agencies — the company explicitly does not sell to candidates, which it cites as a structural feature supporting fairness. The firm is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional ownership.

Name

Donnoe & Associates

Legal name

Donnoe & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://donnoe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Donnoe & Associates, founded in 1987, provides personnel selection and examination services — written tests, online iAHQ assessments, assessment centers, and rater certification — exclusively to U.S. public agencies nationwide, supporting fair, defensible, merit-based hiring and promotions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Personnel Selection & Assessment Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Assessment Centers & Structured Selection (In-basket, Group Exercises) (BPACAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM), Public Safety & Government Licensure/Entrance Exam Prep (Civil service, law enforcement, firefighting) (EDANAIAN)

Keywords

• Public sector exams
• Merit-based hiring
• Personnel selection
• Assessment services
• Employment testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fair Oaks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Written Test Rental and Licensing: Provides stock, build-a-test, and custom multiple-choice written exams. Test books can be used up to two times during a two-week rental period. Scantron answer sheets available upon request at no additional fee.
2. iAHQ Online Exam Services: Online Achievement History Questionnaire exams available as stock or fully custom options. Reduces agency staff time and costs compared to proctored testing.
3. Assessment Center and Oral Exam Services: Assessment centers, oral exams, and performance tests with scenario design, assessor training, structured scoring, practical administration, and defensible documentation.
4. Professional Panel Training and Certification: Online professional panel training and certification program for oral and performance exam raters. Provides one-year certification and training records for exam defense.
5. Candidate Orientation Services: Online standardized candidate orientation available to client agencies on request. Video-based, self-paced format.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Donnoe & Associates designs and administers merit-based personnel selection examinations for public agencies nationwide. Its product lines include multiple-choice written tests (stock, build-a-test, and custom), online iAHQ (Achievement History Questionnaire) exams with auto-scored eligibility lists, and assessment services such as assessment centers, oral exams, performance tests, rater training, and standardized candidate orientation.

Product overview

Donnoe & Associates provides a comprehensive portfolio of assessment services for public sector hiring since 1987. The core offerings include Written Tests (stock, build-a-test, and fully custom multiple-choice exams across Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Administrative, Maintenance/Trades, Corrections, Technical/Professional, Dispatcher, and Clerical categories), Online iAHQ Exams (an unproctored Achievement History Questionnaire system for merit-based evaluation with auto-scored eligibility lists), and Assessment Services (Assessment Centers and Oral Exams for supervisory/management roles, Performance Exams for practical skill evaluation, Professional Panel Training and Certification for exam raters, and Online Standardized Candidate Orientation). Build-A-Test and Custom Exams allow agencies to tailor assessments using the company's item banks and subject matter expert review. These products are designed to work together to support defensible, fair, and valid merit-based hiring and promotions for public agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Written Tests Multiple-choice written exams for public sector hiring available in stock, build-a-test, and fully custom formats, covering areas such as Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Administrative, Maintenance and Trades, Corrections, Technical and Professional, Dispatcher, and Clerical roles.
• Online iAHQ Exams Unproctored online Achievement History Questionnaire system that evaluates candidate training, education, and work history to produce auto-scored eligibility lists for merit-based hiring decisions. Available as stock or fully custom exams.
• Assessment Centers and Oral Exams Work simulation exercises including direct questioning, oral presentations, written responses, role play, and critical decision scenarios for supervisory, management, and executive positions.
• Performance Exams Practical tests evaluating candidate skills and abilities for operation of critical equipment and performance of essential job functions, from entry-level maintenance to specialized positions such as Fire Engineer.
• Professional Panel Training and Certification Online self-guided program that trains and certifies oral and performance exam raters for one year, covering exam protocols, security, structured scoring, and calibration.
• Online Standardized Candidate Orientation On-demand video orientation explaining exam processes, timelines, materials, scoring methods, and candidate conduct expectations to reduce test anxiety and support exam defensibility.
• Build-A-Test and Custom Exams Customized test development using Donnoe's item banks, allowing agencies to select targeted test segments or work with subject matter experts to pick specific questions aligned to job requirements or reading lists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces adverse impact compared to traditional multiple-choice testing by scoring candidates on real achievements rather than abstract test puzzles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• California State Personnel BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Donnoe & Associates conducted the formal evaluation of the California State Personnel Board's multi-year pilot of their Three Ranks program, which tested hundreds of thousands of candidates. The 2011 evaluation found the approach successful, well understood by HR teams, merit-based, more inclusive, and faster for departments. This evaluation led to the development of Donnoe's proprietary iAHQ system.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CPS HR Consulting: A larger, established public-sector HR consulting firm offering classification, exam development, and recruitment services across California and nationwide — broader in scope but overlapping in public agency selection test provision.

Direct peers

• I-O Solutions: Provides pre-employment psychological evaluations, assessment centers, and entry-level public safety selection testing for law enforcement, fire, and corrections agencies nationwide — directly comparable to Donnoe's public safety assessment practice.
• Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research: Specializes in job-related written and video-based entry-level public safety tests (firefighter and police officer) with a similar content-validity, criterion-based approach to Donnoe's written test and assessment services.
• National Testing Network: Offers standardized public safety entry-level testing (FireTEAM, PoliceOfficer, etc.) used by hundreds of agencies across the U.S., competing directly with Donnoe's stock written test business for fire and law enforcement clients.
• Morris & McDaniel: Provides personnel assessment, exam development, and promotional testing for public safety agencies, including assessment centers and job-related written exams parallel to Donnoe's offerings.
• Public Safety Personnel Inc. Provides pre-employment psychological, medical, and assessment services for public safety agencies, complementing and competing with parts of Donnoe's public safety testing portfolio.
• Biddle Consulting Group: Provides personnel selection, test development, and content validation services to public agencies, with overlapping written test and assessment center offerings for public safety and general municipal hiring.
• Professional Testing Inc. Develops and supplies written examinations for public safety personnel selection nationwide, with a similar product catalog of multiple-choice and assessment services for fire, police, and corrections agencies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 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 Donnoe & Associates