Coöperatie Examens MBO
Coöperatie Examens MBO (CEM) is a Dutch cooperative of all mbo schools that develops and assesses digital functional numeracy and citizenship exams for approximately 500,000 vocational students, financed through annual member school subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAmersfoort, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Coöperatie Examens MBO does
Coöperatie Examens MBO (CEM) is a Dutch cooperative founded in 2020 by all mbo (vocational secondary education) schools in the Netherlands, established on behalf of school administrators by the MBO Raad branch organization. The cooperative develops, delivers, and assesses interactive digital exams for functional numeracy (rekenen) and citizenship (burgerschap) for approximately 500,000 mbo students nationwide. Numeracy exams have counted toward mbo diplomas since August 2022 under the Dutch pass/fail regulation (slaag-zakregeling); institutional citizenship exams are scheduled for rollout in school year 2026-2027. The technology stack centers on three digital platforms: RemindoToets (Paragin's examination software used by schools to schedule and administer exams), Examenplatform CEM (the cooperative's branded platform for numeracy and citizenship exams), and MijnRekenPortfolio (an Entree-level assessment tool developed jointly with BTG Entree of MBO Raad). Assessment is supported by psychometric analysis through a partnership with CitoLab and AI-assisted grading via the BeoordelaarsModule (developed with Stipp) for open-ended student responses. CEM also initiated the Open Onderwijs API, a national interoperability standard connecting mbo school administrative systems with its exam platforms.
CEM operates as a non-profit cooperative that levies no VAT, distributes no profit to stakeholders, and holds financial reserves on behalf of member schools. Revenue is generated through recurring annual membership subscriptions paid by regular mbo schools — Regional Training Centres (ROCs), Agricultural Training Centres (AOCs), and vocational schools (vakscholen) — who become members with full governance rights, and by private mbo providers who register as users. Nearly all regular Dutch mbo schools are members, plus dozens of private providers. The organization runs a fixed core team of approximately 20 staff and maintains an active professional network of nearly 500 constructors, validators, assessors, multimedia specialists, and desk editors drawn from member schools, with weekly contact maintained with at least 500 professionals across the mbo field. Governance rests with members through the General Members Meeting (ALV), supported by a steering committee and board. Leadership comprises Director Erik Degen, with department heads for Digitalisation and Communication (Richard Wilms) and Production (Franca Zijlstra). Headquarters are located at Disketteweg 11, Amersfoort.
Coöperatie Examens MBO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coöperatie Examens MBO
- Legal name
- Coöperatie Examens MBO U.A.
- Website
- https://examensmbo.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coöperatie Examens MBO (CEM) is a Dutch cooperative of all mbo schools that develops and assesses digital functional numeracy and citizenship exams for approximately 500,000 vocational students, financed through annual member school subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coöperatie Examens MBO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Education Examination Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules (EDAGAEAL)
Keywords
Where Coöperatie Examens MBO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amersfoort
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coöperatie Examens MBO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees (Cooperative model): Coöperatie Examens MBO is a cooperative (coöperatie) established by all mbo schools in the Netherlands. The organization levies no VAT, has no stakeholder profit-sharing, and its financial reserves belong to the affiliated mbo schools. Regular mbo schools become members; private mbo schools can register as users. Both members and users pay fees for access to all exams, exam products, and supporting services. Tariffs are kept sharp as the cooperative is not profit-driven.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership for regular mbo schools (ROCs, AOC's, vakscholen) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Coöperatie Examens MBO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coöperatie Examens MBO (CEM) develops, validates, and administers interactive digital examinations for functional numeracy (rekenen) and citizenship (burgerschap) used by Dutch secondary vocational education (MBO) schools. It delivers these examinations through its own Examenplatform CEM and MijnRekenPortfolio tools, and provides associated training, support, and psychometric analysis to affiliated schools under a cooperative membership model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rekenexamens (Numeracy Examinations) Interactive digital numeracy examinations at MBO levels 2, 3, and 4, including separate English-language variants and Reken3F/2F levels, used by MBO schools to assess students' functional numeracy competence.
- MijnRekenPortfolio Digital portfolio-based assessment instrument designed for Entree-level MBO students (level 1), providing an alternative to standard digital numeracy exams.
- Examenplatform CEM CEM's own digital examination platform used to deliver rekenexamens to MBO students, providing online exam-taking, proctoring, and result-processing capabilities to affiliated schools.
- Instellingsexamens Burgerschap (Citizenship Examinations) New digital citizenship examinations for MBO schools being launched for the 2025-2026 academic year, including a monitoring instrument that tracks students' citizenship development through their education.
- Training and SupportDesk Services Training programs for teachers and proctored exam support delivered via the SupportDesk, helping MBO schools administer exams properly and use CEM products effectively.
Companies that use Coöperatie Examens MBO
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Coöperatie Examens MBO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Coöperatie Examens MBO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- BTG Entree van de MBO RaadcoreJointly developed MijnRekenPortfolio with CEM — a measurement instrument for Entree-level students to conduct beginning and end measurements, mapping student development and fulfilling the legal obligation to track Entree student development.
- ParagincoreParagin provides the RemindoToets examination software platform used by mbo schools for scheduling and administering numeracy exams. Also provides the Examenplatform CEM and MijnRekenPortfolio platforms. This is a long-term technology partnership central to CEM's service delivery.
- StippsupportingStipp provides process and software engineers for the BeoordelaarsModule (Assessors Module), supporting the grading and assessment workflow within CEM's examination platforms.
- MBO RaadcoreThe MBO Raad (MBO Council) is the branch organization for mbo education. The MBO Raad established CEM in 2020 on behalf of mbo school administrators. CEM works closely with the MBO Raad and the Kennispunt MBO Taal en Rekenen on implementation of reference levels for Dutch, English, and numeracy.
- Kennispunt MBO Taal en RekenensupportingProvides support for implementation of reference levels for Dutch, English, and numeracy in mbo education. Collaborates with CEM on numeracy exam standards.
- CitoLab (Cito Onderzoek en Innovatie)coreConducts research and analysis of the numeracy exams, providing psychometric expertise and quality assurance for CEM's examination products.
- NRTOminorThe NRTO is the branch association for training and education providers in the Netherlands. Listed as a collaborating organization within the mbo ecosystem.
- Vereniging ExSamensupportingAssociation of collaborating examination providers in the Netherlands. CEM is a member of Vereniging ExSamen, indicating participation in the broader examination provider ecosystem.
- JOB MBOsupportingJOB MBO (Jongerenorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs) represents mbo students. Listed as a collaborating organization, indicating student voice and perspective integration in exam development.
- Open Onderwijs APIcoreCEM is the initiator of the Open Onderwijs API — the national network connecting mbo school applications and information systems. This standards initiative enables interoperability between CEM's exam platforms and school administrative systems.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coöperatie Examens MBO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Questionmark: Questionmark (now part of Kahoot!) provides an enterprise assessment platform for creating, delivering, and analyzing exams across education and certification contexts. Comparable to CEM as a platform peer offering digital exam authoring, delivery, and psychometric analytics for institutional customers.
- ExamSoft: ExamSoft provides digital examination platforms used by higher education and professional certification programs to deliver secure, offline-capable assessments. It is directly comparable to CEM as a specialist exam-delivery platform serving institutional clients with high-stakes testing requirements similar to mbo diploma exams.
- Cito: Cito is the leading Dutch educational measurement and assessment organization, providing standardized tests and assessment instruments across primary, secondary, and vocational education. It is directly comparable to CEM as a Dutch assessment specialist; CEM already partners with CitoLab (Cito Onderzoek en Innovatie) for psychometric analysis, underscoring the close operational overlap.
- Bureau ICE: Bureau ICE is a Dutch exam developer and assessment provider specializing in vocational and professional examinations, including for Dutch mbo and higher education. It is directly comparable to CEM as a domestic exam-developer peer operating in the same Dutch vocational education assessment market.
Others
- Paragin: Paragin is the Dutch technology vendor that provides the RemindoToets, Examenplatform CEM, and MijnRekenPortfolio platforms underpinning CEM's exam delivery. Comparable as a critical enabling technology supplier — an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but its product roadmap directly shapes CEM's capabilities.
- NRTO: NRTO is the Dutch branch association for private training and education providers in the Netherlands. Comparable to CEM as a sector ecosystem organization that private mbo providers (CEM's user segment) belong to; an industry-association counterpart rather than a direct operational competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Educational Testing Service (ETS): ETS is a major global assessment organization best known for TOEFL, GRE, and other standardized tests, with deep expertise in psychometrics and high-stakes testing. Comparable to CEM as a broad incumbent in large-scale educational measurement, though ETS operates globally while CEM is nationally scoped.
- Cambridge Assessment: Cambridge Assessment is a not-for-profit international exam board operating across education, professional, and language testing. Comparable to CEM as a broad incumbent in high-stakes credentialing assessment with strong psychometric capabilities, though it operates globally rather than within a single national vocational education segment.
- Pearson: Pearson is a global education and assessment company operating broadly across K-12, higher education, and professional certification testing (e.g., Pearson VUE). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering institutional exam delivery and psychometric services that overlap with CEM's core competency, though not specialized in Dutch mbo.
- College voor Toetsen en Examens (CvTE): CvTE is the Dutch governmental body responsible for central examinations and tests in secondary and vocational education. Comparable to CEM as a regulator/incumbent defining examination standards in Dutch education, though it operates as a government authority rather than as a commercial/cooperative exam provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coöperatie Examens MBO social profiles
Digital presenceCoöperatie Examens MBO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coöperatie Examens MBO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Coöperatie Examens MBO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coöperatie Examens MBO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coöperatie Examens MBO
What does Coöperatie Examens MBO do?
Coöperatie Examens MBO (CEM) develops, validates, and administers interactive digital examinations for functional numeracy (rekenen) and citizenship (burgerschap) used by Dutch secondary vocational education (MBO) schools. It delivers these examinations through its own Examenplatform CEM and MijnRekenPortfolio tools, and provides associated training, support, and psychometric analysis to affiliated schools under a cooperative membership model.
Is Coöperatie Examens MBO a public or private company?
Coöperatie Examens MBO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coöperatie Examens MBO founded?
Coöperatie Examens MBO was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coöperatie Examens MBO based?
Coöperatie Examens MBO is headquartered in Amersfoort, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Coöperatie Examens MBO make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership fees (Cooperative model).
Who are Coöperatie Examens MBO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Questionmark, ExamSoft, Cito and Bureau ICE. Others are Paragin and NRTO. Broad incumbents are Educational Testing Service (ETS), Cambridge Assessment, Pearson and College voor Toetsen en Examens (CvTE).
Does Coöperatie Examens MBO have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coöperatie Examens MBO.
What industry is Coöperatie Examens MBO in?
Coöperatie Examens MBO's product category is Vocational Education Examination Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFADAG, Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAGAEAL, Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.