COMPASS Centre for Examination Development

What COMPASS Centre for Examination Development does

COMPASS Centre for Examination Development is a Canadian non-profit corporation incorporated in November 2012 under the Federal Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, headquartered in Ottawa/Nepean. The organization develops and administers standardized competency-based examinations for the counselling and psychotherapy profession, with its flagship product being the Canadian Professional Standard for Counselling and Psychotherapy (CPSCP) Entry to Practice Competency Assessment, commonly called "The Standard." This assessment is mandated by statutory regulatory colleges—primarily the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), which has granted Registered Psychotherapist status to approximately 6,400 practitioners, and the College of Counselling Therapy of Prince Edward Island (CCTPEI)—as a registration requirement for entry-to-practice candidates, including domestically-trained, foreign-trained, and alternatively-trained applicants.

The core technology is a computer-based, bilingual (English/French), simulation-style assessment platform consisting of 10 simulations per exam with 5-8 sections each, covering approximately 70% of entry-to-practice competencies, administered under a strict 3-hour time limit with responses weighted on a +3 to -3 scoring rubric. Examinations are delivered twice annually through a browser-based platform with computer lock-down and remote proctoring provided by partner MonitorEDU, using webcam and smartphone video for identity verification and continuous monitoring; test-center administration is reserved for accommodation cases. Adjacent preparation products include a single-use Practice Examination, a Competency-Based Case Study Workbook, and a Navigational Tutorial.

The business model is non-profit and compliance-driven, monetized primarily through one-time candidate-paid registration examination fees and ancillary practice-examination fees, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market operates as a B2B2C structure: COMPASS partners directly with provincial regulatory colleges that mandate the assessment, while individual candidates self-register online and sit the exam remotely. The organization has a pan-Canadian governance board and is actively engaging FACT coalitions across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba to extend standardized competency assessment to additional provinces pursuing counselling-therapy regulation.

Name

COMPASS Centre for Examination Development

Legal name

COMPASS Centre for Examination Development

Website

https://compassexams.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

COMPASS Centre for Examination Development is a Canadian non-profit that develops and delivers a bilingual, simulation-style competency assessment for entry-to-practice registration of counsellors and psychotherapists, mandated by provincial regulatory colleges including CRPO and CCTPEI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Competency Assessment

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Portfolio, Performance & Rubric-Based Assessment Platforms (EDAFADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote & Live Online Proctoring Platforms (EDAFADAB), Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules (EDAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Competency-based assessment
• Professional licensing examinations
• Remote proctored testing
• Regulatory compliance assessment
• Simulation-style evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nepean

HQ country

Canada

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Registration Examination Fees: Fees charged to candidates for taking the mandatory entry-to-practice competency assessment (The Standard) required for registration with regulatory colleges in Canada.
2. Practice Examination Fees: Optional single-use practice examination available to registered candidates for the upcoming exam sitting, using the same platform and proctors as the registration examination. Candidates must be registered for the upcoming examination to access this.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

COMPASS develops and administers a computer-based, bilingual, simulation-style competency assessment known as "The Standard" (CPSCP: Entry to Practice Competency Assessment) for counselling and psychotherapy professionals seeking registration with Canadian regulatory colleges. The assessment consists of 10 simulations with 5–8 sections each, evaluating information gathering and decision-making competencies, administered twice per year via remote proctoring. Complementary optional preparation resources include a Practice Examination, a Competency-Based Case Study Workbook, and a Navigational Tutorial.

Product overview

COMPASS Centre for Examination Development offers a single flagship assessment product called "The Standard" (CPSCP: Entry to Practice Competency Assessment), which is a computer-based, bilingual, simulation-style competency examination for counselling and psychotherapy professionals seeking regulatory registration in Canada. The assessment is complemented by optional preparation resources including a Practice Examination (4 simulations), a Competency-Based Case Study Workbook, and a Navigational Tutorial. All offerings are delivered through online platforms with remote proctoring via MonitorEDU.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Standard (CPSCP: Entry to Practice Competency Assessment) The flagship computer-based, bilingual, simulation-style competency assessment used by statutory regulatory colleges for registration and assessment of candidates in the counselling and psychotherapy profession. The exam consists of 10 simulations per exam with 5–8 sections each, evaluating information gathering and decision-making competencies, and a strict 3-hour time limit. Candidates have included domestically-trained, foreign-trained, and alternatively-trained candidates.
• Practice Examination Optional single-use practice examination consisting of 4 simulations (approximately 90 minutes) that replicates the registration examination style and format using the same platform and remote proctoring protocols. Provides an auto-generated score report for information-gathering and decision-making. Available to candidates registered for the upcoming examination sitting.
• Competency-Based Case Study Workbook Downloadable workbook containing case studies that illustrate client contexts and situations for entry-to-practice psychotherapists and counselling therapists. Each case study takes approximately 60 minutes to complete with a key to major competency areas at the end.
• Navigational Tutorial Tutorial using the testing platform with two non-psychotherapy simulations designed solely to provide candidates practice navigating the testing platform and using its features. Available to all registered candidates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6-8 weeks turnaround for examination results
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MonitorEDUcoreTechnology or IntegrationMonitorEDU provides secure remote proctoring services for COMPASS examination delivery. Both firms follow industry best practices in compliance with standards defined by international accrediting bodies. The partnership enables examination delivery through a secure, browser-based platform with computer lock-down and livestreaming proctoring using candidate webcam and smartphone video technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Meazure Learning: Test development and online proctoring company (formed from the merger of ProctorU and Yardstick). Provides assessment content, delivery, and remote proctoring services comparable to COMPASS's MonitorEDU partnership, including for regulated professions.
• Pearson VUE: Global computerized testing and proctoring provider administering high-stakes certification and licensure exams across many professions. Comparable to COMPASS in delivering secure, computer-based competency assessments for regulated professions, though at vastly larger scale and across multiple sectors.
• Prometric: Major test development and delivery network operating test centers and remote proctoring for professional licensure and certification. Directly comparable delivery model (computer-based, proctored competency exams) to COMPASS, but serving many professions globally rather than specializing in one niche.
• Kryterion: Global provider of online proctored testing and assessment solutions with browser lock-down and live remote proctoring capabilities. Comparable to COMPASS's delivery stack and serves certification bodies across multiple industries.
• PSI Services: Testing and assessment provider offering licensure and certification exam development and delivery (online and test-center). Comparable to COMPASS in building and administering high-stakes competency-based exams for regulated professions.

Direct peers

• Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR): Administers the Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE) required for licensure of internationally and domestically trained physiotherapists in Canada. Closest Canadian parallel to COMPASS in delivering national, mandatory, competency-based entry-to-practice assessments for a regulated health profession.
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Develops and delivers standardized licensure examinations for social workers across U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Most directly comparable to COMPASS in developing profession-specific competency-based entry-to-practice exams for a regulated helping profession.
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): U.S.-based credentialing body that develops and administers the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and related competency assessments for counsellors. Profession-specific peer to COMPASS, although operating in a different jurisdiction and credentialing model.
• Touchstone Institute: Canadian organization that develops and administers competency assessments for internationally trained health professionals across multiple disciplines. Closely comparable model to COMPASS in producing bilingual, computer-based, simulation-style entry-to-practice exams for regulated Canadian health professions.

Others

• CLEAR (Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation): International association supporting regulatory bodies in licensure and competence assessment practices. Adjacent peer for COMPASS, reflecting the broader ecosystem of organizations that inform and standardize entry-to-practice assessment design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 COMPASS Centre for Examination Development