Aussie EdTech company Janison Education Group (ASX: JAN) has clinched a major deal with the NSW Department of Education and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The partnership aims to modernise the state’s selective education placement tests by leveraging Janison’s digital assessment platform. 

The agreement—which is the outcome of a competitive tender process—designates Janison to handle computer-based testing for over 30,000 students annually, covering NSW’s Selective High School and Opportunity Class Placement Tests starting in 2025. Services encompass test delivery, the computer-based testing platform, and overall management of test centers, including invigilation.

With a potential revenue of $45 million over five years, this contract stands as the largest in Janison’s history. 

Founder and interim Managing Director of Janison, Wayne Houlden, said, “Janison is delighted to have been selected by the department to host the placement tests and support the digital transformation of testing in NSW. This 5-year agreement extends the 20-plus years relationship that Janison and the department have worked together.”

Janison’s involvement in digital education dates back to 2010 when it played a key role in transitioning science testing for Year 6, 8, and 10 from paper-based to online assessments in NSW. This latest agreement underscores the department’s confidence in Janison’s digital assessment platform for high-stakes testing and solidifies its partnership with Cambridge.

The collaboration with Cambridge extends beyond hosting, covering the design, content development, paneling, marking, and scoring of the placement tests. NSW’s commitment to identifying and supporting academically talented students is evident through their backing of opportunity classes, selective high schools, and placement tests.

The current paper-based tests for over 30,000 students on a single day each year will be replaced by Janison’s digital assessment platform, providing increased efficiency, flexibility, security, and accessibility. Janison’s platform, trusted globally, collaborates with Cambridge University Press & Assessment, known for unlocking the potential of millions through qualifications, assessments, academic publications, and research.

The 2024 Selective High School Placement Test assesses students in reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills, and writing. Currently, the test is administered in a paper-based format. 

Selective high schools and opportunity classes, as specialised institutions, are tasked with offering focused talent development and advanced learning opportunities for high-potential and gifted students from diverse backgrounds.

Scheduled to commence early in 2024, the project includes digitising test administration procedures, establishing an on-demand practice-test environment, and piloting the delivery platform. Simultaneously, the arrival of Janison’s new CEO, Sujata Stead, is anticipated in early 2024, kicking off with a project of this scale.

Pilots for the new platform are set to conclude in 2024, paving the way for a full rollout of the digital assessment platform for the NSW Department of Education in 2025.