Wednesday, October 27

ETS and the Profit Game

In my TOEFL texts and in my TOEFL classes, I stress that TOEFL is a game. That game is designed by Educational Testing Services (ETS). ETS claims to be a "non profit organization." However, financial information for the year ending 2007 paints a very different picture (see below).

ETS is definitely in the profit game. How does ETS make make a profit? By designing a game people will play for a fee. That game is TOEFL. Below are two quotes describing how ETS plays the profit game - and wins.

For the year ending 2007, ETS, a non profit company, earned an 11% profit.

The CEO of ETS, Mr. Kurt Landgraf, earned $997,608.00 for the year ending 2007, seven times higher than the industry standard.

Remember: The TOEFL test costs $170.00. I predict it will go up in 2011. How much? I predict $185.00.

The Pro
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- Keeping an Eye on the Bottomline -