From October 20 to 31, 2025, the National Testing Center held a series of meetings with international partners aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of educational quality assessment, advancing scientific research in psychometrics, and improving the national testing system.

During this period, the Center was visited by representatives of leading international organizations – the Educational Testing Service (ETS, USA), AQA (United Kingdom), the State Testing Center under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the State Examination Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Center for Psychometrics and Educational Measurements of the National Research University “Higher School of Economics” (Russia).

On October 20, AQA representatives Vali Hussein and Conor Byrne held a working meeting to discuss the organization of a seminar on the use of the Grade Maker Pro platform for the development and analysis of test items.

On October 21, the Center hosted a meeting with ETS representatives Patrick Cullinan and Maurice Kogan-Houk, during which the guests were introduced to the Center’s activities and its key projects. An important part of the meeting was the discussion of strategic partnership issues between the National Testing Center and the international organization Educational Testing Service (ETS, USA).

On October 23, the Center hosted an extended meeting attended by delegations from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.

The discussions focused on prospects for joint projects, experience exchange, and the promotion of scientific research in psychometrics, test reliability and validity, as well as improving methods of educational measurement.

On October 24, the final meeting took place with Elena Kardanova, Scientific Director of the Center for Psychometrics and Educational Measurements at the National Research University “Higher School of Economics” (HSE, Russia). During the meeting, a certificate award ceremony was held for NTC staff who successfully completed 34 academic hours of professional development under the program “The R Programming Language in Education”, implemented by HSE.

From October 20 to 29, NTC staff completed a professional development course organized by the international company AQA Global Assessment Services (United Kingdom). The training program focused on modern approaches to assessment procedures and included the study of principles of test validity and reliability, test item analysis based on Classical Test Theory, and the alignment of test content with international standards (A-levels, United Kingdom).

The sessions were conducted by AQA experts — Hannah Rowe (Deputy Director of Assessment, AlphaPlus, part of AQA Global Assessment Services) and Vali Hussein (Regional Assessment Expert). The course concluded with the awarding of professional development certificates. Staff members also successfully completed training on the GradeMaker platform.

As part of the Strategic Partners Forum of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, NTC Director Bolatbek Abdrasilov and ETS President Amit Sevak held talks on joint efforts aimed at modernizing the Unified National Test (UNT) and discussed issues of strategic partnership in the field of educational quality assessment.Cooperation with ETS, a globally recognized leader in educational measurement, will help renew the test format, making it focused not only on academic knowledge but also on key skills essential for successful learning and professional development.

Today, the National Testing Center is Kazakhstan’s leading institution in the field of educational assessment. The Center not only develops and administers national tests but also conducts scientific research in psychometrics aimed at studying the reliability, validity, and objectivity of test items.

Partnerships with international organizations – ETS, AQA, HSE, and other specialized centers – open new opportunities for experience exchange, the implementation of innovative approaches, and the improvement of the national assessment system.

Joint projects and research initiatives contribute to the development of a modern, transparent, and evidence-based testing system that meets international standards and supports the educational policy goals of Kazakhstan.