About Us
Meet your consultant
Assessment design & technology leadership
Our lead consultant Andrew Balch has over 20 years of experience in designing and delivering high-stakes assessment strategies, portfolios and products and in leading digital transformation across the assessment lifecycle.
He has led the development and rollout of authoring tools, item banks, test construction engines, human-in-the-loop AI marking solutions, results processing platforms, and end-to-end assessment delivery platforms, for example:
- procuring a SaaS assessment platform to support 2M+ tests per year.
- developing a LOFT test assembly algorithm to allow 2M+ test takers per year to take individualised tests on-demand without compromising test validity, and reducing test content commissioning requirements by 95% without compromising test security.
- significantly upgrading an in-house item banking platform, reducing per test taker content costs by over 90%, restoring regulatory compliance and extending the platform’s life by over 10 years.
Other experience includes:
- working with a leading awarding organisation to design and develop an assessment framework (Grades 1–12) for a ministry of education.
- developing ESOL product portfolio concepts for 4M+ learners per year.
- embedding a new assessment into the French state school system.
- leading high-stakes assessment alignment projects to secure renewed governmental accreditation.
- judging the e-Assessment Association’s 2025 AI in Assessment Innovation Award.
Andrew Balch
FOUNDER
Need expert guidance? Let’s talk.
+44 7879 577 085 or info@certisense.co.uk
Why Choose Us
Benefits you can expect
Expert Leadership
20 + years steering high-stakes programmes worldwide.
Objectivity
Advice tailored to your needs, free from commercial bias.
Holistic approach
From high-level strategy to balancing cross-functional requirements.