Surpass Innovation Award
Held every two years at the in‑person Surpass Conference, the Surpass Innovation Award celebrates members of the Surpass Community who are pushing the boundaries of digital assessment.
Awarding excellence in innovation – 2026’s sponsor
The Surpass Innovation Award spotlights members of the Surpass Community who showcase unique ways to overcome assessment challenges, driving forward new ways of working and cutting-edge approaches to creating and delivering digital assessments.
This year’s sponsor, supporting the ideas shaping the future of assessment, is Software Country.
2026 finalists
CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment) — Transforming global assessment at scale with Surpass
The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) has partnered closely with Surpass to transform the delivery of over 45,000 high-stakes exams globally — combining end-to-end platform adoption, dedicated test centre delivery and a programme of bespoke developments including instant results reporting, custom candidate score reports, daily SME digest emails and enhanced tools for narrative exam authoring. A true collaboration in innovation, efficiency and candidate experience.
Inteleos — Championing AI-augmented item development
Inteleos is boldly reimagining how high-stakes assessment items are created, and Surpass Copilot is one of the AI-enabled tools powering that work. As the first organization to license Copilot, Inteleos brought vision, courage, and a deep commitment to doing AI right; building the governance, review protocols, and SME workflows that let tools like Copilot be used with confidence.
Their SMEs are drafting items faster than ever without compromising rigor, transparency, or editorial control. In doing so, Inteleos has proven that AI can amplify expert judgement rather than replace it and has set an inspiring benchmark for responsible innovation across the assessment community.
Alphaplus — Bespoke financial calculators
Alphaplus have been working with AQA to support them develop a new product called AQA Financial Futures: an online teaching package aimed at developing financial literacy and numeracy skills for use with 14–19-year-olds, so that they are better able to make real world decisions about finances.
AlphaPlus is redefining what an assessment item can do, developing bespoke online calculators that enables the learner to budget, check wage deductions and model savings interest inside the exam itself. Built for AQA Financial Futures and delivered through the Surpass media library, these tools test financial literacy the way learners will use it in real life.
In proving that interactive simulations can be built on core Surpass functionality, AlphaPlus has opened the door to almost limitless possibilities for innovative item design.
2024 winner
SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants) – Real-world accountancy exams: Using BYOD with secure Word and Excel simulations
SAICA impressed judges with their practical and innovative approach to delivering high‑stakes accountancy exams. Using Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) delivery with secure Word and Excel simulations in the Surpass Platform, SAICA enables postgraduate accountants to sit real‑world assessments over extended exam windows.
CFO and Company Director, Jim Crawford congratulated Nombuyiselo Tsukudu and Zanele Radebe on SAICA’s well-deserved win at the 2024 Surpass Conference.
2024 finalists
SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants) – Real-world accountancy exams: Using BYOD with secure Word and Excel simulations
SAICA assess postgraduate accountants at various stages on their journey to achieving chartered status, culminating in the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) examinations. SAICA deliver secure tests using Bring Your Own Device and secure Word and Excel simulations, allowing their exams to be sat over a period of eight hours in challenging circumstances with regard to network and power supply. It’s a fantastic, innovative solution that provides modern, secure assessment in challenging technological conditions.
Trinity College – Breaking tradition: Implementing a computer adaptive multi-skill English exam
Trinity College’s ‘Integrated Skills in English’ (ISE) is an adaptive test in the Surpass Platform that assesses all 4 language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Based upon and linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), it is recognised by governments and institutions as solid evidence of English language proficiency. There are many innovative aspects to the Trinity test, in particular:
- The modules are computer adaptive, meaning an algorithm adjust the difficulty of the tasks based on the candidate’s performance as they progress through the test.
- The reading and listening sections of the test uses adaptive logic to pull in item sets, groups of items that are linked to shared reading or listening resources.
WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) – One-click exam security: A download-free solution for Windows devices
WSET deliver 12 globally recognized qualifications across wine, spirits, sake, and beer, from beginner to expert level. The Surpass online secure browser delivery option makes their onscreen exams more accessible to a wider range of customers – a way for the exam device to be locked down at the start of the exam without having to do any setup on the exam device beforehand. It provides a flexible user-friendly platform, ultimately enhancing the candidate’s assessment journey.
2022 winner
Michigan Language Assessment won the inaugural Surpass Innovation Award for their innovative MET Go! Digital test, which uses the Surpass Platform to test all four key areas of language testing (speaking, reading, writing and listening) on-screen.
Co-CEO Andy McAnulla and Account Director Shannon Starrs congratulated Lynne Frederickson on MLA’s well-deserved win at the 2022 Surpass Conference.