What is RM plc and what does it do?

Updated

RM plc is an education technology (EdTech) partner that works with schools, exam boards, professional organisations and governments worldwide. Its stated aim is to make learning and assessment more accessible, engaging and impactful. It does this through two main business areas: RM Assessment, which delivers digital assessment and marking (including the RM Ava platform), and RM Technology, which provides school IT, networking and security filtering.

Who RM plc serves

RM describes its audience as spanning the whole education and qualification system:

  • Schools — through IT products, services and classroom technology.
  • Exam boards and awarding bodies — through digital assessment and e-marking delivery.
  • Professional organisations — for example, RM has extended a digital e-marking contract with ICAEW (a professional accountancy body).
  • Governments — supporting large-scale, high-stakes assessment programmes.

The unifying goal, in RM's own framing, is "for every learner, every candidate, everywhere."

The two core business areas

RM Assessment: digital assessment and marking

This side of the business focuses on delivering digital assessment and marking "reliably and securely." The centrepiece is the RM Ava platform, supported by digital transformation expertise. In practice this covers things like:

  • Running digital exams and high-stakes assessments.
  • E-marking (electronic marking of candidate responses).
  • Helping awarding bodies move from paper-based to digital delivery.

RM's news page references work such as a strategic collaboration with ITTS for "integrated high-stakes assessment delivery" and commentary on candidate experience in assessment — signals that this division works closely with awarding bodies on the end-to-end exam process.

RM Technology: school IT and IT services

This division builds and supports the technology environment inside schools. According to the site, it covers:

  • School computing and devices.
  • Networking.
  • Critical security filtering.
  • Dynamic, inclusive learning environments delivered through IT and IT services.

RM also runs an RM Technology Store, selling pre-configured hardware from recognised manufacturers with education discounts, and offers the flexibility to spend a school's credit with RM. A partnership with the Digital Poverty Alliance to expand one-to-one device access for students is another example of this division's work.

How the pieces fit together

Area What it provides Primary users
RM Assessment Digital assessment delivery, e-marking, RM Ava platform, transformation support Exam boards, professional bodies, governments
RM Technology School computing, networking, security filtering, hardware store Schools and classroom environments

The logic is complementary: RM Technology equips the institution with devices and connectivity, while RM Assessment handles the qualification and testing process that sits on top of it.

What to know before engaging

  • It is a supplier, not a free resource. RM presents itself as a partner for organisations; pricing and commercial terms are not published on the pages reviewed, so you would need to make contact to discuss scope and cost.
  • Two distinct entry points. If your need is exam delivery or marking, the relevant route is RM Assessment. If your need is classroom devices, network or filtering, it is RM Technology.
  • Education-specific focus. The store's education discounts and the assessment work with awarding bodies indicate the offering is tailored to education sector buyers rather than general enterprise IT.

To explore further, the site directs organisations to "get in touch" for a conversation about which service fits their needs.