TAO

TAO is an assessment platform for educators and organizations that need to create exams, manage delivery, and report results. It is best suited to programs that value QTI/LTI interoperability and hosting choice; small teams should pay close attention to monthly attempt limits.

Overview

TAO brings authoring, test-session management, online delivery, scoring, and reporting together. Assessment creators can build tests manually, convert existing exam files, draft with AI assistance, or import QTI packages. That range makes TAO useful both for new assessment programs and for teams moving existing exams into digital delivery.

Support for QTI 2.2 and QTI 3.0, plus LTI interoperability, is a meaningful advantage for organizations that need portable content or LMS delivery. TAO lists Moodle, 2E Estudios & Evaluaciones, Wiris, Proctorio, Texthelp, Cito, and GeoGebra among its partners. Hosting options include shared or private TAO Cloud and self-hosting. TAO says customer content is encrypted in cloud and on-premise systems and that it periodically schedules external penetration tests.

Key features

TAO supports a broad mix of question formats, from choice, ordering, matching, and text entry to file uploads, hotspots, sliders, and graphic-based interactions. Branching logic lets assessments adapt their path, while automatic and manual scoring, partial credit, weighted responses, and cut scores accommodate different grading needs.

Reporting includes session and test-taker reports, custom reports, CSV results, Data Explorer, and TAO Insights. Assessments can be delivered online, through an LMS via LTI, at test centers, with local proctoring, or through cloud-hosted and self-hosted setups. This flexibility is valuable for varied exam programs, although higher-volume delivery can require moving beyond the smallest plans.

Pricing

TAO is freemium, with free options for both hosted use and self-hosting. TAO Starter is free forever at no cost and includes one author seat, 3,000 AI credits per month, and 50 learner test attempts per month. It suits solo authors, classroom-scale assessment, and pilots, but its attempt cap and single seat make it a poor foundation for a team program at scale.

TAO Community Edition is free open-source edition. It is self-hosted, gives access to and extension of the source code, and includes community forum and user guide support. This is the more flexible no-cost route for organizations prepared to host and manage the software themselves; it does not provide the hosted convenience of TAO Cloud.

TAO Author costs $149 a month and includes up to five authors, 10,000 AI credits per month, 50 learner test attempts per month, and a shared item bank. It expands collaboration and authoring capacity over Starter, but the same 50-attempt allowance remains a sharp constraint for regular learner use.

TAO Ignite costs $990 a month, with five author seats included and capacity up to 25, 10,000 AI credits per month, and 1,250 learner test attempts per month. Data API and remote proctoring are optional add-ons. Its higher attempt allowance is more suitable for active programs, while seat expansion and optional capabilities can add requirements to weigh.

TAO Elevate has custom pricing and includes 10 author seats, with capacity up to 50. TAO Enterprise also uses custom pricing, with custom capacity, integrations, configuration, and support, plus private TAO Cloud or custom third-party hosting. These tiers suit larger or more tailored programs; organizations needing a published monthly figure should compare the lower tiers first. TAO offers a trial, but no trial duration is stated. Paid plans offer additional support options beyond the Community Edition forum and guide.

Platforms

TAO supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments. That breadth, alongside cloud and self-hosted delivery, gives organizations more deployment choice than a web-only assessment tool.

Who it's for

TAO is a strong fit for schools, assessment providers, and organizations that need varied question types, reusable standards-based content, multiple delivery channels, and control over hosting. Starter works for a solo author or small pilot; Community Edition is better for teams willing to self-host and extend open-source software. Larger programs should focus on Ignite, Elevate, or Enterprise, where capacity rises but cost and terms require closer consideration.

It is less compelling for high-volume delivery on a small budget: Starter and Author both allow only 50 learner attempts per month, and Community Edition shifts hosting responsibility to the user.

Pros and cons

• Pros: QTI 2.2 and 3.0 support and LTI interoperability help keep assessment content and LMS delivery adaptable.
• Pros: Manual creation, file conversion, AI drafting, and QTI import support different content workflows.
• Pros: Shared, private-cloud, and self-hosted options accommodate different hosting preferences.
• Cons: Starter and Author cap learner attempts at 50 per month, restricting even modest recurring use.
• Cons: Community Edition requires self-hosting, while its support is limited to the forum and user guide.
• Cons: Data API and remote proctoring on Ignite are optional add-ons, and larger plans use custom pricing.

Alternatives

FlexiQuiz is worth considering for a lightweight quiz workflow: its free plan allows unlimited quizzes but limits each to 10 questions and 20 responses per month, with 1 GB of storage.

Testportal offers a free EDU plan with 100 results storage, advanced test configuration, and advanced reporting, making it an option to compare for education-focused testing.

QuizFaber is a free alternative for Linux, self-hosted, web, and Windows use; commercial use requires the author's prior authorization.

SpeedExam has a free plan with 25 exam attempts per month, 2,000 questions, and 100 MB of storage, so it may suit users comparing a smaller free exam service.

TriviaMaker is oriented toward trivia formats, with its free Basic plan limiting styles and disabling customization and team features.

Crowdpurr offers a free Basic plan for up to 20 participants, 15 questions, and three simultaneous experiences, making it a different option for constrained group activities.

ProProfs Quiz Maker has a free plan for small quizzes, capped at 12 questions and 90-day report history.

Classtime provides a free Basic plan for up to 40 students simultaneously, with unlimited questions and sessions.

Readers comparing categories can also browse Quiz Maker Software, Lockdown Browser Software, Online Exam Software, Automated Grading Software, and Assessment Software.

Verdict

Choose TAO when standards-based interoperability, broad assessment workflows, and hosting flexibility matter more than minimal setup or generous low-tier quotas. Its strongest case is the combination of authoring, delivery, scoring, reporting, and deployment choice; look elsewhere if 50 monthly attempts will not cover your needs or self-hosting is an unwelcome trade-off.