Houghton Mifflin sells Promissor, Inc. to Pearson.

Pearson (London; Upper Saddle River, NJ) has acquired Promissor, Inc. (Bala Cynwyd, PA), a professional testing business, from Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA) for $42 million in cash.

Promissor is a provider of licensing examinations for state and federal regulatory bodies in the U.S. The company offers five core products and services: test development services, content management tools, Promissor test delivery system, test center options and support services. The company has a range of contracts to assess and certify professionals in real estate, insurance, mortgage broking, contracting, employment and healthcare industries. Promissor also has a presence in the U.K., with educational contracts for organizations including City and Guilds, the U.K.'s largest vocational awarding body.

Promissor will be merged with Pearson VUE, Pearson's existing professional testing company. Promissor VUE provides computer-based professional testing and operates a network of 4000 test centers in 145 countries. Pearson president/ general manager Robert Whelan said that Promisssor and Pearson VUE "are a natural fit and we believe that our combined scale and capabilities will realize tremendous benefits for our customers."