What is CTSOManager?
A competition and chapter management platform built for career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) - covering conferences, judged competitions, testing, scoring, newsletters, and analytics.
How is CTSOManager different from general CTSO software or event-management tools?
Most CTSO software on the market started as general-purpose event or membership tools and had CTSO-specific features added on afterward. CTSOManager started from the opposite direction - the national-state-region-chapter hierarchy, judged and tested events, and chapter-scoped communication are the foundation the platform was built on, not features bolted onto something built for a different kind of organization. In practice that means less configuring generic tools to approximate what a CTSO needs, and more of it working the way your organization already runs out of the box.
We already have a system - is switching worth the disruption?
Usually the deciding factor isn't the software itself, it's what a CTSO gets to stop paying for and stop maintaining separately - a newsletter tool, a billing spreadsheet, a folder of disconnected rubric PDFs. Bulk CSV import brings in your existing events, rosters, and rubrics rather than asking you to start from scratch, and a guided setup wizard walks a new conference through in order - most organizations have a real conference built and ready to run the same day they start. Get in touch and we'll walk through what switching would actually look like for your organization specifically.
How does the state/region/chapter structure work?
Your organization's real hierarchy - national, state, region, chapter - is built into the platform. Each level manages and reports on itself and everything below it, never the level above.
Can more than one CTSO use this?
Yes - CTSOManager is built to host more than one organization, each with its own branding, colors, and logo on its own instance. Your members never see another organization's data.
What does it cost?
We don't publish a set price list - every CTSO is structured a little differently, so we work directly with your organization to figure out a plan that fits. Get in touch and we'll talk through it.
How do judges score competitions?
Judges are assigned to a competition and score digitally against its rubric, using the same click-to-select format your organization already runs on paper. Standings are calculated live as scores come in, and placements are locked in once an event manager finalizes them.
What happens if two competitors tie?
Finalizing is blocked until the tie is resolved - the results page shows exactly which place and which competitors are tied so it can be corrected first.
How does online testing handle accommodations?
Extended time and read-aloud support apply automatically for any student with an accommodation on file. If a student's connection drops mid-test, the attempt is recorded and can be reopened by an event manager.
Can we send newsletters to just one region or chapter?
Yes - every newsletter is sent to exactly the chapters, regions, or conferences you choose, and only to the ones you're authorized to reach.
Does CTSOManager handle conference fees and invoicing?
Yes - conference fee items, chapter invoices, payments, and refunds are all tracked in one place, with a full payment ledger.
Is the platform accessible?
Every page includes on-page text resizing and a read-aloud mode, in addition to standard keyboard and screen-reader support.
How do I get an account?
Use Request an account and it will be routed to the right approver for your chapter or state. Starting a brand-new chapter? The same form has an option for that - just select "Teacher starting a brand new chapter."
Still have questions?
Reach out and we'll walk through how CTSOManager fits your organization.