Kaplan Test Prep Launches Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) for NCLEX-RN® to Give Nurses the Most Realistic Practice Before Test Day

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Contact: Michael Tague, michael.tague@kaplan.com, 212.974.2785
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanNCLEX

New York, NY (September 5, 2017) — Kaplan, the world leader in test prep, has announced the most realistic computer adaptive NCLEX-RN® practice exam available for aspiring nurses.

Kaplan’s Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) for NCLEX-RN® offers the highest level of realistic prep for the high-stakes exam, which determines if an entry-level nurse should receive his or her license to practice nursing:

• 3 full-length tests designed to mimic the NCLEX-RN® and raise test-takers’ confidence
• Experience with every question type, including select all that apply (SATA), multiple choice, and ordered response
• Explanations for every question, showing students the reasoning behind right and wrong answers
• Performance reports that measure progress and help students move forward
• Simulated CAT practice that provides the most realistic test day experience

“When it comes to passing the NCLEX-RN®, the way you take the exam is just as important as mastering the content,” said Dr. Susan Sanders, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, and Vice President at Kaplan Nursing. “Experiencing the actual CAT format is the best way to manage anxiety and optimize your critical thinking.”

To provide an experience as close as possible to the actual exam, Kaplan’s CAT program is fully adaptive: students are presented with questions that increase in difficulty as they answer correctly and become simpler when they answer incorrectly. Also like the real exam, Kaplan’s CAT will “shut off” anywhere between the minimum required 75 questions and the maximum possible 265 questions once the computer has determined with confidence that the student is above or below a minimum standard.  

According to Kaplan research,* nursing students say practice questions are among the most important factors in an “ideal” NCLEX® prep solution. As Kaplan’s CAT draws on a bank of thousands of questions, each testing experience is uniquely adapted to their performance. In addition, students will gain an understanding of areas they need to improve prior to test day through instant feedback on their performance on every item tested.

With Kaplan’s new resource, students can experience the CAT three times. Students can access Kaplan’s CAT for one month, two months, three months, or six months, with reduced pricing available September 5 through September 25, 2017.

For more information, please visit Kaplan Nursing’s website. A Facebook Live event about Kaplan’s CAT, with an interactive discussion and question-and-answer session with Jenny Collins, RN, MSN, MBA and Kaplan NCLEX® Nursing Instructor, will be held on Tuesday, September 5 at 2 PM EST on Kaplan’s NCLEX Prep Facebook page.

*Kaplan Nursing conducted a survey of 200 nursing students in July 2017.

NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc, which does not endorse this program.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep and Chegg Partner to Bring Affordable Prep Options to Millions of Aspiring College and Grad School Students

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Caroline Medeiros, carolinem@chegg.com, 408.785.2028; Twitter: @KapTestNews, @Chegg

New York, NY and Santa Clara, CA (August 28, 2017) — Kaplan Test Prep, a premier provider of educational test preparation services and Chegg (NYSE: CHGG), the leading student-first connected learning platform, have partnered to develop affordable, high quality test prep services available exclusively through Chegg. As part of the partnership, Kaplan becomes the exclusive test prep partner for Chegg.

Starting today, Kaplan’s industry-leading comprehensive prep courses, practice products, and books for the GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, MCAT®, SAT®, and ACT®, will be offered on Chegg.com alongside Chegg Tutors, Chegg’s 24/7 online expert tutor matching service. Later this year, Kaplan and Chegg plan to release new online test prep programs designed to affordably meet the needs of test-takers who want best in class course instruction, at lower costs, beginning with GMAT, SAT, and GRE options. These new programs will be sold exclusively by Chegg.

“Making educational advancement a reality for as many students as possible is a shared mission of both Kaplan and Chegg, and we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership. Chegg’s student-first approach of making education more affordable, accessible and successful for students while providing high-quality products makes us a powerful team,” said Lee Weiss, vice president, Kaplan Test Prep. “With Chegg’s extensive distribution network, Kaplan’s world class content, and our joint focus on technology, we expect to provide students with all the test prep offerings they need in one place.”

The partnership is expected to resonate with Chegg’s audience of millions of value-driven students who will be offered affordable new test prep programs, launching later this year, starting at $99. These products will include 1,000+ practice questions through a customizable quiz bank and realistic full-length online practice exams. Exams will come with performance analysis powered by Kaplan’s Smart Reports^TM learning technology, which helps students identify opportunities for improving their scores. Additionally, students will get access to Kaplan’s most popular strategy sessions taught by high-rated faculty members in an engaging online classroom. Kaplan programs are informed by proprietary research showing that in test prep, the inclusion of realistic, full-length practice in a test-like environment is critical to success — and also that students value live instruction by a motivating teacher. Both are included in the offerings available on Chegg.com

Chegg and Kaplan will guarantee the effectiveness of these products with a Satisfaction Guarantee, providing students with the opportunity to study again for free if they have not yet achieved their goal scores. Students will be able to choose between a $99 offering or more premium package offering with more content and longer study time.

“Millions of students take standardized tests every year. Affordable and accessible test prep options are critical to making sure every student can be set-up to achieve success with their education. This partnership answers the call for more affordable options; Chegg users will gain unparalleled access to engaging and motivating test prep services, giving them an unmatched learning experience. Both Kaplan and Chegg share a like-minded mission of putting students first and together we can provide best-in-class learning services. We are thrilled to partner with Kaplan, as there is no better provider of test preparation products with a proven track record of improving students’ academic outcomes,” said Nathan Schultz, Chief Learning Officer, Chegg.

Visit Chegg.com/TestPrep to learn more.

Test names are the property of the respective trademark holders, none of whom endorse this program.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

About Chegg

Chegg puts students first. As the leading student-first connected learning platform, Chegg strives to improve the overall return on investment in education by helping students learn more in less time and at a lower cost. Chegg is a publicly-held company based in Santa Clara, California and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com

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SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including that Chegg and Kaplan plan to provide new programs later this year. Therefore, actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. For information regarding other related risks, see the “Risk Factors” section of Chegg’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 39, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on July 31, 2017, and Chegg’s other SEC filings. You can obtain copies of Chegg’s SEC filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at Chegg’s Investor Relations website at investor.chegg.com. The forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the date hereof, and Chegg undertakes an obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason except as required by law.

Kaplan Survey: Law School Grads Believe Their Social Media Posts are “Fair Game” for Prospective Employers

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)
Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538, Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanBarReview

New York, NY (August 16, 2017) — Law school graduates from the class of 2017 don’t object to prospective employers scoping them out on social media. According to a new Kaplan Bar Review survey of over 700 aspiring attorneys, 78 percent think that it’s “fair game” for prospective employers in the legal industry to visit job applicants’ social networking profiles like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help them make hiring decisions*.

Law school grads who think it’s appropriate for employers to vet prospective employees using social media shared the following opinions:

• “A person’s social media presence is an extension of who they are and who they want to be perceived as. You could have a completely capable candidate for a position who meets all of an employer’s qualifications on paper and in an interview, but if the person acts in a contrary manner on social media it can not only affect what potential clients think about the attorney, but also about the employer. “
• “It’s useful to know what kind of person an applicant is, particularly their personality and temperament, as opposed to what goes on a resume. Use of these sites is voluntary and if an applicant doesn’t want an employer to see the things they post then they shouldn’t post them.”
• “Professionalism does not stop at work. When you represent your company, especially within the legal field, you have a higher level to uphold. The best way to truly see a person is how they act on their personal page and majority of the time it shows their true character.”

Those who object to prospective employers using social media this way opined:

• “Attorneys should have an ethical standard that they hold themselves to, however, what I choose to do in my personal life is what I do in my personal life. There is no reason that an employer should try to see what I do during my personal time.”
• “An applicant’s personal life is separate from his professional life and that separation should be honored especially when employers solely want someone who will be proficient in their work environment.”
• “Employers hired people before social media existed based on what they had in front of them, and didn’t need to judge people’s social lives to make their hiring decisions. I’m not sure why they would need to do so now.”

Additionally, 66 percent of recent law school graduates say that it’s acceptable for a state bar’s fitness and character committee to visit law license applicants’ social networking profiles to help them make decisions about who gets admitted to the bar.

Just 7 percent of survey respondents say that they would be concerned about prospective employers or a state bar’s fitness and character committee finding posts that would negatively impact their nascent careers.

“Our survey finds that tomorrow’s lawyers are not only fine with prospective employers and state bar examiners looking at their social media trails, but it many cases think it’s a good idea because it may be necessary to protect the legal professional and individual legal practices,” said Tammi Rice, vice president, Kaplan Bar Review. “We know that aspiring attorneys are not a shy group, but given that many of the people who might make or break their legal careers could be seeing what they post, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. We encourage a healthy exchange of ideas and the right to express yourself, but it’s not without risk when it comes to your livelihood. You don’t necessarily have to share everything.”

To schedule an interview about Kaplan Bar Review’s survey results, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*Kaplan Bar Review conducted the survey via email in July and August 2017. It includes responses from 714 law school graduates from the class of 2017.

About Kaplan Bar Review

Kaplan Bar Review (www.kaplanbarreview.com) provides full-service bar review programs in 51 jurisdictions (all 50 states and Washington, DC). Additionally, Kaplan Bar Review offers supplemental preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE).

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GED Testing Service and Kaplan Test Prep Partner to Deliver First-Ever Live, Mobile-Friendly Online Programs for the Nation’s Leading High School Equivalency Exam

Kaplan is Now the Official Partner for Live Online Prep for the GED® test

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, Kaplan, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538,
Twitter: @KapTestNews
Danielle Wilson, GED Testing Service, publicaffairs@GEDtestingservice.com, 202.805.1835,
Twitter: @GEDtesting

WASHINGTON, DC (July 27, 2017) — GED Testing Service and Kaplan Test Prep have partnered to deliver the market’s first-ever official, live online preparation for the GED Testing Service. These mobile-friendly online programs will prepare students for the General Educational Development (GED) exams — a group of four subject tests that comprise the country’s leading high school equivalency certification. The partnership also establishes Kaplan as the official partner for live online prep for the GED test.

GED Live™ will for the first time offer adult education programs the opportunity to incorporate live online instruction into their education programming, which will be particularly useful to meet the needs of independent learners, working adults or adults in more rural communities. The GED Live™ program provides teacher-led, interactive learning and GED preparation to students studying for the GED test. This new product offers users convenient access through a computer, tablet or smartphone. GED Testing Service and Kaplan will be working closely with adult educators to make the GED Live™ program sufficiently flexible to best integrate the learning into adult education classrooms.

“In adult education we are continuously being asked to do more,” said Valerie Fischer, director of adult education for North Dakota. “This interactive live program from GED Testing Service and Kaplan Test Prep gives us the flexibility to offer both classroom use and independent access to our adult learners; it’s nice to have multiple avenues to support them as they prepare for the test.”

Online and blended learning have proven to be necessary and helpful options to help adult learners. In a recent survey conducted by GED Testing Service of 600 educators, 81 percent report losing GED students due to scheduling and logistics issues. Most survey respondents would like to see a blended learning model of in-classroom and online education, as they see this option helping to address scheduling and logistics challenges. Live focus groups are planned for adult educators in August and September 2017 to demonstrate the range of capabilities and gather feedback on how best to leverage GED Live™ within their programs.

“Colleagues from adult education programs across the country have been asking for our assistance to help them recruit and retain students. This partnership with Kaplan will provide educators with a valuable new tool that will allow them to meet the needs of students with schedules that might preclude regular class attendance and to attract students from outlying areas where regular classroom attendance proves difficult,” said Randy Trask, president of GED Testing Service.

“We’re excited to partner with GED Testing Service to help more adult learners pass the GED exam, so they can secure higher paying jobs and create better futures for themselves and their families,” said Lee Weiss, vice president of K-12 and college admissions programs for Kaplan Test Prep. “In an increasingly competitive global economy, America needs the most educated workforce possible and Kaplan remains committed to helping everyone reach their full potential. We’re excited about launching our new course later this summer and working with GED Testing Service to help even more adult learners succeed.”

More than 800,000 learners created a GED account and started studying for the test(s) during 2016. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median usual weekly earnings of someone without a high school diploma is only $493, compared to a median usual weekly earnings of $678 for someone who does have a high school degree. The BLS also reports that those without a high school diploma have the highest unemployment rate of any educational attainment group, at 6.1 percent, compared to those with a high school diploma, at 4.7 percent.

GED Live™ will be available for purchase on GED.com beginning in early fall. For more information about GED Live™, go to http://bit.ly/GEDLivePrep. For information about GED students and data on their study needs, go to bit.ly/GEDLiveInfographic. Kaplan currently offers GED test prep books and an online, self-paced study program.

Visit www.ged.com for more information about the official GED test program. To take the GED test, you must register with an official GED testing center. There are more than 3,400 testing centers across the United States and Canada operated by community colleges, local school boards, and adult education centers.

About GED Testing Service

The GED test has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 20 million graduates since 1942. The GED test is accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. As the creator of the one official GED test, GED Testing Service has a responsibility to ensure that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of adults without a high school diploma. GED Testing Service is a joint venture between the American Council on Education and Pearson.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Medical Launches Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan for Aspiring Doctors

More Questions, More Explanations, More Personalized Analysis
for the Must-Pass Licensing Exam

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanMedical

New York, NY (July 27, 2017) — Kaplan Medical, which annually prepares thousands of aspiring doctors for the USMLE® series of medical licensing exams, is rolling out a more engaging and effective Step 1 program designed to provide test takers with an enhanced, assessment driven study plan to help them maximize their prep time. Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan includes 2,100 exam-style questions and explanations; two full length simulated exams; one mini-simulated exam; 26 mastery assessments; 150 warm-up questions; a customized study plan with recommendations; and between 40-70 hours of interactive videos, based on the individual student’s performance.

“Among all the three Steps of the USMLE, Step 1 is considered by many to be the most challenging, regarded as one the hardest academic hurdles for aspiring practicing doctors to conquer. Our proprietary research shows that top preppers follow certain study patterns and habits, and so key design elements of our Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan leverage our findings to increase prep effectiveness,” said Dr. Chris Cimino, Chief Medical Officer, Kaplan Health programs. “We are excited about launching the enhanced course widely, as early adopters have told us how it can really be a gamechanger for students looking for a structured study plan.”

The USMLE Step 1 is a one-day computer exam taken by most medical students at the end of their second year of medical school. It is also taken by thousands of international medical graduates (IMGs) who wish to practice medicine in the United States. The Step 1 includes 280 multiple-choice questions and spans 8 hours of testing, broken down into seven 1-hour blocks of 40 questions each. The USMLE Step 1 emphasizes basic science principles, specifically anatomy, behavioral science, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. Interdisciplinary areas such as genetics, immunology, and nutrition are also tested.

In 2016, approximately 42,200 medical school students took the USMLE Step 1, including 17,600 IMGs. The passage rate for graduates of American medical schools was 94 percent, while the passage rate for IMGs was 72 percent.

For more information about Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan, please visit www.kaplanmedical.com/integratedplan. For students who need a less robust prep program, Step 1 Qbank also remains available.

USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Kaplan or this course.

About Kaplan Medical

Kaplan Medical (www.kaplanmedical.com) is a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep Expands Beyond High-Stakes Exam Preparation into Academic Help Programs

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)
Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538, Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (July 20, 2017) — Kaplan, the world leader in test prep, is branching beyond its core business of preparing students for high-stakes exams, expanding into academic support to help college students and high school students who are taking college-level courses, such as AP® courses, succeed in the areas they consider to be the most challenging: science and math. The new services, which are available online, including on mobile devices, offer students help from Kaplan’s expert teachers right when and how they need it, whether it’s working on challenging homework problems or preparing for exams.

Kaplan’s expansion into the academic help space is a natural move for the company, which has 50 years experience in preparing students for the GMAT® and GRE®, which test students’ quantitative skills, and the MCAT®, which has a major focus on basic sciences.

This fall Kaplan will offer academic help in four subjects: three science options—ChemHelp (General Chemistry), OrgoHelp (Organic Chemistry), and PhysicsHelp—available to all students and colleges and universities seeking to provide supplemental programs; and AlgebraHelp, which is designed for colleges and universities to use as a supplemental program in developmental courses.

The programs’ live, online “office hours” approach allows students to get help from a Kaplan STEM teacher and learn from their peers in real-time. This convenient format lets students attend office hours from anywhere with an Internet connection. Teachers will also be available outside of office hours via live chat and email. Short instructional video clips and practice questions allow students to get practice in areas where they are most in need at any hour of the day.  

Kaplan AlgebraHelp is an innovative new way for universities to provide supplemental instructional support to help their hardest-to-reach students succeed. The American Association of Community Colleges recently bestowed AlgebraHelp with its AACC Annual Convention Innovations Award, applauding its application of live online and tutoring expertise that Kaplan has developed into the critical area of developmental math.

“AlgebraHelp was created with the idea of helping algebra students, some of whom have not taken a math class in several years, improve their skills. Helping first year college students succeed here may increase universities’ freshman retention rates, an important indicator of a school’s academic success and a metric that factors into a school’s rankings,” said Brandon Jones, vice president, Kaplan Test Prep. “We have a team of dozens of experienced academics and learning scientists working on these courses to ensure maximum results for our students and partner schools. We’re excited to complement the work of college faculty by providing live help to students as they work through problem sets and prepare for exams. Our math, chemistry, and physics experts can help students in real-time during out-of-class hours.  In addition, targeted video clips and practice questions help students hone in on their weak areas.”

In a Kaplan survey which asked over 200 undergraduate college students which courses they found to be the most challenging*, Math and Chemistry received the most responses, with 28 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Biology came in at 14 percent; Physics at 12 percent; Humanities at 10 percent; Social Sciences at 8 percent; and “others” at 5 percent.

“Grades in science and math courses, often taken early in college, can have long-term implications for students who want to attend medical school or want a career in health sciences. Performing poorly in these areas, especially in the first or second year, can hurt students’ cumulative GPAs, set them behind, and even discourage them from their chosen career paths — and with the United States suffering from a major doctor shortage, we cannot afford that,” added Jones.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM fields grew by 10.5 percent, or 817,260 jobs, between 2009 and May, compared to just 5.2 percent net growth in non-STEM areas. The same report finds that  national average salary for all STEM occupations was $87,570, nearly double the national average salary for non-STEM occupations, at $45,700.

For more information about Kaplan’s new offerings in the academic support space, contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

*Kaplan surveyed 209 undergraduate students via email in April 2016.

All test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep Survey: Law Schools’ Opinions Vary on Whether the American Bar Association Should Insert Itself into the Growing Admissions Competition Between the LSAT® and GRE®

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanLSATPrep

New York, NY (July 13, 2017) — As representatives from the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar gather this week in Chicago to consider whether or not to wade into the burgeoning efforts of the GRE to gain a foothold in law school school admissions, a new Kaplan Test Prep survey shows law schools with diverse views on the issue*. Of the nearly 120 law schools polled, 61 percent say the ABA should make a statement saying that law schools are either permitted or not permitted to allow applicants to submit GRE scores as an alternative to scores from the LSAT, long the only sanctioned law school admissions exam. Twenty-seven percent say it should not; and 13 percent are unsure.

The law school admissions officers who participated in Kaplan’s survey shared strong — and varied — opinions about the possibility of the American Bar Association, which accredits the nation’s 200+ law schools, jumping into the fray. Admissions officers who favor the ABA’s involvement said::

• “They need to pick a side…I feel the process should be fairly unified. I want the ABA to be more definitive so we are playing from the same book.”
• “It would make it easier for all of us to have a concrete statement.”
• “The ABA is the accrediting body of law schools. It would be helpful to get their sense on the validity of the GRE.”

Admissions officers who are against the ABA’s involvement said:

• “They are notorious for making decisions in a vacuum without getting input from law schools. They don’t have a good understanding of what they are regulating. Most don’t
  have experience in higher education or law school administration.”
• “I don’t think blanket statements are a good idea. I think the ABA is right to come up with a process. There needs to be a rigorous validation process in place.”
• “We need some flexibility to determine whether the GRE will work and this will require a bit of research. I wouldn’t want the ABA to issue a blanket statement.”

The issue first arose in 2016 when the University of Arizona College of Law announced that it would begin allowing applicants to submit GRE scores. The school said that based on research it conducted with the exam’s test maker that “for students in Arizona Law’s JD program, performance on the GRE General Test is a valid and reliable predictor of students’ first-term law school grades.” At the time, the ABA took no hard action. The issue took on a new sense of urgency in March 2017 when top-ranked Harvard Law School also announced it would begin accepting GRE scores. This led to a number of other law schools publicly saying that it was only a matter of time before other law schools also made the move.

What the ABA decides could have long-lasting effects on the law school admissions landscape and applicants. This week, it’s holding a hearing on a proposed change to Section 503 of the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law School. Section 503 currently requires a law school to use the LSAT in the law school admissions process unless an individual school can prove another test is a valid and reliable test to assist the school in assessing whether or not an applicant is capable of completing the rigors of law school. The proposed changes would no longer allow schools to determine if an alternate test is valid and reliable, instead placing that power solely in the hands of the ABA.

“The American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is set to debate one of the most controversial amendments to its Standards in years. If the ABA adopts its proposed amendments to Standard 503, it will immediately stifle law school attempts to circumnavigate the current LSAT requirement and at least temporarily halt schools’ desire to use the GRE for admissions purposes,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “However, incorporated into the proposed changes is a call for a process for the ABA to vet admissions exams other than the LSAT, which may set the stage for a sweeping ruling allowing law schools to accept the GRE in the future. Rejecting the proposed amendments will likely result in trickling adoption of the GRE. At Kaplan, we’ll be tracking the issue closely to ensure that students have the most accurate and up-to-date information possible to make informed decisions.”

*Based on the results of a Kaplan Test Prep survey conducted by phone in April-May 2017 of 119 law schools, including 18 of the top 30, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

All test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan or this study.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep Survey: Aspiring Lawyers Support Recently Announced LSAT® Changes…But They May Not Understand All Their Admissions Implications

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanLSATPrep

New York, NY (June 26, 2017) — A new Kaplan Test Prep survey of over 500 aspiring law school students shows strong support for two significant changes to the way the LSAT will be administered*. The first change incorporates more test dates into the calendar: over the next two testing years, the Law School Admission Council will be transitioning to six annual administrations of the LSAT rather than just four, offering a new testing calendar that includes tests in July, September, November, January, March, and June. (To date, the LSAT has only been administered in February, June, September/October and December.) Among those polled, 83 percent support this change. The results also found this change could have significant impact on future LSAT takers, with 66 percent saying that had this change already been in effect, their own personal prep regimen would have been different, including the date they chose to take  the exam.

The other big change lifts the cap on the number of times test takers can take the LSAT over a two-year period. Previously, would-be lawyers were limited to sitting for the test three times in any two-year period. Among those surveyed, two-thirds (67 percent) support eliminating the cap. Just 11 percent oppose the change, with another 22 percent deadlocking. But on this issue, there’s a bit of a hung jury on how beneficial this change might be. Exactly half say it would not have had affected their own study plan, while 34 percent said it would have, with the remaining 16 percent unsure.

“These two changes are student-friendly and could go a long way in de-stressing the admissions process by giving test takers more flexibility. This would seem to fit the approach of LSAC’s new President and CEO Kellye Testy, who has indicated her desire to evolve the organization,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “LSAC is also understandably concerned about losing law school applicants to the GRE®, now that Harvard Law School allows applicants to submit scores from that exam instead, with other law schools waiting in the wings to follow suit.”

Thomas notes that while some students may try to make an end run around the LSAT in favor of the GRE because it may be perceived as the easier test, there may not be much of an advantage in the long run — law schools may see all LSAT scores taken over the past five years, even if you apply using your GRE score. That means strong performance on the GRE won’t mask previous poor performance on the LSAT.

“As far as the removal of limits on the number of times one can take the LSAT, it’s not a good LSAT strategy to use your first testing experience to establish a baseline score, so we strongly advise against students retaking the exam numerous times. Law schools see every score, and taking it too many times in a condensed time frame may raise a serious red flag.  Our advice is to prep comprehensively for the LSAT, get a great score once and leave no doubt in the minds of admissions committees as to your candidacy for law school. Of course, if you need to retest, you can and now LSAC is providing more flexibility to do so. But, that should be your Plan B, not Plan A,” added Thomas.

*Based on the results of a Kaplan Test Prep e-survey of 520 of its LSAT students in June 2017.

All test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan or this study.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Kaplan Test Prep to Hold National Practice Test Weekend for the SAT® and ACT® on May 20-21

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)

Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanSATACT

Free, Online Practice Test and Personalized Feedback Help High School Students
Get Ready for Competitive College Admissions Process

Register at https://www.kaptest.com/practicetestweekend

New York, NY (May 16, 2017) — This coming weekend, Kaplan Test Prep will host National Practice Day Weekend (Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21), which will feature free, online events to help high school students get a jump start on preparing for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams.

Participants will be able to take a practice test, with realistic practice SAT and ACT questions, and then receive a personalized performance analysis, showing them in what areas they did well and where they need more practice. Additionally, live presentations by Kaplan experts will provide students and their parents with an overview of the exams, how they’re used in the admissions process, and why students should consider taking both the SAT and ACT exams.

“Kaplan’s experience teaching hundreds of thousands of students and analysing test results confirms that practice–and more practice–makes all the difference in achieving SAT and ACT scores that students need to gain admission to the college or university of their choice,” said Victoria Adams, director of college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep.

Achieving the best score possible on an entrance exam is critical as the nation’s top schools are accepting record low or near record low percentages of applicants (i.e. Harvard at 5.2 percent, Columbia  at 5.8 percent, Yale at 6.9 percent, Brown at 8.3 percent, and UPenn at 9.2 percent). The difference often is a student’s scores on the SAT or ACT, which remain one of the most important admissions factors.

“At Kaplan we believe that if you’re planning to take only one of the two tests, the best strategy is to take practice tests for the SAT and ACT, see which one you score better on, and then put all your energy into that test. Every college and university across the country accepts scores from both exams, so performing well on either test will be equally advantageous,” added Adams. “In a competitive college admissions process that has only grown fiercer the past few years, every additional point on the exams can make a differences and National Practice Test Weekend is a great opportunity to get started on the road to success on Test Day.”

Differences between the exams include:

• Length: The SAT is 3 hours and 50 min (with optional Writing Test); the ACT is 3 hours and 25 minutes (including the optional Writing Test). Kaplan encourages all students to take the Writing Test for both exams, as many of the top colleges require it.
• Sections: The SAT includes Reading, Writing and Language, and Math sections; the ACT includes English, Reading, Math and Science sections.
• Scoring: The SAT is scored on a 400-1600 scale; the ACT is scored on a 1-36 scale. Neither exam has a wrong answer penalty.

For more information about the top reasons to take a practice test for the SAT and ACT, read this article on Kaplan’s blog, College: Admission Possible.

For journalists wanting to arrange an interview with one of Kaplan Test Prep’s college admissions experts, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. To register for the event, go to https://www.kaptest.com/practicetestweekend.

SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. None of the aforementioned trademark holders were involved in the production of and do not endorse these events.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Specialized High School Admissions Test to Undergo Major Changes; Kaplan Test Prep to Hold a Series of Free SHSAT® Practice Events Across All NYC Boroughs to Help Middle Schoolers Get Ready

Students Can Register for the May 13, May 20, and May 21 Events at https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5

New York, NY (May 4, 2017) — The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), the only criterion for admissions to eight of the nine New York City Specialized High Schools, launches its biggest changes in over 20 years in fall 2017. To help ensure that eighth graders across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island who want to attend one of these top schools have an opportunity to succeed, Kaplan Test Prep will hold a series of free SHSAT practice events across all five boroughs. Held five months before the actual test administration, this will be one of the first opportunities students will have to gain exposure to what they’ll encounter on Test Day. Every student who participates in one of the 60-minute practice test events will also receive a detailed score report highlighting strengths and weaknesses, so they know how to prepare.

Among the biggest changes to the SHSAT:

• Timing: The new SHSAT will be three hours, 30 minutes longer than the old exam. This will increasingly make the exam one of endurance.
• Answer Choices: On multiple choice questions, test takers will now see four possible answers instead of the old exam’s five.
• Math: The old exam’s math section was entirely multiple choice; the new exam will include multiple choice, but also grid-in questions, and have more focus on word problems.
• ELA (formally Verbal): The new exam will not include “scrambled paragraphs” questions, which gave students 5 sentences, and then asked test takers to put them in the right order to form a cohesive paragraph. The exam is also dropping logical reasoning questions. The new SHSAT will include nonfiction reading comprehension and revising/editing passages and stand-alone questions.

“We know from working with thousands of New York City middle schoolers every year that scoring well on the SHSAT and getting into your top school choice relies heavily on practice and planning,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the the practice events are not substitutes for comprehensive studying, it will give aspiring Specialized High School students the opportunity to hone their skills, build their confidence, and figure out which sections they need to focus on. With the biggest changes since the 1990s set to hit the exam this fall and fierce competition to get in, practice is more important than ever.”

The SHSAT is administered by the New York City Department of Education and is only available to New York City residents in the 8th grade. 9th grade students may also choose to take the 9th grade version of the SHSAT for a very limited number of seats that may become available at the Specialized High Schools.

In 2016, approximately 28,000+ students took the SHSAT; less than 20% of those students were accepted to a New York City Specialized High School.

For journalists wanting to arrange an interview with one of Kaplan Test Prep’s SHSAT experts, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. To register for one of the May events, go to https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5.

SHSAT® (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is a registered trademark of the New York City Department of Education, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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