New SAT Set to Launch in 2016 Will Require Greater Stamina,
Stronger Knowledge of Math Fundamentals

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

New York, NY (April 16, 2014) — Specifications of the new SAT just released today indicate students will require stronger knowledge of math fundamentals and greater stamina for reading comprehension passages — the latter being a potential challenge for students wary of taking a 3-plus hour test on computer.  A recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of high school students* shows that while students generally support the SAT changes scheduled to launch in 2016, such as eliminating fill-in-the-blank vocabulary and the wrong answer penalty, a majority (56%) are resistant to the test’s planned move to digital.  In a previous Kaplan survey, students expressed concerns about the strain of looking at a computer screen for four hours and potential technical issues, as well as a preference for the tactile nature of writing, ‘scratch work’ and flipping pages.

“Students generally support the changes to the SAT, though in our surveys they’ve expressed concerns about its move to a computer-based format.  In that regard, the shift to more long passage reading comprehension will require more stamina,” said Seppy Basili, vice president, Kaplan Test Prep.  “In addition to having questions about the test’s move to digital, students have also asked about the elimination of calculator use for some math questions.  What that change means is that they will need strong fundamental math skills, such as mental percentage calculation.  The good news is that because many key changes to the test make it more like the ACT, it lessens the uncertainty that can breed anxiety, and we know that confidence is key to test success.”

As for the other changes coming to the SAT, students are supportive of some, split on others:

• No More Fill-in-the-Blank Vocabulary: Of the announced changes to the SAT, students most strongly support this one, with 85% in favor of this change. Long the bane of many students’ test-taking experience, fill-in-the-blank vocabulary questions will be eliminated with the new SAT.  Instead, the exam will focus on vocabulary-in-context, as well as revising and editing write-in passages.
• Eliminating the Wrong Answer Penalty: The current ¼ point wrong answer penalty will be a thing of the past once the revised SAT launches in 2016, and 74% of teens surveyed give this change a thumbs-up.  This change mirrors the scoring policy on the ACT – the other major college admissions exam – which does not penalize test takers for wrong answers.
• Addition of Historical Passage: The new SAT will include a reading passage from “founding documents of America,” such as the Constitution or Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and/or world history – an addition that has the support of 70% of students surveyed.  While students who know their American and world history may be at an advantage here, this part of the exam will test students on reading comprehension, not on historical facts.
• Optional Essay:  Exactly half of those surveyed support the College Board’s move to make the SAT essay optional, rather than required – another move that mirrors an existing ACT policy.  Added in 2005, the SAT essay (also known as the Writing section) changed the test’s scoring scale from 1600 to 2400. By making the essay optional, the SAT will return to a 1600 scoring scale; the optional essay will receive its own separate grade.
• No More Calculators…Sometimes: Currently, test takers can use approved calculators for all math questions, but with the new SAT, test takers will only be able to use calculators for some. Just under half of students surveyed (49.6%) think it’s a good idea to require test takers to solve some math problems without the use of a calculator.

Current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will be unaffected by the SAT changes.

For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s survey, the new SAT or to arrange an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert on the college admissions process, contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. More information about the changes is also available at Kaplan’s SAT changes resource site,www.satchange.com.

*From a Kaplan March 2014 e-survey of 335 students from across the United States who took a Kaplan SAT course and took the March SAT.

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, 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 90 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. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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

New York, NY (April 2, 2014) — The teenage rite of passage of waiting for incoming college decisions may have changed from looking for the thin or fat envelope to hitting “refresh” on the Web browser — but the anxiety of college decision limbo has not.  While many of this year’s two million-plus college applicants have earned admission into their top choice schools, many more are coping with the blow of rejection or being sent into waitlist mode, wondering what to do next.  Meanwhile, even those fortunate enough to get accepted into their top choice schools are grappling with tough decisions.  During this critical time, what should college applicants do and how can parents support their efforts?  Kaplan Test Prep offers the following advice for students to help navigate the most common college admissions scenarios.

• I didn’t get accepted to my top choice schools.  Don’t be discouraged.  You’re far from alone. Many of the nation’s most competitive schools announced record low acceptance rates this year (e.g. 5.9% for Harvard University; 6.3% for Yale University; 8.6% for Brown University; 7.3% for Princeton University; 6.9% for Columbia University).  Keep in mind that college admissions have an element of subjectivity; also, rejection can sometimes reflect more on a school’s desire to build a well-rounded and diverse class with limited spots than on your strength as an applicant.  Ideally you’ve applied to multiple places, including “safety” schools, which means you should have options.  Take another look at these schools.  If you applied to them, you must have liked something about them.  And remember that generations of college students before you didn’t get into their top choice schools, but ended up being happy with their college experience.
• I’ve been waitlisted. Do I wait?  The last thing you should do if you’ve been waitlisted is wait. Your first step: thank the school for keeping your application under continued consideration and send the admissions office new, relevant information that could aid your cause: midterm grades, awards, new leadership roles, etc.  Make the case that you are a “must-have student.”  That said, don’t be under any illusion that getting off the waitlist will be easy; in fact, it’s unlikely.  According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), in the most recently surveyed year, colleges accepted an average of 25% of all students who chose to remain on waitlists – down from 31% the previous year.  With that in mind, definitely revisit the schools that did say “We want you now.”
• I got into my top college choice, but the amount of financial aid they offered me wasn’t enough.  Don’t be afraid to ask for more aid.  Unlike FAFSA offers, which are non-negotiable,  there may be flexibility in financial aid packages awarded directly by colleges. One strategy may be to show them a financial aid offer made by another college that accepted you and see if they’ll match it.  Since they’ve already accepted you, they more than likely will work with you. Explain to them how your family’s financial situation may have changed since first applying or how your activities since applying warrant additional aid; the worst that can happen is that your request is denied.
• I got into several of my top schools; how do I decide which one to attend?  This is the best situation to be in, but that doesn’t mean the decision will be simple. Refer to the list of factors you considered when you first applied. If paying for college is an important factor, evaluate their financial aid packages. If you can, visit (or revisit) the campuses that are still in the running, talk to current students and/or alumni, consider what’s most important to you in your college experience and which school will be the best “fit” for your priorities.  Then, discuss it with those who know you best and make an informed decision.

One more thing to keep in mind: schools have the right to revoke your acceptance.  While this is an uncommon occurrence, it does happen.  Keep your grades up (according to a study by the NACAC, colleges say final grades are the reason for revoking admission 68.7 percent of the time); don’t get in trouble with the law or with your school; and be on your best behavior on social media.

To arrange an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep college admissions expert, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

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 90 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. Additionally, Kaplan operates new economy skills training (NEST) bootcamps designed to provide immersive training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

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

New York, NY (March 11, 2014) — Kaplan Test Prep issued the following statement regarding how prospective students should view U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 graduate school, business school, law school and medical school rankings, which were just released today:

“The U.S. News rankings have long played a role in the graduate school, business school, law school and medical school search process, as they can serve as an aggregate source of data around student population, academic life, job placement and other considerations.  But the actual rank of each program is often more important to school administrators and alumni than it should be for prospective students,” said Brandon Jones, vice president of graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Whether a school ranks 16th or 24th won’t matter in the long run.  Ultimately, applicants should seek programs that are the best overall ‘fit’ for their academic, professional, financial, and lifestyle goals and needs.”

In 2013, over 1 million GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT and MCAT exams* were taken by aspiring students and professionals as admissions prerequisites to get into graduate, business, law and medical school, respectively.

To speak with a Kaplan Test Prep expert on how prospective students can best use the rankings as part of the graduate school, business school, law school and medical school admissions process, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

^*Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. 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 90 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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Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews

New York, NY (March 5, 2014) – The following statement is from Seppy Basili, vice president, Kaplan Test Prep, regarding today’s announcement by the College Board on upcoming changes to the SAT.

“We think it’s terrific that the College Board is making SAT prep widely available for students of all income levels. Not only are they validating that test prep works, but it’s something we’ve been doing for years.  In fact, we hope they extend these kinds of opportunities to their AP programs as well. “

“It’s important to keep in mind that SAT scores have always been a measure of whether a student is prepared for college-level work and everyone should have an opportunity to put their best foot forward. Test prep is about knowing the content, having a strategy and developing confidence. Students and their families have long recognized that knowing what’s on an exam and how to prepare for it is critical to succeeding on it.”

To arrange an interview with a Kaplan SAT and college admissions expert about the upcoming changes to the test, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

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 90 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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Partnership to Help Schools Meet Requirements of House Bill 5

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

Press Contacts: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanK12

New York, NY (February 27, 2014) – To help schools prepare students for college and/or the workforce, Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12, a nonprofit service organization that provides professional development and program support to school personnel, has partnered with Kaplan K12 Learning Services, a leading provider of skill building solutions for academic success and college readiness. This goal becomes increasingly important as Texas adjusts to a new landscape with the implementation of House Bill 5 (HB 5). HB 5 is shifting how schools prepare young people for college and careers through a diversified curriculum.

HB 5 initiated changes to the Texas Education Code (TEC) in a number of areas including curriculum, accountability, assessment and graduation planning. Students must now meet indicators to be deemed “college ready” in order to attempt earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

HB 5 encourages students to pursue Advanced Placement (AP) coursework to help them meet graduation requirements and earn endorsements. Through AP coursework, students can also achieve a performance acknowledgement on their diploma. The Texas Education Agency recently announced that the number of Texas graduates taking at least one Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Exam has more than doubled during the past decade. The number of low-income graduates taking at least one AP Exam has more than quadrupled, and the number of Hispanic/Latino graduates taking AP has nearly tripled over the last ten years. This expansion has resulted in a significant increase in the number of qualifying AP Exam scores typically required for college credit. Through this partnership, Kaplan will offer a program to supplement the core AP classroom and help students prepare for specific written-exam formats.

“Schools are working hard to transition to the new graduation plans and offer flexibility to students to find what interests them most and successfully transition to college or the workforce, said Dr. Jerry Maze, executive director for ESC Region 12. “As their partner, we are excited to offer a cost-saving and timely solution to help schools bolster their efforts to prepare students and staff with additional and customizable courses, test preparation and financial and graduation planning that will help them meet or exceed HB 5 requirements.”

Among the different academic and staff support programs that Kaplan K12 Learning Services will provide Texas students, parents and educators are:

• ACADEMIC READINESS/ASSESSMENT: SAT®, PSAT®, and ACT® On Demand courses: On Demand courses for the ACT, PSAT, and SAT deliver Web-based, adaptive instruction based on individual learning needs to help students successfully prepare for these important college entrance exams. The programs provide 24/7 access to self-paced, online prep, delivered via Kaplan’s Smart Track technology that personalizes the curriculum based on each student’s performance.
•  STEP-BY-STEP PLANNING FOR COLLEGE:  Kaplan Aspire: Designed for first-generation college applicants, Kaplan Aspire guides students through the college admissions process by helping them explore the value of college, navigate the application and financial aid process, and pursue post-secondary and career goals.
• CURRICULUM SUPPORT & STAFF DEVELOPMENT:

1. Kaplan Foundations™ Level S, ELA and Math: The program builds critical skills for middle school academic and test prep success with two tiered leveled lessons for individualized instruction.
2. Teach!® Strategies and Resources: The online toolkit contains a wealth of materials to support rigorous, differentiated classroom instruction. It provides lesson planning resources and assets for ongoing professional development designed to enhance current teaching practices.
3. Kaplan’s College Readiness Professional Development Workshops: The seminars deliver on site or live, online content for up to 3 hours, preparing  teachers and guidance counselors to help students navigate college admissions exams and the college admissions process.
4. Kaplan’s AP Writing Edge: This program includes 18 hours of instruction to supplement the core AP classroom and help students prepare for specific written-exam formats.  Students taking a number of AP courses will benefit from this single writing course, which will give them effective tips, strategies and practice that they can leverage across all subject areas.

“Through this partnership with ESC Region 12, Kaplan K12 Learning Services will provide access to high-quality, proven college and career readiness programs to open more opportunities for students across central Texas, whether that path leads to college or directly into the workforce,” said Seppy Basili, general manager, Kaplan K12 Learning Services. “Kaplan and ESC Region 12 share a common mission of improving the success of students of all backgrounds, which is fundamental to economic success. We look forward to working closely with ESC Region 12 to set Texas students up for college and career success.”

For more information, contact Chris Holecek at cholecek@esc12.net or 254.297.1284 or visit www.esc12.net/hb5.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. PSAT/NMSQT is a trademark jointly owned by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan or this partnership.

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 90 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 ESC Region 12

Education Service Center Region 12 (http://www.esc12.net) services focus on helping schools save money and leverage resources into the classroom.  One of 20 regional education service centers statewide, ESC Region 12 offers training and expert assistance to educators and school personnel to increase student achievement. ESC Region 12 offers effective, economical programs and services through professional development, expert assistance, direct services and alternative educator certification.

Based in Waco, ESC Region 12 serves 77 school districts, 12 charters and private/parochial schools in Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, Limestone, McLennan, Mills and Navarro counties.  Everything the center offers focuses on helping educators be successful and helping schools save money and leverage resources—driving more money to students in the classroom—where it matters most.

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With Tablet Adoption Surging, the Kindle Cross-Platform Offering Allows Aspiring Business School Students Greater Study Flexibility

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

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

New York, NY (February  25, 2014) – Kaplan Test Prep has collaborated with Amazon to bring its GMAT course book directly to students enrolled in Kaplan courses using the cross-platform Kindle reading apps and Kindle Fire tablets—making it the first Kindle-compatible Kaplan GMAT course available for aspiring business school students. Kaplan GMAT students will have the ability to study across multiple devices—Kindle Fire and Android tablets, iPads, PCs and Macs—and take advantage of features such as note taking, highlighting, tracking progress, word look up, searching and syncing across Kindle reading apps and Kindle Fire tablets.  The digital offering will enable increased study flexibility for Kaplan GMAT students.

“We are excited to be collaborating with Kaplan using Amazon’s Whispercast technology to help deliver the first eBook GMAT course. By using Whispercast, Kaplan is making it easy for students to access their content using the familiar Kindle interface,” said Raghu Murthi, vice president, Kindle Education. “Kaplan is the leader in prepping aspiring business students and now with the Kaplan GMAT course book available on the cross-platform Kindle reading apps and Kindle Fire tablets, these students are better able to take advantage of the technology they already use daily and the unique features Kindle offers—Whispersync, X-Ray, Notes and Popular Highlights.”

“Until recently, the adoption of tablets and eBooks for studying has lagged the adoption of eBooks for leisure reading, because studying involves engagement with the book through highlighting, note-taking and other tactile actions,” said Lee Weiss, executive director of emerging products, Kaplan Test Prep. “But as these functions became more user-friendly in eBook form and device ownership continues to grow, we’re now seeing a demand for test preparation that’s portable, comprehensive and ubiquitous.  We’re thrilled to be working with Amazon, a continual innovator and the leader in eBook delivery, to provide students with choices that allow them to prepare for the GMAT virtually anytime, anywhere, using the Kindle reading apps across multiple devices.”

Kaplan Test Prep is working with Amazon to launch similar products for students enrolled in Kaplan’s test prep courses for the GRE, LSAT, MCAT and other high-stakes exams in the next few months via Amazon’s Whispercast technology. Whispercast is a self-service tool for schools and businesses to manage large deployments of Kindle devices and to support the purchase and distribution of eBooks and documents.  The content distributed using Whispercast can be accessed across multiple platforms using the free Kindle reading apps.  Whispercast also supports the purchase and distribution of apps from the Amazon Appstore for Kindle Fire tablets.

Usage of tablet devices for educational purposes is becoming increasingly popular at graduate-level programs and undergraduate colleges across the United States. Stanford medical school currently provides all of its first year students with tablets; top-ranked University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business piloted a program for its EMBA students by giving them all tablets this past fall; and George Washington University’s medical school plans to give all of its entering students a tablet beginning with the class entering this fall.

*GMAT^® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council^TM. The Graduate Management Admission Council^TM does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the owner or content of Kaplan Test Prep.

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 90 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 Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.br, www.amazon.mx, www.amazon.com.au. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

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

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

New York, NY (February 18, 2014) – Max Toso, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Wisconsin native, is the winner of Kaplan Test Prep’s 25K Your Way Sweepstakes.  Kaplan created this national sweepstakes a decade ago to offer college students and young professionals – many of whom aspire to enroll in graduate, business, law or medical school – a chance to start their own business, pay off student loans or pay tuition to earn a higher degree.  Max’s name was selected at random out of tens of thousands of entries from across the United States and Canada.

When Max got the phone call on January 2 that he won, he could hardly believe it.  “I’m not one to look for freebies or get something that I didn’t work for, so entering sweepstakes and spending time thinking about winning have never been big priorities,” said Max.  Max, whose first job was as a caddy at a country club when he was 13 years old, only truly believed he won when a Kaplan representative emailed him some official documents to sign. “Then it hit me,“ he said. “My life was about to change.”

The 19-year-old biomedical engineering major and business minor said, “Until I won the Kaplan Test Prep sweepstakes, I wasn’t even planning on going for a higher degree. I was planning to go straight into the workforce.”  While Max isn’t exactly sure what kind of advanced degree he’ll seek, he’s interested in working in medicine, medical technology or maybe management where an MBA may fit into his plans.

Earlier this month, Max began training for his upcoming internship with College Works Painting, which provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for college students while they are on summer break to run their very own painting franchise.

Max is a native of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, a town just east of Madison. He attended Monona Grove High School where he graduated in 2013. He’s also a huge fan of Badger athletics. “You can pretty much ask anyone how the teams are doing and they will know,” Max said.

As for what  he’ll do with at least part of the $25,000 in the short term, Max said, “I don’t have any immediate plans to splurge on myself, though I’d love to help my parents fix up their kitchen. Mom has been talking about new countertops. I’ll also take out my friends for a celebratory dinner even though almost none of them believed I won! The rest I plan to invest and save for graduate school.”

A once sweepstakes cynic, Max has turned a new leaf. “It can happen to you. I was not expecting it.  Just keep your mind open. Sometimes people just really want to help you. No catches. I want to give a huge thanks to Kaplan for this amazing, lucky opportunity, which has opened up a lot of new pathways in my life,” he said.

For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s sweepstakes and winner, contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

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

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

New York, NY (February 11, 2014) – Facing sustained, strong headwinds on the employment and education landscapes, a new Kaplan Test Prep survey of nearly 1,400 pre-law students finds that tomorrow’s attorneys support a two-year law school program and more clinical experience in the curriculum. Among the findings:

• A Shorter Law School Model: President Barack Obama has strong support among the pre-law student community for a suggestion he made last summer: that law schools should move to a two-year model from its current three-year model. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed favor a shorter program — which would potentially save law school students tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. Our take: don’t look for this to happen any time soon. This 58% figure resembles the 63% of recent law school graduates who also answered this way in a Kaplan survey on the issue taken in August 2013.
• More Clinics: The verdict is nearly unanimous — 97% of pre-law students say they favor a law school model that incorporates clinical experience, which is designed to make students more practice-ready. While the first year of law school is similarly structured at every law school, featuring courses on the basics of law, the second and third years are largely spent taking electives or participating in other for-credit programs. The good news for students is that according to Kaplan’s 2013 survey of law school admissions officers, 71% of JD programs are introducing more clinical courses and practical training into their curricula.
• Sense of Purpose: 58% say their primary reason for attending law school is a desire to practice law; 11% say that their primary reason is to make a career change. Other answers include to improve salary potential (7%) and to pursue a career in politics (7%).

“Our survey suggests that pre-law students are paying attention to the current state of legal education and the job market for new lawyers, and recognize the need for big changes that they think will benefit them. This desire for a shake-up puts them on the same page as many in the legal education community, including law school admissions officers and educators,” says Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “It’s also encouraging that pre-law students say that the primary reason they are planning to go to law school is to actually practice law. While the JD is a versatile degree and there are many career paths possible with it, it’s smart to make practicing law your primary focus.”

For more information about Kaplan Test Prep’s survey of pre-law students, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*1,378 pre-law students who prepared with Kaplan Test Prep to take either the October or December 2013 administration of the LSAT were surveyed by email between October and December.

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

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

New York, NY (February 7, 2014) — According to a study by the Institute of Medicine¹, the U.S. medical system wastes $750 billion a year.  Much of this waste is caused by patient management that does not follow evidence-based guidelines.   In an environment of declining reimbursements, hospitals have an opportunity to improve their patient outcomes and financial performance by improving adherence to the evidence and reducing variance in patient care. To help hospitals achieve this goal, Kaplan Health, a leading provider of medical education, and QURE Healthcare, a company that uses  Clinical Performance and Value (CPV®) vignettes to measure and change clinical practice, have formed a partnership to provide measurement and education that improves the quality of care, while reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.  The partnership is part of Kaplan Health’s new Kaplan Clinical line of offerings.

CPV^® vignettes, developed and validated by QURE, are on-line patient cases that combine benchmarking with medical education.  QURE provides practitioners with personalized feedback that engages physicians around difficult subjects without placing any administrative burden on the hospital.  The intervention is repeated 6 times over 2 years.  CPV® vignettes are the only tool that has been shown to accurately measure clinical practice² and were also shown, in an NIH-funded study, to improve physician adherence to evidence-based guidelines and to achieve a 9% improvement in the health status of patients whose physicians participated.

“In today’s environment, where all healthcare providers are becoming increasingly responsible for their performance and the costs of those actions, we need new and effective educational tools that encourage behavior change in a non-penalizing way,” said Dr. John Peabody, QURE’s founder and president. “We’ve learned that conferences and passive learning methods are not effective in altering clinical behavior. Hospitals will need simple plug-and-play educational tools that will ensure that their providers adhere to clinical protocols, while helping them understand broader elements such as care coordination.”

“Kaplan has been a leader in medical education for over 40 years, so partnering with QURE Healthcare to offer hospitals this effective, patient-outcome driven product is a natural fit,” said Greg Samios, president of Kaplan Health programs. “We look forward to working with hospitals to reduce their costs, while at the same time improving the quality of care they provide to their patients.”

1. Institute of Medicine, “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America,” September 6, 2012.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Best-Care-at-Lower-Cost-The-Path-to-Continuously-Learning-Health-Care-in-America/Report-Brief.aspx

2.  Peabody JW, Luck J, Glassman P, Jain S, Spell M and Hansen J. “A Prospective Multi-Site Evaluation of Vignettes: Validating an Innovative Method for Measuring the Quality of Physician Practice.” Annals of Internal Medicine, 141(10):771-80, 2004.

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 90 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 QURE Healthcare

QURE Healthcare (www.qurehealthcare.com) is a research and business firm committed to improving the quality of clinical care. QURE uses its proprietary technology, CPV® (Clinical Performance and Value) vignettes, to evaluate clinical practice and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services at the level of physicians or health care providers. CPV® vignettes are used in health systems in the US and over 30 countries worldwide. Core services include CPV® studies, health economic analyses, and physician-level data collection. The ease, validity and affordability of CPV® vignettes attract a wide array of clients: payers, hospital systems, life sciences and medical technology companies, medical licensing and education institutions as well as international health development organizations.

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

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

February 5, 2014 (New York, NY) – Aspiring MBA students preparing for the GMAT® exam with Kaplan Test Prep will retain exclusive permission to take a realistic practice exam in a Pearson Professional Center, the network of test centers that administers the actual GMAT® exam, thanks to a renewed agreement between Kaplan and Pearson VUE. Under the terms of the agreement, Kaplan students can participate in “The Official Test Day Experience” — a practice exam in the same testing environment as the actual GMAT® exam to experience a dry run under realistic test day conditions. Kaplan has offered its students the Experience since 2004, and exclusively through Pearson VUE since 2006.

Kaplan, a leading provider of test preparation for the GMAT® exam, is the only test prep provider whose students are allowed to sit for a practice exam in the actual GMAT® exam testing facilities. Kaplan GMAT® test prep students have a chance to experience their exam environment in advance from start to finish — from check-in, to security procedures, to computer setup, to lighting, to seating arrangements, to break procedures, to everything in between. The Experience is available to Kaplan students in North America, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Great Britain.

“Renewing our partnership with Pearson VUE provides our students with a distinct competitive advantage. Familiarity with the testing environment helps lower exam-related stress and boost confidence, which is key to success on test day. Because admissions officers tell us that a low GMAT® exam score is the biggest application killer, every point on the exam can make a difference in a highly competitive environment,” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep.

Bob Whelan, President and CEO of Pearson VUE, said: “Having the opportunity to experience a very realistic practice test can make a crucial difference to the preparation and success, and therefore future careers and lives, of students taking the GMAT® exam. We are delighted that Kaplan Test Prep has shown its continued trust in Pearson VUE to deliver an excellent computer-based testing service by renewing our partnership.”

The in-center Official Test Day Experience is administered as one of the nine practice computer-adaptive tests that are included in Kaplan’s on site GMAT® Advantage course; live, online Classroom Anywhere course; online On Demand course, and private tutoring programs.  Kaplan GMAT On Site students can take up to eight exams like this with Pearson VUE, while Classroom Anywhere and On Demand students can take one.

Kaplan has been preparing students for the GMAT® exam for over 40 years, and helps tens of thousands of would-be MBAs annually. For more information about Kaplan’s GMAT® test preparation course options, visitwww.kaplangmat.com.

*GMAT^® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council^TM. The Graduate Management Admission Council^TM does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the owner or content of Kaplan Test Prep.

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 90 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 Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in computer-based testing for information technology, academic, government and professional testing programs around the world. Pearson VUE provides a full suite of services from test development to data management, and delivers exams through the world’s most comprehensive and secure network of test centers in more than 175 countries. Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (NYSE: PSO; LSE: PSON), the world’s leading learning company.

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