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Inaugural Mock Exam Prepares Nearly 4,000 Candidates for the June 2010 CFA® Exam
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)
Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571
La Cross, WI (May 27, 2010) - In a joint effort between Kaplan Schweser and dozens of CFA Institute societies, nearly 4,000 candidates for the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation received final practice for this year’s CFA Exam through a six-hour Kaplan Schweser Live Mock CFA Exam, administered on May 22 in more than 50 countries around the world. A sampling of the CFA Institute societies presenting the exam includes those in Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, United Arab Emirates, United States and Uruguay. This global effort marked the launch of Kaplan Schweser’s Live Mock CFA Exam and largest ever single-day administration of a live simulated CFA Exam.
The CFA designation is a highly sought-after international professional qualification for finance and investment professionals which recognizes that designees have met certain academic and professional standards, including passing the rigorous three-level CFA Exam., The Kaplan Schweser Live Mock CFA Exam provides candidates with a realistic test-taking experience similar to the actual CFA Exam to familiarize them with testing policies, exam format, length and level of difficulty. Additionally, candidates receive a follow-up report with written explanations for correct answer choices, evaluation of individual performance by topic area and relative rank among other Mock Exam takers.
“The response from CFA candidates and CFA society volunteers has been tremendous,” said Dr. Doug Van Eaton, CFA, VP of CFA Education at Kaplan Schweser. “The CFA Exam is one of the most challenging professional examinations, and candidates who undergo realistic practice gain a competitive advantage, as they gain familiarity with the test in advance and can hone their prep to work on their weaknesses. Participation from so many CFA societies shows that these industry associations recognize that practice is critical to their members’ success in passing the exam.”
More than 140,000 candidates worldwide have registered for the June 5, 2010 CFA Exam, making it the largest pool of candidates to register for one exam cycle in the 47-year history of the CFA Program. Levels 2 and 3 of the CFA Exam are administered once a year; Level 1 of the CFA Exam is administered twice a year in June and December.
About the CFA Charter
CFA Institute is the global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and CIPM curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has nearly 100,000 members, who include the world’s 86,700 CFA charterholders, in 133 countries and territories, as well as 137 affiliated professional societies in 57 countries and territories. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org.
About Kaplan Schweser
Kaplan Schweser, a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a leading provider of financial and accounting education for hundreds of thousands of business professionals around the world. The 2011 exam season marks the 20th anniversary of Kaplan Schweser as the global leader in CFA review. For more information, please visit www.schweser.com.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 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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Also: Nearly 40% Say the Recession Significantly Impacted Their Decision to Apply to Law School
Available for Interview: Kaplan Law School Admissions Expert
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)
Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571
New York, NY (April 12, 2010) – A down economy hasn’t dampened aspiring lawyers’ confidence in their ability to get a job in the legal field – just their confidence in their peers’ ability to do so. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of 330 pre-law students*, 52% report that they are “very confident” that they will find a job in the legal field after graduating law school and passing the bar, but only 16% say they are “very confident” that the majority of their fellow aspiring lawyers will do the same. In fact, only seven percent of respondents indicated a lack of confidence in their own ability to secure employment upon graduation. Pre-law students’ attitudes are in keeping with research showing that students aged 18-29 are more optimistic about their economic future – despite a sluggish job market – than past generations.**
“Pre-law students’ confidence in their own job prospects are likely an indication not just of self-assurance, but of their optimism in an economic turnaround,” said Jeff Thomas, director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “What’s interesting is the drop-off in confidence in their peers, which perhaps may just be an indication of the general competitive atmosphere that exists between pre-law students.”
Thomas also noted that he’s witnessed a growing number of pre-law students pursuing law degrees with the intent of seeking non-lawyer jobs. According to the National Association for Law Placement, as recently as 2008, only 56% of new law school graduates were working at a law firm, down from 64% in 1998.
Also in the Kaplan Test Prep survey:
For more information on Kaplan’s survey of pre-law students or to schedule an interview, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.
* All survey participants were Kaplan students who took the LSAT in February 2010.
**Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next, Pew Research Center, February 2010.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 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 English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.
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Proceeds to Help the International Organization’s Life-Saving Work in Haiti, Chile and Other Medical Emergencies Worldwide
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)
Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571
New York, NY (April 10, 2010) – To support the life-saving efforts of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization which provides medical humanitarian aid to countries around the globe, Kaplan Test Prep has pledged to donate up to $50,000 to the organization, with the help of college students across the United States and Canada. As part of the “Kaplan for Doctors Without Borders Challenge,” Kaplan Test Prep is donating $1 for every prospective graduate, business, medical and law school student, as well as those readying for the medical and nurse licensing exams, who fills out an online form at www.kaptest.com/challenge or in-person at a Kaplan table on campus or Kaplan center, now through June 15. Participating students will receive a short online survey.
In addition, all participants in the Challenge will be entered into a drawing to win free textbook rentals for a year through a donation by Chegg.com. Ten winners will be selected and announced in July. Currently, a full-time college student can expect to spend more than $1,000 on textbooks over the course of an academic year. According to a 2005 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO), college textbook prices increased almost twice as quickly as the overall rate of inflation from 1986 to 2004.
“Many college students and young professionals are looking for a way to make a difference and help the victims of the humanitarian disasters in Haiti and Chile,“ said Brad Sockloff, Vice President for Kaplan Test Prep. “We are proud to be able to make a donation on their behalf to Doctors Without Borders and assist in their critical work.”
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization founded in 1971 by doctors and journalists in France on the belief that all people have the right to medical care regardless of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. The organization is currently providing vital medical and psychological care in both Haiti, and Chile, as well as emergency medical care in nearly 70 countries.
About Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières
Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in nearly 70 countries. The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. For more information please visit doctorswithoutborders.org.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 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 English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.
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New Course Gives International LL.M. (Master of Laws) the Skills They Need to Succeed on the U.S. Bar Exam
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)
Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571
New York, NY (April 7, 2010) – Non-U.S. trained attorneys and graduates of non-U.S. law schools can now prepare for the New York State Bar Exam – widely recognized as being one of the most difficult bar exams in the nation – with a unique course specifically designed to address the fundamental skills and knowledge critical to passing. Kaplan PMBR’s new LL.M. Complete Bar Review Course provides ten sessions specifically designed with the unique needs of International LL.M. students and other non-U.S. trained attorneys in mind in addition to the 44 sessions that are a part of Kaplan’s New York Complete Bar Review Course.
Eight of the additional ten international LL.M. sessions take place before the New York State Complete Bar Review Course and focus on the most heavily tested legal topics: negligence, contract formation, 1st Amendment, Homicide, Hearsay, landlord/tenant and New York CPLR in addition to a specialized seminar designed to enhance essay writing skills which are crucial to passing the Bar Exam.
The other two International LL.M. sessions are entirely devoted to U.S. legal writing and are integrated into the New York State Complete Bar Review Course schedule.
“For non-U.S. law school educated students, learning how to write in U.S.-style legal language, fully understanding exam content and format, and mastering the English skills necessary to pass the New York State Bar Exam are among the most challenging obstacles to fulfilling their career goals,” said Jeremy Singer, president, Kaplan PMBR. “Kaplan PMBR’s new LL.M. Complete Bar Review Course is fully equipped with the bar review expertise and technology to help these students successfully overcome their challenges to help them pass the Bar and begin on their legal career paths.”
In 2009, more than 79 percent of the 5,723 LL.M. students who took a state bar exam sat for the New York State Bar Exam.
Kaplan PMBR’s LL.M. Complete Bar Review Course includes the Personalized Study System that pinpoints students’ specific areas of weakness, generates individualized assignments for targeted improvement and makes the overall intensive preparation required more manageable; unlimited essay grading; unlimited lectures-on-demand that enable students to review parts of lectures specifically assigned to address individual weaknesses or make up missed in-class lectures at their convenience; mobile bar review iPhone apps that include a course manager and over 800 flashcards; innovative outlines designed for different learning styles; “Ask-An-Attorney” call-in support; an “MBE Qbank” online quiz builder; and a free repeat guarantee.
The launch of Kaplan PMBR Bar Review’s first LL.M. class comes on the heels of its recent announcement that it is expanding its full service bar review services to an additional seven states to soon include Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia, in addition to Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington DC. This expansion will make Kaplan PMBR’s comprehensive services available to more than 80% of all bar takers.
Kaplan’s portfolio of legal education programs also includes The Study Group, a nationwide provider of self-study bar review with home study course offerings for full-service bar review in 30 U.S. states; three law schools (the wholly-online Concord Law School, Nottingham Law at Kaplan Law School and Holborn College in the U.K.); as well as criminal justice and legal training through its higher education division. Kaplan’s test prep division prepares tens of thousands of aspiring law students for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) annually.
More information can be found at www.KaplanPMBR.com.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 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 English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.
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