Note to editors: Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Press contacts:
Victoria Grantham, victoria_grantham@kaplan.com, 212-453-7571
Adam Gaber, Adam.Gaber@Thomson.com, 203-539-8663

KAPLAN AND THOMSON PROMETRIC ALIGN TO PROVIDE THE MOST REALISTIC GMAT PRACTICE TEST AVAILABLE

Exclusive Agreement Marks the First Time GMATâ Students Can Prepare in Real Test Day Environment

New York, NY, August 10, 2004 – Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, the worldwide educational services leader, today announced it has aligned with Thomson Prometric, the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services, to provide Kaplan GMATâ test prep students with an opportunity to take the "Ultimate GMATâ Practice Test."  For the first time ever, students preparing for the GMATâ will be able to take a practice exam in an actual Thomson Prometric testing center – the same centers that administer the real GMATâ on test day.

The GMATâ, Graduate Management Admissions Test, is required as an entrance criterion for students applying to most business focused programs at graduate institutions worldwide.

With the agreement, Kaplan becomes the only test prep provider that enables GMATâ students to practice under real test conditions – before taking the actual exam.

"The Ultimate GMATâ Practice Test is designed to give students valuable exposure to the computer adaptive test (CAT).  CATs are often difficult for even experienced test-takers, as their dynamic nature causes the level of difficulty to rise with each correct response," said Justin Serrano, General Manager, Graduate Programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.  "Additionally, the realistic environment will help students anticipate variables like security issues, travel time, and noise, so they can minimize anxiety associated with the unknown on test day."

This unique opportunity will be provided to Kaplan's GMATâ students at no extra cost as part of Kaplan's newest GMATâ course, which launched on July 10. The in-center test will be administered as the final of five practice computer adaptive tests that are included in the GMATâ program.

"We are pleased to partner with Kaplan to provide GMATâ students a unique opportunity to raise their comfort level with the exam," said Alison Indrisano, Thomson Prometric senior vice president of Global Operations.  "By familiarizing themselves with the exam in a realistic setting, GMATâ students can offset the natural anxiety that comes with taking a test, especially for those unfamiliar with computer-based testing.  We anticipate that the practice test will allow the Kaplan students' true abilities to be better demonstrated on test day."

With programs available through private tutoring, classroom courses, books and online, Kaplan offers complete preparation for GMATâ test takers. Kaplan's new GMATâ course gives prospective business school students even more practice with five online computer adaptive tests that simulate the GMATâ, six additional full-length linear exams and several quizzes and workshops. The program also gives students more flexibility with lessons on demand – so students can review lessons online at their leisure – and enhanced convenience with the new GMATâ pocket reference guide.  Kaplan offers free GMATâ testing and admissions events around the country.  For information on local events, go to www.kaptest.com/gmat. 
 
About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions:
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, 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 and has served well over 3 million students.  With 3,000 classroom locations worldwide, a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books and software, Kaplan offers preparation for 35 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 college and graduate admissions consulting services, as well as K-12 programs for school districts.  Its Web site, www.kaptest.com, is the largest online destination for education and career services.  Kaplan, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

About The Thomson Corporation and Thomson Prometric
The Thomson Corporation (http://www.thomson.com/), with 2003 revenues of $7.6 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.  Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare.  With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson has approximately 39,000 employees and provides services in approximately 130 countries.  The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). Its learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals, learning institutions, corporations and government agencies with products and services for both traditional and distributed learning. Thomson Prometric (www.prometric.com) is the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services for academic, professional, government, corporate and information technology markets.   Thomson Prometric delivers standardized tests for 300 clients, in 26 languages, over the Web or through a global network of testing centers in 134 countries. Based in Baltimore, Md., Thomson Prometric employs 3,000 employees worldwide.