Kaplan Professional Acquires Insurance Achievement, Leading Provider of Exam Prep and Continuing Education

Insurance Achievement to Become Part of Dearborn Financial Services, Bolstering its Position as Leading Insurance Training Provider

Chicago, IL, July 7, 2004 - Kaplan Professional, a division of Kaplan, Inc., announced today it has acquired Insurance Achievement, a leading developer and publisher of study and exam preparation materials for advanced insurance industry designations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The company will become part of Dearborn Financial Services, a leading provider of licensing, continuing education, certification training and compliance solutions for securities, insurance and financial services organizations and professionals. Insurance Achievement's programs will enhance Dearborn's current course offerings by providing an enriched portfolio of certification test preparation courses for the insurance professional.

"This investment broadens our training portfolio in the insurance certification marketplace," said Eric Cantor, President of Kaplan Professional. "Insurance Achievement's programs will strengthen our existing course library, enabling us to better meet the needs of the wealth management professional."

"Insurance Achievement has always focused on serving the needs of our students," said Bob Rackley, President of Insurance Achievement. "By becoming part of Dearborn, Insurance Achievement will be better positioned to meet and exceed our clients' expectations."

Insurance Achievement's self-study course materials help prepare insurance professionals for advanced designations such as Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

The CLU and ChFC designations are globally recognized standards and offer a career path for insurance professionals who want to develop advanced financial planning skills, and help clients achieve their lifetime financial goals. The CLU designation provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of the life insurance business and is a stepping-stone to the ChFC designation, which provides individuals with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive financial planning for their clients.

More than 93,000 individuals have completed the educational, experience and ethics mandates to earn the CLU designation. Over 40,000 individuals have completed the same type of requirements to earn the ChFC designation.

Founded in 1969, Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Insurance Achievement provides effective, efficient learning programs for time-conscious professionals who recognize the value of advanced industry designations.

About Dearborn Financial Services
Dearborn Financial Services (www.dearborn.com), a Kaplan Professional company, is a leading provider of learning and compliance solutions to the financial services industry. Dearborn offers a comprehensive library of courses designed to meet state and firm-mandated regulatory requirements; professional development programs for certificates and designations, finance, selling skills, and business management; and enterprise learning management and compliance services.

Offering a broad array of tools including online courses, classroom instruction, interactive CD-ROMs, and print materials, Dearborn supplies education courseware to corporations, independent schools, and colleges, and conducts classes in more than 120 locations in the U.S. For more than 80 years, Dearborn has worked with top insurance companies, securities firms, and banks, providing high-quality, professional, and personalized education to executives and staff.

About Kaplan Professional
Kaplan Professional provides licensing and continuing education training, certification, professional development courses, and compliance tracking for financial services, legal, IT, and real estate professionals and corporations. Offering an array of educational tools, from on-site training and classroom instruction to over 600 online courses and programs, Kaplan Professional serves individuals who must maintain licenses and comply with regulatory mandates. For more information, please visit www.kaplanprofessional.com.

Kaplan Professional is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Press Contacts:

Betsy Turenne
212-707-5287
betsy_turenne@kaplan.com

Paige Hunting
212-974-6233
paige_hunting@kaplan.com