Heightened Anxiety About New SAT Fuels Record Enrollment Growth in Kaplan's Free Practice Tests

Students Most Anxious About Essay and Test Length; Advanced Math and Grammar Are Stumbling Blocks

New York, NY, May 24, 2004 - Six months after launching its first practice test for the new SAT, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, the world leader in test preparation, reported that enrollment in its free SAT practice test sessions and workshops has jumped by 78% over a similar time period last year. This is a record increase.

The practice test sessions are held at high schools and at Kaplan's 160 test centers across the country and are open to all students planning to take the test. The proctored practice tests are held under timed conditions that simulate an actual testing environment and are followed by workshops in which Kaplan SAT experts provide students an overview of the exam, as well as detailed computer-assisted feedback on their performance.

An initial assessment of student results and feedback from new SAT practice test sites around the country reveals:

Length of the exam is by far the greatest concern; students unaccustomed to nearly four hours of testing are finding it difficult to maintain the stamina needed to complete the test.
Students are anxious about the essay and many are finding the 25 minutes allotted for it to be insufficient.
Students are also finding the math section more difficult than the current test, in large part because of the addition of more advanced Algebra II questions.
Students from less affluent, urban areas are particularly concerned about the grammar section and feel that they have not received adequate preparation in school.
Gio Etchefan, a sophomore at Notre Dame High School in New York City, noted, "I really dislike that they only give us 25 minutes to write an essay… …[in] 25 minutes, you can't really do well on that - everything is going to come out all rushed."

"In speaking with students about the new SAT, we have found feedback ranging from interest, anxiety, and a sense of injustice of being the 'guinea pigs' for this test," said Jon Zeitlin, General Manager, SAT/ACT programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. "But the fact that our enrollments have skyrocketed by 78% over last year shows intense interest in learning about the changes to the SAT at a very early stage. Our message to students is to stay calm and study hard."

Zeitlin noted that students often turn to Kaplan's practice test sessions following the advice of guidance counselors, because of the lack of new SAT preparation material available from the test maker, and because the PSAT will not include an essay.

For more information about upcoming free practice test sessions, students can call 1-800-KAPTEST or log onto www.kaptest.com.

About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a leading provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books and software, Kaplan gives students and professionals the best in test preparation combined with unbeaten convenience and flexibility. 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. Its Web site, 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).

Press Contacts:

Carina Wong
212-453-7571
carina_wong@kaplan.com

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