Aspiring business school 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 exam, thanks to a renewed five-year agreement between Kaplan and Pearson VUE. With 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 -- exclusively through Pearson VUE since 2006 -- and remains the only test prep provider whose students are allowed to sit for a practice exam in the actual GMAT® exam testing facilities. As part of the Experience, students have a chance to go through 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 the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Hong Kong.

“The Experience provides Kaplan students with a distinct competitive advantage. Familiarity with the testing environment helps boost test takers’ confidence, which is key to success on test day. Because admissions officers tell us that a low GMAT® exam score is one of ‘the biggest application dealbreakers’, every question you answer correctly on the exam is that much more important in helping you get into a top program,” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep.

Bob Whelan, managing director of Pearson VUE, said, “We have a longstanding relationship with Kaplan Test Prep and I am pleased that, through our continued partnership, we will help students prepare for the GMAT® exam with a potentially positive effect on their lives and careers.”

The in-center Official Test Day Experience is administered as one of the nine practice computer-adaptive tests that are included in Kaplan’s In Person course; Kaplan’s In Person PLUS course; Live Online course; online Self-Paced course; and private tutoring programs.

The announcement of the agreement renewal comes as Kaplan launches its revised GMAT prep course, which includes the all new GMAT Channel. The GMAT Channel is an innovative new way to prep for the GMAT® exam, which gives every student unlimited access to Kaplan's top-rated GMAT faculty for live, online elective instruction every day of the week.

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

GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council™. Kaplan materials do not contain actual GMAT items and are neither endorsed by nor affiliated in any way with GMAC.

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 100 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 offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources designed to provide training in skills that are in high demand in today’s job market and prepare participants for hire.

About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in computer-based testing for high-stakes certification and licensure exams in the healthcare, finance, information technology, academic and admissions markets. We offer a full suite of services to develop, manage, deliver and grow test programmes for over 450 clients via the world’s most comprehensive network of highly secure test centers in 180 countries. Pearson VUE owns Certiport, the global leader in foundational IT certification solutions, and is a business of the world's leading learning company Pearson (NYSE: PSO; LSE: PSON).

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