CTB/McGraw-Hill Publishes New Tests of Adult Basic Education; Advanced-Level TABE Tests Help Adult Students Prepare for the GED.

Business Editors/Education Writers

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2002

CTB/McGraw-Hill, the nation's leading provider of assessment products, today announced at the Association for Career and Technical Education meeting the publication of the newest addition to the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE(R)) family of products.

The new TABE Science, Social Studies, Algebra/Geometry and Writing Tests are advanced-level tests especially designed to help adult students prepare for the new General Education Development (GED(TM)) Test. The tests supplement the core reading, language, math, and spelling tests offered in the TABE basic skills tests.

The tests are criterion-referenced, measuring students' performance according to specified standards rather than comparisons with the performance of other test-takers. They focus on the specific subjects and skill levels that help adult students determine if they are prepared to take the new GED.

"These tests were piloted with thousands of adult learners to ensure the test items are true indicators of a student's abilities," said David Taggart, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "The scores show whether students have mastered topics similar to those covered by the new GED, or whether they will need more instruction and practice."

TABE are the premier adult basic skills tests on the market, measuring adult students' achievement for more than 35 years. CTB continues to update the tests regularly, incorporating the latest in research on testing for adult students. A new core test will be published in April 2003.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill

As the nation's leading publisher of standardized achievement tests for pre-school, elementary, middle and high schools, CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC offers a broad range of assessments, software and services. CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies, a global information services provider serving the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as McGraw-Hill Education, Standard and Poor's, and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. has more than 350 offices in 33 countries. Sales in 2001 were $4.6 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com and http://www.ctb.com.