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Online Test Prep Courses : Smarthinking's E-structor® Certified tutors provide Peterson's SAT, ACT Assessment, and PSAT course participants online real-time tutoring assistance 24/7.

Immediate Contact:

Sheila Noon
(206) 283-3054
snoon(AT)smarthinking.com

Lea Douglin
(202) 543-5034 x 245
ldouglin(AT)smarthinking.com

Gregg Driben
V.P., Online Test Preparation Peterson's
800-338-3282, ext. 3019
gregg.driben@petersons.com

Adam Gaber
Director of Public Relations, Thomson Learning
203-425-1363
adam.gaber@thomsonlearning.com

Lawrenceville, NJ - August 19, 2003 - In an effort to help students better prepare for college admissions testing, Peterson's, one of the nation's leading providers of test preparation, financial aid, and college planning services and part of the Thomson Corporation (TSX: TOC; NYSE: TOC), today announced a partnership with SMARTHINKING, Inc. to include SMARTHINKING's E-structor® Certified tutors as part of its new online SAT, ACT, and PSAT preparation courses. Courses are customized to each individual test taker's skill level, learning style, and score goals. The SAT Course has already been tested by thousands of students in more than 100 schools across the country. All three courses are now available directly to parents and students via Peterson's Web site, www.petersonstestprep.com.

Students begin the course with an online diagnostic test consisting of a series of math and verbal questions that replicate those found on the actual SAT. Based on the diagnostic results, a unique curriculum-Customized Learning Path™-is automatically created for each student. Should a student need additional assistance, a live SMARTHINKING tutor is available at anytime, from anywhere. "Peterson's SAT, ACT, and PSAT Online Courses represent the next generation of test preparation. We've moved beyond traditional one-size-fits-all courses," said Gregg Driben, VP of Online Test Preparation for Peterson's. "SMARTHINKING's tutors allow us to combine customized instruction with live support to give students a more convenient and accessible test-prep product than ever before."

SMARTHINKING tutors are drawn from college faculty, graduate students, high school teachers, and retired educators. The vast majority has advanced degrees, and all are trained to encourage students with constructive criticism, help identify areas for improvement, and create discussion and problem-solving strategies. "Students preparing for the SAT, ACT, or PSAT will study on any day of the week at any time of the day," said Burck Smith, CEO of SMARTHINKING. "Students need a learner support service that meets their study needs." SMARTHINKING tutoring sessions are conducted using an interactive whiteboard that allows students and e-structors to communicate complex concepts in real-time by drawing equations, plotting graphs and curves, and isolating passages of text. In two years, SMARTHINKING has provided over 160,000 online tutoring sessions to over 36,000 students from over 300 schools.

About The Thomson Corporation and Peterson's

The Thomson Corporation, with 2002 revenues of $7.8 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges (TSX: TOC; NYSE: 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. Peterson's (www.petersons.com) is a leading provider of education information and advice, with books and online resources focusing on education search, test preparation, and financial aid. Its Web site offers searchable databases and interactive tools for contacting educational institutions, online practice tests and instruction, and planning tools for securing financial aid. Peterson's serves 110 million education consumers annually.

About SMARTHINKING (www.SMARTHINKING.com)

SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring to colleges and high schools, provides live, online, easy-access tutoring to students. SMARTHINKING works with schools, colleges, universities, textbook publishers and other institutions to help educators offer students outstanding academic support. SMARTHINKING’s custom solutions improve faculty support and raise student performance by connecting students to qualified assistance anytime, from any Internet connection. SMARTHINKING clients include schools, colleges, libraries, education companies, individuals, and anyone seeking to increase student achievement. SMARTHINKING currently works with over 500 school clients and businesses. To learn more, please visit www.smarthinking.com or call 888.430.7429 ext 224.