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CPP, Inc., Purchases Strong Interest Inventory® Assessment from Stanford University Press

Exclusive publisher becomes owner of market-leading career assessment tool

September 8, 2004

Palo Alto, CA -- Co-presidents Jeff Hayes and Maria Patrick announced today that CPP, Inc., has acquired the Strong Interest Inventory® career assessment from Stanford University Press. This acquisition, the largest in CPP's 48-year history, furthers the company's strategy of increasing its ownership interests while broadening its range of products.

CPP is a leading provider of assessments administered by professionals to achieve both individual and organizational development needs. It publishes more than 20 different psychological and personality assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, plus hundreds of books, booklets, reports, trainer's aids and coaching tools for assessment practitioners and their clients.

"This action advances our vision of increasing our ownership of intellectual property in order to be more responsive to our customers," says Patrick. "The timing of the acquisition is perfect, as it coincides with the upcoming release of the newest revision of the Strong. This acquisition enhances our flexibility in working with customers to develop new solutions to meet their needs." CPP has also expanded its product line in recent years by acquiring Xicom Corporation, owner of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and the Parker Team Player assessment, and by publishing the new CPI 260(TM) assessment, an innovative organization development product based on CPP's well-known CPI(TM) 434 selection tool.

About the Strong Interest Inventory® Assessment

The best-selling Strong Interest Inventory® assessment has been validated by over 75 years of research. Since its first publication in 1927 by Stanford University and creator E. K. Strong, the assessment has been regularly expanded and modernized to help individuals plan for the many different steps along their career path, with one goal in mind: to match their interests with satisfying careers. CPP has been the exclusive publisher of the Strong instrument for the past 19 years.

Users of the Strong assessment spend about 40 minutes answering roughly 300 questions and receive detailed feedback about their interests and personal styles plus a report listing careers that are most likely to be a good match. Millions have garnered valuable insights and identified promising opportunities after completing the Strong questionnaire.

The Strong assessment is best known as a tool for college career counselors and career transition (outplacement) specialists. However, with 11 different reports and more than 20 ancillary booklets and counselor's tools available, it is also used widely by high school counselors and executive coaches for counseling and by businesses as an employee retention tool. CPP will issue a major update late this year, the result of four years of research. The Strong assessment may be administered only by practitioners who satisfy defined qualifying requirements or complete specific courses.

About CPP, Inc.

CPP, Inc., is a leading provider of innovative assessments and training tools administered by professionals to meet individual and organizational development needs. Its hundreds of offerings have been used by millions worldwide for 48 years in such applications as leadership development, coaching, team building, retention, and career management. CPP's research-validated products include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), Strong Interest Inventory®, Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior(TM) (FIRO-B®), Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), California Psychological Inventory(TM) (CPI(TM)) 434, CPI 260(TM), and Parker Team Player Survey assessments. In addition, Davies-Black® Publishing, a division of CPP, offers cutting-edge business and career management books. To learn more about CPP and its assessments or to learn how to become a qualified practitioner, visit www.cpp.com.

* This award was based on a survey conducted by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, and was awarded to CPP, Inc., in March 2004.

_{Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Myers-Briggs, and MBTI are registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust. Strong Interest Inventory, FIRO-B, and Davies-Black are registered trademarks and Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior, California Psychological Inventory, CPI, and CPI 260 are trademarks of CPP, Inc}.

Visit www.cpp.com for more information.