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How is Kaplan helping students prepare for standardized tests?

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Kaplan, Inc. has become a worldwide provider of accessible education, serving hundreds of thousands of students each year. Kaplan’s work is based on the principles of its founder, Stanley H. Kaplan, a first-generation college student who believed that education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. The organization has been known for its work preparing students for high-stake tests, such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE. Moreover, Kaplan has become an essential partner to universities and employers and is focused on developing talent for the future workforce.

Kaplan offers test prep for all major standardized exams from undergraduate to graduate and post-graduate programs. It has also created many employment opportunities such as apprenticeships, career-focused training and development, and “education-as-a-benefit” programs to help students prepare for the workforce after graduation. Additionally, Kaplan offers more than 200 credential and licensure programs in various fields.

Kaplan Test Prep remains the industry leader in test preparation—more than twice the size of its nearest competitor—serving hundreds of thousands of students each year. Kaplan Test Prep offers prep programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional school admissions exams. Kaplan’s Manhattan Prep and Kaplan Test Prep International (KTPI) also provide prep programs for select graduate and professional school admissions tests in the U.S. and globally. 

Today, more than half of Kaplan Test Prep’s business comes from online enrollments. By scaling up its online technology, Kaplan has created more streamlined and flexible delivery systems, such as its Live Online platform and adaptive QBank product. Test prep is delivered online in more than 100 countries through resellers, partners, and partnerships with large test makers (like the ACT and GED). Kaplan’s portfolio also includes the Barron’s Educational Series brand, with more than 650 test prep and study aid titles.

For healthcare professionals seeking to practice in the U.S. and Canada, Kaplan provides prep programs for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) for physicians, the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE) for dentists, Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) for physician assistants, NAPLEX (pharmacists) and National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) for nurses.

Kaplan’s iHuman Patients product is a cloud-based, interactive tool that simulates virtual patient interactions to help health professionals prepare online for the clinical parts of these licensure exams. Likewise, Kaplan Bar Review offers full-service bar review programs for 51 U.S. jurisdictions and the Multistate Bar Exam for aspiring lawyers.

Additionally, Kaplan helps individuals attain and maintain industry-recognized licenses, certifications, and designations in accounting, engineering, insurance, securities, real estate, financial planning, and information technology through an array of programs offered under the Kaplan Financial Education®, Kaplan Schweser®, PPI®, SmartPros® and College for Financial Planning® brands in the U.S.; Kaplan Financial in the U.K.; Kaplan Professional in Australia; and Kaplan Genesis in the Middle East region.

These exams and licensure prep programs are offered as blended online programs with faculty-led courses or self-paced modules, as well as in traditional classroom settings. The curriculum includes more than 3,900 educational products in print or digital formats, including Kaplan-published study materials.

In partnership with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, Kaplan conducts the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), the standard assessment for all aspiring solicitors, whether trained through an apprenticeship or law school and ensures rigorous professional standards.

Utilizing one of Kaplan’s test prep solutions can significantly help students and professionals with test-related anxieties and better prepare them to take standardized tests. Kaplan has been offering test prep services for more than 80 years and has spent years perfecting its testing methodology and understanding of standardized tests. All of Kaplan’s instructors are experts in their respective fields and know how to keep students engaged while teaching them crucial concepts to help them increase their test scores. Kaplan offers a variety of options for students to learn the material and decide what study option works best for them.

Jenny is one of the oldest contributors of Bigtime Daily with a unique perspective of the world events. She aims to empower the readers with delivery of apt factual analysis of various news pieces from around the World.

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World

Criminal probe focussed on Mehtas shipping business

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From Monitoring Desk

DUBAI: An Asian family linked with the shipping business is facing criminal investigation in several jurisdictions including in Dubai and Far East where the family’s companies are under active investigation now, according to the authorities in three countries.

Sanjay and Gaurav Mehta, through their companies Best Oasis Ltd in Dubai and Priya Blue Industries in Gujarat, are facing investigations over money-laundering suspicions and suspected links to the Russian oil sector, sanctioned by the western countries, sources shared.

Sanjay and Gaurav Mehta, through their companies Best Oasis Ltd in Dubai and Priya Blue Industries in Gujarat have projected an image of environmental responsibility in ship recycling. They have tout certifications, attend global summits, and positioned themselves as ESG-compliant but their business practices have come under intense probe now. Their operations reportedly involve dismantling high-risk ships, using cash transactions, and leveraging political connections to avoid accountability, a source shared looking into the companies’ affairs. The investigation is being conducted in Dubai and the Far East.

The investigators are looking at the Mehtas operations dating back to 2006 when they came to attention of the law enforcement for the first time. Priya Blue dismantled the “Blue Lady” in 2006, a vessel containing over 1,200 tons of asbestos and radioactive waste, despite protests and objections from Greenpeace. Later, the “Exxon Valdez,” notorious for a major oil spill, was renamed “Oriental Nicety” and dismantled by the Mehtas in Gujarat, drawing international attention. In recent years, their transactions have become less conspicuous but reportedly more hazardous.

In 2025, Best Oasis allegedly acquired and dismantled at least four vessels linked to sanctioned entities, including Iranian and Houthi-controlled networks. These weren’t obscure ships; they were designated under U.S. terrorism sanctions for their involvement in oil smuggling and arms transport. According to investigators, here are the details of the sanctioned ships dismantled by Best Oasis in 2025: IMO: 9155808, Name: NOLAN (SOLAN), Sanction: SDN (SDGT), Beaching: 31 Jan 2025, Plot 16; IMO: 9221657, Name: BLUEFINS, Sanction: SDN (SDGT); Beaching: 26 Feb 2025, Plot 16; IMO: 9105085, Name: CONTRACT II, Sanction: SDN risk, Beaching: Arrived mid-2025, Plot 27; IMO: 9209300, Name: GAMA II, Sanction: SDN (SDGT); and Beaching: Pending/Planned, Plot 34

All four vessels were reportedly dismantled in Alang on plots leased by proxy firms connected to the Mehtas. These short-term leases, approved on a ship-by-ship basis by the Gujarat Maritime Board, reportedly make regulatory oversight nearly impossible. Once dismantling is complete, plot registrations often lapse, leaving no long-term record, according to documents shared by the investigators in Dubai.

Rahul Mistry, a shipping compliance researcher, noted this as a growing pattern: “This is a pattern we’ve seen more frequently in the last two years   sanctioned hulls arriving under the radar, processed fast, with no digital trace.”

Payments for these vessels reportedly bypassed normal financial channels. According to sources familiar with the deals, transactions were settled in cash, either on-site or through offshore handlers. One source described entire ship values being paid in foreign currency bundles, avoiding Indian and Dubai banking disclosures, said one of the investigators familiar with the matter.

A retired port official Mr. Akin Yadav, familiar with Alang  and Gujarat Maritime Board approvals stated that short-term leases are routinely used to avoid scrutiny, adding, “It was never meant to be a permanent workaround. But it’s become one.”

Political connections also reportedly play a role. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat State Minister Jitu Vaghani have been linked to approvals granted for Best Oasis and its proxies. While there’s no direct evidence of personal gain, sources allege that both men used their influence to expedite approvals, slow down inquiries, and shield the companies from enforcement.

Despite these activities in India, Best Oasis is expanding under new branding. A recent joint venture in Japan with Hiroshi Abe is being marketed as a clean, regionally responsible recycling partner for Japanese shipowners.

Mariko Fujita, a Tokyo-based maritime consultant, observed, “They’re presenting themselves as a new entity with no reference to past controversies. But none of the underlying ownership or structure has changed.”

In Alang, the situation reportedly remains much the same. Plot numbers are reassigned, cash continues to circulate and the same network of breakers and handlers is reportedly involved. Individuals like Jayant Vanani (also known as Budhabhai Patel) and Ramesh Mendapara are frequently named in connection with specific beachings, including “Contract II” and “GAMA II.” Both have been previously linked to other shadow transactions involving distressed or sanctioned tonnage.

Several yards allegedly connected to Best Oasis, including Shantamani Ship Breakers and Sai Baba Ship Breakers, reportedly operate with minimal inspection, despite numerous reports of irregularities in worker safety, hazardous waste disposal, and compliance with Indian scrapping codes.

This system, according to multiple sources, appears to be intentionally designed to operate in plain sight with just enough paperwork to pass basic scrutiny but not enough to trigger meaningful enforcement. There is no indication that regulatory bodies including customs, port health officers, or environmental oversight panels have conducted full inspections of any of the sanctioned vessels listed. Most were reportedly cleared and dismantled within days of arrival.

Rahul Mistry said: “This isn’t merely a loophole; it’s reportedly a business model. Best Oasis and Priya Blue are allegedly running a high-volume, low-visibility operation that filters sanctioned, end-of-life ships through legal instruments to appear legitimate on paper. This reportedly involves routing untaxed funds and shielded actors through a well-connected political and industrial network. As global scrutiny of ESG practices intensifies, many of these activities are allegedly being whitewashed through new partnerships and branding, but the underlying mechanisms reportedly remain unchanged.”

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