Focusing on SATs, LSATs or even the bar test seems unthinkable today as the world grapples with a global pandemic. Yet students are continuing to prepare in spite of the myriad other challenges they face during this crisis.

The choices these students are making now will drastically change the future of the test preparation industry. That's a market predicted to reach more than $30 billion by 2021 while posting an expected 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2024.

As a test preparation company CEO, I'm making a bold prediction for my industry: Test preparation will never return to physical classrooms. I believe the current pandemic will finally erase all significant demand for classroom-based test prep. Here's why.

Everything Is Changing, But Test Prep Will Change More

As I argued in my recent Forbes article, the current, forced transition to distance learning will reveal many lasting benefits of remote education and reshape how we teach. For test preparation, however, I expect an even more drastic change. Classroom courses have irreplaceable benefits for students in some programs of study (e.g., the physical sciences). The value of any test preparation course, however, is dependent largely on just two factors: instructor quality and curriculum quality.

Online Test Prep Means More Consistent Instruction

Instructor consistency has long been a weakness of the test preparation industry. In 2008, before online prep was common, college admissions expert Richard Montauk wrote: "The major (LSAT prep) companies inevitably (given the huge numbers they employ) take on many instructors of less than stellar intellect…provide them with limited training and suffer from high instructor turnover."

If you don't have classrooms, you don't have to hire subpar instructors to fill a classroom in a market where no top-notch candidates are available. While instructors whose test scores were as low as the 90th percentile or even below may be hired to teach classroom-based LSAT courses, online-first companies can afford to restrict hiring to 99th-percentile scorers (that's especially important for the LSAT, where many top law schools' lowest-scoring admittees reached the 97th percentile).

A High-Quality Curriculum Works Anywhere

As for curriculum quality, standardized tests are a known entity. The most drastic changes to the SAT in years had less to do with the test than with attempts to correct for intrinsic biases in testing. The LSAT may be doing away with logic games, but analytical reasoning will remain, albeit in a different form.

The challenge, therefore, in creating an effective curriculum is twofold: First, you need to create a simple method that leads learners to correct answers, and second, you need to deliver course content in such a way that learners are able to acquire that knowledge.

The research says, and has said for years, that online learning is as good as classroom learning and sometimes even better for knowledge acquisition. So, any high-quality test preparation curriculum should serve students as well or even better online vs. in-person.

Market Manipulation Helped To Keep Classroom Test Preparation Afloat

If remote test preparation is as good or better than classroom-based prep, why hasn't this transition already occurred? The answer may be that large companies don't want change. Take, for example, the massive 2007 class-action lawsuit accusing two dominant companies of illegally creating a monopoly to drive out smaller, higher-tech competitors.

If the biggest players in any market collude to keep it from changing, change will be delayed until external factors intervene. Enter coronavirus. Industry giants will now have to scramble to catch up with online-first companies.

The Other Side Of The Coin

This industry shift carries with it a call to action for test prep companies to better serve their most economically vulnerable students. The New York Times found that absences increased more for poorer students following the forced transition to distance learning. Students of lower socioeconomic status own less reliable devices and lack access to broadband internet.

If we, as an industry, shift away from the classroom and onto the internet completely, we must address these socioeconomic disparities. Otherwise, test prep will become exactly what critics claim it is: just another way for wealthy students to get an unearned leg up. Some suggestions for my peers in the test preparation industry:

• Don't just offer scholarships — make them automatic. For students who have qualified for need-based assistance, like LSAC's fee-waiver, don't make them apply all over again. Just verify they've already qualified and then grant a scholarship.

• Test your product offerings on low-cost devices. The Huawei P20 Lite, priced under $350, is among the world's most-used smart devices. If your course isn't usable on a cheap Android phone, it is inaccessible to much of the world.

• Make your course work without data. What if a student's data plan is disconnected for nonpayment? Can they still use your app effectively by downloading enough course content from a Wi-Fi connection at school or work to later prep at home?

• Provide free access to live instruction. It doesn't cost you much to offer office hours with top instructors via Zoom, but it can benefit your students enormously.

• But don't use 'live online' as a stopgap. "Live online" requires students to log in at set times and watch instructors deliver content in real time via a webinar. By forcing students to learn at the same pace and on set schedules with limited access, this "innovation" actually shares many of the inefficiencies that plague the in-class model. Instead of this half-baked live online format, take the time to thoughtfully balance self-paced learning with free, live instructor support.

Final Thoughts

These are unprecedented times. In many ways more important than any standardized test score, the world has already changed for good. Both in test prep and in business in general, we must learn to adapt to a dramatically altered landscape.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for change in your industry? If you'd like to chat about it, let's connect. Together, we are all stronger, even at a time when in-person togetherness is impossible.

© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Timothy Porter is an Army veteran of 10 years. He achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class within 7 years. After being involved in a bomb explosion, Porter was medically retired and began pursuing his passion: technology. In 2009, after teaching himself how to develop mobile apps, Appddiction Studio was formed. In 2011, Appddiction Studio was nationally recognized by the USA Network Channel. Porter was one of their USA Character Unite Award winners for developing an award-winning anti-bullying App for schools. Appddiction Studio has developed well over 200 commercial mobile apps and has become a leader in Enterprise transformations focusing on Agile and the SAFe Framework.

Porter has multiple degrees in Management Information Systems and holds an MBA. He is an SPC and RTE and has performed roles for Appddiction Studio as Scaled program Consultant, Enterprise Coach & Trainer, Agile Coach, Release Train Engineer to Scrum Master. Appddiction Studio has been performing for programs supporting Gunter AFB as a Prime Contractor in: Agile Coaching, EODIMS JST & EODIMS Backlog Burndown and now as a subcontractor on ACES FoS.

Porter has taught over 50 public/private SAFe classes and has submitted his packet for consideration to become SPCT Gold Partner. He is certified at all levels of SAFe Framework and teaches Leading SAFe, SAFe Scrum Master, Advanced Scrum Master, Lean Portfolio Management, Product Owner/Product Management, SAFe DevOps, SAFe Architect in addition to Agile courses like ICAgile Agile Fundamentals, ICAgile Agile Team Facilitation, ICAgile Agile Programming & ICAgile DevOps Foundations.

Santa Clara University's Center for Professional Development is committed to providing our students with an exceptional level of support, and we understand that passing certification exams is a crucial step in the path to becoming a teacher. That’s why we’re pleased to partner with Teachers Test Prep, the nationwide leader in credentialing test preparation, to provide our eligible students with Core Plus Online Prep for the Praxis, CSET, CBEST, RICA, and CPACE, at a 40% discount off of the regular test prep materials price.

To get started, please contact cpd@scu.edu to request that an account be created on your behalf, so that you may utilize free practice questions and diagnostics to determine if you are in need of prep. Once you complete your free practice test, you will receive an instant diagnostic breakdown. If your likelihood of passing is borderline or below, we will purchase the corresponding online prep program for you at a discounted price.

PLEASE NOTE: If you do not contact us and instead purchase prep directly on your own, we are unable to reimburse for costs.

To learn more about the prep resources available and to see general info about the exams, visit the Praxis, CSET, CBEST, RICA, and CPACE test info pages on the Teachers Test Prep website.

If you have questions or are interested in purchasing a test prep package, please contact cpd@scu.edu.

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Adam Johnson is the lead instructor for test preparation workshops at UTSA. Adam has over 20 years of experience teaching standardized test preparation classes.

After teaching for several years for a leading test-preparation company, Adam taught English and test-preparation in Valencia, Spain. He has consistently scored in the 99th percentile on standardized tests including perfect scores on the GRE and LSAT.

He's not only an expert on the tests that he teaches, but also a devoted and energetic instructor who can communicate strategies to help others Improve their scores.

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DELFT, Netherlands, Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei's HongMeng Kernel was awarded the industry's first Evaluation Assurance Level 6 Augmented (EAL6+) certificate as part of Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CC), the highest security level available in the field of general-purpose operating system (OS) kernels. Huawei is the world's first smart device manufacturer to receive this certification in this particular domain.

OS kernels are the foundation of OS security and privacy. CC, also known as the ISO/IEC 15408 standard, is an information security certification that is among the most influential in the global IT industry. CC is a widely used and globally recognized standard for product security evaluation.

SGS Brightsight, a renowned security evaluation lab in the world, performed the security evaluation for HongMeng Kernel. Mr. Kai-Fan Chang, COO Asia of SGS Brightsight, said, "SGS Brightsight, as the largest security evaluation lab in the world, is honored to perform the security evaluation of Huawei's HongMeng Kernel to reach international Common Criteria EAL6+ level. We believe that HongMeng Kernel will become one of the most important building blocks in future Huawei IoT and mobile products. It also shows the dedication of Huawei to create secure products."

Gong Ti, President of Huawei's Consumer BG Software Engineering Dept, said, "The security capabilities of the HongMeng Kernel are now recognized by internationally accredited certification bodies, reflecting the fact that the HongMeng Kernel has reached the highest security level for OS kernels and bringing device and ICT security to new heights."

Dr. Michael Lemke, Chief Security Officer of Huawei Germany, stated, "Kernels are the foundation of system security and privacy. Huawei is committed to ensuring security and privacy in the ICT and device domains. Moving forward, Huawei will continue to comply with the shared global standards for foundational software and cyber security and ensure that the security capabilities of Huawei's products continue to meet internationally recognized best practices."

The CC EAL6+ certificate marks a new level of industry recognition for Huawei's cyber security. To date, Huawei has obtained more than 500 certifications under industry-recognized cyber security schemes like CC, FIPS, PCI DSS, and CSA STAR.

Cyber security and privacy protection are Huawei's top priorities, commitments that are above and beyond any commercial interests. Huawei continues to maintain a solid track record in cyber security, and our efforts have earned widespread recognition in over 170 markets around the world, where we serve more than three billion people. Customer trust is the most solid testament to the security and quality of Huawei's products and services.

On the industry front, Huawei firmly believes that openness and collaboration lead to shared success. We actively engage with the ICT industry, working with our peers and industry stakeholders to share best practices in cyber security and privacy protection. In 2022, we submitted nearly 300 cyber security standards proposals to 3GPP and GSMA. Working side-by-side with stakeholders all along the value chain, we are innovating together to bolster the industry's cyber security and privacy protection capabilities. Together, we are building a more secure digital world.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-obtains-highest-level-security-certification-for-smart-device-oss-301899623.html