eCollege(SM) ExamGuard Gets High Marks

July 29, 2004

STAMFORD, CT – July 28, 2004 – Questionmark, the provider of Secure Server Technologies behind eCollege’s ExamGuard, today announced that institutions are successfully using ExamGuard in their online courses. eCollege launched ExamGuard at the start of the spring term in January. The application is integrated into the eCollege eLearning platform to provide added security for the online testing environment.

eCollege [Nasdaq: ECLG], a leading provider of value-added information services to the post-secondary education market, and Questionmark, a worldwide provider of testing and assessment software, partnered last fall to further advance eCollege’s online exam security features. ExamGuard leverages Questionmark’s secure browser technology to disable printing, screen captures, task switching, right click options, menus, icons/buttons, saving content to disk, and other activities. This prevents students from sharing exam information and significantly reduces the risk of students accessing unauthorized material during an exam.

“Because ExamGuard keeps students from printing or circulating tests, it has increased our confidence in the credibility and security of online exams,” said Darla Runyon, assistant director and curriculum design specialist, Northwest Missouri State University. “Our faculty members have been very receptive to adopting ExamGuard in their online courses, and their feedback after this first semester of use has been extremely positive.”

In developing ExamGuard, eCollege incorporated Questionmark’s capabilities with eCollege’s own assessment engine within its comprehensive eLearning delivery system. This approach supports eCollege’s Open Platform Initiative, the company’s commitment to interoperability through the integration of complementary third party applications with its ASP software solution.

The look and feel of the ExamGuard screen is exactly the same as in Internet Explorer, and JavaScript works as normal, although the pages are not stored in Internet Explorer’s history listing. ExamGuard also uses secure sockets (https:) to frustrate network sniffing.

“In working with Questionmark, we have made it very easy for our customers to proactively safeguard online exams for added security,” said Oakleigh Thorne, chairman and CEO of eCollege. “Additionally, because of the way ExamGuard is integrated into our platform, faculty members don’t have to go outside of the course environment to build exams, and students don’t need to go outside of the course environment to launch a separate secure browser to take exams.”

“Successfully working with eCollege is important from many perspectives,” added Eric Shepherd, president of Questionmark. ”Not only does it increase the reach of our technology given eCollege’s leadership in the fully online distance learning market, but it also speaks to the flexibility of our technology given eCollege’s unique integration to provide the most seamless experience for faculty and students.”

About eCollege
eCollege [Nasdaq: ECLG] is a leading provider of value-added information services to the post-secondary and K-12 education markets. The Company’s eLearning Division designs, builds and supports some of the most successful, fully online degree, certificate/diploma and professional development programs in the country. The Company’s Enrollment Division, Datamark, Inc., helps institutions build new enrollments and increase student retention. Customers include publicly traded for-profit institutions, community colleges, public and private universities, school districts, and state departments of education. eCollege was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Denver. Datamark was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City. For more information, visit www.eCollege.com and www.Datamark.com.

About Questionmark:
Questionmark has been producing testing and assessment software since 1988, enabling educators and trainers to write, administer, and report on tests and surveys securely using individual PCs, local networks, the Internet, and intranets.

Some 2,000 businesses, governments, schools, colleges, and universities in more than 50 countries use Questionmarkâ„¢ Perceptionâ„¢ software for exams, quizzes, study aids, diagnostic tests, pre-course skills assessments, and course evaluations. Questionmark has offices in the United States, England, and Belgium, with distributors worldwide. Call 800-863-3950 or visit http://www.questionmark.com for more information.