BEIJING, June 16 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- ATA Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAI) ("ATA" or the "Company"), the leading provider of computer-based testing services in China, announced today that it has successfully delivered the China Banking Professional Certification ("CBPC") Exam in 130 cities across China, including Hong Kong. The exam has established a new milestone in the industry, with close to half a million test takers, utilizing 408 testing centers and 3,533 testing halls. ATA also successfully held pilot tests for two new titles, company credit and personal loan, in six provinces and cities including Beijing, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Hunan and Gansu.
To accommodate more candidates for the exam, ATA added testing centers in three new locations including Jiangsu Yixing, Hunan Zhuzhou and Hunan Yueyang. With support from China Banking Association Professional Certification Office and Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, ATA held the CBPC exam for the first time in Hong Kong on June 6th. According to the memorandum of mutual recognition of qualifications between the China Banking Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, any practitioner who already holds a Certified Financial Management Planner Examination (CFMP) Level One certificate (Hong Kong version), as long as they pass the fundamental subjects of the CBPC exam, will be qualified for private wealth management by China Banking Association.
"We are pleased to reach another milestone in the development of our computer based testing business," commented Mr. Kevin Ma, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ATA. "The CBPC test is another example of the successful execution of our strategy as we expanded the number of test centers to better address the needs of our customers, added new test titles, and attracted a record number of test takers for this recurring exam."
ATA leveraged its unique technology platform to provide unmatched support services to the CBPC exam including remote monitoring, and data analysis. China Banking Association representatives in Beijing monitored the exam in different testing centers remotely through real time online video conference. They also made an onsite visit to the exam site at Beijing University of Science and Technology.
About ATA Inc.:
ATA Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAI) ("ATA" or the "Company") is the leading provider of computer-based testing services in China. The Company offers comprehensive services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests based on its proprietary testing technologies and test delivery platform. The Company's computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology, or IT, services, banking, teaching, securities, insurance and accounting. ATA's test center network comprised 1,925 authorized test centers located throughout China as of March 31, 2009, which the Company believes is the largest test center network of any commercial testing service provider in China. Combined with its test delivery technologies, this network allows ATA's clients to administer large-scale nationwide tests in a consistent, secure and cost-effective manner. ATA has delivered over 28 million tests including 18.4 million billable tests since it commenced operations in 1999, and in June 2008 delivered tests to approximately 470,000 test takers over a single weekend for the China Banking Association through its test delivery platform. For further information, please visit: http://www.ata.net.cn .
Safe-Harbor Statement
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "look forward to," "outlook," "forecast," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "future," "intend," "plan," "believe," "estimate" and similar terminology. Among the factors that could cause the Company's actual financial and operating results to differ from what the Company currently anticipate may include the Company's ability to meet challenges associated with its rapid expansion, the Company's ability to meet the expectations of current and future clients, the Company's ability to expand its test titles, the health of the PRC economy, and uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal and regulatory environments. For additional information on these and other important risk factors that could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects, please refer to a more detailed discussion of the Company's risk factors in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, please contact:
ATA Inc.
Carl Yeung, CFO
Phone: +86-10-6518-1122 x5107
Email: carlyeung@ata.net.cn
URL: http://www.ata.net.cn
CCG Investor Relations
Crocker Coulson, President
Phone: +1-646-213-1915
Ed Job, CFA
Phone: +1-646-213-1914
Email: ed.job@ccgir.com
URL: http://www.ccgirasia.com
