PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 26, 2005

Dina Kushner, Media Relations
(512) 340-0338

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR INVENTS SILENT TIMER DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS

Erik McMillan uses his own experience to create innovative product for test takers

WHAT:

At the age of twenty four, Erik McMillan has already sold his invention, The Silent Timer™, to students in the US, Canada and ten other countries worldwide. He now has a patent pending on the only testing timer on the market made specifically for standardized test takers.

McMillan first began designing the timer in 2002 while preparing for the June Law School Admission Test. Like many other standardized tests, the LSAT is timed. This adds to the test’s level of difficulty, making pacing a major concern for many students.

“I knew that I could increase my score through timed practice,” said McMillan, “but there were no timers out there that I could practice with and use on test day…so I made one myself.”

Standardized examination boards allow only a limited variety of timing devices to enter the exam room; timers and watches with an audible alarm are strictly prohibited. In the past, students have clipped wires in watches and kitchen timers to make them “legal” for test day. McMillan’s Silent Timer™ offers a unique solution for test takers: it is completely silent and equipped with unique features that help improve pacing.

McMillan is now developing a newer version of his timer to be sold later this year. “I am always looking for feedback and new ideas from students,” he said. “I’ve been in their shoes, and I’m willing to add new features along the way if it will ease some of that test anxiety.”

WHAT ELSE:

Erik McMillan is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and CEO of Silent Technology LLC. His invention, The Silent Timer™, is designed to help students improve their performance on standardized exams through better timing. The timer is offered on the company Web site (www.SilentTimer.com) and in retail stores such as Barnes and Noble College. For more information, please visit www.SilentTimer.com.