Holding(s) in Company

Pearson PLC 24 March 2004 LETTER TO: RNS Notification of Change in Interest in Shares We write in accordance with rule 9.12, under the continuing obligations section of the Listing Rules, to notify you that we have today received information that, pursuant to section 198 of the Companies Act 1985:- 1. the shareholding of The Capital Group Companies, Inc., which equals 112,304,891 shares now represents 14.01% of the issued ordinary share capital of Pearson plc; and 2. the shareholding of Franklin Resources, Inc., which equals 56,515,055 shares, now represents 7.04% of the issued ordinary share capital of Pearson plc. The registered holders of the shares are listed on the schedules below. LETTER FROM: PEARSON PLC As of 22 March 2004 Pearson plc Number of Percentage of Shares Outstanding The Capital Group Companies, Inc. ("CG") holdings 112,304,891 14.008% Holdings by CG Management Companies and Funds: • Capital Guardian Trust Company 66,974,829 8.291% • Capital International Limited 12,974,829 1.618% • Capital International S.A. 6,078,368 0.758% • Capital International, Inc. 11,230,394 1.401% • Capital Research and Management Company 15,552,272 1.940% Schedule of holdings in Pearson plc As of 22 March 2004 Capital Guardian Trust Company Registered Name Local Shares State Street Nominees Limited 9,906,671 Bank of New York Nominees 1,701,568 Chase Nominees Limited 27,529,861 BT Globenet Nominees Ltd. 638,835 Investors Bank & Trust Co. 598,000 Midland Bank plc 10,983,375 Cede & co. 17,500 Deutsche Bank Mannheim 2,200 Schedule B Bankers Trust 2,681,900 Barclays Bank 427,800 Citibank London 98,300 Nortrust Nominees 9,598,014 Royal Bank of Scotland 75,600 MSS Nominees Limited 54,200 State Street Bank & Trust Co. 84,000 RBSTB Nominees Ltd. 2,200 Deutsche Bank AG 2,100 Schedule B HSBC Bank plc 13,600 Mellon Bank N.A. 136,400 ROY Nominees Limited 54,100 Mellon Nominees (UK) Limited 1,814,304 HSBC 43,900 JP Morgan Chase Bank 4,600 TOTAL 66,469,028 Capital International Limited Registered Name Local Shares State Street Nominees Limited 522,762 Bank of New York Nominees 3,647,089 Northern Trust 608,344 Chase Nominees Limited 1,943,740 Midland Bank plc 60,300 Bankers Trust 295,371 Barclays Bank 67,200 Citibank London 56,000 Schedule B Morgan Guaranty 211,370 Nortrust Nominees 2,196,346 Royal Bank of Scotland 871,500 MSS Nominees Limited 91,200 State Street Bank & Trust Co. 419,400 Lloyds Bank 53,600 Deutsche Bank AG 972,736 HSBC Bank plc 682,230 Mellon Bank N.A. 11,016 Schedule B KAS UK 37,125 Bank One London 160,000 Clydesdale Bank plc 67,500 TOTAL 12,974,829 Schedule B Capital International S.A. Registered Name Local Shares State Street Nominees Limited 16,036 Chase Nominees Limited 3,195,678 Credit Suisse London Branch 20,000 Midland Bank plc 560,000 Barclays Bank 758,518 Pictet & Cie, Geneva 10,900 Citibank London 27,000 Brown Bros. 73,900 Schedule B Nortrust Nominees 11,300 Morgan Stanley 12,900 Royal Bank of Scotland 265,418 MSS Nominees Limited 17,800 J.P. Morgnan 500,939 State Street bank & Trust Co. 99,400 National Westminster Bank 99,100 Lloyds Bank 38,800 RBSTB Nominees Ltd. 43,927 Schedule B Deutsche Bank AG 82,752 HSBC Bank plc 244,000 TOTAL 6,078,368 Schedule B Capital International, Inc. Registered Name Local Shares State Street Nominees Limited 3,508,567 Bank of New York Nominees 1,181,099 Northern Trust 52,600 Chase Nominees Limited 2,970,240 Midland Bank plc 255,400 Deutsche Bank Mannheim 33,600 Bankers Trust 51,500 Citibank London 174,100 Schedule B Nortrust Nominees 999,898 Royal Bank of Scotland 193,700 State Street Bank & Trust Co. 945,496 RBSTB Nominees Ltd. 38,500 Citibank NA 329,257 HSBC Bank plc 261,437 JP Morgan Chase Bank 235,000 TOTAL 11,230,394 Schedule B Capital Research and Management Company Registered Name Local Shares State Street Nominees Limited 500,000 Chase Nominees Limited 15,052,272 TOTAL 15,552,272 Schedule B SCHEDULE PEARSON PLC Outstanding Shares 802,399,547 Registered Holder No. of Shares % of Class Bank of New York 464,510 0.0579% BONY Europe 6,730 0.0008% Chase Nominees Ltd 45,751,367 5.7018% Citibank Nominees Ltd. 596,231 0.0743% Clydesdale Bank 164,440 0.0205% Euroclear 11,798 0.0015% HSBC Bank PLC 69,370 0.0086% Mellon Trust 2,495,885 0.3111% Merrill Lynch 735,490 0.0917% Northern Trust Company 771,685 0.0962% Royal Trust Corp of Canada 2,122,976 0.2646% State Street Nominees Limited 3,324,573 0.4143% TOTAL 56,515,055 7.0433% This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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