content: <PAGE>
  
  
  ================================================================================
  
                                    UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                         Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                         the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
                                  April 2, 2002
         ------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date of Report (date of earliest event reported - January 16, 2002)
  
  
                          SMARTFORCE PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
               ------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
       Republic of Ireland                0-25674               Not Applicable
       -------------------                -------               --------------
   (State or other jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)    (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation or                                    Identification Number)
       organization)
  
                                900 Chesapeake Drive
                           Redwood City, California 94063
            ------------------------------------------------------------
            (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
  
  
                                   (650) 817-5900
                ---------------------------------------------------
                (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
  _______________________________________________________________________________
            (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  ===============================================================================
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5.   Other Events
  
       On April 2, 2002, SmartForce Public Limited Company ("SmartForce")
  announced that SmartForce and Centra Software Inc. ("Centra") have mutually
  agreed to terminate the Agreement and Plan of Merger among SmartForce, Atlantic
  Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SmartForce ("Merger Sub"), and
  Centra, dated as of January 16, 2002.
  
       Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, the
  Merger Agreement was terminated immediately. A copy of the Press Release issued
  April 2, 2002 and the Termination Agreement are attached as exhibits hereto.
  
  Item 7. Exhibits.
  
  (a) [Not applicable.]
  (b) [Not applicable.]
  (c) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith.
  
      Exhibit
      Number                                Description
      ------                                -----------
       99.1          Press Release, dated April 2, 2002, announcing
                     the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among
                     SmartForce, Centra and Merger Sub
       99.2          Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, by and
                     among SmartForce, Merger Sub and Centra.
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereto duly authorized.
  
                                     SMARTFORCE PLC
  
  Date: April 7, 2002                By:  /s/ Gregory M. Priest
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Gregory M. Priest
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                   SMARTFORCE PLC
  
                              EXHIBIT INDEX TO FORM 8-K
  
      Exhibit
      Number                                Description
      ------                                -----------
       99.1          Press Release, dated April 2, 2002, announcing
                     the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among
                     SmartForce, Centra and Merger Sub
       99.2          Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, by and
                     among SmartForce, Merger Sub and Centra.
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "d8k.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4183}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SMARTFORCE PUBLIC LTD CO", "cik": "0000940181", "assigned-sic": "7372", "irs-number": "000000000", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-25674", "film-number": "02603721"}, "business-address": {"street1": "900 CHESAPEAKE DRIVE", "city": "REDWOOD CITY", "state": "CA", "zip": "94063", "phone": "6508176900"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "900 CHESAPEAKE DRIVE", "city": "REDWOOD CITY", "zip": "94063"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "CBT GROUP PLC", "date-changed": "19950303"}}
text: ================================================================================
  
                                    UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
                         Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                         the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
                                  April 2, 2002
         ------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date of Report (date of earliest event reported - January 16, 2002)
  
                          SMARTFORCE PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
               ------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
       Republic of Ireland                0-25674               Not Applicable
       -------------------                -------               --------------
   (State or other jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)    (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation or                                    Identification Number)
       organization)
  
                                900 Chesapeake Drive
                           Redwood City, California 94063
            ------------------------------------------------------------
            (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
  
                                   (650) 817-5900
                ---------------------------------------------------
                (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
  _______________________________________________________________________________
            (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  ===============================================================================
  Item 5.   Other Events
  
       On April 2, 2002, SmartForce Public Limited Company ("SmartForce")
  announced that SmartForce and Centra Software Inc. ("Centra") have mutually
  agreed to terminate the Agreement and Plan of Merger among SmartForce, Atlantic
  Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SmartForce ("Merger Sub"), and
  Centra, dated as of January 16, 2002.
  
       Pursuant to the Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, the
  Merger Agreement was terminated immediately. A copy of the Press Release issued
  April 2, 2002 and the Termination Agreement are attached as exhibits hereto.
  
  Item 7. Exhibits.
  
  (a) [Not applicable.]
  (b) [Not applicable.]
  (c) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith.
  
      Exhibit
      Number                                Description
      ------                                -----------
       99.1          Press Release, dated April 2, 2002, announcing
                     the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among
                     SmartForce, Centra and Merger Sub
       99.2          Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, by and
                     among SmartForce, Merger Sub and Centra.
  SIGNATURE
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereto duly authorized.
  
                                     SMARTFORCE PLC
  
  Date: April 7, 2002                By:  /s/ Gregory M. Priest
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Gregory M. Priest
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer
  SMARTFORCE PLC
  
                              EXHIBIT INDEX TO FORM 8-K
  
      Exhibit
      Number                                Description
      ------                                -----------
       99.1          Press Release, dated April 2, 2002, announcing
                     the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among
                     SmartForce, Centra and Merger Sub
       99.2          Termination Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2002, by and
                     among SmartForce, Merger Sub and Centra.