Any advice from people who scored 750+ on SAT II US History? (:

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
1

<p>Hi all! (:</p>

<p>Well, with two weeks left to go and my schedule filled with two major projects that are going to be due, I do not believe that it is possible for me to read through AMSCO. What would you guys recommend for me to do? I can't decide between reading Kaplan or SAT II US History for Dummies. Which would you recommend? Or would you say Barrons is better? </p>

<p>I KNOW THAT THERE ARE BOOK LISTS or whatever and i honestly went through every post but I found that they are not really helpful. Instead, I would prefer direct advice from you guys, so PLEASE HELP! (: Hahaha, so which one do you guys recommend for me to read? And I have REA, but I do not find it all that helpful considering the fact that the SAT II is like way, specific. sososo start giving me advice now! please? (: thanks everyone.</p>

2

<p>PM'd it to you! =] If anyone else reading this wants to know, just PM me. I'll send you what I think about prepping.</p>

<p>Also, if you have ANY history questions, bombs away (Pearl-Harbor style!). </p>

<p>Just for reference sake, so you all know what not to ask, I had a 790 without preparation. So please, don't ask specific books...</p>

3

<p>I got a 740 so I can't help...</p>

<p>Try memorizing an APUSH cram sheet.</p>

4

<p>Hahahah I'm aiming for like 730+ .... so UnleashedFury, go ahead and dish me some advice. (:</p>

<p>but yeah, I seriously need to read a review book! just dont know which one. i think that cram sheets are too like broad... so i need some like personal recommendations with like information that backs up the recommendation -.-;; i wish i had the time to read AMSCO..... =/</p>

5

<p>I was aiming for a 750....I didn't prevail. I ended up with a 720 which is by no means bad at all. But as for advice....if i were to retake it, I would load up on random history tid-bits and specifics.
Just do all the MCs you can get your hands on
and a word from the wise...read each answer really carefully...that test was full of very similar answer choices. Im pretty sure i got mislead on more than I would like to admit</p>

6

<p>i didn't think i'd have time to read amsco, but i went ahead and started it. i finished through the vietnam war (only once) and got a 770!!</p>

<p>btw, i suck at history, it's definitely my worst core subject and my teacher is a joke. i thought i had failed the test, like i was seriously expecting a 600 or below this morning....i was sooo happy though!!</p>

<p>so yeah, if you can get your hands on amsco, even if it's just a week before the test, it's totally worth it. if not...i've heard good things about dummies. i even checked it out from my library but never got around to reading it.</p>

7

<p>ashdraniasure, obviously, you're not too shabby at history then. You can't always credit the books. They're not taking the test for you!</p>

<p>zfow001 has a legit point. The random questions are difficult. But, if you get lucky and know them, you hit the jackpot.</p>

8

<p>hmmmm i guess i might try cramming amsco then. ahahahah damnn, there goes my life until june 7th. >< </p>

<p>so ashdraniasura, what did you hear about dummies? (: im still considering reading this over amsco because its like 300 pages shorter! D:</p>

<p>lollllll danggg, memorize random history facts. seems so hard... -.-;; hahaa before i would just take practice tests and like skim the answer explanations for ones that i got wrong but now i guess i will read them more carefully o.o</p>

9

<p>^i heard it's fun and easy to read b/c of their little jokes and stuff.</p>

<p>personally i hate prep books with jokes...i feel like it wastes my valuable study time if the jokes have nothing to do with the test. but that's just my opinion...my friend used dummies...i didn't see her today though so i don't know how she did.</p>

<p>also, you don't have to memorize random facts...most of the stuff on the test is standard history which amsco will teach you. there are few random facts questions, and you should probably try and memorize all of them only if you're aiming for an 800, which i wasn't so i didn't bother.</p>

<p>@asdfjkl1: haha the books may not take the test for me, but it tells me what's on the test, and ONLY what's on the test...it doesn't waste my time in teaching me facts i may never see on the subject test...and even if i did see such facts, missing/skipping them wouldn't affect my score as much as if i was lacking the basic fundamental aspects of history, like general trends and stuff which make up a far greater proportion of the test.</p>

10

<p>I barely scrapped off a 750. D;
Considering to retake because I have to score higher than someone. /lulz</p>

<p>I think you have to love history in general, else you cannot muster the will to read through and digest an entire AMSCO textbook.</p>

11

<p>I took the AP class and just studied for the AP class. I bought a prep book (for the AP test), but was extremely unmotivated and didn't use it. I got 800 without really studying much beyond a 2-3 day review for AP History, ask your teacher to help you make a timeline of events, which was basically what I did.</p>

12

<p>I took the AP class and just studied for the AP class. I bought a prep book (for the AP test), but was extremely unmotivated and didn't use it. I got 800 without really studying much beyond a 2-3 day review for AP History, ask your teacher to help you make a timeline of events, which was basically what I did.</p>

13

<p>bubblemilk, you can love it without forcing yourself to do anything to prepare. If you're a TRUE history lover, you'll take it cold. ;) j/k.</p>

<p>Anyways, the random questions I had gotten thanks to the fact I watch basically anything. :) You really have to be lucky with that.</p>

14

<p>I got a 760 with Barron's :). I basically just skimmed it though; History's my subject and I spent the entire week before bugging about a possible Math I retake (which I didn't even end up taking, hah...)</p>

<p>But from what I saw, Barron's was good. Very specific, almost too specific, but it helps on the actual test. I've heard not to go by their practice tests at all, though--I looked through one of them and it was MUCH harder than the real thing.</p>

15

<p>barrons - 740 (i was tired...took it last out of 3)</p>

16

<p>There are over 250 hours between now and the exam. Assuming that you're a normal person and you sleep, that becomes about 150 hours. Set aside 20-30 of those hours, and you should have more than enough time to study AMSCO in depth.</p>

<p>You'll have tons of time on week-ends and memorial day.</p>

<p>High-schoolers have a lot of work. I have a lot of work. I also have 2 other SAT Subject tests. If I can find the time I need to study for U.S. History, you should, too.</p>

17

<p>how about the kaplan for sat us history? i bought it already and i don't have time to go order an amsco...</p>

18

<p>I used barrons and amsco and got a 800- take barrons test, they are ridiculously hard but you will get a lot better by reviewing the answers.</p>

19

<p>I got a 780 without any prep books, but I didn't think a prep bookw as needed with the amazing AHAP teacher that I had. </p>

<p>I would to memorize general chunks of time. What was the major thing going on for each decade or two? Was political sentiment conservative or liberal? How was the economy? If you know general trends like that, you'll probably be able to make better educated guesses.</p>

20

<p>The AP U.S. History Flash-Cards from Barron's are good, too. If you finish AMSCO and have time left over, study the flash-cards. They don't tell the story of America the same way a book can (they ARE flash-cards after all), but they cover all the specifics much better than most AP review books can, and the specifics are what's important for the SAT History exam.</p>