<p>Which one is closer to the real test? Please mention if you have used these books and if they helped you, and which one was better if you used them both, or if you used one of them and it turned out to be useless later on. No useless answers (including arguments or just ":D" as an answer.</p>
<p>I prefer Barrons. As paperweights they are roughly similar but Barrons gets the nod when it comes to kindling due to its extra 50+ pages. Oh, you mean for SAT review?</p>
<p>I would run away from both the Barrons and Grubers guides (as well as every big test prep company guide I have ever read). You will get much better advice from the guides posted right here on CC and you will get usable questions only directly from the College Board (specifically, previously administered tests).</p>
<p>Just one person’s opinion. </p>
<p>PS </p>
<p>I have not read The PowerScore SAT Reading Bible, but based on comments made by the author here on CC I will probably give it a shot. Also, I am currently reviewing The Critical Reader by Erica Meltzer and it is very promising (although extremely dense). In both these cases though I would not recommend relying on their practice questions to gauge your progress. Only CB questions will give you an accurate indication of your progress and level of proficiency.</p>
<p>I meant to ask you just about the Critical reading workbook, not the companies, and about their contents, not the thickness. I wouldn’t mind buying a 50 page book for the same price if it contained really valuable information that could help me in the long run. I’m really worried about the critical reading!!!
You did help me a bit, though. So thanks!</p>
<p>…didn’t mean to throw you off.</p>
<p>I have read both books. Neither book provides passages and questions that are good approximations of what you will find on an actual SAT exam.</p>
<p>My main problem with both texts you are asking about…</p>
<p>1) For the most part, they don’t use the same types of passages you will find on an actual SAT exam. </p>
<p>2) The questions are not nearly as nuanced as the real questions. They at times substitute ambiguity for difficulty which is never the case with real questions. </p>
<p>3) The wrong answer choices do not, in many cases, mimic the type of wrong answer choices you will see on an actual SAT test.</p>
<p>4) Their practice tests are not standardized. The SAT may be the most thoroughly standardized test ever created. You can use this to your advantage by practicing only with real questions and becoming familiar with the patterns that becomes apparent in the questions and answers. </p>
<p>Good luck with your studying.</p>
<p>Sorry for the late reply. I went through some tips in the gruber’s book, and they seemed useful. And after studying for quite a while, I really got what you mean. All of them aim to “crack” the SAT but they can’t. I’m practicing from the blue book; it seems much easier and I get around 100 points more than in other tests.
Your point #1 is the one I can most relate to. The passages are completely different, and some of them even require some previous knowledge to answer them correctly.
Thank you so much!</p>
<p>i have the same problem
if i want to memorize a 3000 Sat words…i memorize from gruber’s or from barrons??</p>