<p>I bought the Barron's SAT Biology study guide based on reading I did on this site, but I want to know if the book itself is enough to produce a good (700-800) score on the actual test, or should I read a more detailed biology text? I have one from a biology course I took at a comm college in the summer, but it's over 700 pages, and I'm only on page 100 by reading it myself. With two weeks left, should I just resort to scanning through the Barron's book and taking the practice tests?</p>
<p>I got an 800 on the March Biology-M SAT Subject Test, and I used the Barron's book, but I would only suggest it as a supplement to the Biology college book you're reading. Don't resort to scanning the Barron's book, because the test ranges far deeper than a simple scan will provide.</p>
<p>In my opinion, scan the college textbook, and read the Barron's book in-depth, and I would definitely take the practice tests in the book!</p>
<p>I've got some first hand experience for you...</p>
<p>I haven't looked at anything biology-related since my sophomore year (when I completed a Science GCSE), and I got a 720 on the SAT II Bio M earlier this month. While I had quite a few study guides, I only found time to go through the Barron's one. I was still studying the last chapter on the test day, and I only went through end-of-chapter tests (not full-length practice tests). I did however, study Barron's intensely. Done all in the course of two weeks.</p>
<p>As an additional note, I did go through some of Kaplan's end-of-chapter tests (but not the actual chapters because they were a lot bulkier than Barron's). I learnt some more specific information from those, but hardly any came up on the actual test.</p>
<p>That was just the facts. It may or may not work for you. I came out alright, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's no way I could've gotten full marks, and I pretty much took the easiest way to study. I don't suggest using the college book, due to time restrictions, but I do suggest going through different study guides, because they have different things to offer. Barron's had easy-to-process information, for example, but Kaplan's had much more challenging practice tests.</p>
<p>AP Cliffs Biology is best.
heres the link to the book if you would like to read it online. </p>
<p>Quite honestly, I would not use the Barron's book alone. While it was quite useful in filling some of the gaps in my knowledge (the curriculum covered on the test is quite different from what I studied at school... more ecology/stuff about fish hearts etc) it did not fill them <em>all</em> up and my 780-800 practice test scores did not quite translate onto the real thing as a result.
I suggest supplementing it with a text-book that follows the curriculum covered in American schools ( AP etc.).</p>