<p>I figured that this would be a good time to ask since people recently took this test two days ago.
I really want an 800 because I'm inclined to the medical field. I actually took AP Bio as a sophomore (I'm going to be a senior) and took the subject test, but collegeboard cancelled my score. I think I've forgotten most of the material, so I'm prepared to do some studying. This is kind of early (I'm going to take the subject test in October) but I might as well buy the books beforehand.</p>
<p>Any recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Get Barron’s. I used it in conjunction with Cliff’s AP and feel pretty good about an 800 (I took it yesterday). Barron’s is really great. Some might say that it contains a lot of superfluous information, but I disagree. For example, there is a diagram of the eye and a description in the Barron’s book. Most would think that there’s no way that would be tested, but guess what? It showed up yesterday. Had I not studied it, I may have gotten one or more of the three questions on the eye wrong. Also, Barron’s isn’t very long, and it contains some good tests to use. Good luck!</p>
<p>^Agreed. Also get the blue book and princeton review isn’t bad. But Barron’s is good!!! And don’t be disappointed if you get under 700s on the practice test I got like 650s =.= but im quite sure i got a 790+ :D</p>
<p>Barron’s and a tutor if you want :] yeah I agree w/ StudiousMaximus too, I memorized the eye and ear diagrams just in case on the way to the testing center. There were 3 whole questions on it on the test. Plus you can pick up random tidbits of info from the book. Like I didn’t know that palisade mesophyll had more photosynthetic activity than spongy mesophyll, but I did some last-min reviewing the day before the test, and whaddya know, it showed up on the test xD</p>
<p>curse you, sensory body parts! >:( If you want a good score, go ahead and buy every book out there and use sparknotes.com</p>
<p>So did you use Princeton Review to supplement Barron’s? Do you recommend that I buy that as well?</p>
<p>If you read Barron’s and feel that you’re still not sure about many things or feel that you want more review tests, go ahead and buy Princeton. It can’t hurt.</p>
<p>okay I think I will. thanks!
or do you suggest i purchase Cliffs AP instead? Have you heard anything about Kaplan?</p>
<p>Don’t purchase PR if you have Barron’s. It’s just unnecessary. Pick up Cliff’s; it has the most detail. I used it to study for the AP in May, and it really helped for this test.</p>
<p>I got 800 in my Bio E SAT 2, and I almost exclusively used PR</p>
<p>^ That’s certainly possible. However, PR does not have as much info as Barron’s does. For example, it does not have an eye diagram. I’d say Barron’s is safer because of its thoroughness.</p>
<p>I used PR for a couple months, and then Barrons for the few weeks/month prior to the exam. I ended up getting a 790 (close enough?), and I feel like all of the necessary information was covered in each book.</p>
<p>@StudiousMaximus The thing is I was taking Advanced Bio in school anyway, so probably anything that PR missed out I have done it somewhere sometime :D</p>
<p>Barron for a board, general review. Cliff AP for more details. And a biology textbook or Campbell’s biology for anything that you still don’t understand in Barron or Cliff, or that you’d like to learn more in detail. Lastly, biology videos, diagrams or sites for anything too abstract, like ATP processing, Photosynthesis, Neuron and transmitters and other molecular biology things, that you can’t possibly get the image in your mind. </p>
<p>That’s how you get a 800 on SAT bio and how you self-study for the real biology.</p>
<p>I read the 2003 edition from Kaplan (so not sure about the newer versions), but the practice tests are not like the actual SAT II at all. I got scores in the 500’s on the Kaplan practice tests, which is way off of what I actually got.</p>
<p>Princeton Review is good for the material it does have, but it doesn’t have a sufficient amount of information. For example, there are no diagrams for the eye or ear, which you absolutely have to know for the SAT II. Barron’s SAT II is succinct and full of the information, and I’d say it’s your best bet. People say that they like Cliffnotes, but it’s way too detailed, so I would personally not bother with it. It’s just a waste of your time since it’s modeled for the AP exam, and you won’t have to know about 50 million examples of organisms in each kingdom and phylum. Cliffnotes is good in a way since it overprepares you, but it’s extremely time consuming and isn’t the most efficient way to tackle the SAT II Bio if you’re short on time. Campbell’s is great as well, but it’s so much information to cram and so if you have time, go for it, but if you don’t, then Barron’s and Princeton Review should be sufficient.</p>
<p>What also helps is taking all of the practice tests you can get a hold on and review the multiple choice in those. That’s what saved me on the SAT II.</p>