<p>I just signed up for the Biology subject test to take in October, as a senior.</p>
<p>However, I last took Honors Biology in my Freshman year, and come my senior year, I'll be taking AP Chemistry instead of AP Biology. So that basically means that I have to study on my own for this.</p>
<p>I ordered the Princeton Review and the 4 practice tests from CollegeBoard. I'm pretty new to the SATs (my area focuses on ACT), and you guys make it seem as if an 800 is the only good score, so I'm not sure exactly what score I should aim to get. But anyway, will that be enough for me to do well? I've read on here, after buying Princeton, that Barrons is more in depth and that Princeton leaves out a lot of information. One thing you guys have said is that PR doesn't have diagrams of the eye and ear, but I took Adv Hon Anatomy & Physiology last year, so I should remember that. And I did the practice questions on the CollegeBoard site and I was surprised to see that I remembered almost everything from 9th grade, and I didn't miss too many questions.</p>
<p>So what do you guys think? My plan was to use the Princeton Review, the CollgeBoard practice tests, and SparkNotes to study. Will that be enough? Or is Barrons the only way?</p>
<p>Those are good ways to study but having barron’s might help you out a bit. As for scores anything above 700 is a good score, but if your majoring in an area of science lets say biomedical you should at least have 750+, in my opinion. And doing good on the questions means your on the right track. In my opinion, I would get Barron’s read through it take the practice test and feel discouraged(because the tests are really difficult and I got 650’s while on the actual exam I got 790) Then take more practice tests from collegeboard and PR. Sparknotes is not bad, but not the best it would help though. Anyways good luck!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you don’t have to take the biology subject test; on test day you can take whichever tests (up to three) that you want, regardless of what you signed up for. (And if you take more than you signed up for, they bill you separately.) So if you’re regretting signing up for bio, you could study for and take chem instead; just FYI.</p>
<p>@daesung - Thanks. I am going into pre-med, which is why I decided to do Biology. So Princeton Review’s tests are more accurate? I’m not sure how well harder tests would benefit me, because I did worse on the ACT after feeling discouraged from the Kaplan practice tests, than when I used used the Red Book to study.</p>
<p>@MandieJ - Oh, I didn’t know that. I signed up for Biology, Math II, and US History. I did think about taking Chemistry since that’s the class I’ll be taking next year, and I also took Chemistry in 10th grade, but I completely bombed the practice questions on the CB site, whereas for Biology, I remembered almost everything.</p>
<p>@StudiousMaxiumus - I read that thread. I noticed you said that the PR doesn’t have eye diagrams, and gomdorri echoed that and said that it doesn’t have ear or eye diagrams. However, I just got out of Anatomy&Physiology, and I’ve retained everything about sensory body parts. So if I remember most of the information from Biology 9 and Anatomy&Physiology, and I got most of the practice questions correct on the CB site, then is going out and buying something as extensive as Barrons necessary? Or does it seem like I’d be fine with PR/SparkNotes?</p>
<p>PR/Sparknotes is fine. Barron’s is way to lengthy and it annoys me.</p>
<p>@GoodDoc: That was one example used to convey a general point that PR doesn’t include enough information. You indicated that you won’t be taking AP Biology, which means you won’t have a rigorous course to fall back on. In consequence, you’ll need a detailed book to learn everything necessary. In my opinion, your best shot at a high score is Barron’s.</p>
<p>I see. Thanks, StudiousMaximus. I guess I’m gonna have to get my coins together.</p>
<p>I really would suggest Barron’s as well. Freshmen biology doesn’t go anywhere near the depth of AP bio, and it seems that you still have much to learn about cells (covered in anatomy?), plants, ecology, evolution, genetics, taxonomy, etc.</p>
<p>GoodDoc, how were you able to get ahold of the 4 released CB exams? Thanks!</p>
<p>No I would highly recommend getting Barron’s as well. It’s not lengthy at all, I finished it twice in a day LOL. It has diagrams that you absolutely have to know. Princeton Review is alright but it doesn’t cover everything that will be on the test so you could probably get around a 770 without Barron’s but…</p>
<p>Yeah. Get Barron’s for the diagrams and information that Princeton Review fails to give you. ;p</p>
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<p>Might as well pull up the diagrams online. Let’s see, so far, I need the eye diagram … what else?</p>