I’m a freshman in HS
I got these 2 prep books.
The “Black Book” tells me that these 2 books are the only prep materials I need to get a 2400 on the SAT.
Is this true? Are these two books “High Quality Prep” like they claim to be? Is there another, more efficient way of prepping for the SAT?
Any tips would be appreciated, I’m just starting to prep for the SAT 
Yes, those are very good books. The Blue Book is the best material there is (aside from released QAS exams), and the Black Book is one of the best things out there, esp. for CR.
Some people can maximize their score with just those two books. Give it a try. If you don’t reach your goal after a reasonable amount of prep look into one more book foe each subject. My recommendations are:
CR- Erica Meltzer’s The Critical Reader
W - Erica Meltzer’s Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar
M - PWN the SAT or something by Dr. Steve Warner or The New Math Sat Game Plan by Philip Keller
Also, make sure you read the stickied threads on this forum, especially xiggi’s guide
I’m taking the new sat in 2016 so i don’t think the blue and blacks books will even help. great.
^Correct. New study materials are just starting to hit the market. I’m not sure if there’s anything good yet. There are sample problems for the new test on the college board website, they’re probably your best bet for now.
But i mean, will the blue book and black book at least help a LITTLE? I mean i just bought them. Are they a complete waste of time now?
I disagree. I believe they will help a LOT–in my (careful) review of revised test materials and information, I’ve determined the new test is about 80% similar to the existing test (except for the essay, which is completely different and will resemble the AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay).
@marvin100 ok thanks.
are you implying that I should not do the optional essay?
No. Although I don’t know for sure, I expect that the most selective schools will require it, much like they required the SAT 2 Writing test back before Writing was added to the SAT 1.
^I stand corrected and defer to @marvin100 regarding the similarity of the old and new SAT. I haven’t done that comparison and I’m very happy to hear that they are substantially similar.
I participated in a webinar last week on the SATr and there are notable changes from the current SAT.
There will be changes – that is for sure. However, short of the official releases by The College Board, it is fair to assume that there is still much speculation and that various Chicken Little are seizing the opportunity to laud other options such as the ACT.
In the end, the contents might change a little, but most strategies, techniques, and understanding of the test will remain very much in line with the past. For instance, what is presented in the Black Book will mostly be relevant to the next SAT. The basic idea is that the new SAT will be a lot of the old tests with a couple of pinches of what is supposed to be covered in your typical high school, and especially in the ones that are forced to adopt the Common Core.
All in all, it will be more of an evolution than a revolution. And nothing that will resist the basic techniques that have helped the students who are willing to prepare adequately.
@xiggi @marvin100
Well that’s a relief. Otherwise I wasted my time studying the blue and black books.
Especially the CR section, there shouldn’t be too much deviation in the way the CR is run. Maybe easier/harder passages but the basic idea should remain the same.
Not gonna be solving all those math problems, but instead identifying which equation will best solve it. And not gonna have a vocab section, but better understand those vocab words to read the reading comp…