<p>Hey everyone, I am going to be sitting three SAT subject tests in January, but I've never seen or studied for one in my life so I want to get some of those books that I've read about on here to practise with. I am going to be sitting the Math IIC, and Physics, however an still undecided about my third subject; it be either Math IC, Chemistry, Literature or French. Basically I am looking for the best preparation books for each of my respective subjects, and preferably some resource/book that I can use to decide upon my third subject. </p>
<p>Any suggestoins?</p>
<p>You're British, I would assume? Don't take Math IIc and Ic at the same time. Of Chem, Lit, and French, do the one you feel most comfortable with. Sample questions can be found on <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegeboard.com</a> so you can see which you do best at. Now, <a href="http://www.amazon.com%5B/url%5D">www.amazon.com</a> will have review books for all of them but it's really too late, and coming from the system that you probably do, I doubt studying is even necessary. Especially for Math IIc, where (from experience) getting a book only throws you off-track. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Australian actually :) I've looked at the practise questions on collegeboard.com but I was looking for something a little more comprehensive. </p>
<p>What do u mean its a little too late? How long does it take for the books to come?</p>
<p>EDIT.. I'm looking at the Real SAT II's book from CollegeBoard, does it have like 1 practise test on each topic or what?</p>
<p>hey those were my subjects in the december test :)
barrons is good for the math ii c.
i used kaplan for physics and chemistry.</p>
<p>also...do a google search and you will get tonnes of online resources...that will be quicker and you will also save the money on the books ;)</p>
<ul>
<li>Barron's for Math IIC</li>
<li>Kaplan in conjunction with Barron's for Physics</li>
<li>Kaplan in conjunction with Barron's for Chemistry (if you're planning to take the Chem test)</li>
</ul>
<p>Barron's will supplement any parts that Kaplan is lacking, and also provides good practice.</p>
<p>a_ravin thanks man, I didn't think about google but I'll definately give it a go now. Have you got any useful bookmarks?</p>
<p>Ginny, so you don't think i should get the Princeton Review ones?</p>
<p>vrumchev - I would go for Literature because this requires no previous knowledge other than the ability to read the English language and use your brain. From what I gather it's really just the same literary technique applied to various texts you may or may not have seen - there's no set texts or anything like that. Things like Chemistry and French require a bit of preparation.. and judging from my sister's knowledge of French it isn't taught very well in Australian schools (this may just be my sister, or this area of Australia, but I swear her French was better when she was in England :p).</p>
<p>Princeton Review books tend to be much too broad and not as in-depth as Kaplan books and Barron's books. If you have enough money, it doesn't hurt to get all three books for each subject, but if you're on a tight budget, the list above consists of the ones that will help you get the highest scores.</p>
<p>For Physics and Chemistry, Kaplan will provide most of the materials you need for the actual tests. Kaplan does a better job of explaining than Barron's does. However, the benefit of the Barron's books is that they do contain a few sections that are not included in the Kaplan books. As well, Barron's practice tests are very difficult, and therefore good practice. If you can score in the low 700s on the Barron's test, there's a good likelihood of you getting 800 on the actual test.</p>
<p>i absolutely loathed barrons for math IIC
it's way harder than the real test, an inaccurate representation of the real test, and teaches some material that'll never show up on the test
i got a 5 on ap calculus, 800 math SAT I and ended up with a 750 on math IIC, the test with one of the easiest curves of all the subject tests. </p>
<p>i would go with another book, but it's all up to you</p>
<p>If you want to be cheap, use CollegeBoard. Look up the different topics on the Ic and IIc. Usually, if you've finished a good precalc class you can do well on the IIc. Don't take both the Ic and the IIc; they let you do it, but I think doing different subjects will show your ability in a variety of areas. I heard chem isn't too bad as long as you've had a pretty good class, and you remember the subject. I didn't do well on the Literature at all (I had 5 on AP Lit, 800 on the SAT I, etc.), but I think that was just me. Other kids say it's fine. lol I heard that the language tests are quite difficult, especially the ones with listening. If you've completed four years, you should be set, but if you've only had three it's hard to do well, I think.</p>
<p>I thought CollegeBoard expressly forbids taking the Math Level 1 and Level 2 tests in the same sitting?</p>
<p>I disagree vehemently with a couple of the posters here (except Sunkist ;)). Barron's is HORRIBLE for the Math IIc. It is honestly the one review book I have consistently recommended that people not buy. It covers and emphasizes many topics not covered at all on the test, and gives you the completely wrong idea of what the test is. I remember studying that book for weeks and getting stressed about the test because it seemed so hard (certain topics that may or may not end in "obability", I just don't get), then one of the girls in my precalc class showed me an old copy of a real test. Completely different and much easier, really calmed me down for the test. I dropped the Barron's book right there and got an easy 800. You should get high-700's/800 no problem if you've taken and done well in a pre-calc class or the equivalent.</p>
<p>Well, the Barrons book is good for that: after stressing through it for a while and finally getting a grasp on it, you will be relieved on test day to find a much easier test and pick up an easy 800.</p>
<p>theres no rule against taking math 1 and math 2 on the same day...thats what i did</p>
<p>you definitely need to study for math 2. DEFINITELY! especially if you havent had precalc in a while. there are also random topics on there that may not have been covered in your math classes that you need to learn. </p>
<p>I suggest the princeton review book for math 1 and math 2. Using that book, I got a 790 math 1 and a 780 math 2. </p>
<p>I know several people who took math 2 the first time without studying and got around 650. After studying (from the princeton review book) they got above 760. </p>
<p>Foreign language exams are reallllly hard. You need to study a lot and have a very good understanding of the language.</p>
<p>The main problem isn't so much that the Barron's book makes the test seem significantly harder than it is, it's that even if you get to do well in Barron's, you'll still be prepared for many topics that aren't on the test ;) You'll be spending a lot of time studying things you don't need to know, time that can be much better spent.</p>
<p>As for foreign language, they are definitely tough. I took Spanish in May and felt very good about it, couldn't see anyplace I went wrong, and I ended up with a 730. So I'd imagine, just from that one experience, they're probably not too easy, although I can't speak for the languages on the whole....</p>
<p>By the way, I don't know about studying for IIc, especially coming from the Australian system. With the insane curve on that test, the only thing that will kill you is getting questions wrong. You can leave something like 9 blank, out of 50, and still score an 800.</p>
<p>Time that can be better spent than learning math concepts? If such ways of spending time are possible, I don't want to know about them.</p>
<p>Pfft, probability isn't a real math concept ;)</p>
<p>YEAH. barrons sucks. take it from the siemen's winner, he knows what he's talking about.</p>
<p>god knows how bad i wanna retake that 750 in math IIC. i still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat sometimes.</p>
<p>a_ravin thanks a tonne for that site!!</p>
<p>Just in case I do decide to get a book, what do you guys recommend of Physics and Math IIC? Final verdict..</p>