How does the actual test compare to released ones from College Board?

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
1

<p>Hi,
So College Board has released 2 books w/released tests, The Official Study Guide for All Subject Tests & Real SAT 2s (older tests). I hope to make better decisions when I take the tests, & thanks in advance, so I'll start it off (I took these last school year)</p>

<p>LITERATURE:</p>

<p>UNITED STATES HISTORY:</p>

<p>WORLD HISTORY:</p>

<p>MATH LEVEL 1:</p>

<p>MATH LEVEL 2:</p>

<p>BIOLOGY ECOLOGY: a lot harder than Real SAT 2s, harder than Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests</p>

<p>BIOLOGY MOLECULAR:</p>

<p>CHEMISTRY:</p>

<p>PHYSICS:</p>

<p>CHINESE WITH LISTENING: about the same level as the released tests</p>

<p>FRENCH:</p>

<p>FRENCH WITH LISTENING:</p>

<p>GERMAN:</p>

<p>GERMAN WITH LISTENING:</p>

<p>JAPANESE WITH LISTENING:</p>

<p>KOREAN WITH LISTENING:</p>

<p>LATIN:</p>

<p>MODERN HEBREW:</p>

<p>SPANISH:</p>

<p>SPANISH WITH LISTENING:</p>

2

<p>bump?????????????</p>

3

<p>bump 2???????????????????</p>

4

<p>To be honest, I feel like the practice tests that are released by Collegeboard are so much easier than the real tests. Since Collegeboard makes the tests, they can't exactly make their practice tests too similar to their real tests. I've only flipped through one of the Collegeboard subject test books at the book store and just decided not to get it since the practice tests seemed too easy and there wasn't a lot of in depth review.</p>

<p>I'm going to go off topic and recommend books that people have recommended to me.
Literature - Kaplan and Princeton Review. Kaplan has more practice tests. (Barron's tests are ridiculous but if you need a good review of literary terms, it has a gazillion term defined, but then...it might overwhelm you).
US History - Kaplan
Math IIC - Barron's
Biology E/M - Barron's and Kaplan. Barron's has more practice tests but Kaplan covers more information.</p>

5

<p>thanks, i guess i won't trust dumb college board anymore.</p>

6

<p>The tests in the CB book are previously administered tests. But obviously, they're old, so there's bound to be a difference. </p>

<p>That said, the Math II exam today was a fair bit harder than either released blue book exam.</p>

7

<p>but i have to credit college board for the chinese exam. i took it last year - i think it was easier than the one in the book. or maybe that's just me.</p>

8

<p>hm, for comparison, I'll put the score I got from the book (left) and the score I got on the real test (right)</p>

<p>Physics: 750 book/800 real
Chemistry: 730 book/800 real
Literature: 750 book/800 real
Math2: 740 book/780 real</p>

9

<p>Kaplan was really good for US History. I was pretty surprised! Great review and good practice questions.</p>

<p>Math II-Definitely Barrons. The problems are alot harder than the actual test so don't freak out when you get a really low practice test score. Great review section. I heard Princeton Review wasn't too bad either.</p>

<p>The collegeboard book is still good for practice though. It helps you with timing and some similar questions showed up on the actual test. It's a little easier though.</p>

10

<p>I thought the bluebook was a bit unrealistically easy...</p>

<p>BB/Real
Physics: 800/710
Chemistry: 770/710
Math 2: 730/630</p>

<p>Infact I was so shocked at how hard the real tests were when I took in october, I spent the entire month studying and just re-took all three yesterday, hopefully with much better results.</p>

11

<p>Thank you everyone for your input! I'm still contemplating whether to take Chemistry, Math Level 1, and World History at the end of the school year (June). </p>

<p>lolcats: Congratulations! I did badly on the Biology test in the blue book but did well on the actual.</p>

<p>& futureEE, I wish you all the best.</p>

12

<p>yeah I think I did much better on the real thing because I used my results from the BB to study a whole lot more and to shore up my weak areas.</p>

<p>Don't use the BB the day before, take it at least a week prior and then study the areas you got wrong :)</p>

13

<p>^ Agreed. Studying your mistakes helps alot. The tests are just for practice (timing..etc)</p>

14

<p>same with me lolcats</p>

<p>BIO E / BB=760 Real=790</p>

15

<p>Math 2: BB 800, Real 800
Physics: BB 710, Real 730</p>

16

<p>this time it was different though:(</p>

<p>world history
BB 800 and 800
PR 800 and 780</p>

<p>but i messed up the real thing....:(</p>

17

<p>so put down BB easier than real in World History!!</p>

18

<p>Okay, I'll contribute to the scoring results data:</p>

<p>BB Math II: 770; 790 Real: 800
BB Physics: 700 Real: 800
BB USH: 800; 790 Real: 780</p>

19

<p>Thanks everyone! </p>

<p>Martin_sage: Thanks, I'm going to take the SAT World History in June; thanks for warning me. I'm sure you didn't do that bad. I read the whole World History thread & I think that some of the things that everyone agreed on are wrong. I don't know...I think that for example, Mao & Kai Shek did not both not agree on communism. (Sorry...bad English!)</p>

<p>I didn't take this administration, but I also read some other threads & I can offer Bio test takers some help! I took it & got 800 - I got like 3 wrong. I took the May 2008 administration...it was relatively harder than this one I think (according to the discussion...& maybe b/c AP students tend to take it then). I was not in AP Biology. (I took Bio E). So the Biology test is harder than the BB one.</p>

<p>BTW, does anyone have the older edition of the Blue Book? There are different sets of tests in that book. It's from a few years back, the questions are similar, though.</p>

20

<p>Hey Kiefer!</p>

<p>I also say that Mao and Chiang Kai-shek didnt agree on communism:) Chiang was pro-western!
Anyway, I'll tell you what my score is when it comes out:) I used Barrons WH and I really recommend it! Good luck in June!</p>

<p>BIO E: I also had 3 wrong but I got 790... weird^^ harsher curve on mine in October</p>