<p>I'll be taking the SAT for the first time this November, as a junior. I am allowing myself 3 solid months of SAT prep and bought the CB Blue Book and Barron's 2400 as study guides. As of now, I'm planning on mainly using the CB for the practice tests to gauge where I'm at and see my weaknesses and I'm thinking I'll take a full timed test about every 2 weeks. I'm thinking I'll use the Barron's more for strategies. So, my question is how do I go about using the 2 books together for the next 3 months after I take a baseline practice test tomorrow? Also, any tips on how long I should be studying each day or things like that? Any help creating some sort of prep schedule is greatly appreciated! :)</p>
<p>it doesn’t matter how much you study… it’s how much you concentrate </p>
<p>I’ve posted this on a couple of threads now, and I think it would work well for you, too.</p>
<p>-Start the day off with one practice section (vary subject everyday) - 25 minutes
-Review incorrect answers - 35 minutes
-Daily vocab practice - 15-20 minutes (an app like Mindsnacks is really nice for this, otherwise try Quizlet flashcards or a book like Direct Hits)
-1 untimed section (same subject as timed section earlier in the day) - 45-60 minutes
-Full-length PSAT/SAT every 2 weeks on Saturday morning (so as to stimulate test conditions) - don’t do anything else for the rest of the day on these days; you can spend Sunday reviewing mistakes (and then not do anything else for the rest of the day on Sunday). The frequency at which you do these full-lengths can vary, based on your necessity.</p>
<p>Just FYI Barron’s has been known to not be good at emulating the actual test. But, it should be good as a study guide. Other resources that have been recommended on this forum, by subject are: </p>
<p>CR:
-Vocab: Direct Hits (book), Quizlet (online), Mindsnacks (found on the Apple App store), Test Your English Vocabulary (Android app - just drills you on vocab with 10 question quizzes; great for on-the-go practice rather than studying)
-Passage Practice: Untimed Blue Book tests, Erica Meltzer’s CR Guide (book)</p>
<p>Math:
-Khan Academy (online), PWN the SAT Math (book), Dr. Chung’s (book - mainly geared for high scorers to get up from 650ish to high 700s), Untimed Blue Book tests</p>
<p>Writing:
-Erica Meltzer’s Grammar Guide
-For the essay: your own list of canned examples organized by people, literature and history, with themes/attributes for each</p>
<p>Hope this helps! Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>@EngineBus2015 Thank you very much! 
Does the Blue Book work ok for the 2 practice sections each day? And yes, I’ve heard Barron’s is harder than the actual SAT but I actually like it like that because it makes the real test seem easier! </p>
<p>Yeah, definitely! The Blue Book is the way to go!</p>
<p>wow engine bus, great advice! </p>
<p>The only way I ever brought my score up for the SATs was relentless practice. Take at least 3 or 4 practice tests every week by downloading some old tests (they’re floating around, just look for them). Sooner or later, you will find the patterns in the questions and by November your baseline score will have improved by at least 200 points, I guarantee it. Also, don’t waste time studying vocab lists. Just define the words that you don’t know that you come across during these practice tests; that will be much more effective in storing the words in your memory. </p>
<p>With the exception of timed practice tests (I recommend about 1 per month), the Blue Book can be hard to use effectively without any guidance. </p>