I need to know the best books for the actual SAT

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>Not the SAT Subject tests, as seen on the sticky thread in these forum. I am NOT looking for the Blue book, official sat study guide as thats only useful for practice tests.</p>

<p>I'm a guy whos never taken SAT outside of practice tests. I'm not one of those guys that got a 2250 score subsequently looking for exceptionally difficult and advanced prep books to get my score to 2400. I would best like basic, highly recommended books that covers the following:</p>

<p>B - Good for learning material you don't know.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.</p>

<p>After doing research on the site, apparently these are the best for their respective criteria:</p>

<p>Writing</p>

<ul>
<li>Essays (Thread here on CC on how to get a 12 covers this)</li>
<li>Identifying errors & Improving sentences/paragraphs (What is the best book for this and why? What makes that prep book so effective for this area? Is the Blue Book pratice tests enough to ace this?)</li>
</ul>

<p>Critical Reading</p>

<ul>
<li>Sentence Completion (This is where Vocab comes in right? After research the best two books according to CC is 'Direct Hits Core Vocabulary' and '300 Essential Words'. So I've got that covered I believe, but correct me if I'm wrong by any means)</li>
<li>Short/Reading comprehension and questions (Is the blue book practice questions enough to master this? Or does anyone recommended any separate prep books for this?)</li>
</ul>

<p>Math</p>

<p>After doing lots of research on this site, apparently 'Grubers SAT Math Workbook' is the best. But I have some concerns after reading some criticisms:</p>

<ul>
<li>Some say the questions on this book are overkill and extraordinarily difficult, even for the SAT</li>
<li>This book is designed for those who already have high grades on their SATs, but shooting for 2400</li>
<li>Most questions wont appear on SAT, may only help for the few last 'hard' questions</li>
<li>Possibly covers some math questions (such as some very light trig) that doesnt even appear on the SAT</li>
</ul>

<p>Does any of the above have any validity. I've never taken the SAT, and haven't taken algebra since middle school and geometry since freshman (Was an ap student) so i just need some refreshment and questions. I'm not interested really in the tricks/strategies or a book that helps upgrade an already very good 740 to 800. So does anyone recommend anything different for Math?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance. Like I said from the beginning, I already have the blue book for practice tests. Just need to master/learn things</p>

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<p>For example, here’s some negative things ive read about gruber:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Not sure what the poster meant by “basic”, that could be a negative or positive for me</p>

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<p>Writing: </p>

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<p>CR:</p>

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<p>Math:
I have the Gruber’s Complete Guide and I can say that I haven’t used it too much. It’s CR and Writing sections are atrocious and do more harm then good. As for the math, it just reviews topics that you learn throughout high school and teaches you a few tips and tricks. What people say about it is true - it’s mainly for people who are scoring in the 500s and 600s. Therefore, it is hard to say whether this book will help you. Perhaps you can take one test from BB to gauge yourself before purchasing books. What I can tell you for sure is that a lot of the questions from Gruber’s are strange, not necessarily difficult, but questions you would never see on an actual SAT. However, it should be noted that this book is one of the cheaper ones on the market at $6 or $7 last time I checked, so it’s not a huge waste if you find it useless. Ultimately, the best course of action would be to take a practice test if you haven’t already and see how you fare. If you score in the 700s, I don’t recommend getting it. If you score well in the 700s, you could purchase a Barrons workbook or Dr. Chung’s math book. Both are notorious for their difficulty, the latter more than the former, which can be a good way of practicing and keeping your brain sharp.</p>

<p>One last word is that at the time when I first started studying, I was getting scores around 700 in Math. After a few practice tests from the BB, I now score 780+. All I did was practice from the BB and barely touched Gruber’s. The BB is truly your most valuable resource and you shouldn’t underestimate it because it’s possible to improve your significantly with the BB alone.</p>

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<p>Isn’t BB a bit too easy? Like I was looking at the answer key and almost all questions aare medium (at least in CR)</p>

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<p>Thanks xthrilla!</p>

<p>Further recommendations are always helpful</p>

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<p>Hey, I’m the guy you quoted about Gruber’s book being basic.</p>

<p>What I meant was that you can’t use that book to score in the high 700s. It’s simply a refresher. You can learn just as much by simply taking practice tests…</p>

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<p>I suggest McGraw Hill’s SAT Math book. My friends all liked it, and the material I saw covered was a solid review of SAT mathematics focused content.</p>

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<p>I see. Can you elaborate further on what you meant by the “mistakes”? That sounds deeply concerning</p>

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<p>Real SAT will be very similar to the practice tests from the Blue Book. I wouldn’t trust any other source because it will introduce you to other things. I recommend to get used to the real thing and not confuse your mind with “plastic” material. All practice from other sources are just poor imitations. </p>

<p>I didn’t like Gruber’s at all either.</p>