<p>I've signed up for the June Sat math IIC. I've been using barron's and i've been averaging about 680 on its practice tests. A few days ago, I went out and bought a sparknotes book with its 5 tests. I've only taken one of them, but I managed to score an 800. Which one (if either) is more accurate?</p>
<p>Also, for those of you who managed to score 800 on the real test, what strategies did you use? any tips? prep methods? Thanks!</p>
<p>Only three words.
Believe in yourself!</p>
<p>Barron's is undoubtedly much harder than the real thing. I would say Sparknotes is the same level - maybe a bit easier than the real thing. But Math II C is not a tough exam as the scoring curve is extremely generous. so like miracle said- believ in yourself!</p>
<p>Oh and time yourself carefully :)</p>
<p>What about the practice tests in Rusen Meylani's book??? Are they similiar to the real test? (cuz I find them hard)</p>
<p>Yeah, I definitely hope the real test is closer to the sparknotes test. By the way, one more question. I took the practice test without a graphing calculator. I've read on these boards, however, and in practice books that it is better to use one. Which one should I buy? I'm thinking of either the ti-83 or ti-89.</p>
<p>89 titanium</p>
<p>You don't need an 89 for the Math IIC. Can't you just borrow someone else's graphing calc?</p>
<p>my graphing calculator was more of a hindrance than a help in that test :-/ (I was using a Ti 83+)</p>
<p>how can a graphing calculator be a hindrance?</p>
<p>If you can take the test without a graphing calculator then you must be a total genius. The reason it's called Math IIC is because the C stands for calculator or something like that because the college board people realize that everyone needs them.</p>
<p>Oh by the way, TI-83 is sufficient. I have the TI-83+ silver and it's great for this test. There really isn't any need for an 89 if you have an 83.</p>
<p>If you're gonna buy a calculator, you might as well get the 89. Because if you're planning to take the AP Calc you'll need it.</p>
<p>You don't need an 89 for AP Calc, although it is nice. Out of 70 people taking calc at my school, only 3 have it I believe. Just start with an 89 so you won't have to transfer over from 83 to 89 if u decide to.</p>
<p>I suggest you download programs for your calculator, whatever brand or model you are using. It doesn't matter if you have a TI-89 or a TI-83+ if you do not have the right software and know how to use it. You NEED a quadratic equation solver (which is fairly easy to program on your own if you cannot find one). Just fill up your calculator with programs, just in case ;)</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you can take the test without a graphing calculator then you must be a total genius.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>not at all. Its just that in our country, we aren't allowed to use graphing calculators on the Math II C kind of problems (or any other kind of problem for that matter) and practice makes perfect :) We use scientific calculators if we absolutely need them (for complicated numbers, irrational roots, long multiplications/divisions, permutations and combinations etc) but generally kids in my school aren't very calculator dependant and are comfortable with performing most of the basic mathematical operations mentally. And with drawing graphs themselves</p>
<p>I see. I'm going to get a Ti-89 anyways, especially since I'll be taking Calc AB next year.</p>
<p>Quick question: Barron's prep book talks about a bunch of formulas that I didn't encounter while taking the Sparknotes test, such as De Moivre's Theorem. Do I need to know these?</p>
<p>bump......</p>
<p>You won't need a TI-89 for AP Calc (AB or BC) but if you're doing Math or Science major in college, I'm sure a TI-89 would be really helpful. So just to avoid the switch an 89 might be better.</p>
<p>I would also like to know the ONE test prep book to practice with for math 2c which would provide the BEST help.</p>
<p>I used a combination of Princeton Review and Barron's, which seemed like two ends of the spectrum in terms of difficulty. If you needed to review from the beginning, PR is probably better. Barron's covers many advanced, and unnecessary, topics, but after taking the practice tests, you will feel confident on test day.</p>
<p>I took the Math iic test for the first time in the spring of 2004, no prep, scored a 620. I took it again in October 2004 after using the Sparknotes Math iic book (okay, this is misleading, I used for about five hours the night before the exam to review, nothing more) and received a 780 score. Granted, I had two months of Calc under my belt so the questions on the Math iic exam seemed relatively straightforward, but...</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>