Hi!!!
Is anyone here familiar with the online course from the college board and if so please give feedback!! I just subscribed and so far it seems effective, would it be enough? (I’m writing the January SAT and it would be my third time) Thanks
Which SAT prep book is better? Princeton Review or Barron’s? I know the official one is best, but I also need another one. I’ve used Barron’s for AP exams before, and they didn’t help me that much. Should I switch to Princeton’s? I heard that Princeton makes the practice test easier than what you’re actually going to see and that Barron’s makes it harder. What do you guys recommend?
You shouldn’t use either one. Go back in this thread and you’ll see many better suggestions.
@CHD2013 I looked through it and everyone has recommended different books (idk which book I should get now). Do you have any recommendations? I just need one more SAT book for the NEW SAT.
I have no recommendations for the new SAT, because I wouldn’t recommend taking it. Its not ready for prime time. Take the ACT instead. For a lot of detailed reasons, search for posts by @Plotinus, she’s really nailed it.
buddy I got a 800 in math
the only book I referred was barrons its the best math book.
believe me!!
Hi all. So, my SAT score was brought down extremellyyyyy by my math score. I’m ashamed to say the least about how low it was. I am taking the new SAT in May and I really want to get my math score up a solid 100+ points. I am a current junior taking Algebra 2H. What should I do as a study plan to get better at math gradually. I don’t really mind if the test prep book is geared towards the old SAT bc i’m looking at getting better at math in general as well.
This is going to be repetitive:
What’s the best book for getting an 800 on math?
What’s the best book for getting an 800 on writing?
What’s the best book for getting an 800 on reading?
What’s the best book for getting a 2400 overall?
Best book to get an 800 in math: PWN http://www.amazon.com/PWN-SAT-Guide-Mike-McClenathan/dp/1495933180
Best book to get 800 writing: Erica Meltzer’s guide http://www.amazon.com/3rd-Edition-Ultimate-Guide-Grammar/dp/1511944137
For reading I didn’t use a book. I used the online course.
Of course all of these are for the old version of the SAT but I’m sure all of the authors are working on material for the new SAT
@curlypie99, can you say what online course you used for reading?
I bought the beta version of PWN the SAT Guide for the redesigned SAT. It is ok, but there are not nearly enough problem types and the problems do not have the same language as CB problems. This is not a good substitute for the 20-40 official practice tests that were available for the old SAT. If you need a big score increase, take the ACT.
@wattba12 I normally recommend the SAT Math book by Steve Warner to my students for practice. You can try that as well.
I’ve asked people about these questions again and they recommend both the official book and Barron’s. That’s what I have right now. The key to a good score is TO PRATICE CONSTANTLY! I didn’t practice as well on my first one and received a rather low score. However, I got down and kept doing practice problems and raised my overall score by 200-300 points. I know it is hard but you have to keep a positive attitude while practicing, because you will regret it later.
Right now I’m a sophomore in high school and recently took a practice SAT test(not PSAT, more like a placement test) at a tutoring center nearby. This was the first SAT Test that I have ever taken and I didnt study for it at all. I got a 1080/1600. i got a 600/800 on the english and 480/800 on the math section. I just need advice on whether i should take SAT classes or buy a practice book to study on my own? Will the classes be worth the money, or will I be fine doing continuous self-practicing(starting now) ?? Thanks!
I of course cannot give book recommendations on this website, but I would just like to help students reading this get their thoughts straight. There is a lot of conflicting advice on this thread, so I would like to just make some statements that might steer you in the right direction.
(1) The statement “Book X got me an 800 so it is the best,” is not helpful without some additional context. If you are currently scoring between 650 and 700 on practice tests, then that may very well be a good book for you, but if you are scoring less than 600 on practice tests, then using a book that got another student an 800 will probably be completely ineffective for you.
(2) When someone tells you that they think a certain book is “the best” or “really good,” get more information about that student. What was their starting score? What was their score increase? What in particular did they like about that book? How was it different from other books they tried? How good at math are they in general? What math class were they taking in school while they were preparing? It would be even better if those of you that are making book suggestions would provide some information about yourself in the same post that you make the suggestion.
(3) Be careful that you are only using books for the new SAT. The new test is quite different from the old test. Yes, there is some overlap, but only a test prep professional has the expertise to know which old problems are still relevant for the new test.
(4) Take an official practice test for both the ACT and SAT, and use a comparison chart to compare the two scores. This will help you decide which one to take. If the scores are close I would go with the ACT right now (the devil you know…), but if your SAT score is much higher, then go for the SAT. Make sure you time these practice tests accurately and stop as soon as time is up. Adding even a few seconds could inflate your score and give inaccurate information.
(5) Make sure you have the Official Guide for whichever test you’re taking. I recommend using that book only for the practice tests, taking about 1 per month under timed conditions. I do not recommend the official guides for daily practice unless you have the guidance of a test prep professional. For daily practice find the right book for you by doing the necessary research. There are many good prep books out there, but just because a book is good, it does not mean that it’s the right book for you.
(6) If you are using a certain book and you have questions do not be afraid to contact the author. Authors of educational products usually write books because they have a desire to help students succeed. Take advantage of that if you need to.
I hope that helps, and good luck to all of you brave students that will be taking the new SAT. Just keep in mind that the ACT is an equally acceptable option.
Does anyone know how to get materials/sample questions for PSAT 8/9. I couldn’t find any on Khan Academy or on College Board.
I have the OLD SAT writing book for Erica Meltzer. Does anyone know how much different her NEW SAT WRITING book is? Should I get it?
The New SAT writing section is very different. One no longer has to read a quote, pick a side and write a five paragraph essay taking a side and supporting it with evidence from History, Literature, current events, personal experience or something made up. Now, the student has to read several passages and explain the motivation and writing techniques of the authors. College Board has a new study guide that explains it clearly - it is very much aligned to the Common Core objectives…
@sjwon3789 I do not think you need to get the NEW Writing book for grammar for content. You can still study the book for the grammar topics. However, the sample problems are very different between the Old and New SAT writing multiple-choice questions. You can download he new SAT (4 of them from CB) or use Khan academy for practice questions.
The e-book Jump Start SAT Math for CAS calculator is very good for students who are comfortable with technology but less so with math. It’s for the new SAT.