SAT II Biology E/M Study Plan: "800 or Waste of Time"

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
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<p>I am planning on taking the SAT II Biology Test this October, so I am studying over the summer. I already took an Honors Biology class this past year, so I already know most of the info. Honestly, I feel I am dedicated enough to pull this off, so tell me what you think.....</p>

<p>1) Read PR 3x thru</p>

<p>2) Read Kaplans 3x thru</p>

<p>3) Read Barrons 3x thru</p>

<p>4) Analyze weaknesses and study for another week to "patch up the weaknesses"</p>

<p>5) Finish all practice tests (6 total I think)</p>

<p>Do you think this is enough for an 800? I am currently on my third time thru PR, and I can guarantee that I will finish each book 3x thru. Honestly, is this enough? Has anyone done this before? How much have you guys studied to get an 800?</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

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<p>Bump…Come on, guys!</p>

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<p>@ifisher18, I admire your motivation and study plans. However, it really is overkill for the SAT II. I took three sparknotes practice tests the week before with no other prep and scored a 790 on Ecological. If you really want to make the best use of your time, I would recommend switching between taking practice tests and diagnosing yourself on weak points instead of plowing through books, then plowing through tests. Good Luck and hope this helps!!</p>

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<p>yeah i just used barrons and got a 760</p>

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<p>tpingt, while I am impressed you scored a 790 only taking 3 practice tests as review, that is certainly not typical. Either you had an extensive knowledge of biology prior to the test or you took a solid AP Biology course. ifisher18, I would think that study plan would definitely help prepare you (but it might be slight overkill).</p>

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<p>Thanks guys. Also, I was just wondering exactly how much one should generally study for SAT Tests (SAT I, SAT IIs, APs, etc.). How much have you studied to get an 800?
Thank you.</p>

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<p>@Charlie Brown, I did take an AP Bio course this year, so that is probably a cause of my good score. :]</p>

<p>@ifisher18, you should study for APs every day up to the exam. The homework assignments and tests that your teacher gives you throughout the year are essential to your understanding of important concepts. SAT IIs can usually be studied for 1-3 months prior depending on your familiarity with the subject.</p>

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<p>Bump…Still lookin’ for answers, guys!</p>

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<p>I didn’t study at all and I got a 770 on Bio M. </p>

<p>Now, I did take the AP Bio exam about a month earlier (got a 5), but I didn’t really study much for that either.</p>

<p>Really, it comes down to how well you’ve learned the material in your class. If you learned it well, there’s really not much to do. If you didn’t learn it well, there’s not much you can do.</p>

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<p>Personally I think you have a soild plan for 800, though I think just two books would be enough, especially since you already took a biology course! (:</p>

<p>Would you mind telling me, which books of those do you think is best for preparing?</p>

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<p>Personally, they are each different (gosh, I feel like such a veteran)</p>

<p>Princeton Review: Easiest to comprehend. Mostly used for first-timers and self-studiers, who have no previous knowledge of the subject. Practice tests are almost identical to the actualy SAT II test. There are many stories of people who took the actual SAT II, and said that 5-10 of the questions were actually on the Princeton Review Practice Test. Lastly, this book is known as a good ‘last-minute review book’</p>

<p>Barron’s: Hardest material; some unnecessary material, but usually worth it because the actual test seems like such a breeze. This should definitely be used after a Honors Bio Course (my case), or for a self-studier AFTER reading Princeton Review. This is for the hard-core studier, who needs to absolutely know all of the information. Studying this book is definitely the hardest and most time-consuming (people say that scoring a 750+ on the Barron’s practice tests is equivalent to an 800 on the real test)</p>

<p>Kaplan’s: Haven’t actually used it yet, but it’s supposed to be in between the two, but more geared towards the Barron’s type. Also, there are supposedly EXTREMELY hard tests in the back, which have a similar effect like the Barron’s (real test seems like a breeze)</p>

<p>So I think my order with 2 books will now be…</p>

<p>Princeton Review: 2x just to clear stuff up (get “back in the zone”)</p>

<p>Barrons: As many times as possible (to overload on info)</p>

<p>Princeton Review:1x as a last-minute review a couple days before the test</p>

<p>Then, all practice tests a few days before the test.</p>

<p>Finish the last round of barron’s like a week or two before the test, then just do rapid-fire on the practice tests</p>

<p>Good luck to all (and to myself, lol)</p>

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<p>You really don’t need to read that many times to get a 800. lol</p>

<p>I read through PR and Barrons once each and I ended up with a 770. I didn’t even have any prior knowledge other than a freshman crash course on biology.</p>

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<p>I got a 770 on E after a intro bio course with studying using a Princeton review book</p>

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<p>How can you read the SAME book many times?!</p>

<p>That requires a lot of TIME!!!</p>

<p>Just tell me how do you do it!!</p>

<p>BTW, unless you don’t concentrate DURING the REAL test, you should get an 800 very easily using your plan. [That’s my opinion]</p>

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<p>Ive got a similar plan too
Im going to be taking it in October so what i plan to do is just read barrons over and over haah that should be fun then princeton review too make things a little clearer for me that might have been confusing in Barrons and then continue to read both.
I think just using a bunch of different sources will add on to anything that might not be clear in just one book. The practice tests and reviewing what i get wrong so i dont make any mistakes on similar questions
good luck to both of us lol</p>

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<p>Yeah, I just finished reading PR and then Barron’s (once), and I just began reading Kaplan’s. I plan to do 1 more round of each, and then simply focus on practice tests, and thus, improving on my weaknesses (though hopefully not too many). Good luck!</p>

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<p>which of the books would you say was the most helpful?</p>

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<p>Bumpppppppppppp</p>

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<p>Barron’s probably, then Princeton Review.</p>

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<p>I got 720 with just knowledge frm stuff I learnt at school over the years…</p>