<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I have just completed a Honors Chemistry course as a junior. I have a pretty nice grasp on those chemistry concepts that were covered in my class. There are, however, a couple of things that were not covered, one of them (that I know of) being quantum numbers. We only covered the basics of it, e.g. how to write out orbital configuration, but we have not covered how to identify an element based on its quantum numbers.</p>
<p>I went to sparknotes.com for their online book, because I liked their SAT I one, but found that the Sparknotes' SAT II Chemistry provides material in a very abbreviated and hard-to-understand fashion. The quantum numbers thing, for example, I found impossible to understand because it the book simply states facts without explaining anything at all.</p>
<p>I also did some research and found that:
1. Many of you recommend Princeton Review, yet others say that it is unrealistically easy compared to the real test.
2. Barron's book has an excess of useless information. Some say it is the best book, some say it is the worst book.
3. Kaplan's book has typos all over.
4. McGraw Hill - not much feedback on that, but good reviews on amazon.com.</p>
<p>So, my question is: If I want a book that would cover the SAT II concepts AND that would present the coverage in a clear fashion without any extra junk, what book should I buy? Thank in advance.</p>
<p>Princeton Review + Sparknotes Free Tests (and content review if needed).</p>
<p>PR was a great book. It presented all the material needed in a very concise fashion. The practice tests, I felt, were very realistic. The only part that might have been a little easier than the actual test was the TT/CE questions. However, most of the other questions were very realistic. Also, do the Sparknotes free tests. The more practice tests, the better. If you need help in areas that PR doesn't explain as well as you'd have hoped, read the Sparknotes section on that topic.</p>
<p>Pardon my ignorance, but what do TT and CE stand for?</p>
<p>On the Chem SAT II test there are three different types of questions. The first are questions based on a list of like 5 related topics, and four or five questions based on those, the second are standard multiple choice questions, and the last are relationship analysis questions. You are given two statements with the word because in between. You have to say if each statement is True or False, and if the second statement is the reason why the first statement is true, you mark CE (correct explanation). Those are the trickiest types of questions because a lot of the time, you can have TT, but not CE. And also, if you mark a question TTCE, when its just TT, you lose credit for the entire question. Don't worry, there are only 15 questions of that type.</p>
<p>Based on what I have heard, Barron's is the best. Princeton Review is considered too "easy", although based on what you have said you are looking for, you should probably just get PR's book. I don't recommend McGraw-Hill's, this is the first year they are publishing SAT II books and I think their amazon reviews are rigged, because every book they have of McGraw-Hill only has one review with five stars and same # out of same # agreeing with the review. It's too suspicious.</p>
<p>Ok, so I am getting PR then. :) Thanks.</p>
<p>Princeton Review in my opinion is definitely not too easy. It covered everything that was on the test (every single thing). I scored 750, 800, 690 on the PR tests, and I scored 790 on the real test...I wouldn't call that "easier" than the real thing.</p>
<p>Well I used my AP Chem prep book along with sparknotes prep and I pulled out a 770, plus the test is not very different from the MC on the AP test except for that weird TT/CE but that's where spark notes comes in.</p>
<p>But I haven't taken AP chemistry...?</p>
<p>No that's fine, just giving my experience and all, though you can obviously do well on SAT chem without taking AP, just prep well enough and you'll be fine, so...</p>
<p>so is this the name for the new barrons;
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE SAT SUBJECT TEST IN CHEMISTRY
and for princeton review :
what is the exact name ?</p>
<p>thanksss .. and barrons should help too
would these book really guarentee above 700+
OF COURSE YOU GOTTA PREPARE AND STUDY LOL</p>
<p>By the way, I just got the PR's SAT chem book, seems good so far.</p>
<p>How about Barrons?</p>
<p>Which one gives the most practice tests and realistic or even harder?</p>
<p>I did not order Barron's, nor am I planning to.
But, Barron's is harder, and the only reason I did not order it is because I am confident in my own grasp on concepts, all I need is to review the specific information required for the SAT II. So if you want harder, get barron's.</p>
<p>i will buy person guide to objective of chemistry</p>