SAT II Chemistry Preperation

<p>Hi all,
I recently found out that the SAT II Chem is required to apply to many BA/MD programs, which means i have to take it :(. Also, the people i've asked have said that the SAT Chem is THE hardest of all the subject tests (i'm not sure that that's accurate, but i'm willing to bet it requires alot of studying.) That's where my question comes in. For those of you that have taken this exam, what book did you use? I've looked over all of the main brands at amazon.com:
I noticed that the REA review section is only like 60 pages, and it includes 6 practice tests (more than any of the others)!! Sounds too good to be true, i can't imagine a complete review in 60 pages. The PR review was a managable 120 some odd pages, and i like their informal writing style. Barron's seemed like some hardcore stuff, a formal tone, black and white (and ugly) diagrams, and a huge review, i believe it was over 200 pages. Then there's Kaplan, McGraw-Hill, and i'm sure i missed some.</p>

<p>So, what book did you guys use, and would you reccomend it? Or maybe you have another, non-book, method of studying.</p>

<p>i studied barrons, no text book or any other prep book and scored a 780 with 2 weeks of study. it has everything needed for an 800 i think.</p>

<p>If you took AP chem, you wouldnt need to study. however, Barron's for sure. everything about SAT's, its Barron's.</p>

<p>My friend walked in and took after Honors Chem and got an 800. It's not that bad. I've taken AP and I'm taking this one three days before the AP exam, so I'll probably just review Organic Chem and Nuclear Chem (the two things on it not covered in AP) for about an hour total.</p>

<p>Oh stevezilla .. did you for real study barron in only 2 weeks</p>

<p>I have taken higher level in chemistry at high school .. much harder than the SAT but the problem is am not used to do them hastily </p>

<p>SO please just answer this
If i studied an understood each word in Barron ( I have the book and 2 chapters are left) shall I guarntee the 700 ... i just need 700 although its bad.</p>

<p>Give me your opinion and any advice about it please.</p>

<p>Btw FlyinV .. Barron is not that hard , the book style is not encouraging to let you study but the content is amazing and stress on yourself a little bit and you will be fine</p>

<p>Thanks to all</p>

<p>ieatglue, AP curriculum includes both Organic Chem and Nuclear Chem..</p>

<p>Nuclear chem problems are actually quite common on exam</p>

<p>what now</p>

<p>answer me please?
would barron be enough to gain 700
if i understood each corner in it ???</p>

<p>please help me with this</p>

<p>

To zxzz74,I guess that's a yes :P</p>

<p>To everyone: The only reason i hesitate to choose Barron's is because the Princeton Review book has a review that is 100 pages shorter, yet still claims to cover EVERYTHING on tht SAT Chem. If this is the case, i wouldn't want to waste my time reading an extra 100 pages.</p>

<p>barrons has enough to get an 800 if you really studied it. if you grasp all the concepts you definitely should get at least 700. barrons overprepares you for the SAT II, it seems really easy afterwards and it does cover everything on the test.</p>

<p>Wow thank you very much people ... your responses are just like a cold ice on my heart :d .. </p>

<p>700 yo yo !</p>

<p>What if my school doesn't offer AP or honor chem?
Should I use Barron's even though or Princeton Review?</p>

<p>How does Sparknotes SAT 2 Chem measure up? Is it better than PR?</p>

<p>i'm using sparknotes right now and find that its really good. PR is way to easy and Barrons is much more harder. I'd suggest u do the sparknotes book first, take some practice tests, and then do barrons (thats what i'm doing for the may test)</p>

<p>Thats some impressive work ethic. I'll be lucky to make it through one book.</p>

<p>Whoever said that the Chem sat2 is the hardest doesn't know what they are talking about. I could see if being hard if you had only taken general chem, but if you took Ap chem it's cake. I took it as like a warm up for the ap exam and with no practice at all I got a 780. If you're in AP chem, don't even bother getting a book, maybe just take a practice test to see the format, but they provide sample ones you can take for free.</p>

<p>AP chem isnt offered until senior year in our school. So i'm taking this out of general chem. And on top of that, general chem was sophomore year, so ive forgotten alot of stuff.</p>

<p>Is Barron's Scale accurate? THey are saying that a raw score of 70-75 is still in the 800-780 range?</p>

<p>I studied Kaplan 3 days before the Chem SAT 2 and got a pretty good score. I've heard that there isn't a very big curve on the test either. On the Kaplan stuff I kept getting in the 500s so their scale is very off but I like that. I did take a summer General Chem class at Harvard though so I can't say Kaplan was the reason I got my score. It did help me review stuff I had forgotten though.</p>

<p>yeah their curve is accurate, maybe a biittt too nice. I got 800-780 on al the practice tests and ended up with a 780</p>

<p>flyinV, i'm in the exact same situation as you. General chem in 10th and AP Chem in 12th only (i'm a junior)</p>