<p>Hello everyone! I'll probably be taking the SAT II in October (saving June for retaking the SAT) and I've decided to take Literature, as well as Maths and Physics.</p>
<p>Here's my predicament: I'm an international student and I have no experience with the SAT Literature whatsoever (the resources in my country are pretty scarce). I did some research and apparently unlike the CR on the SAT, the SAT II tackles problems in a straightforward way, and it may require some knowledge of the subject. </p>
<p>I've been told that the CB's Official Guide to SAT Subject Tests, despite having only one practice test for each subject, has a list of literary works that will appear on the test and therefore I should purchase it (which is really a pain since I can only obtain that book via Amazon). Is this myth true? And should I need materials for extra practice, which books would you recommend?</p>
<p>The SAT Lit is unique because it requires almost no outside knowledge. Instead, it tests your ability to analyze and interpret poetry/prose/ and drama. Since it is more of an aptitude test than a test measuring knowledge, prep books can only do so much. However,Barron’s has the best review sections (if you think you might need to brush up on literary terms), but their practice tests are more difficult than the actual exam.Kaplan has the most accurate practice tests. Princeton Review is just useless.
Personally, I prefer Barron’s just because once I mastered their practice test, I gained confidence for the actual exam. (Got a 790!)</p>
<p>The SAT subject test book won’t contain a list of literary works that will appear on the test, but it is very good practice for the actual test. The college board also has some free practice tests available on its website. I found that there are only a few questions that require you to have background literary knowlege, which means maybe 2 or three questions that contain literary terms.</p>
<p>What I believe is more important is learning how to answer the questions, timing yourself, and looking for meaning in the text. Unlike the CR section, it contains things such as poetry, which you may have to learn how to interpret. Read up come guides on past CC forums on how to do well on the lit test. One thing I have learned is that evey answer you pick MUST be supported by the text. Even if an answer “sounds” really intelligent or correct, it is not unless it is stated or implied somewhere in the text.</p>
<p>@calla17 is correct in saying there is very little outside knowledge required. I’ve heard Kaplan is very good for practice and the practice tests are similar to the actual test. I found barron’s to be a little bit intimidating because it focused alot on terminology which is only a very small part of the test. As for myself, I did very little formal preparation but I would emphasize that timing yourself and learning to read questions is critical. </p>
<p>If you are going to study for the other tests anyway, you could get the one with all the subjects and practice from there, or you can get three individual books if you feel like you need it. Good luck!</p>