<p>Which book should I use to study for the SAT with? I will be a junior next year and I still have 1 more month of summer left to study. I have been using the "The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT" book, but I hear there are better alternatives out there. In my own experiences, the writing section of this book is very lacking. It goes over only participles in identifying sentence errors and only parallalism in fixing sentences. Mabey I am mistaken but that seems very very brief for the whole english language. In addition, the crit. reading section's explanations for the right answers and wrong answers are very simple and fail to really show why an answer is wrong (IMO). </p>
<p>In addition, I want to do will on the PSAT also so I can mabey earn a scholarship. Since the PSAT is given in october and the SAT can be taken later, this is how I think I should go about studying for the two.</p>
<p>General Plan:
Practice through SAT books until the end of August, excluding essay practice. This practice will include the occasional full test session.<br>
In the last month before the PSAT (Sept.), go through one or two PSAT books and do as many PSAT practices as possible. </p>
<p>Please critique my plan and tell me what I need to change.</p>
<p>Sorry for the long post but I have one more question, when is the optimal time to study for the SAT and PSAT. I understand that everyone is different but when do the people who do well on the tests start studying. The reason for this is one of my close friends started studying for the SAT almost a year ago. I think this was excessive but I am not sure. </p>
<p>Thanks for the replies.</p>
<p>EDIT: One more thing. The SAT has a lot of vocab that I am unfamiliar with. The way I have studied the new vocab so far is to write down any words I am unfamiliar with on a sheet of paper and find their definitions. I will later go back and make sentences with the words and review them (memorize them). I am not sure if I am being naiive but is there such a thing as a list of the usual vocab words on the SAT. </p>
<p>You're not doing anything wrong. I would say that you should take an SAT practice test to see where you stand. I never had any experience with the SAT, except the PSAT, when I took the SAT. I received a horrible score because of that. now, i have to study for the ACT.</p>
<p>Hi skze, let me see if I can answer some of your questions...</p>
<p>As for studying books, I really don't know. I'm in the same boat myself - I didn't do so hot on my first SAT testing (1920), and I want to take it again this year. Maybe just go to your local Barnes & Noble or some other bookstore and ask someone who works there? Maybe they have kids who went through it, etc. You never know. :)</p>
<p>Definately take the PSAT, it's good practice. I actually took it twice and my score improved on the second testing, so it is helpful.</p>
<p>As for your plan, you don't have to worry about practicing essays, because there is no essay on the PSAT! If you want to practice them just for the sake of practice, though, feel free. Otherwise, it's a good plan!</p>
<p>There are many lists out there of "commonly used SAT words," but after looking over my list before the SAT I found that a majority of them were not on the test. Therefore, there's no really generic list of words that will be on your test. Just keep doing what you're doing now, and I'm sure you will be fine!</p>
<p>You have a good schedule. Wish I cared before PSAT's so I didn't just go in and wing them. I didn't get serious about testing till I got my March SAT scores. Haha then I boosted them 170 pts. No I am hoping for another 130+ (2200)</p>
<p>But yeah seems right and Blue Book helped me a good deal. I am going to pick up Barron's very soon so it comes highly recommended from other CCer's.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. I will visit a few bookstores and see what is there. Also I found someone on these forums selling their books for apparently very cheap. I am cutting a deal with him right now. And I understand that there is no list of guaranteed words on the PSAT and SAT but I wanted to know which one is the most accurate. After reading more posts, I have learned that Baron's book contains the best list.</p>