The Math Level 2 Exam - A Comprehensive Guide for an 800

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
1

<p>Hi, as a student who scored an 800 on Math SAT I, SAT Level 1, and SAT Level 2, I want to share with you how I studied and prepared for the Math Level II exam. </p>

<p>First thing's first; I FIRMLY, TRULY believe that the BEST way to prepare for ANY subject test is to PAY ATTENTION AND STUDY HARD IN THE CLASS. It doesn't matter how many practice tests you take, if your mathematics foundation is weak and unprepared, you will have a tough time scoring what you want on the Level II exam. That being said, I highly recommend that you've taken at least Trig/Algebra 2 at your school (as I know some students who are preparing for and taking the Level II test as Freshman/Sophomore in Geometry and Algebra I), but preferably Pre-calculus. </p>

<p>I will try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but sometimes it is the cliche tips that are the ones that really work.</p>

<p>1) Practice Books and Tests</p>

<p>Here's what I believe: you want an overkill. Preparing JUST on the level of the exam itself will cause you to have a tough time with the harder questions. Preparing at a level below the exam (I'm looking at you, Kaplan) will cause you to crash and burn. You want most of your practice tests to be composed of mostly harder questions, so that you know exactly how to tackle the level 4 and 5 problems.</p>

<p>I recommend the following books:</p>

<p>Barron's Math Level 2 -One of the best Math Level 2 books around. It is ridiculously harder than the actual test (but still doable), and at first you will be discouraged. Most people I know score in the 600-700 range, but don't worry; add 80-100 points on your practice test for a projected "real" score. If you score 720+ on Barron's practice tests, you're well on your way to an 800. </p>

<p>Barron's</a> SAT Subject Test Math Level 2, 10th Edition: Richard Ku, Howard Dodge: 9781438000312: Amazon.com: Books</p>

<p>Dr. Chung's - Also a VERY good book. Essentially the same difficulty as Barron's (maybe a little more difficult), but you want this book for the TIPS, not the actual tests. I recommend using Dr. Chung's and Barron's together; practice with Barron's, and use the tips to reinforce your understanding of the concepts. And if you run out of Barron's tests, you can always fall back to Dr. Chung's.</p>

<p>Dr</a>. John Chung's SAT II Math Level 2 ---- 2nd Edition: To get a Perfect Score on the SAT: Dr. John Chung: 9781481963213: Amazon.com: Books</p>

<p>Official Math Level 2 Book from CB - They give you one real, previously administered Level 2 exam. I highly recommend you take this test about a week before the exam; see where you're at, and using the following week, prepare for topics you seem to struggle with.</p>

<p>The</a> Official SAT Subject Tests in Mathematics Levels 1 & 2 Study Guide: The College Board: 9780874477726: Amazon.com: Books</p>

<p>If you don't want to buy all these books, and you don't have to to score 800, buy just Dr. Chung's and the Official CB test. If you prepare well with these books, you should be good.</p>

<p>2) Tutoring</p>

<p>I know that many people get tutors for Math level 2 exams; I personally think that tutors are unnecessary for this particular test, but then again, it's ultimately up to how you are. If you feel like your tutors help you boost scores by 50-100 points, then keep them. However, I feel that most should not spend all that money on tutoring. If you can't afford it for some reason or do not want one, there are MANY free online solutions that work as well as, or even better, than a 1-1 tutor.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Khan Academy
Reinforce your understanding of specific concepts. Use Dr. Chung's tips and Khan Academy. It's really magical what these guys have done.
<a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://www.khanacademy.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li>
<li><p>YouTube
Again, use it for concepts. Like Khan Academy, there are very bright people working to help students like you for free.
[YouTube[/url</a>]</p></li>
<li><p>YOUR TEACHERS!
If you have specific questions about specific problems, then ask your teachers! I went to my teacher every day to ask him a 3-4 problems I couldn't figure out on my exams. They are always glad to help, and they also know you very well.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>3) How to Study</p>

<p>Don't just take practice tests; this means that you simply become a drone churning out SPECIFIC problems, not understanding the GENERAL concepts.</p>

<p>On your first day, take a practice test. Don't follow that "give-yourself-all-the-time-you-need" crap; Time yourself for 1 hour, and finish as much as you can in 1 hour. Now, when you're done, see which questions you got wrong. Now, instead of simply reviewing those specific questions, see what TYPE of questions they are. Is it limits? Maybe probability/statistics? Or is it function compositions/transformations? Review those concepts, and make sure you REALLY understand them. Use the night of and the next day of your practice test to truly grasp those concepts.</p>

<p>So, I recommend your study plan go something like this:</p>

<p>Day A: Practice Test, Analyze Questions
B (and C if necessary): Review Concepts, Practice those Concepts
D: Take another practice test. Repeat process.</p>

<p>It’s not all about taking practice tests. I know a friend who finished 4 books and took more than 30 tests; he scored a 730. It’s NOT ABOUT HOW TO DO A QUESTION; IT’S WHAT A QUESTION IS ABOUT.</p>

<p>4) Calculators</p>

<p>Honestly, the BEST calculator to use for this exam is the TI Nspire CAS. This calculator is fairly expensive though. You don’t need this calculator to score an 800, but it’ll certainly help.</p>

<p>[url=<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-N2CAS-CLM-2L1/dp/B003EK7O1G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387866241&sr=8-3&keywords=nspire%5DAmazon.com:"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-N2CAS-CLM-2L1/dp/B003EK7O1G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387866241&sr=8-3&keywords=nspire]Amazon.com:&lt;/a> TI-Nspire CAS with Touchpad: Electronics](<a href="http://www.youtube.com%5DYouTube%5B/url"&gt;http://www.youtube.com)&lt;/p>

<p>Other recommended calculators are TI-83, TI-84, and the 84 variants. Try to stay above the 84. </p>

<p>Amazon.com</a> : Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Graphing Calculator(Packaging may vary) : Graphing Office Calculators : Electronics</p>

<p>Amazon.com:</a> ti 84</p>

<p>I personally used the 83 and scored an 800, so its definitely not the calculator that determines your score. THE CALCULATOR IS ONLY A TOOL. IT WON’T GET YOU THE SCORE YOU WANT. YOUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE WILL. So many people think that having a great calculator will get you an 800; it will not. Any graphing calculator, hell, even the scientific ones, will suffice as long as you know what you’re doing. A calculator is only as good as you.</p>

<p>The important thing about calculators is that you NEED to know it inside and out. Learn all the features. Spend a day to get to know it. Use the same calculator for EVERY PRACTICE TEST. I know a few idiots who bought CASes a few days before the exam (barely used it) thinking that it’ll get them an 800; they told me they spent 20 minutes of the exam figuring the thing out. Don’t be these guys.</p>

<p>This guide does not guarantee that you will get an 800. Everyone is different. I have shared with you everything I knew and learned before taking my test(s). Just remember that not scoring 800 or even 750+ is not the end of the world, and it will not be the decisive factor for your college admissions. Relax, and do the best you can do.</p>

<p>P.S. Remember the “Rule of 10%.” (LOL!) You must ALWAYS aim for perfection. If you aim for 750, you start to think it’s ok to get a few questions wrong, and you’ll score 10% less. Same with 770. Same with 780. ALWAYS aim for perfection.</p>

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<p>How far in advance would you recommend to start studying for the SAT II math test? My son wants to take it in June after the AP Calc AB test which is in April.</p>

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<p>Thanks for these very helpful tips. With respect to the Official SAT Subject Tests in Mathematics Levels 1 and 2 Study Guide, does the book contain material that’s not covered in the guide for all the subject tests: [The</a> Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition: The College Board: 9780874479751: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0874479754/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=17K0SC78FN4CV3YT5T8H&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083502&pf_rd_i=507846]The”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0874479754/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=17K0SC78FN4CV3YT5T8H&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083502&pf_rd_i=507846)</p>

<p>Since My D plans to take the Chemistry and US History tests, I was planning to buy the book that covers all the subject tests. If the Math 1 and 2 book covers additional material, I’ll buy it too, but I didn’t want to just duplicate what’s in the other book.</p>

4

<p>@Mysonsdad</p>

<p>It really depends on your son’s math strength. I personally started reviewing about 2 months ago, and really did a lot of tests a month ago. See where your son is at; if he’s scoring 700+ (630+ on Barron’s), I’d recommend 2 months early. You don’t want to rush this, but you don’t to take all the time in the world either (need some form of pressure as motivation).</p>

<p>@Corinthian</p>

<p>If your daughter plans on taking 3+ exams, the Big Blue Book for Subject Tests is a great deal. The material are EXACTLY the same; the bigger one does not have any additional materials. It’s just that since Math 2C is such a “popular” exam, CB decided to release the exam’s own version. Don’t buy both.</p>

5

<p>Collegeboard
Thank you so much for answering. My son is in 10th grade and is taking AP Calc AB and just got an A+ in the first semester. He skipped precalc. From what I have heard from others, he is pretty strong in math.</p>

<p>So I will take it that two months should be fine</p>

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<p>Yeah, 2 months should be fine</p>

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<p>Collegeboard
Thank you for your advice</p>

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<p>Here’s a tip for anybody taking the Math II later on: Guess C instead of omitting. It really works. Let’s say for example that you are going to omit 7. Even if just 2 are actually C, and 5 are wrong, that is 2 - 1.25 = 0.75. That means a one point increase in your raw score. It works even better if you can cross a couple answer choices off in the problem. Good luck to all!</p>

9

<p>Good advice! The Barron’s prep book was extremely helpful!</p>