<p>I recently had my Blue Book delivered to my house and today I started to read it (up until page 78 right now which is passage based reading practice)</p>
<p>However I stumbled upon a question which I had wondered how everybody else had been using the book?</p>
<p>Do you read directly from page 1 all the way to the end in order, or do you skip to the practice tests at the very back..</p>
<p>Because I am doing from 1-end doing reviews 1 by 1 as they are given (and going over the sections)</p>
<p>Depends on the type of studying you’re doing. </p>
<p>If it’s your first time reading through the book or you want to crash course the strategies, basics, techniques, and overall material, it’s best to read through. If you already know the material and you just need to simulate test day, it’s better to go to the practice tests. </p>
<p>I recommend using the Blue Book only for the practice tests. The College Board has their own agenda that is not in alignment with the best interests of students. </p>
<p>It is in the College Board’s best interest if the SAT is “uncoachable.” At one point in time, SAT actually stood for “Scholastic Aptitude Test.” The word “aptitude” indicates internal intelligence that cannot be altered. I believe at some point in the 90s the College Board finally admitted that the SAT is not an aptitude test. But they still say that the best way to prepare is to just perform well in school. This philosophy makes the exam relevant.</p>
<p>So how does this show up in the Blue Book and other College Board materials? Well the College Board’s advice is based on the assumption that you should prepare for the test the same way you would study for school. </p>
<p>I disagree with this philosophy completely. Standardized tests, and especially the SAT, need a completely different kind of preparation. From basic advice to question specific strategy, the best way to improve SAT scores in the short term is to learn techniques that are specific to the SAT. A more long term approach is by increasing analytic reasoning skills.</p>
<p>By the way, I just want to repeat that everyone taking the SAT should have a copy of the Blue Book for the official practice tests. But (for math at least) I recommend using the book only for the practice tests.</p>