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Barron's Pass Key to the Sat I (Barron's Pass Key to the Sat, 3rd ed) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book really is what the title suggests. It gives you everything you need to know to prepare for the SATs, except the shortened version..which is equally as good as the full version. Plus, it's cheap!

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Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Chemistry, 2008-2009 Edition (Kaplan SAT Subject Tests: Chemistry) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a high school student, and I purchased this book in the hopes of learning about Chemistry for my subject test, I take as of now Regents Chemistry, which is the standard curriculum in New York State. I figured I had learned enough general regents Chemistry that anything inside this book would prove no great struggle. I was wrong, the language was sort of difficult and slightly abstract to understand, by no means was it incomprehensible, but for someone learning the language and voice as it moved from point to point and lesson to lesson was not strong enough. Now I enjoy Chemistry, otherwise I doubt I would be taking the test, it took me nearly one and a half hours to grasp the first atomic structure in regards to quantum numbers and etc. Now I learn quickly, and I take other advanced placement courses, it was not the wording that was difficult. I looked back and found that there were not enough diagrams, not even one for Bohr's model of the Hydrogen atom, which is difficult enough to learn spin quantum numbers and etc, without a diagram it becomes extremely so. The directions are also not that clear, which I struggled with, I would have to reread sentences to comprehend it. I switched to SparkNotes Chemistry review and I learned remarkably fast, I understood everything clearly, the worst thing about the book are the teaching directions and also the diagrams which should be explained. I am now learning Chemistry from Sparknotes, by all means a very good review book if you can understand concepts and need review. But if you need help with concepts look to Sparknotes.
Pros:
-Great review book
-Detailed explanation
-lesson plans are easily organized and cover everything
-Review and practice tests for each chapter
Cons:
-Writing is difficult if you're learning
-Not a learning book, a review book
-Don't buy this book if you want to learn Chemistry, buy it if you want to review stuff you already know
-Chances are, if you get this book you're an AP Chem student for example, because regular high school curriculums do not cover sigma and pi bonds, spin quantum numbers, electron affinity and much more
Bottom Line: Great review book, if the concepts are familiar to you and your high school Chemistry Course goes above and beyond what is required for a high school final/exam. Don't expect this is a self-teaching book, use it as a reference or a review book if you already know the material. Chances are again the only people who would know beyond the average high school course of Chemistry are AP Chem students, if you're trying to learn new Chemistry, go to sparknotes.

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Barron's SAT Subject Test Math Level 1 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book contain valuable material that not only gives a student an idea of what exam is actually about but really helps to improve the score. It does not replace a regular textbook or a good teacher, but still can help a lot. It is better tool for preparation to the math part of SAT then any general "all-in-one" SAT preparation book.
The book contains 18 chapters which cover most topics well and three model tests. Those tests are very important preparation tools and are well worth the money.
Chapter 2: "Tactics" is a really valuable chapter. It covers eight very useful approaches to solving SAP math problems. Exercises (with solutions) are good and as far as I can tell are pretty realistic. Three model tests are the real strong point of the book. Each of them is worth the price of the book alone.
Shortcomings are few. IMHO ideas of chapter 2 are not sufficiently reinforced in other chapters. The geometry section can (and should) be enlarged as this topic usually creates for student the most problems.
Also topics are treated as isolated without pointing to bridges between them (for example between trigonometry and geometrical problems).
Some neat tricks possible because a graphic calculator is allowed on the test (and it is IMHO a must ) are not covered. This is an area that needs another book and a lot of dedicated self-study as few high schools use it. Usage of HP graphic calculator can improve your results considerably. But the problem is that you need to master it. Other things equal it is better to use the calculator that you know well and get used to.
Highly recommended as an additional book to a good "all-in-one" SAT preparation book because math part of the test is the most important and most difficult part of SAT test. It can help to improve the score and at the same time save the family some money if (and only if) the student has adequate motivation to study himself/herself.

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This updated manual opens with an overview of the SAT Math Level 1 test, followed by a section covering the most important tactics for succeeding on the test. Separate chapters review basic arithmetic, fractions and decimals, ratios and proportions, basic algebra, plane geometry, solid and coordinate geometry trigonometry,functions, statistics, and miscellaneous math topics. Three full-length model tests are presented with complete solutions for every problem.

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McGraw-Hill's SAT Subject Test: Biology E/M, 2/E (McGraw-Hill's SAT Biology E/M) Review

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(More customer reviews)Editors must've been napping on this one. The book is full of errors, typos, and many of the answers to the questions are placed incorrectly resulting in an absolutely frustrating experience for someone who is probably already suffering anxiety at having to take the SAT II to begin with. (I know it was for me). I suggest you buy a similar book from another publisher. Their editors messed up. When trying to take practice tests and determine how I'd do on the SAT II, I was confronted with answers for questions all jumbled, making me (at first glance) believe that I had repeatedly failed the practice exam and giving me no hope for the real test. (You can surely imagine how frustrating this was after all of the studying I had been doing!) Many questions also did not have supporting information in the review part, so there was no way to go back and look up something you might not understand and need to review again. Some of the answers given in the answer key were not backed up by the explanations and some of the explanations contradicted themselves so you kind of didn't really know if your answer was right or not, which doesn't help much. Please note that I'm an honors student with a very high average so it's not like I'm whining and just trying to blame the publishers. I just think that it's important for the book to HELP you study for the SAT II, not CONFUSE you. In short: this book helped only slightly, and I would NOT recommend it to anyone.

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Expert guidance on the Biology E/M exam

Many colleges and universities require you to take one or more SAT II Subject Tests to demonstrate your mastery of specific high school subjects. McGraw-Hill's SAT Subject Test: Biology E/M is written by experts in the field, and gives you the guidance you need perform at your best. This book includes:

Full-length sample tests
Diagnostic exams to help students pinpoint strengths and weaknesses
Hundreds of questions with complete explanations
Step-by-step reviews of all topics covered in each exam
Strategies to help students get their best score

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Barron's SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 with CD-ROM Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is difficult, WAY more difficult than the actual test. Expect to get 50-100 points more on your actual test. And as the above poster said, it has MANY errors. Sometimes the answers and their choices don't match, and your score comes out wrong.
Why, then, did I give it four stars? Because it has GREAT tactics! Face it, on the Level 2, your greatest problem is timing. This book contains various calculator techniques for almost every type of question that can reduce the time it takes for you to do most difficult questions to less than half the time!
For example, on the SAT on June 7, 2008, there was this question about statistics. 20 students in a class, each has a different number of calculators at home. Find the average no. of calculators per student. If you'd done this manually, it would take you about 2 minutes. If you'd done this with a calculator, you'd be able to do it in less than 30 seconds.
This book teaches very little about actual math, but it really teaches you how to effectively use your calculator on the SAT IIC.
Lastly, as mentioned above, the tests at the end ARE very difficult, but they do help you out a lot. Help you improve your timing, help you solve more questions, and help you become more confident in the end: Just remember that a 750 on Barron's probably means an 800 on the actual test.

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This manual opens with a diagnostic test that includes explained answers to help students pinpoint their math strengths and weaknesses. In chapters that follow, detailed topic reviews cover polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions; coordinate and three-dimensional geometry; numbers and operations; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and graphing calculators, their operations and applications. Six full-length model tests with answers, explanations, and self-evaluation charts conclude this manual. An enclosed CD-ROM presents two additional model tests with answers and automatic scoring.

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Barron's SAT Subject Test Physics Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This product clearly explains the important concepts that are required to successfully navigate a Physics SAT2 exam. It is clearly written with fine explanations and examples. The book is a must for any student preparing to take the Subject Test in Physics. Alec Q.

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One diagnostic test and three full-length model SAT Subject Tests in Physics reflect the most recent actual tests in length, subject matter, and degree of difficulty. All questions are answered and explained. New self-assessment guides after each test are designed to help test-takers improve their scores. An extensive subject review covers all topics on the SAT Subject Test, including mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, atomic structure, and more. The authors also explain the methodology used in solving physics problems, present a basic math review, provide additional practice questions with answers, and offer test-taking tips.

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Barron's SAT Subject Test in Physics Review

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(More customer reviews)I'll put it out now - I ranked top 5% for the NJ science league for physics I . I've had many experiences with questions aimed at really testing your knowledge, and some of these questions do that. But some of them do it too much, to an extent where the question covers information NOT even in the information they cover in their chapter review sections. Worse, there are many glaring errors, both in their review, in their tests/questions, and their reasoning for their questions. Their questions, like i said, aim to test you, but often it only comes off as confusingly worded. Sometimes, the answer they find uses numbers different than initially stated (one question used 125m/s, but the answer worked off 100m/s.).
To be honest, the only thing going for this book is its name - barrons, without a doubt, is tough. But too tough, even for the writers of the book. If physics is not a strong subject for you, then find another book. You will most likely find it easier to follow

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One diagnostic test and three full-length model SAT Subject Tests in Physics reflect recent actual tests in length, subject matter, and degree of difficulty. All questions are answered and explained. An extensive subject review covers mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and all other test topics. Also explained is the methodology used in solving physics problems, a basic math review, additional practice questions with answers, and test-taking tips.

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Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Mathematics Level 2, 2008-2009 Edition (Kaplan SAT Subject Tests: Mathematics 2) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I recently brought this book as a means to review for the math level 2 subject test. I usually use princeton review but decided to give kaplan a shot this time. However I was somewhat disappointed with the excess of mistakes in this book; (ex. x-3=0 ---> x=4). It's not horrible but it does get on my nerves, especially when there's a mistake or typo every few pages. Overall the book is decent, it gives you key facts you need to know and shows some examples but definitely doesn't go into enough depth for some topics. The explanations for the some of the examples are written poorly and the topic on matrix which I've heard could be on the test is left out.

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SAT II: Math Level IC (REA) -- The Best Test Prep for the SAT II (SAT PSAT ACT (College Admission) Prep) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been teaching SAT and SAT II courses professionally for around 5 years, and I can honestly say that this title was one of the least-popular and least-helpful books I have EVER used. The title (or sub-title) of the book states that this is the most comprehensive title available -- that's the problem. It's far TOO comprehensive. It includes lots and lots of information that has never been on the test, and that is very unlikely to appear on the test in the future. (If you learn EVERY word in the dictionary, you're sure to get a good verbal score on the SAT, but there are FAR more effective ways to INTELLIGENTLY improve your vocabulary!) To make matters worse, it seems to have been written BY math lovers FOR math lovers and is nearly incomprehensible to someone who's not a math lover. Hey, if you love math, then you don't need a prep book for the SAT II in the first place! The book has way too much information to absorb, the practice tests are unrealistically difficult, and there's no easy way to use only selected portions of the book (for an abbreviated prep based upon the most important concepts, for example). This book feels like a desk reference for mathematics, not a study guide.
In my classes and tutoring, I've found that the books by the big test prep companies (Princeton Review and Kaplan) are concise, accurate, and logically arranged. If forced to choose, I give the Princeton Review title a slight edge above the Kaplan book, but both are excellent titles. I suggest getting both the Princeton Review and the Kaplan titles -- compared to a prep course or college tuition, they're an amazingly inexpensive investment.
How much did I dislike this book? After reading the title, I bought a dozen of them to use with my students -- but after using it for one group of students, I ended up shipping all of the unused copies back. These criticisms apply to both the Math IC and IIC books -- I don't know about the rest of the books for the other subject tests.

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Barron's SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Other reviewers have hinted at it, and I'll go ahead and state it explicitly: this book is overkill. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. The book provides a very detailed review of the math on the test, and the practice tests are far more difficult and involved than the actual test.
If you're looking for a good score on the Math Level 2 Subject Test, you don't need this book. The review is too detailed and the tests are too demanding. If you're looking for an 800, though, this is exactly the book you'll want. It prepares you for the one or two questions on the test that most test-takers won't even attempt, the one or two questions that could be the difference between a 790 and an 800. You'll cover things, like the latus rectum of a hyperbola, that probably won't show up on the test, but you'll be ready if they do.
The real strength of this book is in its solutions. It provides detailed solutions to each example problem and each problem on the practice tests. I found it very helpful to read through these solutions for every problem, even those I got right. In several cases, I found that the authors used a faster and more efficient technique. The book really emphasizes these techniques as a way to increase both speed and accuracy. In particular, it places heavy emphasis on leveraging the graphing calculator to solve problems.
I've come to expect that a test prep book will give a basic review of material, some generic "tips" (make educated guesses, use the process of elimination, etc.), and provide a couple of practice tests. This book goes far beyond that with a detailed and comprehensive review, clever techniques and methods that are actually helpful, and six challenging (but in the style of the subject test) practice tests with detailed solutions.
If you want the 800 and you're willing to put in the effort, this book is the way to go.

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