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SAT "ALL in one" Books

News Best SAT study Books Practice Tests Kaplan Barrons McGraw Hill Princeton  review  
  Test-Taking Strategies     Cheating Humor Etc  

Taking the tests is by far the best thing you can do to raise your score. But books can help but only practice makes perfect. I generally prefer  "all-in-one" books with several practice test, but you mileage may vary.  After all you can always buy an additional book just for tests it contains (and it can be not the current year edition).

The key here is to become familiar with the test, see (and be able to classify) the types of questions. this way you will  get  "the SAT taking mindset" which might help you more than any vocabulary flashcards, math worksheets, tutors, or SAT programs ever will (and the book is a lot less expensive!).

Think about SAT test as an obscure sport that you need to master. 

My advice: buy book with several practice tests or just practice tests book and take at least three or four tests. After you get your PSAT score buy a specialized book for the part of the test your fared worst. Please note that grammar test smells with "grammar fashism"  so you ability to imporve it might be limited and in no way this reflects your IQ or anything else. Math is probably the area where you can raise your score with some effort ... Even this approach file to raise your score on the next exam  (there is an element of lack in each exam) continue to take exams. Practice makes perfect and such an approach usually improves your score. It also helps to feel that you did your best which the limitations of you own personality and environment... 

Practice Tests

Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2009 Edition (Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the Sat)

Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2007 Edition (Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the Sat)

11 Practice Tests for the New SAT and PSAT, 2006 Edition (College Test Prep)

10 Real SAT's (2nd Edition)

5 of 5 stars I got a 1580 because of this book., October 5, 2000
Reviewer: Naveen Kumar from Moscow, FL

The only way to "study" for the SAT is to practice taking the tests, and there is no better way to practice than to take actual tets and find your actual score. Other test prep places are overpriced and useless. You can get them all in one with this book. If you read the lessons, you will find that the book is honest and teaches exactly what the test prep places teach. This book is really all you need to maximize your SAT score.

5 of 5 stars Besides Cheating, this is the BEST way to improve your score, October 1, 2000
Reviewer: Nick Billings (see more about me) from Santee, CA United States

The best way to improve you're score on the SAT is to read this book. It is more than 10 real sats however. It also has chapters on a variety of subjects:

Chapter 1: Introducing the SAT-------------------------Chapter 2: Test-Taking Strategies

Chapter 3: Psyching Yourself Up-----------------------Chapter 4: About Verbal Questions

Chapter 5: Sentence Completion Questions-------------Chapter 6: Analogy Questions

Chapter 7: Critical Reading Questions-------------------Chapter 8: Verbal Practice

Chapter 9: About Mathematics Questions---------------Chapter 10: Calculators

Chapter 11: Mathematics Review-----------------------Chapter 12: Five-Choice Multiple-Choice Questions

Chapter 13: Quantitative Comparison Questions---------Chapter 14: Student-Produced Response Questions

Chapter 15: Mathematics Practice-----------------------Chapter 16: About the PSAT/NMSQT

Chapter 17: 10 Complete, Real SATs with answer keys

I recommend going over this book and learning how to do do each problem so nothing will be a shock come test day. Even if you get a question wrong don't be frustrated. Just learn how to get the correct answer on that type of question and you will be set for test day.(this strategy is primarily for the math section but works on verbal as well)

5 of 5 stars Forget classes, get this book, August 27, 2000
Reviewer: David Lindsay (see more about me) from Palo Alto, CA USA

I found out that the only way to take the SAT was to learn HOW to take the SAT. This book will give you 10 chances to take the test so that you can learn the crucial secrets when it comes down to taking the actual test. 10 Real SATs teaches you secrets to unlock each question in all of the subject areas. I mainly used this book to work on my timing/pacing for the test which is a key component of the SAT. With more colleges relying on test scores, this book is invaluable!

5 of 5 stars Absolutely the best thing you can do for your score!, August 26, 2000
Reviewer: Clay Bavor (see more about me)

Taking the tests in 10 Real SAT's is by far the best thing you can do to raise your score. Really. Becoming familiar with the test, seeing the types of questions and just getting in the SAT taking mindset will help you more than any vocabulary flashcards, math worksheets, tutors, or SAT programs ever will (and the book is a lot less expensive!).

Though I did not score poorly on my PSAT's, I did want to score significantly better. After doing those flash cards and math sheets and visiting a few tutors, my score had gone up, but not as much as I had wanted it to. So, for the two months before the big test day, I took one full test every Saturday (it sounds like I lot, I know, but it's not that bad!). With each test, my score went up 10-30 points, and on test day, I did even better than I had been doing on the practice tests, raising my score to the level I had wanted.

My advice: buy this book, and take at least three or four tests. It WILL raise your score! (Unless you're consistently getting 1600's, of course...)

Barrons

Barron's SAT 2400- Aiming for the Perfect Score (Barron's Sat 2400)

by Linda Carnevale M.A. and Roselyn Teukolsky M.S. (Paperback - Jul 11, 2008)

4.0 out of 5 stars This book and Grubers are the best on the market , August 6, 2008
By G. Jovicin (CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Reviewing many test prep books, especially SAT books I find that Barrons and Grubers are the best on the market. The price is there and the material is great.

2.0 out of 5 stars So much Hype!, August 5, 2008

By Busy Mom - See all my reviews
I didn't like the pre-2008 edition of this book for many reasons. First, it is replete with with "pep talk," which is time-consuming to read and irrelevant to mastering crucial SAT skills. Second, it is thin on substance, which is why the author has to use extra-large fonts to fill up the pages. The few strategies provided, branded for the "2400 Club," are nothing you can't find in other great SAT books, like the McGraw Hill books. Finally, with the pre-2008 edition, the organization of the lay-out is so messy that it is actually hard to follow. Which is why I'm glad I'd sold the book and, thanks to the hype, at a good price!

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor examples and ridiculous mnemonics., August 3, 2008

By John Doe III, Jr. - See all my reviews
This book is riddled with mistakes in its practice sections (notably the writing section) and contains superfluous mnemonics as a "strategy." Incessant use of "2400 clubbers" doesn't help. I'd recommend skimming Rocket Review for writing and reading, Gruber's for math, and a solid practice from Collegeboard's "Blue Book" of released tests as practice.

 

Kaplan

 Kaplan SAT 2009 Comprehensive Program (Kaplan Sat)

Kaplan SAT 2009 Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM) (Kaplan Sat (Book and CD-Rom)) by Kaplan (Paperback - Jun 3, 2008)

Kaplan SAT Math Workbook, 4th Edition

SAT 2006, Comprehensive Program (Kaplan ...

Kaplan SAT, 2007 Edition- Premier Progra...

McGraw Hill

McGraw-Hill's SAT, 2008 Edition book-CD-ROMby Christopher Black and Mark Anestis (Paperback - Jun 20, 2007)

Etc

Amazon.com Up Your Score The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2007-2008 Edition (Up Your Score) Larry Berger, Michael Colton, Manek Mistry, Paul Rossi, Jean Huang Books

Outsmarting the SAT- An Expert Tutor Reveals Her Proven Techniques, Strategies, and Confidence-Building Exercises That Will Maximize Your Score

Zen in the Art of the SAT- How to Think, Focus, and Achieve Your Highest Score

Rock the Test- The New Sat Solutions Manual to the College Board's Official Study Guide

The Laugh Out Loud Guide- Ace the SAT Exam without Boring Yourself to Sleep!

The Ultimate SAT Tutorial- The Easiest and Most Effective Way to Raise Your Score