Cracking the SAT, 2010 Edition (College Test Preparation)

Comment: Usi is exactly right about the Princeton Review for the SAT. It's terrible. The exercises are not carefully developed or vetted, as they are in the College Board's Study Guide. The multiple choice exercises contain many errors and ambiguities and would never qualify for inclusion on the actual SAT. This is a book put out by business entrepreneurs, not by skilled teachers or academics. Anyone with an advanced degree in English will recognize that the Princeton Review is a scandalously poor SAT study guide. I sometimes wonder how Random House would have allowed this to be published.

Comment: I've been a private tutor preparing students for the SAT since 2003. While the best approach is to use several sources, and take authentic SAT tests that are released by ETS, if you're only going to buy one book this is the one to buy. The strategies in this book are the best I've seen.

If you already have a good test taking strategy and are just looking for something supplement, the College Board website has what you need to know for the math section, and the most painless way to build vocabulary is through SAT vocabulary books or online at the Logophile's Library.

Comment: My daughter just got her SAT results; she made a 2390 out of 2400, and this was the book she used to prepare. She aced the ACT the same way (34 out of 36) using Princeton's ACT review book. We definitely recommend their test prep products.

Comment: "Cracking the SAT, 2010 Edition (College Test Preparation)" is a great tutoring tool. As I help students prepare to take the SAT, I find this book has the right contents to provide important instruction and practice for all phases of the latest SAT test. One of the great learning tools is the explanation after each drill question and every practice test question. This material is not adjacent to each question, but it is easy to find. Amazon.com provides excellent service at bargain prices.

Comment: Almost all the information a student needs to get a much higher SAT score is in this book. The included practice tests are very faithful to the actual SATs and are tremendously helpful. Remember: the actual test is FOUR HOURS LONG. Sitting through at least a couple of practice tests (accurately timed) will prepare you for this mental endurance test.

This book is excellent for an above average to very good student. Lower scoring students may find the book intimidating without an instructor or coach to help them get through it. Many students benefit from repetition, which is a bit lacking, as text has expanded at the expense of practice problems and exercises. There is a lot of material to cover and it's mostly well covered, but the emphasis seems to be a shotgun approach to covering the whole gamut of the test and techniques. Sometimes the details that enable a student to more easily grasp the concepts are glossed over or omitted.

Don't buy this a week before the test. For best results, buy it 8 to 10 weeks (or at least 6 weeks) before the test and spend at least 2 to 4 hours a week studying. Make sure to take at least two of the practice tests (remember to time them or even better, get someone to do it for you) and use the sections in the other test as drills. If you're short on time, the easiest way to get a lot of score improvement is to concentrate on the grammar and vocabulary. Memorizing the dozen grammar rules that are tested most and learning how to recognize them in test problems will maximize your grammar score. Break up the vocabulary into manageable chunks and get familiar with as many of the words as possible; it will help your reading score a lot.

Of the available choices, this remains the best general guide to the SAT. The annual updates keep the material fresh and relevant. The vocabulary section is a great resource, and the techniques presented throughout the book are effective.