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For quick reference, here are links to related books we have reviewed:
Our advice on SAT Subject Test study books is very similar to our advice on SAT
Reasoning Test books. We strongly advise all prospective college applicants to
purchase at least 2 books on the SAT Subject Tests.
First, we
recommend The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests from the College Board, the organization that writes the tests. There is a significant difference between the official questions
you will be asked on the exam and the practice questions contained in all other
books.
Secondly, we recommend
purchasing a subject-specific "unofficial" guide for the
test you are taking. There
is indeed a way to study for this test that will materially improve your score.
The better unofficial guides contain many time-proven test-taking strategies
that serve that purpose, as
well as excellent explanations of the logic behind the correct answers to the practice
problems. You will greatly increase your chances of receiving a higher
test score if you go to the test armed with SAT Subject Test-taking strategies and knowledge of actual
questions from previous exams.
The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests 2nd
Edition
from The College Board
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We advise all of our clients to prepare for the SAT Subject
Tests with this book.
There is no better preparation for the test than having an idea of the real test questions you will see when you
take one of the SAT Subject Tests. This book presents questions taken from
recent, actual tests in 20 subjects – including writing, literature,
American history, world history, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and foreign languages – in a way that evokes the look and feel of the actual exam.
Some test-taking strategies are covered as well, but we do not think these will
be as effective for you as the tips and strategies shared in the "unofficial"
guides listed below.
Barron's SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 by Richard Ku M.A. and Howard
P. Dodge
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We've yet to see a SAT Subject Test guide to the Mathematics
Level I exam that we like as much as this one. It presents three model exams with all
questions answered and explained. Subject review chapters cover arithmetic,
algebra, geometry (plane, solid, and coordinate), trigonometry, functions and
probability, and statistics. Test takers will also find hundreds of
multiple-choice questions.
Barron's SAT Subject Test in Biology E/M by
Deborah T. Goldberg
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We have two favorites for the biology exam. This Barron's guide is one of them. It contains an
overview of the two SAT Subject Tests in biology, along with a review of test-taking
strategies, a full-length diagnostic test, review chapters
covering 11 biology topics, five complete practice tests (each with an
answer key), a self-evaluation chart, and explanations of answers. Although this book is
very thorough, it unfortunately is not as easy to read as the Princeton Review
book described immediately below.
Cracking the SAT Biology E/M Subject Test, 2011-2012 by
Princeton Review
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We like this Princeton Review book largely because it is easier to read than the
Barron's guide. However, we have some
reservations about its subject content. We appreciate that the book is meant to
teach you to do well on the SAT Subject Test in Biology rather than to teach anyone
biology. That said, we suspect they may have cut some corners in selecting material to present for
review. Nonetheless, this book is relatively
easy to read and includes many good test-taking tips. If you feel comfortable
with what you learned in your AP biology class and do not think you need a subject
review or refresher, this book will likely prove to
be more helpful to you than the Barron's guide described above.
McGraw-Hill's SAT Subject Test: Chemistry, 2ed (Paperback)
by Thomas A. Evangelist
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Although this book has "SAT II" and not "SAT Subject Test" in
its title, it is far from outdated (the book was published in 2005) and remains
excellent preparation for the Subject Test. This is one of five books in McGraw-Hill's SAT II series, which covers tests taken by more than 475,000 students each year. Written by experts in their respective fields, these first-rate preparation guides arm students with everything they need to ace the tests, including:
diagnostic exams that pinpoint relative strengths and weaknesses, full-length sample tests,
hundreds of problems with complete solutions, step-by-step reviews of all topics covered in each exam,
and classroom-tested strategies to help students earn top scores.
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