How can I do well in the SAT tests?
January 12th, 2010 | 
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Hi and welcome to my blog,
I opened this blog to help anyone who is preparing for his SAT.
I remember myself when I started - I was so lost and in such a panic.
Luckily I got this great SAT guide that helped me a lot . So study hard and good luck!
I will be taking both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests in Maths, Chem, and Biology this year. I want to do really well in them. However, I’ve heard that some books are really bad for SAT Prep and that the actual exam is harder. How can I still do well if this is the case? Additionally, could you recommend any good resources (books and websites) for doing well in all of these tests?
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The Princeton Books as well as the College Board books ae very good./
usually your school should offer some saturday schools to help you with the SAT’s. ask your counselor if these classes are available.
First, let’s talk about the SAT I’s:
The most important thing is to use a course / program / book that teaches good strategy. Many of the top programs will do this. Do NOT use the College Board products, as there is no way that they would want to tell you about the weaknesses of their test.
Second, you want to have a lot of practice. Most any course or program will have sufficient practice, but if you buy a book, check to make sure it has at least three practice tests.
As far as brands, both Kaplan and Priceton Review always put out quality products. I hesitate to buy Barron’s, since I had a book of theirs that had mistakes in it. (This may be a one time thing, that’s just my personal experience). Also, vocabulary is much less important than it used to be, and many test prep companies haven’t seem to have noticed this. Any SAT program will have good vocab coverage, so you don’t need to buy a separate program just for vocab.
As far as SAT II’s:
The most important thing is content. Look for a book that not only has plenty of practice tests, but that also summarizes the content in a way that you can understand it. Always take an SAT II test in a subject you are good at.
Hope this helps. In my experience, while there are some programs that are better than others, the number one factor is how much work the student puts into it (never believe any "instant" programs).
The prevailing wisdom is that you should primarily use College Board materials to study since you are working from actual SAT tests, not questions written by Kaplan or whomever. There are College Board materials for all of the subject tests as well as the general test. That being said, some people think that Princeton Review’s materials are good for math. For vocabulary, the absolutely best resource is http://www.word-nerd.com
Good luck.