이것저것 자료 찾다가 우연히 읽은 리뷰에요. SAT 책과 관련 자료에 관한 리뷰인데,
이 글처럼 정말 SAT를 즐기며 공부하고 점수도 잘 받고 싶네요 ㅋ
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When I took my first practice test, I score a 1730.
Then I took SAT in October 2008 and I scored a 2200+.
Then I took SAT in December 2009 and scored a 2300+.
What did I do?
How did raise my SAT score by almost 600 points?
1) I bought a copy of CollegeBoard's Official SAT Study Guide.
It's a must for any student planning to take the SAT. After all, it's prepared by the testmaker itself.
It provides the most accurate and reliable information regarding test format, types of questions, and it has 8-10 FULL LENGTH PRACTICE TESTS, with questions already featured in past SATs.
It gives a student, extensive practice for all the question-types.
This is THE BIBLE FOR SAT.
This book is THE BEST for Writing section. Of course, it's excellent for all the other sections, too.
It also enlists various strategies and tips for the test, which are given by other books as well.
And TRUST ME, the strategies mentioned in all the books are more or less the same.
THIS BOOK WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY SPENT ON IT.
MY SCORE: 9.9/10.
2) I bought a copy of Barron's How to prepare for the SAT
This book contains a 3500-words' vocabulary list with high frequency words and words likely to come in the test. This is an amazing wordlist, and if you know these 3500 words, you are 99% likely to get an 800 on Critical reading.
It does not mean that you can't get an 800 if you don't master this list.
I was too lazy to learn even 1000 words....but I did get a 780 on Critical Reading...and that's not bad at all.
Besides this wordlist, this offers extensive practice in maths and writing section as well.
The essay writing section is not that good, though....but again, it's just my opinion.
The passages in Critical reading section are plenty, but Barrons is notorious for publishing contents slightly higher in difficulty level than the actual tests.
Maths section is divided into 18 topics, and again, many questions are given for each topic.
THIS BOOK IS GOOD FOR VOCABULARY, MATHS PRACTICE AND EXTRA PRACTICE FOR ALL QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S NOT FLAWLESS. A LOT OF SUPERFLUOUS MATERIAL. i RECOMMEND TO COMBINE COLLEGEBOARD'S OFFICIAL SAT STUDY GUIDE WITH BARRON'S WORDLIST.
MY SCORE: 8/10.
3) Princeton Review's "11 PRACTICE TESTS FOR THE SAT AND PSAT"
It is a good book with detailed description of all the sections. It has 10 full length tests with solutions for SAT and 1 for PSAT.
The solutions are flawed. So, if you need to practice, you may use this book but don't rely on the solutions given behind. If you have a tutor or someone who can provide you with the correct answer key, go for it.
MY SCORE: 7/10.
4) I used VerbaLearn
It's FREE.
When you create a studylist, VerbaLearn automatically builds a list of words you don't know. If you need to leave a session early, don't worry about saving a studylist because VerbaLearn does it for you automatically! Download your studylist in MP3 format, create an individualized crossword puzzle, or use any of VerbaLearn's other review tools listed below to learn some of the words in your studylist. After learning some of your words on your studylist with one of our review methods, log back into VerbaLearn.com to build another studylist and learn more words. Repeat.
MY SCORE: 8.5/10
5) I used the free stuff on BRIGHTSTORM
It provides a lot of free resources, and paid ones, too.
And sometimes, they provide free week-long trials.
So, I took one of their trials, and finished the entire system in a couple of days.
It contains video lectures by a Harvard grad, Eva Holtz....and the videos are fun.
She's amazing.
They have notes, flashcards and loads of free stuff.
IT'S JUST AMAZING. I HAVE NO WORDS FOR IT.
MY SCORE: 10.5/10
6) I used SPARKNOTES
Though, I didn't use it much.
But it doesn't mean it's not good.
It's FREE and it's good. It has flashcards, too.
MY SCORE: 8.5/10
7) I haven't used LearnHUB
but it seems VERY GOOD. It has video lectures, 77 practice tests, thousands of practice questions and thousands of followers.
I can't give MY SCORE because I haven't used it.
8) I used Major Tests
It is good, but I didn't really use it much. I must have visited it 4-5 times.
It has an 8 week prep plan. It has a very good 1000 words' vocabulary list.
It has very good sample essays for the writing section.
The questions in all the sections are very accurate.
This website is prepared by Helen Mathur, a very famous tutor.
I am not sure if I should SCORE it, because I haven't used it much.
...but still,
MY SCORE: 8.5/10
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If you study Collegeboard's Official SAT Study guide, brightstorm and do the words from Barrons, or even another vocabulary lists, for that matter, it is not very difficult to get a perfect score.
After all, kids do get 800's on all the 3 sections...they aren't robots. They're normal people, just like us.
And, please don't study vigorously either.
My point is:
Have Fun!
Enjoy studying for SAT......you'll end up scoring much higher. And that's a promise.