The Official SAT Study Guide

My son used this book to prepare for his SAT test after he took it once in January of his junior year with virtually no prep, and very mediocre scores. The book has 10 full length tests. The college board recommends taking the tests under timed conditions to simulate the real test, but my son honestly did not do this. As you probably know, each test is divided into 10 sections - math, writing and reading. Since he had scored relatively poorly on the writing section, he did pretty much all the writing sections in the entire book. He only did one of the practice essay questions, and that was a mistake - he would have benefitted from more practice. Anyway, he pretty much picked and chose various sections throughout the book depending on how much time he had, and after 4 months or so, he had worked his way through most of the book. His writing score improved dramatically - from a 560 to a 730 - he only scored a 7 (out of 12) on the essay, so I think he got virtually all the fill-in- bubble grammar and usage questions correct. It really, really helps to do these practice tests - after doing several of them, you come to realize that they test the same material over and over, very consistently. He told me that when he first took the test, he even had trouble completing the sections on time. The second time around, he was so familiar with the questions types that he finished with time to spare. Same with the reading section - he improved from 640 to 730.I also signed up for the free SAT Question of the Day on the College Board web site, and we did those questions daily for 5 months. In addition, I signed up for the online SAT course with the College Board. My son just used it for additional tests to practice with, again mostly the writing sections. It had 10 additional full length tests and is available via the College Board website.In conclusion, I highly recommend this book. Some students may need additional resources, or possibly a tutor, if they really don't understand the questions - there are no explanations in this book. There are many books out there. I bought the Kaplan SAT review book and we found it useful for the grammar sections of the test and also for the math. It's probably not sophisticated enough for a student gunning for 800's, but if you are trying for 600-700 level scores, it was perfect.

It's been a few years since I wrote my original review for the earlier edition of this book. Back then, I was a student taking the exam in order to get into college. However as a tutor I have taken the exam multiple times since I applied to college, gotten a few more 2300+ scores, and now pass on my knowledge to the next generation of students vying for competitive college admissions. The first thing I tell my students to do is to buy the Official SAT Study guide. It's simply the best. Why?Well, first off, let me start with the changes to this new edition. It now has 10 practice tests, three of which are recycled from the new administration (now that they've given enough tests to disclose them) and seven from the original book. So I'll say now that it may not be a good idea to buy this if you have the older edition, but this newer edition is much more useful since there are three *real* exams. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as the old book.The review sections are divided into three categories: critical reading, math, and writing. The reading section isn't all that helpful. A few obvious test taking tips and some practice passages with explained answers. Good for a warmup, but not much else. The math section, the most substantial in the book, is pretty useful. It contains most of the facts from middle schoool/early high school math that you've likely forgotten by the time you're a junior or a senior. It also has some sample problems to show you the kind of "out of the box" thinking you'll have to do: SAT math isn't a factual recall or "plug 'n chug" exam, but the section does give you the facts you need to survive. And finally the writing section. The review section has a lot of information, including good writing habits as well as a set of grammar rules.The review sections, as I've mentioned, have good sets of review problems (that do NOT overlap with th practice tests) that will get you used to the *type* of questions, but it is the practice tests that will take you from small sprints to the longer marathon. Each practice test is comprised of real questions or questions of real-standard (mostly recycled from 10 Real SATs -- the predecessor to the first blue book). I usually suggest to my students to do two or three exams untimed but continuously, two exams in pieces (do individual sections timed), and the rest under real, pressured conditions (in a library or other quiet place preferably). Not only does this get the student used to the format, but it will get the student to try to devise ways to make his or her thinking more efficient and suitable for the exam.The College Board, when it says the SAT can't be prepped for, is telling a half-truth. No, you can't prepare for it by cramming lots of facts, but you can prepare through practice, and in that practice your SAT skills don't just go up, but your ability to handle academic situations. Your thinking becomes clearer.So I wholeheartedly reccomend this second edition of the Official SAT Study Guide. It's more useful than its predecessor because it has more tests and more accurate tests, and if used effectively can be the single best tool to prepare for the SAT.Good luck and best of luck with college admissions. Don't see the SAT as an obstacle; see it as an opportunity to show what you can do.

If you or your student want to practice for the SAT you have to have this book. I've been successfully tutoring SAT prep for over 10 years and insist that each student of mine buy this book. This is the only up-to-date book with real SATs. It replaces the College Board's older book, 10 Real SATs which is now out of date (the SAT has changed since that book was released).PROS:1) It has real SAT tests that were issued to students in recent years.2) It has the answers and a grading sheet so you can figure out what your score would have been.3) It has more than enough tests for a student who is studying the typical 1-2 months. I have yet to have a student who used the entire book.CONS:1) I call this a practice book rather than a study guide because the 360+ pages at the beginning are long, boring and not of enough use to justify the paper and ink, IMHO. Students will get much more help and in an enjoyable way from UP YOUR SCORE, THE UNDERGROUND GUIDE TO THE SAT Up Your Score 2013 2014 Underground I recommend that my students read Up Your Score as well. At least those who are preparing for the SAT more than 1 week ahead of time.2) It is heavy! I know that sounds silly but it is a big book to lug around to practice sessions.SUMMARYDon't waste your money on other "study guides" that claim to have tests that emulate the SAT. The others do not. This is the only one with real tests and it has more than enough of them to prepare for the SAT. If you are preparing more than a week or two ahead of time (which you should), buy the most recent version Up Your Score as well. It is a fun, funny and easy read.