Barron's SAT (Book only)

Hey Amazon readers, hope this helps :)
I'm within the top 6% of my class of 750 students, 3.8 GPA on 4.0 scale, and I walked into my first SAT testing in December of 2003 expecting to walk out with a 1300 WITHOUT studying. When the test was over, I thought I had killed the test. I looked up my test scores 2 weeks later to find out I scored a measely 1080 - Math: 520, Verbal: 560. From January to the end of 2nd semester of my Junior year, I took an SAT Prep course offered by my school (first time that it was offered) as an elective, but because it was a new course, it was split into 9 weeks for each section - math and verbal - and our teachers had to rush and try to teach us from this book - and of course, we never finished it.

During 2nd semester, after reviewing a little bit of the math and verbal parts (my math teacher was awesome BTW), I took my 2nd SAT test in May and scored a 1250 - it went up 170 points! My math score shot up because I actually started to look over the Barron's SAT book before the test, Math: 660, Verbal: 590.

However, I still wasn't satisfied with this score. After school let out near the end of May, I began to study for my 3rd and final SAT I test scheduled for June 5. That left me with roughly 1 and a half weeks to prepare for the test. I read the ENTIRE book from start to finish and I received my scores yesterday, I made a 1340! Math: 680, Verbal: 660 (I was a little disappointed at first, my desired score was a 1360). My SAT I score went up from the 1st time (1080) to the 3rd time (1340) which is an increase of 260 points. I'm glad that I took the time to study hard, but I KNOW that I could have done much better had I began studying earlier (I didn't take any of the practice tests in the back due to lack of time, and I only got 3 hours of sleep the night/morning before I took the test because my sleep pattern was changed due to it being summer :P )

I'm thankful that I received a decent score and I hope that you guys will use this guide to help you as well. Good Luck!

CLASS OF '05!!!!

GREAT BOOK!!!!! It raised my SAT 1 score by 120 points in 3 monthes. I first scored 600 math 480 verbal but after the book I scored 680 math 520 verbal. If you work thouroughly through the book your score will definatly rise. They have helpful flashcards in the back for vocabulary and lots of tactics to help you through the SAT

This book is great---if you want information. There are a lot of strategies they give you on math (most of them that you already know, but still helpful). The vocabulary list is fairly long and you won't remember some words unless you have a great memory.

The bad part about this is the tests. The math part is hard...which is good, but if you have no experience in taking the SAT or doing any real practice you'll feel intimidated. I used this book and did some of the math, doing worse than usual. Yet on the real SAT, I did much better.

Anyway, buy it, it'll raise your score...but it's not the best of the best. I recommend 10 Real SATs over it, but give the book a try.

I read the strategies for the verbal section and the basic tactics the day before taking my 2nd SATs and improved 60 points, without even reviewing for 2 hours, I plan on using this book more indepth in the future because if it raised my 60 points in 2 hours who knows what two months can do.

I got 800 on verbal and 790 on the math, and was nominated for the The United States Presidential Scholars Program (http://www.presidentialscholars.org/) and for the Washington State Promise scholarship on the basis of this score.

There is only 1 book I will credit for my success -- Barrons! It provides awesome explanations for each type of question, a LOT of practice questions and tests. The tests are far more difficult than the actual SAT, but enough practice on the Barrons' tests will make the actual SAT seem EASY!!

5/5.