Customer Reviews

Cracking the SAT Biology E/M Subject Test, 2005-2006 Edition (College Test Prep)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Overall, although I admit there is no perfect SAT II: E/M book (nor will there ever be), I would have to say that the Princeton Review staff does the best job of any other SAT II: Biology E/M study guide. This book is a masterpiece of moderation; it lacks the humiliatingly low (for readers, that is) language--and title--of the "SAT II Biology for Dummies, yet also does not add university-level or AP biology in the way that Barron's and Kaplan sometimes do. The author herself also has a remarkable way of interacting with the reader, understanding that most readers will only absorb information if they are frequently quizzed and treated with some humor. Another strong point I noticed in the book involved the way the author was able to simplify esoteric concepts by use of comparisons to other things that the average teenager can relate to. The large, detailed diagrams certainly did not hurt either, and I found it helpful to read the authors' step-by-step summary of body systems like the nervous and circulatory ones. I discovered that on test day, it usually did me better to fully understand the big picture in much the same way that it was outlined in the book; for someone in a tenth-grade honors (not AP) biology class like me, there was a balance of informative and explanatory information throughout the book. Unfortunately, by the time I completed the exam this past June, I found that much of the author's hard work had gone to waste because difficult concepts such as cellular respiration barely appeared on the test. Simply put, the test has changed to one where doesn't really help to know more than basic concepts; the one or two super-detailed questions on each SAT II Biology will likely be so specific that they will only be covered in the textbook, anyway...
For those who praise Kaplan/Barron's for the extraneous detail they include to bring short-lived confidence to readers, making them think they know more than everyone else, all I can say is that the SAT in Biology has become so much more of a reasoning or "thinking" test (with the infamous lab questions) that books can only go so far; it is so much more the student than the book that determines the score -- it pays to read a review book that actually explains the material accurately and lucidly but might compromise on detail a little. As a final note, while nobody in my class who used a detailed, "thorough" review book received a score over the low-600's, my friend and I, who used Princeton Review and our own intellect exculsively on the test, received a 770 and 750, respectively. In my opinion, it is best to begin with Princeton Review and then progress to the other books only if there is extra studying time and have mastered that which is covered in Princeton's. Good Luck!

I'm taking the SAT II in about two weeks. I've completed the book, and after completing it, I honestly did not feel ready. Later, I sought out other resources such as Spark Notes and real-life practice tests my science teacher gave me. I also looked at the Kaplan's book, which some of my classmates were using. Out of all of these resources, though, Princeton Review was definately the easiest to understand, most efficient and probably most effective. There were concepts covered in the other resources that weren't even touched upon in this book, but overall this book covered pretty much everything. I definately think this is the one book to buy: It has short quizzes after each short section and then two practice tests at the end.

Two things to improve in the next edition: MORE practice tests (at least four or five, but as many as they can fit into the book would be helpful), easier chapter/section division with shorter chapters, and a little more subject review (not much, but maybe 20-30 more pages of material would guarantee success on the test).

Ironically, out of all the practice tests I took, the ones in this book were the hardest. I scored a 610 then a 620 on the practice tests in this book, then a 620 followed by a 680 on the SparkNotes.com tests, and then a 720 on the a real College Board practice test. Granted, I did take the Princeton Review Practice Tests first.

I borrowed this book from my local library 2 weeks before the test (last June) and didn't finish it, having not studied some of the human systems, and I was really nervous. Not only was it my first year of Biology, my teacher didn't teach us anything and I totally relied on the textbook if I wanted to learn something. Having read the textbook the whole year + going over the Princeton review book, I got a 700. I'm sure I'll get a better score if I finished the book and finished the test (I didn't get to the last five questions due to poor time management). The best part of the book is that it's interesting and doesn't bore you out. Unlike the Barrons, PR is concise and easy to understand. However, if you're determined to get an 800 then by all mean stick to the Barrons - more is always better than less.

Princeton Review's SAT Biology was the only book I used to prepare for the exam (in addition to my high school biology book) and the score I got is 780. First of all, as all Princeton Review prep books, this one is written badly with frequent typos and other errors. Princeton Review claims that they are using the style that is easy to comprehend for an average student (hence, instead of saying that "acetylcoline is a major neurotransmitter responsible for motion", they would write "acetylcoline is like a tennis ball, you know, it's kind of like when you are playing tennis; that stuff also causes our muscles to move"), but in reality this language is truly confusing - I even had trouble drawing a parallel between what I've learned at school and what they were trying to say. Therefore, their review explanations are basically useless - use you bio book from school instead to review (just look up the bold words from the review sections and make sure you know them - look up those you don't know in your textbook, don't bother reading Princeton's definitions)
However, Princeton Review's practice tests are just fabulous. Those tests are exactly the same thing you'll see on the real one - in all senses, in their format, style, wording, and difficulty. Some of the questions that were on my real test were exactly the same with the Princeton Review's practice test!!! I was shocked when on the test day I saw three exact questions I did only three days ago. It's even amazing that this kind of test prep. material is available (I could not find anything as accurate for the SAT II Math 2C).
In all, the value of the Princeton Review SAT Biology is the same as that of the Official SAT Study Guide from collegeboard. Even though the review sections are not very helpful, the practice tests are exactly the same thing you'll see on the real exam. And, as I've mentioned earlier, if you feel unprepared, you can always look at the key words in the Princeton review sections and look up those that you don't know in you biology textbook.

I used Princeton to study for SAT II Biology this past summer, going through it bit by bit over the course of the school year. As other reviewers have mentioned, the details are excellent and the book is easy to read. However, I made a mistake: I took the practice tests the day before I took the SAT IIs. I realized that Princeton's focus is on the smaller details, rather than the overall concepts and general information that the practice tests revealed the SATs were concerned with. I did well on the exam, but found myself racking my brain for details from my Biology class. There are a few specific areas, such as hormones, which the book helped with, but overall, I feel that I should have used at least on other prep book.
If for nothing else, I recommend the book for its practice tests. I think they're authentic - keeping in mind that the SAT people use some of the same questions from year to year.

This book is a must have when preparing for the Bilogy SAT II. However, it is not the only book you should have. This book is very helpful if you need to either learn, brush up, or re-learn the material. It breaks down the topics simply and covers every topic that you are tested on in the actual test. However, for simplicity's sake, this book did not include all that you need to know. The book leaves out details which are helpful to know when it comes to eliminating your answer choices on the test. I would pair this book up with the Barron's SAT II Bilogy book and The Spark Notes Bilogy SAT II book. I would also buy other SAT II Biology prep books not for the material but for the practice tests, which will also help you learn helpful details.

I started studying only three days before the test but managed to get through the entire book with about 3 hours a night. I thought it might have not covered enough information, but after taking the test I realized this was not the case.

The practice tests are great and many of the EXACT questions in the PR practice test were on the real test. I highly recommend this book!

As indicated, the book is good but not GREAT. Practice tests are OK. The book is good for cramming but it is better to be used with another books as the book misses the details. For basics and cramming , PR is way to go. To study over a long time and get all info, get Kaplan too(PRs classification chapter is good though).

I bought this book about two weeks before the test, although I was able to get the Sparknotes book(that was helpful too) a few months before my test. This book filled in a lot of gaps and added new information. Also, you do not need to know much of the information on here, it really is extra stuff. When I took the practice test in this book, I got 650-700, but I got an 800 on the real Biology-E. Buy this book and the Sparknotes book a month before, study a little, and you should be able to get a high score.

Princeton did a good job making sure everything makes sense in this book, especially if you have taken biology classes, it's easy to follow and organized very similar to a biology textbook. I am still not sure if it's the best book to ace the sat, but from my observations, I am sure it could help you on biology tests and finals.