How to Prepare for the SAT II Math Level II C [Paperback]

Howard Dodge (Author), Richard Ku (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764120190 | ISBN-13: 978-0764120190 | Publication Date: April 2003 | Edition: 7th

Eight full-length model tests and one diagnostic test include calculator-active questions, and reflect the most recent SAT II tests in Math Level II C in length, question types, and degree of difficulty. All questions are answered and explained. A subject review covers polynomial and trigonometric functions, permutations and combinations, probability, sequences, logic, and all other topics tested on the SAT II. All new material on the graphing calculator has been included in this new edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

BARRON?S
STUDENTS?
#1
CHOICE

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE
SAT* II
MATH LEVEL IIC
7TH EDITION

In-Depth Preparation Includes:
A full-length diagnostic test
Eight additional practice tests
All test questions answered and explained
In-depth review sections cover all Math Level IIC topics
All-new instruction on use of the graphing calculator

Plus an Overview of the Test
With helpful test-taking tips

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 7th edition (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764120190
• ISBN-13: 978-0764120190
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 800!, July 18, 2005

By 

Hye Nyoun Eum Kim - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Prepare for the SAT II Math Level II C (Paperback)

The moment I finished the test, I knew I had 800. After having done Barron's (I studied most of the lessons although I already knew them,and I took only 4 practice tests), I was able to solve every single problem there was on satII math IIc on june.

Before studying with Barron's I tried princeton review's, but princeton review's was not helping me at all.

The two problems I had in the beginning was that I was making too many mistakes and I couldn't solve one or two really hard ones at the end.

I learned how to not make mistakes by taking those practice tests. I have to admit Barron's practice tests are way harder than College Board's. I was able to solve only 43 problems(average) on each of those four practice tests. I did not know I was making progress when I was studying the book but the day before the real test, I took out the real satII subject tests written by College Board and got 800. (Real SAT subject tests has only one IIc test but it's worth buying because it has all the other subject tests as well)

People say Barron's is harder than the real test, not realistic, and has typoes. I totally agree. However, studying with Barron's will get you thinking which means that you will be able to handle different kinds of problems, not just the ones you studied. (This is why Barron's works) I think the reason why I was able to solve every single problem on the real test on June 4th was because I had done Barron's much harder problems. The real test couldn't have been harder than Barron's. On June 4th, I could tell which ones were tricky problems easily. They just couldn't trick me. And about the typos, it didn't bother me at all, as long as you have some mathematical background, it seriously doesn't matter.

I suggest you go over the lessons in this book whether you already know them or not.(At least that's how I got my result)
I made my own plan and covered 2~3 lessons a day, but sometimes, few lessons on chapter 3 and chapters at the end are abstruse and unnecessarily in depth so you might need to skip couple of them. You should still try to cover most of them because they will get you think.
And DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED after taking the diagnostic test. I was so frustrated after getting 670 or something on it and I put the book away for two weeks.
Make sure you study the ones you missed. If you don't finish one practice test in one hour, finish it with some extra time without time limit. Those are the ones that will get you think.
I doubt how many people will finish the entire book after reading this because you will get frustrated no matter what.

I'm now studying for new sat and I missed only one on the Official SAT study guide by College Board. I believe Barron's has helped me do this.

You might also want to try the following:
1. 10 Realistic SAT II Math IIC Test Booklets
2. SAT II Math with TI
3. Complete Prep for the SAT Math Subject Tests Level 1 and Level 2 (with 10 Fully Solved Sample Tests)
4. 15 Realistic Tests for the SAT* Math Level 2 Subject Test: With Solutions (formerly known as SAT Math Level IIC)

I never tried any of them but read reviews and find what's right for you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 16, 2006

By 

J. Zhuang "azn creation" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Prepare for the SAT II Math Level II C (Paperback)

I was looking for a review book that would be harder than the real SAT II's and I found the perfect book. This book provides so many hard questions that it forces you to be able to think on your feet. It keeps you from making stupid mistakes or stalling, forcing you to answer every easy question correctly. I would recommend this book to anyone, who isn't afraid to be a little disappointed in order to work harder and do better on the actual test.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too much for a simple one hour test., December 26, 2005

By 

Renegade (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Prepare for the SAT II Math Level II C (Paperback)

I believe a test preparation book should contain the most essential information (enough to score an 800 in this case) for stutdents to study in shortest possible amount of time without wasting any on unnecessary information. I'm sure this book does have all those informations but it has much more than that. Displaying every single mathmatical information up to Precalculus and putting the hardest possible types of questions that are way harder than those of the actual test the students are preparing for isn't a good way to write a prep book which is what the author of this book has done.

I barely did anything on this book because the questions on this book were too complicated and I refused to believe that the collegeboard would actually test that much skills that I haven't even seen in my precalculus class which I aced.

The book is full of unnecessary information. The questions are like the hardest possible types that you can think of within Precalculus. They are unnecessary and unrealistic. Same goes for all 8 practice tests on the back of this book.

Overpreparation is necessary in tests like SAT reasoning(math part) and for SAT math level 1 that you basically have to get every single question right in order to score an 800. However, SAT mathmatics level 2 is not one of those tests. Usually you can omit up to 7 questions and still get an 800. I ommited 5 and got an 800 without studying this book. And the reason I ommited them wasn't that they were too hard but that they were on the topics that I have not covered such as Standard deviation. I'm pretty fast in solving math problems so I had about 6 minutes left after solving all the problems I knew and marking the answer sheet. But after looking back again on those questions that I haven't solved, I just ommited them because I just didn't know them not because they were time consuming or too hard to solve.

My point is that the collegeboard doesn't give you questions like those on this book that are really hard and time consuming to solve or else they wouldn't expect you to do all the problems in 60 minutes.
This book gives way too much information hard problems for a simple test and is just unnecessary. But if you want to get everysingle problem right on the test, then maybe you should consider this one.
For others, I strongly recommend Kaplan's which I think is the single most useful book for this test. It has all the essentials you need and the book is very well organized. All the formulas are in the end of each chapter for you to see easily and the chapter tests are closer in difficulty to that of the actual test than any other books out there. For more information about several different prep books, see my review for Kaplan SAT subject test mathmatics level 2. By the way I got 800 on my first try using Kaplan's.

Whichever book you use is your choice. I just hope that my review helps you make a better choice and hope you all do well on the test.