Customer Reviews

How to Prepare for the New York City SSHSAT: Specialized Science High Schools Admissions Test (Barron's How to Prepare for the New York City Sshsat)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Barrons' SSHSAT was a big help in helping me get into Brooklyn Tech. At first I aimed for Stuyvesant, but I was only a few points away, ending up in Brooklyn Tech. The book helped me a lot in getting in. I was really bad at the verbal part of the exam, but the book help me shapen up before the test. I also suggest you to get the Kaplan's SCI-HI book to succeed. With the examples and practices from both books, you will definitely get in. Good luck to the people who would be taking the test.

I bought this book and the Kaplan Sci_Hi review book as well. I am a parent and have been going through the books with my daughter. The Zimmerman book offers helpful test strategies and study exercises. However, the practice tests have some mistakes and some of the questions are poorly written. The practice tests are not actual items from previous tests, but are constructed to be similar in difficulty. However, the practice test questions in this book were more difficult than the tests in the Kaplan book, and in the student handbook put out by the NYC Board of Education. The Kaplan book and Bd. of Ed. practice tests are actual items from previously used tests, and are therefore a better gauge of the test's level of difficulty. They are also free of errors. I recommend buying the Zimmerman book for the study tactics and study exercises. However, the Kaplan book provides better practice tests, as well as good study information. If you can only get one, get Kaplan. Also, the Bd. of Ed. puts out a free student handbook to the specialized high schools with 2 practice exams ihcluded.

I am applying to Stuyvesant and going to take the test soon (in less than a month). I have not prepared for the test before, and so I was totally freaking out when I learned the test date. However, my dad got me this book, as well as the Kaplan SCI-HI one, and I feel a lot better about my chances. This Barron's book has a lot more practice tests than the Kaplan, it explains its answers more fully, and has better ways to build your skills for each part of the test. It also gives you progress reports so you can see how your score is changing. I would recommend the Kaplan as well, but only if you have more than a month to study. If you have less than a month, then the Kaplan is much too dense, and doesn't give you enough pracitce. At the back of the Kaplan, however, there is a very useful "Math in a Nutshell" section, which gives you a lot of rules and terms to learn. This has definitely helped me as well. I would recommend both books, as they both contain important information, but if you can only get one, get the Barron's.

This book along with other books, like ARCO, PRINCETON REVIEW, AND KAPLAN are great if you want to get into the Specialized High Schools.This book contains challenging problems that are alot harder than the other books. At first when I bought the book I had no clue how to do any of the problems but now i understand everything. The explanations are very well put. Hope I get into Stuyvesant!!!

I was one of the lucky students who had Mr. Zimmerman as a teacher in BTHS (one of the specialized high schools in NYC.) And believe me, he is hands down the best mathematics teacher there ever was. He will show you the "standard" way to solve a problem, the "tricky" way to solve a problem, the "ingenious" way to solve a problem, and the "wrong" way to solve a problem. And if you ask him nicely, he'll give you a myriad other solutions. He knows the ins and outs of standardized tests and how to approach them. He is both eloquent and breviloquent. He will explain the problem, solution, and the logic behind it in a simple, concise, and easy to understand way. Every time he'll solve a problem with you, he'll actually "solve the problem with you." Not just give you a solution, but actually guide your reasoning from beginning to end. He'll be more than willing to try the wrong way, just to show you that it's the wrong way to approach the problem and why it's the wrong way. I could go on and on.. the author is a wonder and so is the book.

My daughter and her two friends wanted to study and take the test for Bronx High School of Science. I researched the books on amazon.com and chose this one. They only had five weeks to study and they were very ambitious and got together four times a week until the test. When they finished the book, they had a few days before the test and then went through a little of the Kaplan book (the full-purple cover)and took the two tests in the Kaplan book.

I'm excited to say that they got their test scores back and all three of them got into Bronx Science.

Also, I should note that they all put Bronx Science as their 1st choice on the application--this gives you an advantage because the specialized schools go through the top scores of the students who put their school as number 1, and then if there are any slots left, they go to the students with top scores who put that school as their #2 choice.

Good luck to you!

This book contains questions that are harder than many of the other SHSAT books. I am a private tutor and I have helped many students with all the available SHSAT books out there. If a person completes and understands most of the problems from this book, that person will surely do well on the exam. This book contains many sample exams with explanations for every single problem. (...)

This book really helped me to prepare for the high school entrance test. Problems in the book were harder that in the actual test and the test itself was like a joke after sample tests in the book.So I highly recommend this book.

P.S. Wish me luck to get into the good high school

When my parents bought this book for me,I thoght that it wouldnt work because it was published so long ago. I WAS WRONG!! I used this book in combination of an ARCO book and took the test. I recently got my results and I got into Brooklyn Tech. I recommend this book to anyone that really wants to pass the exam.

This book was helpful. Its best 2 months before the test because there is alot to learn. I took the test last weekend. The barrons book gives most stategies that are going to be on the test. DON"T write on the test in the book. This was one of my mistakes. Make copies so that you go back and do the test over again. But the barrons book isnt the only book i also suggest you get the kaplan book. OMG this book helped me the most. But the best was from my teacher. It does not matter how smart you are GO to your teacher and ask for help even if you don't need it. They can give youlittle worksheets to take home for practice. I learned this a little bit. I hope you don't make the same mistake. :)