How to Prepare for the Sat I (Barron's Sat (Book Only)) (Paperback)

by Sharon Weiner Green (Author), Ira K., Ph.D. Wolf (Author) "Many colleges and universities require their applicants to take a three-hour standardized examination called the SAT I..." (more)
Key Phrases: variables represent real numbers, calculator whenever, questions that follow each passage, Mathematical Reasoning, Sir Thomas, College Board (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Students preparing to take the SAT I exams that are being given in November and December 2004, as well as in January 2005, will find in-depth preparation in this, Barron’s 21st Edition of the SAT I manual. Students who plan to wait and take the all-new SAT in March 2005 or later should order Barron’s How to Prepare for the NEW SAT (22nd Edition), which will become available on this web site in November 04. Reflecting the SAT I exams, as they’re being given now through January 05, this current 21st Edition presents a diagnostic test and seven full-length SAT I tests, all with answer keys, explanations, and solutions. Descriptions of the test’s various question types will help students understand and master all SAT I special question formats, including the Student-Produced Response (Grid-in) questions in math. Seventeen math review sections cover all math topics that appear on the test, each section followed by SAT-type questions. Verbal skills review material includes vocabulary-building exercises, reading comprehension exercises, and vocabulary flashcards on perforated card stock, which can be removed from the book.

From the Inside Flap
(back cover)

A detailed overview of the SAT

Study advice and test-taking tips

A diagnostic test and five full-length practice tests that reflect the latest SATs in length, question types, and degree of difficulty

Comprehensive reviews of all test topics

A 3500-word vocabulary list for extra practice --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 824 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 21st edition (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764113909
• ISBN-13: 978-0764113901
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #594,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOST PRACTICE FOR THE BUCK, August 15, 1999

By	Princess "sharkdiver" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barron's Sat I How to Prepare for the Sat I (Barron's How to Prepare for the Sat I (Book Only)) (Paperback)

As an SAT Verbal tutor for over 20 years, my book of choice is Barrons for several reasons. #1- More practice tests than any other book #2- harder than the real test, at least in verbal #3- excellent vocab cards in the back which also serve as a great core vocab for college #4- avoids the weird questions found in ARCO #5- maybe not as much explaining as Princeton or Kaplan, but TRIPLE the practice -- If you need the explanations, get a combo of the books #6- Follow this book up with the 10 REAL SAT'S and you will see that they are now a piece of cake!! #7- when the students that I coach use this book, they are assured of a verbal point gain anywhere from 100 to 210 points, depending on how much they put into it. There are other reasons for this book to be a master tutor's book of choice, but in the interest of not being too verbose, let me just say "TRY IT!!"

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the SAT-prep book crop, June 6, 2001

By	Hans Friedrich (Greenwood, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I looked at the Princeton Review and Kaplan books, but ended up using this one instead. It doesn't appear any larger on the outside, in terms of book size and paper weight, but there's about three times as much material here as in the Kaplan book. With more practice tests, more extensive discussion and review of math concepts and more vocabulary words and flashcards, this book gives you far and away the most value for your money. After taking the practice tests in this book, and in 10 Real SATs, I got a 1520 on the actual test (V: 800, M: 720). I'm taking the test again this fall, and I'm going to try for that 800 on the math section. This book will certainly be the cornerstone of my continued studies for the test.

The only circumstance under which I would recommend primarily using the Kaplan book instead is if you are scoring below 1100 on your initial practice tests... In this case, the Kaplan book will probably help you more, as it covers some general strategies that will help you get your score up into the 1300 range, strategies which this book neglects in favor of more sophisticated material.

As always, you'll only get as much out of it as you put in: so use the book regularly, supplement it with outside reading if you have trouble with the verbal section and with extensive problem solving if you have trouble with the math section. But that said, this book provides an excellent foundation for your studies and I highly recommend it.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful but has a few weaknesses, January 26, 2002

By	Christopher Culver - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Barron's HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE SAT I is a fairly decent all-in-one guide for tackling the USA's standard college-entrance examination. It discusses what the SAT I is and how best to study for it, gives test-taking strategies to exploit the test's grading system, and spends several hundred pages giving the student the verbal and mathematical skills necessary to face the test. At the end are seven full-length model exams. I used this guide to take the SAT I and scored 600 on the math section and 780 on the verbal, for a combined score of 1380.

I've always been pretty good at verbal concepts so I didn't make use of that section of the book, but as math has always been difficult for me, I spend several weeks on the mathematics section. The Barron's guide breaks down the SAT I's math expectations into 12 units, each concentrating on a different mathematical concept. Each section of each unit is followed by a short test involving the concept. I am happy this guide gave me the refresher on mathematics necessary to succeed in the test, but I do have my complaints. One is that the mini-tests at the end of the section are too short and don't give adequate practice. Another complaint is that for a person like myself who had been out of high school for a couple of years when he took the SAT I and had already forgotten most of high school math, the Barron's guide makes assumptions on what you already know, as I suppose most purchaser of this guide are in high school. I would have been much happier if the guide had truly started from the basics in the math section.

I was dissatisfied with the model exams. Although they are very close to the actual test, Barron's uses a different grading system, meaning that with a score for the model exams there's still no ballpark figure for how one will do on the SAT I. I would like to see the next edition of this guide use the same grading system as the actual test. If a student is shooting for, let's say, 1250, he should know how close he is to his goal.

In spite of its flaws, this is still one of the best SAT I preparation guides out there. It certainly saved this adult student who had forgotten quite a bit, and I believe that it can be trusted to raise one's score, as long as one puts in the necessary time and effort into using the guide.