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Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT (Paperback)

~ Larry Berger (Author), Michael Colton (Author), Manek Mistry (Author), Paul Rossi (Author), Janet Xu (Editor), Paul Rossi (Author) "This book really sucks," Paul yawned as he pulled the crust off his sandwich, scattering Miracle Whip all over page 12 of Barron's SAT guide..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Word List, Evil Testing Serpent, College Board (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tired of those stuffy test-prep books written by people "who were born before the invention of the number 2 pencil"? Wouldn't you like a bit of mirth with your math, some vigor in your vocabulary? Then try Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT. Of the six authors, three scored perfect 1600s on their SATs (the others earned respectable 1500+ scores) and two of them were still in high school when the book was written. As a result, the book is both humorous and helpful, and packed with strategies to outsmart the SAT. This guerrilla guide contains key rules to remember for the verbal and math sections (for example, know that questions always get harder in each subsection), a great word list with helpful mnemonic devices, hints on educated guessing (and a reminder that it can't hurt you to guess--at worst you'll probably break even on points), and even a section on writing better essays for the SAT II. Best of all is the "But Wait! You Also Get" chapter, which offers advice on improving your concentration, relaxation techniques, the moral quandary of cheating, the fastest way to fill in the answer ovals, and even the secret of food smuggling (and a recipe for sugar-packed "Sweet and Tasty 800 Bars"). Easily the most entertaining of the SAT guides, Up Your Score will certainly help you do just that. And remember what the authors say--"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you outsmart the ETS." --C.B. Delaney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Big changes are coming to the SAT. Much to the consternation of America's high school students, beginning in March 2005, the SAT will include a written exam with required essay; the math section will add questions covering Algebra II; and the verbal section will be reconfigured as a critical reading exam. But one thing won't change--the best way to ace the test is to outsmart it with strategy and attitude, which is why the Up Your Score franchise is growing every year. Janet Xu knows: Using the student-tested Up Your Score as her study guide, she scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT and is this edition's guest editor.

A special edition that straddles the new and the old, the 2005-2006 Up Your Score is revised and updated to address the specific changes in the upcoming SAT, yet still contains all the material relevant to students taking the current SAT in Fall 2004. It combines guerilla tactics with rock-solid strategies for acing the writing, math, and verbal sections, and wraps it all in humor that does the opposite of distract--in fact, as so many students know, attitude actually makes the material more memorable, the lessons more effective. Up Your Score covers the thirteen rules of the essay section; 600 key vocabulary words, and how to improve memory and concentration so you can actually remember them; insider math tricks; how to do the sections in the best order; techniques to hone speed and timing (just filling in the answer circles correctly can save six minutes); plus, why it's better to guess than to leave a question unanswered. With recipes for Sweet & Tasty 800 Bars (and how to smuggle them into the testing hall) and a revamped Web site, www.upyourscore.com.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 2005-2006 edition (January 7, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0761133259
  • ISBN-13: 978-0761133254
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #775,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
"This book really sucks," Paul yawned as he pulled the crust off his sandwich, scattering Miracle Whip all over page 12 of Barron's SAT guide. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Word List, Evil Testing Serpent, College Board, Gigantic Passage, Heinous Miscellaneous Math, New York, Early Decision, Martin Luther King, The Six Rules of Guessing, The Three Question Types, Author's Logic, In-to-Out Circle Method, Prime Minister, Social Security
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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This book cites 12 books:
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Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT
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Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT 4.2 out of 5 stars (63)
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Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2007-2008 Edition 4.7 out of 5 stars (21)
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Customer Reviews

63 Reviews
5 star:
 (43)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (63 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I used the older version back in 1997., May 31, 2005
By Me "Me" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
Please note that I have not used the updated 2005-6 version. My review is based on its predecessor, which I used in 1997.

******

Up Your Score ("UYS") raised my score roughly 200 points. I took a few practice tests, didn't like my score, so I borrowed the Princeton Review book ("PR") from the library. PR raised my score about 50-100 points total, but I still wasn't happy with the scores I was getting...in the low 1200's.

Then I read UYS. It taught me the way to think about the test, and how to approach it. It gave me confidence in my abilities and helped me comprehend thoroughly elimination strategies, vocabulary memorization tactics, and the general thought processes necessary to get inside the head of the ETS and select the answer they want. It enabled me to control the test, instead of letting it control me.

When answering a question, you read, understand, analyze, process, and respond. UYS helps you become more effective and efficient at each step in that process. (PR does this too, but not as well. I will say this for PR...it fills in the few gaps left by UYS.)

In addition, UYS is so enjoyable to read that everything you read will stick with you. If I could only recommend one book, it would be this one.

What it did not do: teach me math or English skills, or teach me vocabulary. It did not explain what the test is, but rather HOW the test is.

When all was said and done I got 690 verbal, 780 math.

My recommended study schedule:

1. Read the free booklet from the ETS.
2. Take one practice test to get your baseline score. (This is helpful later on to understand your intrinsic strengths/weaknesses and to see your progress, which will further motivate you.)
3. Read "Up Your Score"
4. Take 2-3 practice tests.
5. Read Princeton Review's SAT. Focus on the sections that are your weak points.
6. Take 2-3 practice tests.
7. Memorize the vocab in each of those two books (make flashcards).
8. Continue taking practice tests until 36 hours before the exam. Get a good night's sleep for the TWO nights prior. Do something relaxing and fun. Be confident. Don't talk to your friends because they will psych you out even if they mean well.

I would suggest spacing this schedule over 2 weeks/full weekends. Develop a ritual before you start every practice exam, such as aligning your pencils. Then, when you do the ritual the day of the test, it will clear and center your mind, and relax you so you will perform optimally.
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars For Motivation, November 9, 2004
If you are reading this review, you don't need this book. You already have what it offers-motivation. If you care enough about the SAT to read reviews of the best practice books, you will do well; trust me. This book is for students who need a push to prepare. While not a bad book for its purpose, it spends too much time motivating, and not enough time teaching. There are relatively few practice exercises, and the answers are too basic for motivated students. Instead, I recommend buying Cracking the New SAT 2005 from the Princeton Review. It has three complete tests, and the main text provides excellent strategies for attacking questions in math, verbal and writing. With time and practice, you will definitely do very well on the SAT.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not another dry, boring SAT book!, October 18, 2001
By Kristin (Wilmington, DE USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Up Your Score 2001-2002: The Underground Guide to the SAT (Paperback)
I teach an SAT Prep course, and I recently was thrilled when I found this book. It is totally in tune with a teenager's sense of humor. I was even laughing out loud in some instances! Even better, it is an excellent preparation tool that identifies tried and true techniques. They have updated this edition so that the jokes are new and fresh, and the writers are completely down-to-earth. They truly seem to recall what it is like to be an eleventh grader who is extremely anxious about taking this test. Additionally, it's not too long and cumbersome that it will scare away students who truly wish to up their scores; I read the book in one evening. (I wish I had read it when I was in high school!!!) It's a necessity for any college-bound high school student!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, imaginative learning strategies
Written by kids who had perfect SAT scores. Excellent, novel ways to process and remember information. Highly recommended.
Published 1 month ago by J. Armstrong

2.0 out of 5 stars It's OK, I Guess
I got this book for my son. He read it, and so on, but when he took
the SAT, he got fairly low grades (500s). Then we sent him to the
Princeton Review. Read more
Published on March 2, 2007 by D. Chapman

2.0 out of 5 stars The book is amusing but not so beneficial
reading the book is amusing and full of fun,but the beenfit is so little
Published on January 9, 2007 by Seyam Saeed Salem

2.0 out of 5 stars Clever Marketing but No Substantial Content
This book was written by clever marketers who want to appeal to younger readers. They are trying to be cute when they should focus on content. Read more
Published on July 17, 2006 by The LIterary Critic

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and helpful
I started the introduction one night at 11 pm. I couldn't stop reading it! They give you excellent tips but in a hilarious style. I absolutely love it! Read more
Published on July 8, 2006 by Monica

1.0 out of 5 stars Big Disappointment - Too many errors
I found three errors in the math section, then quit reading it. Errors are on pages 194 (when the fish takes his last break, he is already finished), 199 (what should be the... Read more
Published on June 22, 2006 by Fran

2.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE!!!!
This is a cute book, easy and fun to read and study with, however....BEWARE! Page 308 gives you information that is wrong! Read more
Published on January 31, 2006 by P. Dye

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for people who are good at standardized tests!
I used this book back in high school, and while I really loved it and it was by far my favorite SAT prep book, I do think that it is most helpful for students who already do well... Read more
Published on February 16, 2005 by feminaformosa

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
This SAT book is actually enjoyable to read. It's created for teens by (former) teens. The vocab section gives a really accurate list of those words appearing on the SAT's and the... Read more
Published on December 11, 2004 by Peter Mahoney

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good SAT book.
Up Your Score is for anyone taking the SAT. Instead of providing with many practice questions, it teaches you tips and tricks of how to tackle each type of them. Read more
Published on November 12, 2004 by J

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