Reddit mentions: The best teen & young adult study aids books

Unpaid internships are essentially slave labor, or at least indentured servitude. That's a terrible idea.

I'm not sure what you would describe as your dreams, so I'll give you a possible alternative track for a possible set of goals that may or may not coincide with yours.

Let's say your goal is to get a well paying job and have a reasonably deep understanding of physics. Perhaps you'd also like that job to be intellectually stimulating. Here's a rough outline of what you could do to accomplish that:

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Before college

You're in 7th grade. First step, use this collection of links on efficient study habits to destroy and master your school work (check out Anki, too). At minimum, treat school like a day job. (Hopefully you'll have great teachers that teach you a love of learning and a value for a well-rounded educational base that includes the sciences, arts, and humanities.) Do all the exercises from Khan Academy from the beginning to fill any gaps in your knowledge and use sites like PatrickJMT, Paul's Online Math Notes, BetterExplained, and MIT OCW Scholar to supplement school and KA. Also, read these two books.

Once you've got school under control and are getting the most of what's available to you through that avenue, use the Art of Problem Solving Books to get a vastly deeper understanding of precollege mathematics. I'd say it should be a higher priority than learning calculus early in terms of ROI, but you can learn it if you want to.

See if you can find a group near you to train for a Math Olympiad or similar competition (like the ones listed on AoPS). Aim for the gold, but realize that it's unlikely and the real prize is how the training will bring up your mathematical maturity so you can tackle evermore challenging problems, concepts, and subjects.

Also, use sites like Coursera, edx, and Udacity to teach yourself programming. Once you've got a reasonable handle on programming, check out a site like Topcoder and maybe try to compete in the Coding Olympiad. Also, mess around with a Raspberry Pi.

You could also check out any big research universities or even decent state schools in your area. They often have youth outreach like summer camps for kids who love math to come and learn things not usually taught in schools. You could also see if there are any researchers willing to take on a hard working and science-loving high school student for a research project (this is how most of the winners of Intel science competitions get their start).

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College (Undergrad)

If you've done the first paragraph of the previous section alone, you should be able to get into any top 20 program in the country without any trouble. Chances are you'll be competitive for most Ivies and top 10 programs. Do any of the stuff beyond the first paragraph, and you'll be a shoe-in with a huge advantage over the overwhelming majority of college applicants in the country. The link about scholarships in my earlier comment will guarantee that you get a free ride. Also, read this book.

So now you want job security and financial security. Any sort of engineering would do, but I think you'd be more interested in computer science so let's say you do that and double major in physics.

Every summer you do paid internships for CS at various software firms for work experience. This will be the best way to make sure you are extremely hireable after graduation for lucrative positions with interesting work as a software engineer. That's Plan B.

For physics, you find a lab that does interesting work and start doing undergraduate research. You might change labs a few times to find a better fit. You might stick with the first one until graduation. Doesn't really matter as long as you gain real research experience.

You also study your ass of for the Physics GRE from your first semester. A few hours per week you do problems from old tests from subjects as you learn them. As in, do mechanics problems your first semester, do mechanics and E&M problems your second semester, do mechanics and E&M and thermo and optics problems your third semester, etc. (This may be different depending on how your school organizes its physics curriculum.)

You talk to your advisors and grad students and fellow students and professors about applying to grants and graduate school. They'll be able to give you actual advice tailored to your situation.

Either in the spring of your junior year or the fall of your senior year, you take the GREs and apply to graduate programs in areas that interest you and apply to grants to fund you and wait for the offers to return. Assuming you've followed my advice, at least some of them will contain acceptance letters with details of stipends. More than likely all the acceptance letters will include stipends you can live off of.

If you just get rejected, you'll at least have a BS-worth of physics knowledge and have experienced real research and can go off and enjoy your well-paid life solving interesting problems as a software engineer.

Or you can try and get a job at a national lab somewhere putting your physics background and programming chops to work and just apply again another year while saving up more money.

And all of this was debt free because you had the forsight in high school to apply to hundreds of scholarships.

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Also, read this thread on what it takes to kick ass at MIT. The post and the ensuing discussion should drive home what you could train yourself to become. (I think the reply by the twin is particularly enlightening.)

You can either shoot for the stars and hit the moon, or you can read magazine articles about gravity on the moon.

Full text:

I’m a Harvard grad with honors and professional tutor/coach since 2002 (SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT). I have attained perfect scores on the SAT and ACT, with every question answered correctly, and 99% scores on the LSAT, GRE and GMAT (see my website for proof). I have been now teaching SAT for 20 full years, ever since I worked as an instructor for Harvard's "Get Ready" community service test-prep program in the fall of 1998. I am the founder of McElroy Tutoring, who has employed over 500 tutors since 2002, and the "r/SATACTprep" subreddit on Reddit, with nearly 1,000 subscribers and growing. I am also the former employer of another tutor with a highly-ranked review of this book that's very similar to mine. In short, I'm the one who wrote the recipe for the jam...but you know what they say about imitation.

The Official SAT Study Guide 2020 Edition (currently $19), despite not having changed much from the 2018 edition, is still the most essential SAT preparation book on the market. This is neither because the book contains useful SAT strategy advice, nor because the answer explanations are particularly helpful or easy to understand—the strategy advice is almost nonexistent, and the answer explanations are sometimes insightful but far too often convoluted, simplistic and/or incomplete. Instead, the book’s primary value lies in the fact that it includes 8 full practice SATs for only about $.02 per page.

How is this book different from the 2018 edition of the Official SAT Study Guide (https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2018/dp/1457309289), of which you can also read my detailed Amazon customer review (#1 on top) ? The first 294 pages of the book (the portion before the tests) are exactly the same. 6 of the 8 tests are the same—though the order has been reversed. And the two new tests—which show up as the first two tests in the book—are the October 2018 and October 2017 SATs, respectively, which are not yet available for download through College Board but can be found easily with a Google search. SAT practice tests #2 and #4 are gone, though you can still find them easily with a Google search. If we agree to call the October 2018 SAT test #10, and the October 2017 SAT test #9, then the tests are in the order 10,9,8,7,6,5,3,1.

Although 6 of the 8 the tests in this book are indeed free to download from the College Board / Khan Academy websites and print out at home (I expect the other 2 to be available as free PDF downloads soon), the cost of doing so would most likely exceed $19 unless you have a free/low-cost printing option. In addition, there is significant value in having all the tests literally bound together in one place—it makes it easy to stay organized, and since the SAT doesn’t provide scratch paper, you can practice by taking all of your notes right there in the book.

In fact, I would suggest that you buy 2 copies of this book: one for taking notes, and the other to keep blank, so that you can review questions later without bias. This is known as the “blind review” method and it works wonders.

You will notice that there is no Kindle version of this book, but again, you can download PDFs of the individual tests, scoring guides and answer explanations from the College Board / Khan Academy websites for free, which is far easier than the Kindle format anyway. That being said, it would be nice if the College Board would put a PDF of the entire book on its website as well--the first 300 pages of the book do include some useful advice on the essay, for example--though again, that advice could be vastly improved.

Of course, these 8 official SATs are just scratching the surface of what’s out there in terms of official SAT practice material: as of this writing I’ve counted 36 official SATs and PSATs in the new format that are publicly available online—and that doesn’t include other test forms that have been leaked.

Finally, in 2015, I also wrote an exhaustive Amazon review of the original (2016) edition of this book (https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2016/dp/1457304309), which I’m happy to say is also the #1 review of that book on Amazon. Please feel free to give that review a read as well, and to google “SAT Action Plan: How to Study and Prepare for the SAT College Entrance Exam” for a full list of my personal SAT prep recommendations.

Best of luck on your SAT and beyond,

-Brian

1. Khan Academy
   
   Nothing can substitute for pure experience. With the exception of reading, after a while you start to see patterns and trends and those help a large amount. Since you have all summer try that study planner gimmick that they have now (it wasn't available before I took the test) and connect your recent SAT with the Khan Academy webpage for personalized review. The best thing is that it is free.
   
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2016/dp/1457304309
   
   This was the first thing I used, and I found the practice tests very useful. The review sections can be useful if you've forgot how to do certain things (grammar rules and math formulas) but I mostly used it for the practice tests. The practice tests on here will be the best representation of the questions that you'll find on the actual test, and vastly outclasses those of other testing companies. However apparently the practice tests can now be found on the Khan academy website so I guess that makes this obsolete.
   
   
3. http://www.majortests.com/grammar-focus.php
   
   Like a lot of people I got absolutely massacred on the english section due to the obscure pedantic of the language. Now, I'm pretty sure no one else has recommended this (Erica Meltzer seems to be popular but I've never heard of her until now) but it's short, sweet, and to the point. It brought me from clueless to missing 0 on the last writing and english section. I would start with this book because it is very eye opening, then progress on by applying the knowledge during practice tests.
   
   
4. http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Premier-2015-2016-Practice-Tests/dp/1625231598
   
   A beast with 8 practice tests, enough to keep you busy for a while. The downside is that there is no "review section," or a section where they go over strategies and other things. Personally, I find that refreshing because those sections are generally useless and it's often better to developed your own strategies by repeatedly taking practice tests. The practice tests were generally well designed but there were some parts that were bad prep, but take this with a grain of salt since I had a very early version.
   
   
5. https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-NEW-28th-Book-Only-ebook/dp/B01DKY438C?ie=UTF8&me=&ref_=mt_kindle
   
   Ahh, the good ol' Barrons book. The only reason I bought this is because I ran out of practice tests. I bought the very first version actually, so personally I thought the practice tests weren't very well designed. Even more coincidentally, I used to attend an ACT class taught by one of the authors (which I felt was a waste of time, the class). Personally would only use it for the practice test but there's some other goodies in it if you have time.
   
    
   
   Overall, 1.3k with no prep is very good overall, placing you well above the national average. But that also means that you have a lot of room to grow, and grow you should. Honestly, for most people there's no substitution for hard work (aka repeatedly taking practice tests) and I really would not recommend to push studying back any further. So:
   
   Make a study schedule using Khan academy
   Force yourself to follow the Schedule
   
   Start with the short passages, like where they give you 10 to 15 minute sections of questions to do, to get yourself adjusted. Then, after you're getting a good feel, you can move on to the practice tests. I would:
   
   Start with an official practice test (from Collegeboard)
   Do some ones from other misc. test providers. (1 -3)
   Do another official practice test
   Do some misc tests.
   Repeat
   
   Before your test you should take one last official test. The reason for alternating these tests is because while the tests created by the other providers can be useful, they are generally not the most accurate representations.
   
    
   
   I guess one thing I have not addressed is how to utilize the feedback from practice tests effectively. If you already know then skip this part. It goes something like this.
   
   Take a whole test (or a section, but I generally take a whole test)
   
   Go back and grade it
   
   Check answers
   
   Go back and try to figure out how you got the answer wrong WITHOUT looking at the explanations given by the book (because those frankly mostly suck) and if you still can't figure out what's wrong then go and check.
   
   Make a mental note to never make a similar mistake
   
   Make a similar mistake
   
   All jokes aside though the most helpful thing is to try and figure out by yourself why someone may not have been right, rather than rely on the explanations of the book, for the book may not think the way that you think. However, there are some grammar rules which you just have to know.
   
   
   Another thing I use is a question mark system, where I put question marks on my answer sheet near problems which I'm not sure of. It goes like this
   
   ? = educated guess
   
   ?? = a lot less education in the guess
   
   ??? = wtf
   
   Generally I would get about ~70% of ?'s right and ~40% of ??'s right and about ~25% of ???'s right. More importantly, I always go back and look at them regardless of whether I got them right or wrong, either to reinforce my thinking (if it was correct) or try to change it (if it was wrong).
   
   With enough practice tests, you can actually start graphing your progress and see which areas you need to improve.
   
    
   
   If this task seems daunting, that's because it is, and the fact that 50% of the nation get's below an 1000 proves it. But, it's the fact that everyone else sucks that makes getting a good score so much more rewarding, imagine what a 1600 would be worth if everyone got one (I didn't, just to tell you right now). As long as you work hard and put your heart into it I think that you have a lot of potential to succeed :)
   
   Also, sorry for the awful formatting and the wall of text.
   
   
    
   
   tl;dr study hard

I think if you want it a lot you can do it (at least get your score to a 32+ range)

So first you want to get all your test scores to a solid 30. For English, this is gonna be pretty easy for you, but obviously a lot harder for science and reading. I think, since your scores are below that 30 range, i think you should focus on content THEN on time and understanding the test.

I'll advice you, if you are financially able to get the actual ACT book (the one ACT inc. sells) as well as this ACT black book. The ACT black book literally has everything you need for a good score, INCLUDING CONTENT and TIPS. And then you probably want the actual ACT book for practice tests and stuff. But PLEASE don't use other ACT books (and if you aren't able to get both, purchase the black book only because you can find practice tests online. If you aren't able to purchase either, I've included links to help with gaining that information)....

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For English, improvement is all dependent on knowing the rules (esp COMMA rules) and recognizing the pattern of ACT questions. To do this, you have to learn ALL OF THESE grammar rules, (and given that your score is at a 29, then you must know most of them). Then you must strive for consistency and perfection. Every time you miss a question on an English question, please think about why you got it wrong and WHAT THOUGHT PROCESS you needed to go through to get it write. I used to keep a notebook to do this because writing it down helped me remember. English is the easiest score to improve, and it is the quickest so getting your english score to a 35/36 would be really good. It all comes down to consistent practice and understanding your mistakes. Make sure to do a lot of practice questions (but only real ACT English questions, do not use Princeton, Barron, etc.), this builds up your intuition for knowing the correct answer and you begin to recognize patters this way.

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For Math, you obviously have content issues. Go to this link for strategies, tips, and TOPIC guides. The topic guides are good for reenforcing concepts you don't know. I'm also assuming that time is a problem for you. It was a problem for me too. First, do the math section with no time limit and try to do your best, and if you get to the 30+ range that way, you need to take a lot more sections under the time limit and train your brain to go faster, esp on the first 30 questions. I'm pretty sure that you can still get a 30 on math by missing 10 questions (fact check me on this I might be wrong).

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For Reading, you need to learn HOW to read and COMPREHEND a passage correctly. You need to understand that all the questions in this section only have one answer, and this answer ALWAYS has evidence in the passage. Even if an answer is partially right, IT IS WRONG. It must be 100% correct to be the correct answer. The black book really reenforces this concept. You also might have time problems. The correct way to do ACT reading is to give yourself 8.5 min per passage. If you're a slow reader, give yourself 5 min to read and process the passage, then head to the questions but know you are going to have to rush. Try to get through all the questions with accuracy and precision.

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For Science, you don't need to know any actual science. It is all reading graphs and analyzing them under the time limit. There might be like one or two questions that require ACTUAL science. NEVER read the blips of texts unless you absolutely need to, unless it is the Conflicting Viewpoints passage, then and only then READ EVERY SINGLE WORD. Know that you will only have a max of 5 to 6 minutes per passage. That's why you need to keep the reading to a minimum.

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I think if you really put all the work and heart into studying you can get your score up to maybe even a 34+. It is all about consistency, accuracy, and precision in your practice. You have a month and a half so you should get going as soon as possible. I'd suggest splitting out the sections into a full practice test for the first 2 weeks, and then taking a practice test each week until the test. AMA or PM me if you have any questions or need help, I'm more than happy to. Hope this helps, and that you get your score up!

You're starting early, which is best. I would recommend this book to you: How To Be A High School Superstar. It details what you should do to get into top colleges.

Overall, I'd say strive for straight A's, score well over 700 on each section of the SAT, and try to find ONE thing your son is passionate about and follow that to the highest level possible.

Don't be one of those boring "well rounded" students who has great grades, test scores, and is on a club. They're looking for people who make impact. As I was told from a former Duke admissions officer, "Every student body has to have a President, Every year book has to have an editor, but who are the movers and shakers? Who is making impact?"

Winning awards like Nextel Science competition is major, doing research in a field is impressive, etc.

Overall, make sure your son is "different." He's going to apply 4 years from now, and at the rate things are going, I would assume that there will be probably 45,000+ applicants by then. What is going to make him different from those other applications?

Make sure he loves learning for the sake of learning and is taking control of his own education. Make sure he follows his passions during the summer, because elite schools want to know what these kids are doing during the summers. Make sure he leaves an impact in his school and forms a strong bond with his teacher.

Make sure he's "high impact" in some type of field. The keyword being "impact."

Here's a link to a youtube video of a former Stanford admissions officer :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96XL8vBBB7o




http://www.amazon.com/How-High-School-Superstar-Revolutionary/dp/0767932587/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459262515&sr=8-1&keywords=high+school+superstar

hmm so you’re pretty evenly split there. 41 days may not seem like a lot, but it is plenty of time for a large improvement if you study well and consistently. i can’t truly predict any one number since i don’t know you or your work ethic/capabilities but i’ll try and give u some tips for each section to maximize ur time before the august test :)

math: if you haven’t already, purchase the college panda SAT math book ( The College Panda's SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook for the New SAT https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989496422/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Ze.kDb1QDZA61 ). it’s truly a godsend. work through this entire book over the course of around two weeks, highlighting, taking notes in the margins, and doing EVERY PRACTICE PROBLEM. you’ll see significant results right away. use khan academy to practice individual problem types if you still have trouble after using this book (i swear this book & uworld — which is sadly no longer free but if you can afford it it’s a great resource — got me -0M)

Writing: you really need to get a strong foundation in “standard” american english grammar. i put standard in quotes cuz college board keeps its own grammar rules and likes them a distinct way. all of the rules you need to know (as well as helpful tips for the other section) i learned from the SAT black book ( SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692916164/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.i.kDbWGRK8W2 ). again, highlight and take notes in the margins and read through a couple of the walkthroughs this book provides

Reading: this is the toughest to improve in, but not impossible. really work on math and writing before attempting to tackle this section. if you don’t know this already, the best advice any person on this sub can give you for this section is that THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS IN THE PASSAGE, AND IS 100% SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE AND CAN BE BACKED UP WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE PASSAGE. that being said, CB is a nasty bitch that excels at making tricky answers that readers with poor comprehension skills tend to choose. this is best remedied by reading a lot in your free time, specifically high level texts

theres the official act prep guide which is probably your best bet because it comes from the act people, it costs about $20 but im sure that your local library would have it because mine does, i know that uworld has act problems and people on this reddit get the free trials, and you can find free act practice tests and can print them out. heres some question sets on the official act website.

as for the science section, its actually very simple. in my experience you dont actually need any extensive background knowledge in science. its more on the logical side, as most of these tests are. if you can read and interpret graphs and charts and come to logical conclusions, practice a little bit to figure out the whole idea of how to find the answer, you should be fine. science is actually the section where i get the least wrong.

you can definitely study for free. theres quite alot of free test pdfs and if you can find the act prep guide at a library that would be even more help. the guy from uworld gives free access so thats free too. the problems on the act website are also free. i hope thats enough to help you study and good luck!!!

For Reading: https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Reader-3rd-Complete-Reading/dp/0997517875

For Writing: https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Writing-Advanced/dp/098949649X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+panda+sat+writing&qid=1563901164&s=gateway&sprefix=college+panda&sr=8-3 or https://www.amazon.com/4th-Ultimate-Guide-SAT-Grammar/dp/0997517867/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/133-6279214-8476330?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0997517867&pd_rd_r=b1b3ba1b-4d03-4aef-8534-fb724df88793&pd_rd_w=tVeGd&pd_rd_wg=AG0DL&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=S0E4J8G00TRD6F0ZY1ZK&psc=1&refRID=S0E4J8G00TRD6F0ZY1ZK

For Math: https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Math-Advanced/dp/0989496422/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/133-6279214-8476330?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0989496422&pd_rd_r=6bc275dd-8dee-497b-aa49-17576266463e&pd_rd_w=YjIig&pd_rd_wg=Pc71l&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=P3X7H8SAQZT59M5F6FNV&psc=1&refRID=P3X7H8SAQZT59M5F6FNV or https://www.amazon.com/PWN-SAT-Guide-Mike-McClenathan/dp/1523963573/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=pwn+sat+math&qid=1563901232&s=gateway&sprefix=pwn+sa&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For Essay (if you’re taking it): https://www.amazon.com/College-Pandas-SAT-Essay-Battle-tested/dp/0989496465/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+panda+essay&qid=1563901277&s=gateway&sr=8-3

For General Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=sat+black+book&qid=1563901330&s=gateway&sprefix=sat+bla&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

For Practice Tests: https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2020/dp/1457312190/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=college+board+sat+2020&qid=1563901505&s=gateway&sprefix=college+board+&sr=8-3 (NOTE: These practice tests are available online but I prefer having them on paper, which is why I bought this book.) and https://amp.reddit.com/r/Sat/comments/9544rw/all_qas_tests_and_scoring_in_pdf_form/

Good online resources include Khan Academy, UWorld, and 1600.io. Also, I recommend taking a timed practice test often to follow along with your progress and see what you need to work on. Make sure to do the practice test all at once (don’t break it up into section) and try to do it in the morning like you would in the real SAT. Then, go over your mistakes very carefully (this is VERY IMPORTANT) until you truly understand the mistake so that you won’t make it again in the future. This is the most important step. If you skip this, it’s unlikely that you see any meaningful score improvement. Also, It’s up to you which resources you buy/use based on what sections you need help with. Good luck!

Alright, since you're not going for any electronic resources, I'll list a couple of books. Your main problem seems to be English in general. While the books might help you, I recommend reading a lot. Try historical and scientific articles online or even in a book. Read a couple of classics by Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo.


1- Kaplan https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Plus-2018-Strategies/dp/1506221300
This book has exceptional EBRW practice and thorough explanation with multiple methods of approaches. The math section is alright, but I feel that it is a little easier than the actual test.


2- Dr. John Chung's SAT math book. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-John-Chungs-SAT-Math/dp/1481959794
A phenomenal book. It has challenging question in the math section that will over prepare you. If you can get a 700 on his tests, you're set up on getting an 800 for the math section.


3- Barron's New SAT 28th edition https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-NEW-SAT-28th-Sat/dp/1438006497
Great book for learning the entirety of standard English convention and reading strategies. The EBRW questions might be a little easier than the actual thing, but the information it provides is meritorious. The math section also has some challenging problems that will over prepare you.

The official SAT study guide (alias blue book.) https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2018/dp/1457309289
This is the best book to test all you've practiced for. After you complete all other books, take all 8 practice tests. This will prepare you well.


Now for some tips:
1- Focus on your writing section more at the begining. Getting 44/44 in this section while missing 10 on the reading puts your score at 740-760. It weighs more.

2-Write some essays and have someone check them. It'll help you spot mistakes easier.

3-Calm down, you can always take it again.


Good luck!

I would start by taking a practice test as a diagnostic to gauge where you stand. Generally speaking, Math and Writing are the easiest to improve, so don't be discouraged by an initial low score because you can make a lot of improvement just by learning the relevant math/grammar concepts.

As far as materials go:

For Writing, you've got either Erica Meltzer (if you prefer a very dense writing style) or College Panda (if you prefer something more to the point). Meltzer also has a separate workbook of 6 practice tests to use after you've learned the concepts. Note that Writing isn't ALL grammar-oriented ... there WILL be Reading comprehension questions that require you to add a relevant detail or move a sentence to a logical location or think about the appropriate word in context. For these, you'll need to rely on the passage and choose the answer that is supported by textual details.

For Math, you've got College Panda ... he also has a book of 10 practice tests.

Reading is a bit of a trickier animal. On its surface, it's quite simple because every correct answer is 100% supported by the passage ... you just have to find it. You have to work on not letting your school English way of approaching Reading seep into the SAT because interpretive answers that sound good in a literature class are wrong the SAT ... you want to think literally.

Erica Meltzer is thrown around on the sub as having good information for Reading, but I honestly think grinding through official sections and understanding your mistakes is the best approach. Don't work on just explaining the right answer but also explaining why all the others are wrong to refine your elimination technique.

If you need a general overview of the test, I see the SAT Prep Black book thrown around every now and then.

Take practice tests to periodically gauge your progress. If you're afraid of running out of these, you've also got a selection of PSATs for practice. Be sure to review your errors and relate them back to concepts. Feel free to also download the free official SAT Question of the Day App for daily questions from the test-maker.

For explanations of official tests, you have 1600.io (only the first four tests are free) and Dr. Roger's Math Neighborhood (100% free but math only).

If you're more of an online learner, then use Khan Academy (free) to learn concepts and Uworld (requires subscription) as a practice question bank.

Good luck!

I would check out most of Cal Newport's recent writings. He received his PhD in Computer Science from MIT, and is now teaching at Georgetown.

His main thesis is deliberate practice consists of lots of different facets, most of which aren't necessarily thought about. While his work focuses a lot on improving work in "knowledge fields" it is drawn mostly from creative pursuits. He argues that thinking about your habits for practicing and learning (meta-habits) are just as important as sitting down to practice or learn. For example, knowing how to build a clear path of improvement and success in learning the piano is as important as sitting down and working through the hard parts. Sometimes the hardest part is simply figuring out where it is wisest to invest your time.


His article "The Deliberate Creative" I found to be particularly enlightening, among others. He's also been published in the New York Times, The Economist, and has five bestselling books.

On a side note, I originally found him looking for ways to improve my study habits, which is what he originally wrote about as an undergraduate. Any current high school or college students would benefit GREATLY (IMO) from his blog and first three books. Seriously, the guy has some great stuff.

Your word comprehension and math scores are strugglin', my guy. If you plan to retake the test, here are some tips:

• Your local library has a series of books that allow you to learn SAT words in context by reading Young Adult novels with the vocabulary woven in. Here is a link to the Sparknotes website. One popular title is called Busted.
  
  
• For the math portion, it's very fortunate that all of the math covered in the ASVAB is taught in high school level Algebra 1. Most people take this in Freshman year, so you're probably rusty. Khan Academy has an awesome series of intuitive and easy to understand lectures for free!
  
  If you need any more help, feel free to comment or PM me. I've helped several friends practice for their ASVAB and develop study guides based the areas they need improvement. For reference, I got a 97 on my ASVAB.

I'd say focus almost exclusively on the MC for the writing section, since the essay isn't nearly as important as people think. I was actually thinking of starting an SAT essay subreddit to practice critiquing essays because that is something I could use practice with to get better at.

Reading is the hardest section to raise your score in, and you're already in the 92nd percentile. Therefore, the return on investment for any studying that you would do for the reading section is quite low. But if you're trying to get in a top 20 college, it might be worth a little studying with these:

• The Direct Hits series is quite good for vocab
  
• The author of the Ultimate Guide just released a book for the critical reading section literally today. It's probably excellent, but I can't wholeheartedly recommend it yet
  
  For math, it's a similar problem; you're in the 96th percentile, so you don't have much room to improve. That said here are some resources:
  
  
• I'm a huge fan of PWN the SAT, and here's his book
  
• Much of the information in the book is available for free on his website
  
• I've heard good things about this book, and the kindle version is on sale for $3 today
  
• Dr. Chung's book is great if you need to drill exercises
  
  75% of your studying time should be devoted to the writing section.

lol its ok u will improve. here are some of my resources:

​

if u haven't already, i suggest this book for practice tests: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-2018-19-Online-Content/dp/1119508061?ref=ast_p_ep

once i was done with that, i looked up tests online (there are plenty of them!)

if u struggle with science, i suggest this book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-ACT-Science-innovative-standardized/dp/0996832203/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537486319&sr=1-2&keywords=act+science

it's a bit pricey, so i suggest getting a used one

if u wanna learn some great tips on how to improve ur score in every section, this book has some amazing info: https://www.amazon.com/ACT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies-ebook/dp/B07BGDM282/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537486409&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=act+black+book&psc=1

​

i found these books to be sufficient, but also look for tutors in your area for help

​

good luck, i hope to see ur thicc 36 post soon! send me a message when it happens :D

Do not take the actual SAT just to see how you do. Many colleges request the full testing history and will see your first score.

Instead, do one of these official practice tests from the College Board:

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests

My recommendation is to print it out and do it on paper. However, the most cost-efficient option is to purchase the Official SAT Study Guide, which includes the 8 practice tests (it's $19 with ~1000 pages, and you save a lot on printing costs). It can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2018/dp/1457309289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524454802&sr=8-1&keywords=official+sat+study+guide+2018+edition

I highly suggest skipping the CollegeBoard's "study guide" (the first ~200 pages or so), as most of it is fluff that won't help you. Instead, take practice test 1 as a diagnostic.

Then, sign up for Khan Academy practice. Khan Academy will help you tremendously considering the position you're at now. They have skill levels from 1-4 for all math concepts. If you have the time and dedication, level up for the math as much as you can. However, KA math is best used as content review/practice and not as practice for the actual math questions. The questions tend to be phrased awkwardly and are not identical to those you will encounter on the SAT.

Instead, once you have a solid grasp and conceptual understanding of the Algebra II topics, sign up for UWorld (free code on the sidebar) and complete as many math problems as possible. Reading and writing are phenomenal on KA and much better than UWorld, though, so I recommend KA for that.

If you have the time and dedication, you can easily achieve your target score of 1450. You still have several months left, and you will be shocked on how quickly your score will go up. Don't waste your money on tutoring services; you'll be able to increase your score far more on your own.

Space out the official practice tests by about 2 weeks. They should be completed under real timed conditions and serve best as diagnostics for how your studying has been paying off. If you don't see an improvement on subsequent practice tests, then something is wrong with the way you're studying. Do not use the practice tests as merely practice questions, because there are a plethora of practice questions available to you on UWorld.

Once you feel confident with your score on the official practice tests, then take the real SAT.

Good luck!

For math, I'd recommend College Panda's 10 practice tests. They are pretty accurate and a great way to prepare for math.

For a last-ditch effort, I'd look into Princeton Review's 6 Practice Tests. It got good reviews, (#1 best seller, too) and it overall features accurate content.

Make sure you first go over College Board's 7 (found on Khan Academy) practice tests, then Ivy Global's, and then check out TPR and College Panda for math.

I empathize and understand! It's why I've tried to keep my resources free or highly affordable.

Even if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of gifting "Acing It'!" to other students once your gifted copy has helped you, you could buy the ebook for $6.99 on Amazon.

If you don't go with College Panda, you might check out the McGraw Hill 50 Math Skills book, which I like for the same reasons I like College Panda (organized by topic; clear presentation of the key formulas; practice problems for each topic). The problem with the McGraw Hill book is that there are a few notable errors. But it's still a good resource overall—just keep thinking critically when you use it so that you don't learn the wrong thing. You can also make your own study guide or formula sheet based on the problems you've answered incorrectly.

There's also going to Barnes and Noble (don't write in the books, obviously) or the library (If you can find a book that hasn't been marked up and, again, don't mark it up yourself) and using those resources with your own notebook— College Panda appears to be independently published, so I don't think you'll find it in either, but there are plenty of other study guides that can help you out.

Here's the McGraw Hill 50 Math Skills Book: https://www.amazon.com/McGraw-Hill-Education-Top-Skills-Score/dp/1259585670/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=McGraw+hill+50+math+skills&qid=1555419254&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Here's the eBook of Acing It! A Mindful Guide to Maximum Results on Your College Admissions Test: https://www.amazon.com/Acing-Mindful-Maximum-Results-Admissions-ebook/dp/B07FNVMGBZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=acing+it&qid=1555419585&s=gateway&sr=8-1

I'm glad you liked the blog!! Sign up for email updates if you want to be alerted about future ones I publish.

Read How to be a High School Superstar.

Other than managing your grades and standardized test scores, the majority of the book is about building achievement in your extracurricular activities. It's certainly not too late as a rising junior, but you do have limited time, so get started on this endeavor immediately.

This is all assuming your grades are good (3.8+). Take a practice ACT and new SAT this summer. Figure out which test you prefer, which should usually be the one you find easier and score higher on. Find suitable resources (college confidential, as hated as it is, has a lot of test prep advice) to raise your score as much as possible. Sign up for the October administration of your chosen test and make sure to take practice tests in the weeks leading up to it. If your score meets the threshold of the universities you wanna attend (assuming 34+ and 1500+ for top tier schools), you're done with testing. If not, keep studying and try to get that done by the end of the semester. Take your subject tests in June.

Wish me good luck as a rising senior!

Actually, the CollegeBoard websites are pretty helpful itself.

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org

https://www.collegeboard.org

Then, to prepare yourself, you can sign up for the free online test prep for SAT on KhanAcademy:

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat

There are a couple good books you could buy to familiarise and test yourself, just some of them are:

Princeton Review

http://www.princetonreview.com


CollegeBoard SAT Guide

https://store.collegeboard.org/sto/catalog.do?category=325&categoryName=SAT%AE

Kaplan SAT Prep Guide

http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Strategies-Practice-Review-Tests/dp/1625231547

Barron's SAT Prep Guide

http://barronstestprep.com/sat/


You could also take online SAT Preps. If you have anymore questions, feel free to PM me.

Do not get overly stressed about your first SAT. You can retake it as many times as you want, and you can always improve. You are not on any sort of time limit, for the test or for your future. The best way to prepare for your next attempt is by working through the official SAT study guide produced by ETS, who also produces the SAT test (shocker). You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2018/dp/1457309289. If you work through the exercises in the study guide, I am very confident you will improve your SAT score for next time.

The Sat is definitely doable without taking an SAT prep class. I took mine this October and I'm pretty sure I did fine (I hope). You should definitely grind khan prep class or not. If you're struggling in reading or writing I recommend purchasing the SAT Black Book. It really changes how you see the test and after reading this gem I started getting consistent high 1500's on my practice tests. Remember it's not just reading this book that gets you that dream score, you have to actually apply it and practice the techniques they give you. It ultimately comes down to how much effort you put in. No SAT prep class is gonna be a substitute for actual practice.

​

https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3UBDRMFO3VBQY&keywords=sat+black+book+2019&qid=1571189264&sprefix=sat+blac%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQTlVUEtEU0RENDM1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODkxMjAzMlMyQk80SVhRTVRKVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODI2Nzk3M082T1RQNkczN0FZNiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I took both and can tell you that they are two very different exams. The AP exam is more conceptual based--less factual regurgitation happening there. However, the SAT II is, in contrast, mostly factual based. You gotta get your memorization down.

There is a lot of plant stuff on there which, IIRC, isn't stressed in AP Bio, and is sometimes skipped altogether. Dont confuse what I said with photosynthesis, I'm talking about like parts of the plant (ex: apical meristem, plant classifications).

The SAT II is also easier to study for since you pretty much know what's going to be on the exam. The exam is all multiple choice (like all subject tests) and the questions are a bit different than the AP multiple choice. The beginning of the test will usually provide you with an image, which you then have to label with the choices they give you. That's just blunt memorization right there. The rest of the questions really don't stress concepts.

I remember one that gave me a picture of the heart and asked me to label the major sections (vena cava, right/left atrium, ventricles, etc.) Another question gave me a choices of 4 animals and asked me which one was a reptile. No joke. (That doesnt mean the test is easy though...)

This exam is the only real SAT II Bio released by CollegeBoard. Take a look at it and you will see what I mean--it is very different from the AP. Time yourself, practice with it, and see what you get. If you want the book where its from, here you go.

I recommend taking the Molecular Biology test, since that's essentially the core of what you did in AP. Ecological is easier, but looked as less favorably in admissions.

All the real CB exams you'll have a very hard time finding online but they are available in CB books.

US History:

There are 4 released exams here https://www.amazon.com/Official-Subject-History-Study-Guide/dp/1457309319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539652156&sr=8-1&keywords=9781457309311&dpID=51IAsh0C6OL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

French:

The most recently released exam is in here https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539652341&sr=8-2&keywords=the+official+study+guide+for+all+sat+subject+tests&dpID=516QUs3wKRL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

For simulation exams use Barron's. The PR book is way too easy.

Literature:

Same situation as French. For simulation exams I recommend Kaplan (8 practice tests) and Princeton Review (4 practice tests).

You are definitely not "fucked". You can easily turn things around. Even if you go to a "mediocre" college, you can still do incredible things.

I'd recommend getting this book: https://www.amazon.com/How-High-School-Superstar-Revolutionary/dp/0767932587/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JJZN9DVPA6KDVKY71SFS

Great guide about how to get into the college you want. In your situation, I'd recommend you get it ASAP. Follow it and results will happen.

I would assume you would have a solid shot at Cornell. Cornell is actually the most transfer-friendly of the Ivies. I just applied to Cornell as a transfer student with a 34 and am waiting on my decision. However, most of the other Ivy League schools take a more limited number of transfers. Not to say that it would be impossible to transfer somewhere like Yale, for example, but your shot would be significantly lower than that of a first year applicant's. I think you should check out Cal Newport's "How to Become a High School Superstar." The title may sound corny, but the author details the stories of many successful gap year students. Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/How-High-School-Superstar-Revolutionary/dp/0767932587. Also, as a prospective transfer student I've read a lot of material on the tips and tricks of transfer admission so feel free to PM me if you'd like to ask me anything! Hope this helps!!

Getting ready for college can often seem intimidating! Getting enough sleep, making schedules and sticking to them, and talking to your professors outside of class are all great strategies for success. Check out more great ideas in How to Survive Your Freshman Year (https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Your-Freshman-Year/dp/1933512997/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2I6TVBGVNVC8R&keywords=how+to+survive+your+freshman+year&qid=1562664553&s=gateway&sprefix=how+to+survive+your+%2Caps%2C271&sr=8-1)

We plan to use some of the strategies in this book to help our kids get into the colleges if their choice. It might be helpful to you. This book says it’s not so much about the GPA and test scores, but how you market yourself and the activities you do. Good luck! How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0767932587/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-OXwDbBD4B293

You’re in 11th Grade. You can most def improve. Here is what you should do. First, go to Khan Academy and review the math concepts you don’t understand. Actually, before that, go through the practice test. Look at all the questions and think to yourself “did I make a dumb mistake or did I not understand a concept” write down the concept. For example If it was about triangles write down, “triangles questions” then go to YouTube and type in “introduction to triangles” then when you understand that expand it to “special triangles” and then last “triangle questions on the SAT” once you understand those videos practice on Khan Academy. That’s how you improve in Math.

For the reading, buy Black Book this book will help your in reading and math. This book helps in math a lot. What you should do is buy this book and go to the chapter which talks about all the math concepts that’s tested on it. Go through it. Read the concept and in your head think “do I understand this concept” if yes move on. If no, write it down and do the YouTube thing I said above like for example “introduction to (topic)” and then more specific video on that topic and last “(topic) questions on the sat” then practice that topic on Khan Academy. For reading, read the chapter on reading in the black book. Once you do that and understand what he’s saying, practice it on a practice test you already took. Don’t take a practice test after reading the black book. Only do it after you’ve practiced a lot on practice test you’ve already took and understand the mistakes you’ve been making. Please message me if you have any more questions.

It's always best to go with the official study books. Here's the SAT and the ACT

Princeton Review is known for test-prep, but I've never used them, so I can't attest for quality... I just know that the official guides from the people who make the test are always your best bet for prep.

All of this, PLUS: Before you take the ACT again, check this book out. It has some of the most important simple things that will raise your score by several points. I say this because your goal shouldn't be half tuition, it should be no tuition. The ACT is an exam about how well you can take the ACT. Figure out the easiest months to take it (used to be December and June; November was the most difficult), figure out some schools you wouldn't mind going to who offer ACT-based scholarships, and try to get them to pay your way.


>It isn't very difficult to get into college. It isn't hard to do well in college. You do have to put in hard work.

This is so true. Don't get caught up in the circlejerk over how hard things are and "it's okay if I have a low GPA because my employer shouldn't care, I have ~work experience~." If you do your best, no excuses, you'll be fine.

Go and buy the book of 20 on Amazon and take several (only an hour apiece) to determine your best 2. Then take those official tests. You can sit for the December 1 test date. The big ones are the Stem tests, particularly Math 2 and the sciences- physics, bio, chem. You could also do US History, Literature if that is your strength.

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754/

Not the SAT 1600. I mean the "New SAT" book by Barron's. Looks like this : https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-NEW-28th-Book-Only/dp/1438006497. I'd suggest just going to a bookstore and just taking pictures of the charts for the essay section. Those charts are really all you need. I've never used IvyGlobal or Kallils, so IDK how those are. Sorry. For me, Khan Academy was my only source from which I studied, and I studied a bit from Barron's new SAT (link above). Good luck on your tests!!!

SAT Prep Black Book: “The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published” Second Edition by Mike Barrett & Patrick Barrett. I’ve read a few chapters from the book and it has completely changed the way I look at the SAT. It’s especially great for the reading section because it basically debunks the mysteries and vagueness surrounding it.

SAT Prep Black Book

Purchase and read through this book, thoroughly. Then do the practice tests in it:
https://www.amazon.com/Official-ACT-Prep-Guide-2016/dp/1119225418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475214343&sr=8-1&keywords=red+book+act


Approach questions with confidence after you read the book.

E: Learn the English grammar rules: http://blog.prepscholar.com/act-grammar-rules

M: Brush up on math with Khan Academy SAT Math Practice.

R: Practice tests!

S: Practice tests!

• When taking practice tests, always take them in a realistic environment (preferably in the AM).
  
  
• USE A TIMER. Practice setting the timer 5 minutes early. This will help you get used to 5-minute warnings. Try to finish AT the 5-minute warning so you have time to go back and check.
  
  You'll do great!
  

Better you learn in it in your last year of high school than your first year of college. I highly recommend reading these books b4 stepping foot in college:

Book 1
Book 2

I think there's a high school version which might help you out with grade 12.

I bought this Panda math book, read all of it, and worked 75% of it.

For the English, I just did a little online Khan Academy practice because my English score was already pretty high. I definitely concentrated a lot more on math.

I also used the normal SAT book, which is pretty helpful too.

If your practice or PSAT scores are really low (like below 1200), I'd suggest you get tutoring instead.

But I don't think the SAT is very difficult. It's very repetitive, so the more practice tests you take and questions you study, the more you'll be prepared for the actual test because it's just regurgitating concepts.

I actually didn't start seeing results till like late February (Post- 1 month) because I switched up how I study. I focuses more on why I chose the answers to those certain questions this way I developed more of a thinking process.

Books I used:

• Princeton Review: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Tests-2017-College-Preparation/dp/1101919795 Not the best, its just what I had at the time, focus more on khan academy
  
  
• Ivy Global: https://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Globals-SAT-Practice-Tests/dp/194232104X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496962552&sr=1-1&keywords=ivy+global+6+practice+test Ivy global actually did a giveaway on this sub and I was one of the first to complete the form so I got it for free.

Get a book. If you have never taken one, I would recommend the official ACT Test Book (or it's named something like that). Take a practice test without looking at anything just to get an idea of what your score looks like.

Official ACT Book: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-2018-19-Online-Content/dp/1119508061/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549992754&sr=8-3&keywords=official+act+prep+guide+2018-2019

If the benchmarks you mentioned are the ones that ACT has, then they are:
Math: 22
Science: 23
English: 18
Reading: 22

After that, break down the most troubling sections into smaller chunks and work on those. Some examples for me were the last 20 math questions (usually the hardest of the entire math test), Prose Fiction reading passages, multiple science sections, etc.

Take another practice test, rinse and repeat.

If you feel this isn't helping, I understand completely. This is what I did, and it helped me. Find another method, or get a tutor, which is what I did. Hope this helps!

Also, if out of sources, order the the new red book.

This will have 3 additional recently administered exams. So make the best use of them!

I'd recommend this book

It's short and has easy to understand tips for getting a higher score.

Here are some tips:

1. Take the passage literally. If it were up to interpretation, the College Board would have problems. It's not like school where if you can prove the answer correct through interpretation, the correct answer MUST be present in the text.
   
2. Many problems with reading that I faced were with focusing and deep reading. Make sure you are focused on the passage.
   
3. When you are finished with a practice test, ALWAYS review it. This will help you learn and understand what you are doing wrong.
   
4. If you can check out books from your local library. I totally recommend the SAT black book. https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_XpBRCCARIsAItJiuR6HFj0ZpwCcXN14aIPlKCOD3OGAEN_5oro5AvCUWHEOZ_LbP5bYb0aAnCDEALw_wcB&hvadid=241648829517&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9012138&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17497859065999215882&hvtargid=kwd-61311316065&hydadcr=8453_10382305&keywords=sat+black+book&qid=1564323775&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
   
5. Don't rush. Many mistakes are silly mistakes that are made from testers looking at the time and worrying about not finishing.
   
6. If you rule out an answer, make sure you rule it out for the right reasons.
   
7. The most important thing is that the answer, again, is ALWAYS in the passage. If you look close enough, you will ALWAYS find it.
   
   I hope this helps. I'm pretty okay at reading but absolute trash at math.

Sorry for the sort of late reply. I'd take it one more time -- something that I think really helped me improve my score was taking official SAT practice tests. You can purchase a booklet of these online (and maybe even find them for free on the College Board website?)

Of course, first go over the concepts that you need to review and make sure you thoroughly understand them (for math especially). Are you struggling more with the math or reading/writing sections?

Then, take practice tests -- the more the better -- under "test-taking" conditions (i.e. timing yourself, no extra resources, no breaks or distractions, etc.). After you take each test, review your answers and try to work through and understand why you got each wrong answer wrong.

Good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=black+book+sat&qid=1558270107&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell-spons&psc=1 I used this book and I got 3 wrong on a practice test I took 3 weeks before the May test and then I got 3 wrong on the actual May test. Before I used the book I got 6-9 wrong on all my practice tests/SATs that I've taken through November to March. The author breaks down every question in the first 4 official CB practice tests (for all sections but I find reading to be the most helpful). I highly recommend getting it if you're set on improving your reading score. What I did when using it was reread the passage, reanswer the question and then read his explanations. After doing that I answered all the level 4 questions on khan academy and used the strategies he explains in the book and found one that works for me.

Definitely worth picking up the official study guide. Has one copy of each test in it, and it's only $10. The math 2 book also has two more tests in it (one may be a repeat from main study guide iirc).

1. Hey! Absolutely always go with the books that are created by the writers of the test. For the SAT that would be this: https://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2018/dp/1457309289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510794005&sr=8-1&keywords=college+board+sat+2018
   
   For the ACT that would be this: https://www.amazon.com/Official-ACT-Prep-Guide-2018/dp/1119386896/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510794029&sr=1-1&keywords=real+act+prep+book+2018
   
   2)You can find all of the concepts tested on the respective web sites for the tests. ACT.org and collegeboard.com
   
   3)That is a way more complex question. First and foremost, I would tell you to not rely on tricks. Tricks are what sell test prep companies, not improve scores.
   

Yeah it was very hard for me, I only took one which was in the official SAT Subject Test guidebook, https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754

I could probably dig for more by asking r/Sat if anyone has any google drives of either Latin tests. Another possibility is simply buying older versions of the Subject Test guidebook in the hopes of a different Latin practice test offered.

first i used khan academy (got 8 tests from there)

next, i used two different barron's books (https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-NEW-SAT-28th-Sat/dp/1438006497 and https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-SAT-Practice-Tests-3rd/dp/1438009968/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VM8TX5EF1ECWW29M9PTA i think) for 11 tests across both books

and finally, my school's guidance dept has an SAT practice test thing (kind of like the one we all got for the PSAT when we registered)

Agreed. By the way, the new ACT book comes out at the end of the month. It can be pre-ordered here.

Also check out the ACT Black Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692078398/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_S412AbEYZ69KP It really helped me with strategy and to break down the test. I studied for a week from it (along with the official 3rd edition ACT prep book) and raised my score from 31 to 35.

https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164

There is one inside the big blue book released by Collegeboard of 20 subject tests, one for each subject.
collegeboard subject test book!

I need any of these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1523381531/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0874479754&pd_rd_r=TV55SY40GF9T9KGMMKKP&pd_rd_w=eHmSr&pd_rd_wg=GQ78g&psc=1&refRID=TV55SY40GF9T9KGMMKKP

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Subject-Chemistry-Study-College/dp/145730919X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523927942&sr=1-4&keywords=sat+chemistry+subject+test+2018

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Subject-Mathematics-Level-Study/dp/1457309327/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1457309327&pd_rd_r=Y2NY1QZJK7RGSWQYHDSS&pd_rd_w=zut0F&pd_rd_wg=xvkKB&psc=1&refRID=Y2NY1QZJK7RGSWQYHDSS&dpID=51BcC6Y2-XL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail

It's this book.


https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Tests-2017-College-Preparation/dp/1101919795

The Official ACT Prep Guide 2018-2019

https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506670925&sr=8-1&keywords=sat+black+book+2018

new edition of official guide -
https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Bonus-Online-Content/dp/1119386896

Yall should read the black book!

https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164

Collegeboard sells the Subject Test Study Guide , that supposedly contain real exams.

The subject tests are never released and so there are no past papers to be had. The College Board has 1 large book that contains 1 example of each type of SAT subject test.

SAT Subject Tests Book

Last year the College Board started publishing individual guides. The guides have 2-4 practice tests. There is not a guide for every type of test, but these are the most common ones.

SAT Chemistry

SAT Biology

SAT Math II

SAT Physics

SAT US History

SAT World History

Practice won't help you at this point, you're not scoring well due to a lack of understanding rather than a lack of knowledge. I suggest reading the first ~80 pages of the black book (https://www.amazon.com/SAT-Prep-Black-Book-Strategies/dp/0692916164/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=black+book&qid=1572112910&sr=8-1) (or try finding a PDF online).