If SAT prep books seem dry and boring, or if you're totally intimidated by the SAT, Cracking the SAT may be the book for you. It's written in a funny conversational style so that you'll stay interested in the lessons, and it's easy on the eyes - you won't be squinting through pages of fine print.
Even though it's fun to read, it does the job and fulfills most of my high expectations for study guides. Its greatest asset is the light, sometimes funny tone of the writing, which makes it easy to study with. The main downfall is that its math review is a little skimpy and doesn't include enough practice problems.
First, you'll learn about the SAT.
The Princeton Review was basically created to break apart the SAT and teach students how to out-strategize it. So Cracking the SAT will tell you how the SAT works, what it evaluates, and how strategizing can help you score high on each section and question type. If you fear the SAT and tend to freeze on standardized tests, this book will give you a boost of confidence by teaching you how to tackle questions and use your time wisely.Then, you'll review and practice.
Strategizing isn't enough to score well on the SAT, so Cracking the SAT includes lessons for all 3 sections of the SAT: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. Practice problems follow each lesson to test your understanding. The vocab review really stands out by listing the most common SAT words and arranging them in word groups of similar meaning to boost your memory. The math review may be thorough enough for some students, but if you need to seriously re-learn concepts to boost your math scores, you'll be better off with a SAT book like Gruber's Complete Preparation.Finally, you'll test
Although the College Board's Official SAT Study Guide is the only "official" source for authentic SAT practice tests, the Princeton Review has mastered the art of emulating the SAT. Cracking the SAT's 3 in-book tests and 4 CD tests (included with the book) are perfect models of how the SAT will be when you sit down to test. So take these tests with the confidence of knowing that they're just like the real SAT, and enjoy the detailed solutions provided for each question. You can also go online to get personalized score reports and essay grading services from the Princeton Review.