Best Graduate Test Guides
Kaplan's MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review 2018-2019 offers an expert study plan, detailed subject review, and hundreds of online and in-book practice questions – all authored by the experts behind the MCAT prep course that has helped more people get into medical school than all other major courses combined. More than 350 questions in each book and access to even more online – more practice than any other MCAT set on the market. Kaplan's expert psychometricians ensure our practice questions and study materials are true to the test. Our prep books and online resources provide the expert guidance that students need at every step of their educational journey – incorporating years of test-specific data and strategies tested by Kaplan students and our own expert psychometricians.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"-Buying the books gives you access to an online portion of materials that includes 3 practice exams, and two "mini" passage tests per topic. My biggest issue with EK books were that they did not connect the concepts in a manner that helped me understand or remember the material better. And when I say decipher, I mean that the explanations are so vague I would end up spending countless hours trying to learn the concepts at a "deeper conceptual level", when really my issue was that frankly I just sucked at eliminating wrong answers and making educated guesses. I was able to borrow the new Exam Kracker books from a friend two weeks prior to taking the new MCAT as last minute practice after utilizing all of the Kaplan and Khan materials. I felt well prepared (in combination with Khan Academy) and I had access to 3 practice exams at less cost than other prep companies. Also, please note that the most critical review (thus far) of these books is an MCAT instructor paid to teach from Exam Krackers materials."
"Little side panels with MCAT Expertise, Mnemonics, and Real Life ties in are great in case you're having a tough time understanding the section in question. They also do a really good job of tying things together; they make it a point to tell you "well, your studies of Biochem are not isolated. There are also some interesting ways that they introduce a chapter and relate it to you- I've even cracked up a few times at their scienc-y jokes. Then I went through them all the way again, taking scrupulous notes on all the important stuff that I had highlighted, or that the MCAT Expertise portions had brought up. But, there are only so many tricks to know and when you spend enough time figuring out how to solve them when they appear, you get a very good grasp on the basic material. They were much easier to answer because I had developed a strong understanding of topics in anticipation of harder questions."
"Would recommend to friends."
"Good set of books!"
People with a fixed mindset —those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset —those who believe that abilities can be developed. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. “If you manage people or are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset .” —Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start 2.0. Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book is valuable for its conceit: that there are two types of mind-sets; the growth and the fixed. It's an informational book, but not a great book."
"However, most of the book seems to focus on discussing the difference between "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset" applied to different fields. It is like the author uses the entire book to emphasize how important "growth mindset" is but doesn't really offer much help."
"I was forced to but this book as requirement to read for my Spring semester, my professor that asked for this book believe she has great mindset and can affect us, but in reality she sucks."
"Explaining how to change was well worth the time to read it."
"The book started by effectively comparing competing mindsets and then referenced examples of those mindsets by comparing the specific mindsets of famous people in business and in sports."
"It is a compilation of a century of studying patterns of attitudes that have created champions and happiness in lives from every sector of life."
"The gist of the book is very important and mind blowing BUT the book reiterates the same message time and time again to the point I just skipped ahead entire examples because I already understood where it was going."
"This book had a good message, but it wasted a lot of potential with the topic and the author did not really convey the power of her message very well."
Book of GRE Practice Problems is an essentialresource for students of any level who are preparing for the GRE revisedGeneral Exam. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, I've glossed through other Kaplan/Princeton/Etc GRE books and have to say that this book is one of the best study materials you can get. I scored a 325, and the questions I mostly got wrong were in the vocabulary section and because of timing, because I didn't feel like studying vocab, and because I only timed myself on a practice test once. I would go through at least 1 of each section in this book - READ THROUGH THE EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT YOU GOT WRONG. If you have the time and means, what I suggest to do is to read news editorials and opinionated articles and look up the words you don't know."
"The practice material from PR and Kaplan isn't the same level of rigor as the ETS exam, and ETS's book has a limited number of practice problems. I wish I had known about this book with more time before taking the GRE again, I probably would have also invested in some of Manhattan Prep's other study material for the quantitative section. 500+ pages of just math practice and explanations (nevermind all of the reading and essay practice in this beast of a book). -- 30-50 practice questions for EACH topic. I agree with other reviewers that ETS is still the best practice material, but this is definitely the second best book you can buy to prepare yourself."
"Got my scores back yesterday: 96th percentile for verbal...which is better than I did five years ago while still in college and with months to study."
"This book is great!"
"It will show you all the standard problems of the GRE alongside with its standard solutions; however, if you are looking for a book with challenging problems that will take above the 90th percentile, this is not the book."
Best GRE Test Guides
Book of GRE Practice Problems is an essentialresource for students of any level who are preparing for the GRE revisedGeneral Exam. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, I've glossed through other Kaplan/Princeton/Etc GRE books and have to say that this book is one of the best study materials you can get. I scored a 325, and the questions I mostly got wrong were in the vocabulary section and because of timing, because I didn't feel like studying vocab, and because I only timed myself on a practice test once. I would go through at least 1 of each section in this book - READ THROUGH THE EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT YOU GOT WRONG. If you have the time and means, what I suggest to do is to read news editorials and opinionated articles and look up the words you don't know."
"The practice material from PR and Kaplan isn't the same level of rigor as the ETS exam, and ETS's book has a limited number of practice problems. I wish I had known about this book with more time before taking the GRE again, I probably would have also invested in some of Manhattan Prep's other study material for the quantitative section. 500+ pages of just math practice and explanations (nevermind all of the reading and essay practice in this beast of a book). -- 30-50 practice questions for EACH topic. I agree with other reviewers that ETS is still the best practice material, but this is definitely the second best book you can buy to prepare yourself."
"Got my scores back yesterday: 96th percentile for verbal...which is better than I did five years ago while still in college and with months to study."
"This book is great!"
"It will show you all the standard problems of the GRE alongside with its standard solutions; however, if you are looking for a book with challenging problems that will take above the 90th percentile, this is not the book."
Best Graduate School Preparation Test Guides
Comprehensive Manual (Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning & Quantitative Reasoning) 7 Full-Length Practice Exams (2 included in the book + 5 online) 20+ hours of Video Lectures Video explanations for each online test question Free Live Support : By visiting www.argoprep.com you can chat with a tutor and have your questions answered. Our workbook provides you with a comprehensive overview and several full-length practice exams like most workbooks, however, one of the key differences in our workbook is that we have detailed video explanations for all of our practice exams. Not only do we provide video explanations, our workbook grants you life-time access to our online GRE learning platform which includes video lectures, practice tests, practice questions and a live chat feature.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I take the GRE in a few months and have been studying for a few months with other books too."
"It includes very high standard 3 practice tests, the answer key and step-by-step explanation for every question."
"This book is a great practice resource for anyone taking the GRE."
"This time it is even better as I was able to test myself as well as my friends on the online system."
"This book is very useful in preparing for the GRE test."
"This is my first book to study for GRE and hope this works!"
"It was exactly what I was looking for, Helpful to understand my math issues."
"Very helpful book for me, i am taking test next month and was recommended this book."
Best LSAT Test Guides
Teachers, students, and reviewers all agree: The LSAT Trainer is the most advanced and effective LSAT prep product available today. I have spent many years developing LSAT learning products, training LSAT instructors, and, most importantly, working with LSAT students.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read this book. I got a 171 on my LSAT. I roughly followed the 8-week study schedule from Mike Kim's website."
"Perhaps the best trainer on the market."
"Like most people, I took a full-length practice LSAT, without any preparation, a few months before the scheduled exam to see how much studying I had to do to get into the 170+ range. Still, since the LSAT is such an important factor in law school admissions, it seemed like skipping the class and studying on my own was too big of a risk, whatever the price. I ended up going with Manhattan LSAT, which had better reviews than Kaplan, Blueprint, and Testmasters (the other companies with courses in my area). By sheer luck, Mike Kim (the author of The LSAT Trainer) happened to be teaching my class. While ultimately I was right about the class--it was pricy, across town, and more or less a review of the material in the Manhattan LSAT books--Mike himself was phenomenal. I began going to class early and staying late so that I could pick his brain about the exam. A few are awful, and could cause you to develop habits that actually lower your LSAT score. For instance, one of the biggest problems I had when I was taking practice tests was deciding in the heat of the moment how to categorize the logic game I was facing. This is because I had learned to strictly categorize game types, as essentially all test-prep companies teach you to do. I totally agree with this approach, and think that it's another nice illustration of the book's general theme, which is that you need to have a deep understanding of what LSAC is trying to test in each section if you want to consistently get high scores. However, it didn't really help me to talk to them about their approaches, because the ability to get a great score doesn't entail that you can explain (or even understand) how you're doing it. Reading the Trainer is like being tutored privately by a top scorer who at the same time understands what it feels like to struggle with the exam. From the most basic facts about the number of sections on the actual LSAT, to statistical information about how often each question type has appeared on past exams, to specific (but important) information about how you should time your sections--it's all there. I want to buy one book and then turn all of my attention studying, without any nagging questions about what I'm not being told. (Some companies, for instance, instruct test takers to try to complete only 3 of the 4 logic games.). Presumably they think that a large portion of the LSAT consumer market simply can't achieve a 170+, and believe that the methods 170+ test takers use aren't compatible with the optimal strategies for a mid-160 score. As I think the Trainer brings out nicely, the way to master the LSAT is to come to see what the exam writers are really trying to test with each question--to deconstruct the LSAT into its most fundamental parts--and then to develop the skills necessary to meet the challenges each question poses. But that doesn't mean that you should perform sub-optimally, given your abilities and work ethic, simply because your test prep materials think that you can't handle the real juice. Practicing with made-up LSAT questions is like learning to play basketball with a ball that's not quite the right size, or taking Spanish lessons from someone who speaks a slightly different dialect. (I also felt a little slimy about the fact that I was taking advantage of a resource that many people that I was competing against couldn't afford.). It all worked out in the end, but LSAT classes, at least from my experience, exist more to reassure students that they're not missing something than to provide useful information that's not in the study materials. If you can stick to them, and you don't cut corners, then you'll be an LSAT machine by the time you finish this book. There is simply no reason to shell out for a class when you can pay $50 for this book, which is better than any of the other materials out there anyway--again, so long as you can stick to the regime on your own, and don't need someone to answer to. I always hated standardized tests--I thought that they were all just collections of questions that were, at best, loosely related to certain analytical skills we all have. In the same way that a class on engineering will cause you to stare at the Golden Gate Bridge, in awe that a group of people actually built it, the Trainer highlights the LSAT's simple elegance. The Trainer is always deeply respectful of the LSAT--of how hard it is and what it takes to meet its challenges. These books are usually "print on demand," which means that an author can make small corrections without releasing a whole new edition. However, if you're trying to get the best score you can, and you have the time, I think that, after working through this entire book, you should go back an do as many of the exams from 1 - 30 as you can, particularly the logic games sections. The more practice you have answering these old questions, the more comfortable you'll be when you come across a curveball on the actual LSAT exam and have to adapt a strategy on the fly. While the Trainer talks about these exams, and pulls some questions from them at certain points, I think that it should give at least some of the complete exams a firm place in the study regime as a way of testing your flexibility at the end of your study schedule. To finish the story from above, I ended up with a solid LSAT score, and was very fortunate to get into Yale Law. While I think that I could have done pretty well on the LSAT with other study materials, I do not think that I could have performed as well as I did were it not for Mike's approach."
"I read it cover to cover, completed every exercise, and got in the 94th percentile of the LSAT."
"Directly covers and explains the reasoning behind numerous questions which actually have appeared on previous LSAT's This is the hold-your-hand method of learning which morons like me love."
"I am only a couple of chapters in and I can already say that this is the best self-study book I have ever used."
Best MAT Test Guides
Students preparing to take this exam need a chance to practice the analogy skills necessary to score well on this test, which MAT For Dummies provides with its six full-length practice tests and plethora of other test preparation suggestions. Intro to the MAT — get general info about the MAT, including how to register for it, analogy content and structure, analogy-solving methods, and analogy categories A word to the wise — get the scoop on the most important concepts tested in words and language, the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and math Practice makes perfect — take six full-length MAT practice exams — complete with answer keys and explanations — that mimic the actual MAT exam Breathe easy — discover tips to keep in mind on test day, along with some ways to help reduce test anxiety. Planning advice, study strategies, and time- management tactics Six sample tests with answer keys A comprehensive appendix of MAT vocabulary Tips for analyzing and solving analogies How to work with words and language What you need to know about natural sciences, math, and the humanities Top ten tips for test day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book."
"I had purchased another study guide and decided to buy this one."
"Very helpful!"
"I purchased this as I was considering going back to school and didn't want to take the gre."
"Used this as my main preparation source."
"This book is what you need if you are going to take the MAT."
"The practice test were great & I passed my test on the first try!"
Best MCAT Test Guides
Kaplan's MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review 2018-2019 offers an expert study plan, detailed subject review, and hundreds of online and in-book practice questions – all authored by the experts behind the MCAT prep course that has helped more people get into medical school than all other major courses combined. More than 350 questions in each book and access to even more online – more practice than any other MCAT set on the market. Kaplan's expert psychometricians ensure our practice questions and study materials are true to the test. Our prep books and online resources provide the expert guidance that students need at every step of their educational journey – incorporating years of test-specific data and strategies tested by Kaplan students and our own expert psychometricians.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"-Buying the books gives you access to an online portion of materials that includes 3 practice exams, and two "mini" passage tests per topic. My biggest issue with EK books were that they did not connect the concepts in a manner that helped me understand or remember the material better. And when I say decipher, I mean that the explanations are so vague I would end up spending countless hours trying to learn the concepts at a "deeper conceptual level", when really my issue was that frankly I just sucked at eliminating wrong answers and making educated guesses. I was able to borrow the new Exam Kracker books from a friend two weeks prior to taking the new MCAT as last minute practice after utilizing all of the Kaplan and Khan materials. I felt well prepared (in combination with Khan Academy) and I had access to 3 practice exams at less cost than other prep companies. Also, please note that the most critical review (thus far) of these books is an MCAT instructor paid to teach from Exam Krackers materials."
"Little side panels with MCAT Expertise, Mnemonics, and Real Life ties in are great in case you're having a tough time understanding the section in question. They also do a really good job of tying things together; they make it a point to tell you "well, your studies of Biochem are not isolated. There are also some interesting ways that they introduce a chapter and relate it to you- I've even cracked up a few times at their scienc-y jokes. Then I went through them all the way again, taking scrupulous notes on all the important stuff that I had highlighted, or that the MCAT Expertise portions had brought up. But, there are only so many tricks to know and when you spend enough time figuring out how to solve them when they appear, you get a very good grasp on the basic material. They were much easier to answer because I had developed a strong understanding of topics in anticipation of harder questions."
"Would recommend to friends."
"Good set of books!"
Best GMAT Test Guides
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents GMAT Strategy Guide (ISBN: 9781941234020). Purchase of this set includes one year of access to Manhattan Prep's online computer-adaptive GMAT practice exams and Question Banks. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These books don't emphasize tricks or easy ways to 700+ score, instead they methodically cover areas tested, and should be pretty much all you will need (besides the Official Guides - see below for links). If this is above your budget or you are in a rush, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension - a significantly revised book (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books). ~~~. I have gone through all of the books and here is how it looks: Overall, all books have undergone some degree of updating; not just slapping a new cover as some providers do, so you will be better of buying the 6th if you are deciding. IR - substantial changes and improvements - the book needed them, and is now split by question type and organized a lot better. Quant - mostly minor updates (less than 10% new content). RC - Major update. SC - Restructure with the main difference is that the idiom section is cut down and rewrite of most chapters (more than 20% of content updated). CR - Improvements in text-heavy areas that put people to sleep before."
"The combination of these books, the GMAT Original Guide Bundle (buy those for practice problems), and hours of studying produced a 760 GMAT score!!!"
"I has a chance to review a preview set, and I see a number of meaningful changes in this edition: - GMAT Roadmap and IR books are now included with this set, making it a total of 10 books. - The Quant books have been improved in terms of layout and structure (though content is mostly the same). - The Verbal books have undergone a pretty significant improvement in terms of content (still analyzing the changes; check back in a few days for complete analysis). - Now the series start with Fractions/Decimals/Percents, then go into Algebra, Word Problems, Geometry, and Number Properties. (I feel this is a good improvement - first, it is getting rid of some of the strange names MGMAT used and second, Number Properties was a pretty tough book to use as the first step). If you are just starting out with GMAT prep - get this bundle; it's a good deal for the Manhattan GMAT Guides (separately they cost close to $150). If this is above your budget, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books)."
"I recently decided to go back to school for a masters and wanted to do well on the test, but not spend a ton. After I finish, I plan on ordering the GMAT Official Guides which have all the practice questions and after going through those books, then taking the test."
Best AP Test Guides
This text is designed for a one-semester or one-year United States history course for students preparing to take the current AP U.S. History Exam.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Since I bought it used, it wasn't of the greatest quality, but it definitely helps for the AP Exam."
"I got this book because I am a freshman in AP US History."
"This is gold."
Best ACT Test Guides
Click the "look inside" feature above to browse the Black Book and get a feel for how it approaches the ACT! The Black Book works best when used with the authentic ACT questions in the "Red Book," which is the Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd Edition, by ACT, Inc. The Black Book shows you how to beat the ACT, while the Red Book gives you real ACT questions to practice with. Click the "look inside" feature above to browse the Black Book and get a feel for how it approaches the ACT! Unwritten Test Design Rules Of ACT Math ... ACT Math Answer-Choice Patterns The General Process For Answering ACT Math Questions ... Walkthroughs: The ACT Math Process In Action Against Real Questions ... How To Read Passages On The ACT Science Section ... ACT Science Answer-Choice Patterns ... Walkthroughs: The ACT Science Process In Action Against Real Questions ... Commas In The ACT English Section ... Click the "look inside" feature above to browse the Black Book and get a feel for how it approaches the ACT! In other words, most ACT tutors and courses teach the same math, reading, and writing skills that you learn in high school, because they mistakenly assume that the ACT is a test of college readiness. But Mike has looked carefully at large numbers of real ACT questions, and knows that they don't reward the same things that teachers reward in high school and college. So students who want to improve their test scores shouldn't waste time re-learning what they've already learned in school - instead, they should learn how the ACT actually works, so they can take their existing knowledge and leverage it into a higher score.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Nice book!!!"
"Very good study item."
"Definitely the best ACT prep guide published."
"I ordered this book and some other ACT review books for my son."
"I am planning to use this with my students."
"This book helped my son score up 4 points on the ACT."
Best SAT Test Guides
The 2018 edition of The Official SAT Study Guide doubles the number of official SAT® practice tests to eight – all of them created by the test maker.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Official SAT Study Guide, 2018 Edition (currently $16) is the most essential preparation book for the new, revised SAT and PSAT, which began in March 2016 and October 2015, respectively, because it’s the only physical source of official revised SATs—the practice SATs in other third-party books are nothing more than subpar imitations of the real thing. However, the PDFs of all 8 tests in this book, along with moderately helpful answer explanations, can also be downloaded from the College Board / Khan Academy websites for free (google "SAT Practice Tests - The College Board"). In addition, there are no score conversion tables provided: you will have to download the “Daily Practice for the New SAT” mobile app for iOS/Android, which allows you to take a picture of your answer sheet on your cell phone, then have it scored automatically, or to visit the College Board website (google "Scoring your SAT Practice Test #1") in order to manually convert your raw scores (total number correct on each section) into scaled scores (400-1600 scale, with additional sub-scores). On the other hand, the physical book does still have its advantages over a bunch of PDFs—perhaps most importantly, the tests are already printed out for you (for now, the SAT is still a paper and pencil test, and you are allowed to write on the test, so in the interest of practicing the way you play, you should never attempt to take it on a computer screen). Many of the one-star, harshly negative reviews of this book will have nothing to do with the quality of the book and practice tests themselves; it's simply that the reviewers had expected 8 different practice SATs from the ones already released on the College Board / Khan Academy websites, and were thus disappointed when they saw the same tests in this book. In addition to the 8 tests, this book contains many additional pages of SAT prep advice, some of which cannot be found anywhere else, along with the practice tests and answer explanations that can be also found online. Although much of the first part of the book is superfluous, and most of it is also available online through Khan Academy, it does offer some moderately helpful tips in its introduction, including a test structure recap, concept overview, practice questions and explanations, as well as an essay rubric, scoring guidelines, and sample essays. However, I must applaud the College Board for increasing its level of transparency, and for releasing the tests in PDF form to benefit those who cannot afford to buy the book, as well as adding detailed answer explanations (though very often, the explanation provided in the book is not the simplest way to solve the question). Quick tip: when taking practice sections or full tests in this book, don't bother filling in the bubbles--just circle your answers (unless you plan to score your test using the "Daily Practice" app). For some reason there is currently no way to download the Essay Space PDF online (ahem, College Board, please get on this), but if you want to practice filling in the bubbles, then you can google "Answer Sheet - New SAT Practice Test." When it comes time to re-try the questions, I recommend that you either buy a 2nd copy of the book to keep blank, or that you print out a fresh copies using the free PDFs provided by the College Board. Lots of question pairs where the second question in the pair asks for “the choice that provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question.” For this reason, always glance at the next question for clues as to where the answer might be found. For example, one major reason to consider taking the New SAT instead of (or in addition to) the ACT is that the SAT allows you more time per question than does the ACT. Thus, if time management is a major issue, then the SAT might be a better test for you: SAT Reading = 1.25 minutes per question (75 seconds). ACT Reading = .875 minutes per question (52.5 seconds). SAT Grammar (Writing and Language) = .8 minutes per question (48 seconds). ACT Grammar (English) = .6 minutes per question (36 seconds). SAT Math = 1.4 minutes per question (83 seconds). ACT Math = 1 minute per question (60 seconds). Please keep in mind that this book is not necessarily the best source of SAT strategy. My current favorite authors for serious SAT-prep books are Erica Meltzer for Reading and Writing/Language (The Critical Reader), Nielson Phu (The College Panda) for the Math and Essay sections, Richard Corn for Math, and Mike McClenathan (PWN the SAT) for Math. Real SAT questions are of course always better to practice with, but for the new SAT, they are currently in short supply. So you should also try to get your hands on a copy of the October 2016 PSAT (copies were sent to students who took the test), as well as PSAT practice tests #1 and #2, which you can also download from the College Board website."
"The 8 official practice tests in this book are indispensable (therefore five stars) but they are the same as the ones posted on the College Board and Khan Academy web sites, so it is reasonable to ask, “Why buy this book?”. The main reason is that students should take practice tests using pencil and paper because that is how the SAT is administered."
"I’ve recognized quite a few problems I’ve learned in school but mostly forgot the solutions over time, and when I see the explanation provided in the book, I know it’s not the simple way I learned at school, but rather an odd, more difficult way to do it."
Best CLEP Test Guides
Earn College Credit with REA's Test Prep for CLEP® Introductory Psychology Everything you need to pass the exam and get the college credit you deserve. Our CLEP® test preps are perfect for adults returning to college (or attending for the first time), military service members, high-school graduates looking to earn college credit, or home-schooled students with knowledge that can translate into college credit. Our test preps for CLEP® exams help you earn valuable college credit, save on tuition, and get a head start on your college degree. His current research focuses on the cognitive representation of emotion knowledge and on the social psychological processes involved in gossip.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The CLEP Introductory Psychology preparation book covered all the material on the practice exams but only approximately 30% of the material on the real exam."
"Took the first practice test and scored a 22."
"Dont study this book by itself, you really need the guide to get other topics not included in the book."
"**In addition to this book, I also used the official clep study guide ($10 PDF that provides test questions) through collegeboard.com and also read through the intro to psych spark notes website to make sure I had a good grasp on the material covered in the exam."
"I only had a few day to study and this is the only book I used along with the practice exams."
"Our son has successfully completed fourteen CLEP examinations for a total of 48 transferrable college credits."
"Great book."
"For those of who are taking the CLEP test soon, there are many questions abou the history of psychology, as in who said what, who thought what, who came from what background, etc."
Best SAT Subject Test Guides
- 10 official SAT practice tests, including 3 new recent exams. - detailed descriptions of math, critical reading, and writing sections of the SAT. - targeted practice questions for each SAT question type. - practice essay questions, along with sample essays and annotations. - a review of math concepts tested in the exam. - test-taking approaches and suggestions that underscore important points. - free online score reports. - exclusive access to online answers and explanations at collegeboard.com. - $10 discount on The Official SAT Online Course to all book owners. The College Board , a not-for-profit membership association, connects students to college success and opportunity through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Many people do not realize that the United States is one of the very few countries in the world that depend on multiple choice tests to assess its students."
"The thought of taking the SATs made me really nervous, I took the SAT 4 years ago and scored below average, 520s on math and reading and a 480 on writing with a 8 out of 12 on the essay. My scores came back and I got 620s on math and reading and a 580 on my writing with a 8 out of 12 on the essay. I would say that the essay portion of the test is the toughest to prepare for, but the book provides many many examples of essays that scores from 2 to 12."
"These pages contain a great deal of information that is useful to know about the test but none of it is strategic and it is written as a manual for human boredom. There is useful content--examples of SAT essays, and sample problems, too--but the introduction seems written with literally no population in mind."
"SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published. There's a bit of fluff and hyperbole in this book, but if you're willing to wade through it, he does have some unique and legitimate insights into the test, especially with the Critical Reading section."
"Be warned - the practice tests here for math, chemistry and physics are exactly the same as in the prior edition - the 2006 edition."
Best College Entrance Test Guides
The bestselling prep guide from the makers of the ACT test Offers bonus online content to help boost college readiness Contains the real ACT test forms used in previous years. The comprehensive guide to this year's ACT ® test, with real full-length practice tests. To help you better review test subjects and improve your understanding, the guide provides clear explanations for every answer and ideas for boosting your score on the English, math, reading, and science tests as well as the optional writing test.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We’ve been waiting since 2011 for a newer edition of the Real ACT Prep Guide, and at long last, it’s here: the 3 new tests in this book reflect the minor changes to the ACT Reading and Science portions, and most importantly, the major changes to the new ACT essay (Writing) section. This book continues to be the most essential preparation guide for the ACT, because it is the only source of official test questions—the practice ACTs in all other books are nothing more than subpar imitations of the real thing. The book contains only 3 new tests, which is why I’m removing one star from my review, but again, that’s better than only 1 new test (google “Preparing for the ACT Test 2016”), which until now is all that was available. Combine the 3 tests in this book with the Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd Edition The Real ACT Prep Guide (Book + Bonus Online Content), (Reprint) (Official Act Prep Guide), and the free online test mentioned above, and you’ve got 9 official ACT tests total. Combine them with the 4 other tests available for free online (google “ACT Action Plan - McElroy Tutoring” for links), and you’ve got a healthy dose of 13 official practice tests that should be sufficient for a full ACT preparation. There is also some overlap between the recently released ACT Tests and the April 2015 / June 2015 versions of the test, but I wouldn't worry about that: those two tests were not publicly released, so most students don't have any way to obtain the April and June 2015 ACTs, despite the fact that copies were made available to students who took the tests. Reading - almost exactly the same (35 minutes, 40 questions), but the new ACT now includes Dual Passages (google “Preparing for the ACT Test 2016”, open the PDF, and scroll to pages 36-38 for an example of what the dual passage looks like). ——. SAT vs. ACT: These days, many students prefer the ACT to the SAT Official SAT Study Guide (2016 Edition) (Official Study Guide for the New Sat). For example, one major reason to consider taking the New SAT instead of (or in addition to) the ACT is that the SAT allows you more time per question than does the ACT. Thus, if time management is a major issue, then the SAT might be a better test for you: SAT Reading = 1.25 minutes per question (75 seconds). ACT Reading = .875 minutes per question (52.5 seconds). SAT Grammar (Writing and Language) = .8 minutes per question (48 seconds). ACT Grammar (English) = .6 minutes per question (36 seconds). SAT Math = 1.4 minutes per question (83 seconds). ACT Math = 1 minute per question (60 seconds). ——. Here are my top recommendations for ACT Practice and Strategy, ranked from most helpful to least: 1) This Book. 2) The Free Online Practice Test from ACT (google “Preparing for the ACT 2016”). 3) The Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd Edition: The Real ACT Prep Guide (Book + Bonus Online Content), (Reprint) (Official Act Prep Guide) or The Real ACT (CD) 3rd Edition (Official Act Prep Guide). 4) The 3 other Official ACTs available for free online (google “ACT Action Plan - McElroy Tutoring”). 5) The Ultimate Guide the Math ACT: Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT. 6) For the Love of ACT Science: For the Love of ACT Science: An innovative approach to mastering the science section of the ACT standardized exam. 7) Mighty Oak Guide to Mastering the ACT Essay: Mighty Oak Guide to Mastering the 2016 ACT Essay: For the new (2016-) 36-point ACT essay. 8) The Complete Guide to ACT Reading: The Complete Guide to ACT Reading. 9) The Complete Guide to ACT English: The Complete Guide to ACT English, 2nd Edition. 10) ACT Quantum Free Math Videos - explanations to every question in the 3rd edition of the Real ACT prep guide, plus the 4 additional tests available online. 11) Barron’s ACT, 2nd Edition: Barron's ACT, 2nd Edition (Barron's Act (Book Only)). For those of you who will be taking the ACT with accommodations, you should also know that extended time is more flexible than on the SAT."
"The practice tests are great."
"Thorough book to assist with test prep."
"Great product."
"Lots of great material was provided in this book and it was extremely high quality."
"Recommended by the school for preparing for ACT."
"Test prep tutors essentially function as an unpaid evangelizing force that recruits students to take one test or the other. Make no mistake; College Board has also failed to provide enough test prep materials for students who are serious about improving their test prep scores. As Co-Founder of Clear Choice Test Prep, I've personally authored more than 2500 pages of 100% white-label test prep workbooks. Our resources are now used by hundreds of independent tutors and test prep companies across the U.S. and around the world. Furthermore, our custom branded workbooks include resources that make the information more actionable for test prep: macro-strategies for each test section, pacing guides, concept-centric lessons, 850+ practice problems, and hundreds more skill builder exercises."
Best Professional & Career Test Guides
ATI TEAS Secrets Study Guide is the ideal prep solution for anyone who wants ace the Test of Essential Academic Skills, Sixth Edition. Not only does it provide a comprehensive study manual for the TEAS 6 as a whole, it is the only guide that provides three full-length practice tests with detailed explanations of each answer and 74 video tutorials to help you review. A thorough and detailed review of all ATI TEAS test sections Review video tutorials to help you master difficult concepts Comprehensive practice questions with detailed answer explanations Tips and strategies to help you get your best test performance. Our test designers have provided hundreds of test questions that will prepare you for what to expect on the actual ATI TEAS. We have done this by setting high standards for our test preparation guides, and our ATI TEAS Secrets Study Guide is no exception.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this book under my mother's amazon account so I'm posting this as a 22 year old who had to take the ATI TEAS test for entrance into nursing programs. I felt like I got some questions on the test that the science section touched on but didn't delve very deep into (mostly concerning with the endocrine system), but a majority of the science questions could be answered by reading and studying the book. I recently graduated from college with a health related degree, but I do think that without this study guide I wouldn't have done as well, it helped me brush up on topics I had forgotten as well as teach me things I never knew (mostly relating to English grammar section)."
"Yesterday, I took my TEAS test after using this guide for approximately three weeks, and I am pleased to have earned an 88% with a national percentile rank of 97. Since statistics is tested, albeit very slightly, I would recommend you study the regression charts and lessons for positive/negative skew. Some topics I would recommend for students to reassess are: the components and anatomy of eukaryotes / prokaryotes, ionic and covalent bonds, the products of both mitosis and meiosis, and DNA replication. Test yourself with flash cards the most commonly misspelled words, prefixes and suffixes. In conclusion, this is a wonderful guide that will wrack and plumb your brain for all of the information you should have learned up to this point."
"I recommend using the first practice test as a starting point to determine what you need to study, then spend some time studying before taking the second and third practice tests."
Best TOEFL & TOEIC Tests
It includes real TOEFL questions for practice, as well as explanations of every section of the test and information on what is expected for every speaking and writing task. Educational Testing Service (ETS) , based in Lawrenceville, NJ, is the creator and grader of the TOEFL.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is really good."
"I took Toefl test after using this book for a month."
"I had to buy it to study the TOEFL test because most of the professors ask for it and honestly it was very helpful."
"Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) has been phased out of any country where the internet based test (iBT) is offered."
"This model test will help u discover problems like time management, and other problems u might encounter in real exams."
"In particular, I think the Writing section is extremely helpful not only because of the tips it gives you to improve your writing skills for the test, but also because it has at the end of the book great recommendations to improve your writing for academic and professional purposes."
"The book comes with a cd that you can use for computer review that has the similar type of exam taken on a testing center."
"very fast, receive it next day."