For example, the book focuses heavily on process of elimination. If you understand the reading or recording, then the correct answer will be the only one that gives the same information. They assume information, make extreme statements, or draw connections between unrelated facts. The focus of a sentence is wrong, for instance, or the direction of an action is reversed.
Trying not to read the passage will simply confuse you. Skipping any information is a bad idea. The big picture structures of the texts, lectures, and conversations will often be a little bit unclear, because the topic changes a bit.
Interestingly, the practice passages and recordings are pretty similar to the structures of real TOEFL material. On the same note, the writing guide directs you to an overly simple essay. It seems like the author had no idea about how important timing is. The explanations of ideas and answers are well written. And there are explanations for everything in the book—no answers standing by themselves without details. The writing sections have sample essays very important!
What should be a 5, the highest grade, might be graded as a 4. And worse, what should be a 3 is graded as a 1. Although structure and message are important for the TOEFL, language use—correct grammar and high-level vocabulary—is more important. And what about the speaking tasks? Sadly, there are no speaking samples. None of them come in handy, nowadays. View all posts. Good article Lucas! Toefl is nt some gmat or usmle exam to study huge books.
Its a simple book and good enough for such an exam. Thanks for the input, Suresh! There will always be some supporters of certain books, certainly. You did very well on your TOEFL, and it sounds like you found the test fairly easy, which is awesome for you. For some, it is just as intimidating as the GMAT, in some ways. X marks the spot—where you can find SAT practice tests.
Ready to go beyond just reading about the SAT? Designed and written by PrepScholar SAT experts , our SAT program customizes to your skill level in over 40 subskills so that you can focus your studying on what will get you the biggest score gains. Note that practice materials not sanctioned by the College Board can vary wildly in quality: some are very similar to the actual SAT, whereas others don't even share the same basic structure as the test!
I've collected the most helpful resources and provided some suggestions on how to get the most out of them in your SAT prep. This list is extensive but not exhaustive —there are a lot of SAT books and tests out there. Be aware, however, that many of them aren't very high quality, so use your judgment when deciding whether to incorporate something you find into your prep. SAT prep books are a good alternative for extra content review and practice.
Their questions aren't always quite right—for example, they might cover material you don't really need to know or are easier or harder than those on the real SAT—but prep books can be a great resource for both reviewing concepts and trying out different strategies.
I've provided some suggestions for general SAT prep books below. Just make sure that they aren't written in before you check them out. Also, note that many of the best SAT books cover only one subject, so buying books can get expensive quickly. Barron's SAT book has a lot of in-depth study material that's particularly helpful for high scorers looking to fine-tune their test-taking strategies and ensure that they know every concept that might appear on the test.
That said, the questions especially those for Reading tend to be much more difficult than those on the actual SAT, so this prep book isn't a good choice for students who get easily frustrated. You'll get a total of seven full-length practice tests five in the book and two online with this book. Kaplan's SAT Prep Plus , as well as its other SAT prep books, are better for students who need a basic foundation on what to expect on the test and how to approach it.
The questions skew easier, so it doesn't provide great preparation for the more challenging aspects of the exam. This book is a good place to start if you have a low baseline score and want to increase it by a lot, since it will let you save official tests and more challenging practice for later in the process.
This book offers five full-length SAT practice tests two in the book and three online. Since these tests are free, they're often though not always of a lower quality than the tests in books. If you really need more free practice materials, stick to using these for untimed content review and don't worry if something seems weird or unusual.
If you're a high SAT scorer, trying to figure out how the test is different from an official SAT can be a good exercise and will help you understand exactly what makes the real thing tick. Ivy Global offers two free SAT practice tests, which are pretty decent in terms of quality. As you can see in the example below, both tests mimic the style of the official test very closely.
Given the scarcity of materials for the current version of the SAT, these practice test PDFs could be a helpful addition to your prep—as long as you keep in mind that neither are official resources. This website has a large selection of SAT practice questions divided by type. They're in the same basic styles as old SAT questions, though the online format is less streamlined than that of the College Board or Khan Academy websites.
You can see an example below:. These SAT questions are best used sparingly —to test knowledge of math and grammar content and to practice general strategies such as plugging in answers or numbers. Keep in mind that they might contain some errors. The format on these SAT practice questions isn't especially accurate, and they sometimes ask about concepts that aren't tested on the SAT.
I generally wouldn't recommend using them, but you can if you really want more questions to help test your general SAT knowledge. Here's an example of a question:. Big test-prep companies, such as The Princeton Review and Kaplan, often offer a free practice test if you register for an account on their website. Sometimes you can even sign up to take the practice SAT at one of their test centers.
As always, keep in mind that the quality of the practice SAT will vary wildly, and the company might aggressively pitch you their services. You'll probably end up using a mix of books and online resources for your SAT prep.
Now that you know where to start compiling the materials you'll need to prepare for the SAT, let's discuss how best to use these resources in a study plan. For more details on how to plan your SAT prep, check out our guide on how to build a prep plan that fits your schedule. Make sure to take a real SAT to determine your baseline score —unofficial diagnostic tests won't give you a realistic sense of what the SAT is like or what your actual strengths and weaknesses are.
Take the test in a quiet room without any distractions, and be sure to follow the official time limits. I certify that I am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from The Princeton Review, and agree to Terms of Use.
Read More SAT. SAT Prep Courses. ACT Prep Courses. Enroll Now. Register Book Go. Institutional Partnerships K Home Tutor. Yes, I love saving money! No thanks, I'll pay full price.
0コメント