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List of the best review books
rockermcr
14567 replies103 threads Senior Member
Okay, so I thought I'd start a thread about the best review books for the subject tests, since there are always zillions of threads about this. So, beside the subject, you can write the review book, and use the legend to indicate what's good about the review book (in brackets). Only add a review book if you know that it is good from your own experience.
Legend:
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
English Literature:
U.S. History:
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
Science:
Biology E:
Biology M:
Chemistry:
Physics:
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
Spanish with Listening:
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
269 repliesLegend:
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
English Literature:
U.S. History:
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
Science:
Biology E:
Biology M:
Chemistry:
Physics:
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
Spanish with Listening:
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
Post edited by rockermcr on
This discussion has been closed.
Replies to: List of the best review books
-Great for last week review and refresh. The online tests correctly predicted my score every time: 790!
Spanish (w and wo listening): Barrons
Tests decent, slightly different on the actual (more short readings with fewer questions each), but there's TEN practice tests!
Grammar section is very good, easy to follow/understand.
Little superfluous material; thin volume especially considering 10 practice tests.
Physics: Barrons
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation.
Easy to follow/understand, good to learn from (I went from average 12 wrong/omit to 3 in 2 weeks)
Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side. Still, overall very good study aid.
English Literature:
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book w/ 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
Biology E:
Biology M:
Chemistry:
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
I included the comments whenever the legend wouldn't be enough...
(I don't know how to bold, so I figured it'd be useless to repost the whole list)
Biology M: Princeton Review-A, C, D (great practice tests-some questions were very similar!)
Chemistry: Barrons-B, E (practice tests are nothing like it...but a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem)
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book w/ 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
Biology E:
Biology M:
- Princeton Review (B, E)
The practice tests are nothing like the real thing, but the book is still a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem.
Chemistry:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
Thanks for the contributions!! This list is getting better and better!
Bold: ctrl + B
Italic: ctrl + I
When you press those keys, something like this "[ /B]" (or [ /I] for italics) should come up. To bolden text, write "here[ /B]" (there shouldn't be a space between the slash and the bracket).
almost every one uses it and teacher recommends it, even though its COMPLETELY unrealistic. but because its so much harder, it prepares you wonderfully and the real thing is a breeze
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book with 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
- Princeton Review (AP version) (G)
Great prep for the SAT II (some identical questions!)
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
- Barron's (E)
Almost everyone uses it and my teacher recommends it, even though it's COMPLETELY unrealistic (because it's a lot harder). But, because it's so much harder, it prepares you wonderfully, and the real thing is a breeze.
Biology E:
Biology M:
- Princeton Review (B, E)
The practice tests are nothing like the real thing, but the book is still a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem.
Chemistry:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D, H)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
NEW LEGEND
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
F - Slightly harder than the real thing
G - Good practice questions (outside of the practice tests)
H - A lot of practice tests (more than 4)
When you make a recommendation, make sure to include the legend, because I haven't had experience with most of the books you mention, so I can't accurately do it myself. From now on, if you do not include a legend, your recommendation simply will not be included in the list.
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book with 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
- Princeton Review (AP version) (G)
Great prep for the SAT II (some identical questions!)
- Kaplan US History (A,B,C,D,G)
Read it cover to cover a week before the exam and felt really prepared. It really helps for stuff you didn't cover in class. I wouldn't have gotten a 790 without it.
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
- Barron's (E)
Almost everyone uses it and my teacher recommends it, even though it's COMPLETELY unrealistic (because it's a lot harder). But, because it's so much harder, it prepares you wonderfully, and the real thing is a breeze.
Biology E:
Biology M:
- Princeton Review (B, E)
The practice tests are nothing like the real thing, but the book is still a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem.
Chemistry:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D, H)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
NEW LEGEND
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
F - Slightly harder than the real thing
G - Good practice questions (outside of the practice tests)
H - A lot of practice tests (more than 4)
When you make a recommendation, make sure to include the legend, because I haven't had experience with most of the books you mention, so I can't accurately do it myself. From now on, if you do not include a legend, your recommendation simply will not be included in the list.
English Literature:
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book with 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
Recommender's score: 790.
- Princeton Review (AP version) (G)
Great prep for the SAT II (some identical questions!)
- Kaplan US History (A,B,C,D,G)
Read it cover to cover a week before the exam and felt really prepared. It really helps for stuff you didn't cover in class.
Recommender's score: 790.
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
- Barron's (E)
Almost everyone uses it and my teacher recommends it, even though it's COMPLETELY unrealistic (because it's a lot harder). But, because it's so much harder, it prepares you wonderfully, and the real thing is a breeze.
Biology E:
Biology M:
- Princeton Review (B, E)
The practice tests are nothing like the real thing, but the book is still a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem.
Chemistry:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D, H)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
LEGEND
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
F - Slightly harder than the real thing
G - Good practice questions (outside of the practice tests)
H - A lot of practice tests (more than 4)
Biology (M)--Princeton Review (A,C)--again, pretty nice review. I'd actually disagree with the other person who reviewed this, as some of the actual test questions for me were like carbon-copies of the PR ones...but I took this in May '06 so it might have changed since then. (800)
A - Accurate practice tests.
B - Good for learning material you don't know.
C - Easy to read and understand.
D - Not a lot of superfluous material.
E - Teacher recommendation.
F - Slightly harder than the real thing
G - Good practice questions (outside of the practice tests)
H - A lot of practice tests (more than 4)
English Literature:
U.S. History:
- Sparknotes Review Book with 3 Online Tests (A,C,D)
Great for last week review and refresh.
Recommender's score: 790.
- Princeton Review (AP version) (G)
Great prep for the SAT II (some identical questions!)
- Kaplan (A,B,C,D,G)
Read it cover to cover a week before the exam and felt really prepared. It really helps for stuff you didn't cover in class.
Recommender's score: 790.
World History:
Mathematics Level 1:
Mathematics Level 2:
- Barron's (E)
Almost everyone uses it and my teacher recommends it, even though it's COMPLETELY unrealistic (because it's a lot harder). But, because it's so much harder, it prepares you wonderfully, and the real thing is a breeze.
Biology E:
Biology M:
- Princeton Review (B, E), Rec 2: (A, C)
1 and 2: Extremely good practice tests.
Recommender 2's score: 800.
Chemistry:
- Barron's (A, C, D), Rec 2: (A, C)
1: The practice tests are nothing like the real thing, but the book is still a good review of EVERYTHING in high school chem.
2: Some extra information, but not too much.
Recommender's score: 800.
Physics:
- Barron's (A, B, C, D)
Practice tests were somewhat different from the actual, but in general still good preparation. Little superfluous material, however preparation in some parts is on the scarce side.
Chinese with Listening:
French:
French with Listening:
German:
German with Listening:
Spanish:
- Barron's (A, C, D, H)
Slightly inaccurate practice tests, but the fact that there are many of them compensates for this.
Spanish with Listening:
- Barron's (A, C, D)
See comments for Spanish without listening.
Modern Hebrew:
Italian:
Latin:
Japanese with Listening:
Korean with Listening:
ekirth: I just realized that the comment I put for Bio was meant to be put in Chem. In fact, the rec was supposed to say that the practice tests were very good.