Does the age of your prep book matter?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

<p>I have a gift card for Amazon, and since I never have any money and my parents refuse to buy books for me, I want to buy next years prep books with it. I have $30 to buy 4 books - English Lang, Calc AB (hopefully BC), US Gov, and Bio - so I have to cut corners somewhere.</p>

<p>I’m wondering, if for Lang I bought the 2001 Cliffs book, would it really be different from the newer version? [Amazon.com:</a> Cliffs AP English Language and Composition: Barbara V. Swovelin: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764586858/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764586858/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)</p>

2

<p>I was wondering the same thing for RocketReview since it’s going on three years old, but if they don’t have a newer edition, I figured it can’t be that far off and I went through with it.</p>

3

<p>prep books just change the cover, not really the content. They only exception is if the test changes.</p>

4

<p>^ That’s the most important thing to check out. Most Calc books include both AB and BC in the same prep book. For Calc, I probably wouldn’t get anything older than 2004 (to make sure it includes slope fields in the AB description), and I certainly wouldn’t get anything older than 1998 (when the course description underwent a complete overhaul).</p>

5

<p>it usually doesn’t matter…the content stays relatively the same
sparknotes also usually posts their books online for free so you might take a look at that</p>

6

<p>I have checked Princeton Review and Barrons books from 2004 to 2008 and barely anything changes. Page numbers, words, and the actual practice tests are exactly the same from both years.</p>

7

<p>For English Language, a synthesis essay replaced on of the essays where you have to answer to a prompt for the 2007 test, so yea, there was a major change to the English Language test.</p>

8

<p>If you live in a large town or a city, chances are, relatively new prep books are in your school and public libraries. Check those first - those cost $0!</p>

9

<p>^ I’ve already checked. The only ones they have are 11 Practice Tests for the AP Program (2004) and Calc AB/BC (2005). Small town :)</p>