Book Description

This book is newly updated to reflect changes to the COOP test. There are four parts that can help students prepare for their high school entrance exam: Part I includes information about each exam type and how it’s scored. Part II contains verbal previews such as, analogies, verbal logic, reading, and composition. Part III reviews quantitative and non-verbal skills, such as mathematics. Part IV includes practice exams for the COOP and the HSPT. This book also introduces the SSAT and the ISEE. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Weigh your options
Nobody's going to kid you, AP U.S. History is a tough class. If you're looking to do really well, you're probably going to have to work hard all year preceding the exam. Choosing a test-prep book is a confusing process, considering the myriad options. Your first step to doing well is buying this book. I've flipped through every other test-prep book out there; none come anywhere close to being this comprehensive. Instead of memorizing facts that may or may not be on the test (your sorry luck if they're not!), this book will give you enough information to understand the course of events, making it easier to deduce a correct answer within the options presented. If you give yourself enough time to actually review all of the material in the book, there will be no surprises on the test. The practice tests will over-prepare you if anything (I wasn't doing particularly well on any of them, but I managed a 5 on test day). Just a note, if you're looking to save a few dollars, consider the edition without the computer software. It might be easier to point and click while you're reviewing, but that option won't be there when the proctor hands you the test.

Concise and Effective
With one week left before the 2001 A.P. U.S. History exam, I picked up a copy of this book at a local bookstore. The most helpful feature of this book is the outline of all of the important material that you need to know for the test. The textbook used in school was very wordy; with the outline, I got the bottom line right away. I ended up with a 4 on the exam, so I was very satisfied. Now, I did have to work throughout the school year, but this book definately made it easy to review.

One warning...while the sample tests are helpful in reviewing, don't use them as a guide to determine how well you'll do on the test. The ones in book tended to be more detailed than the actual test.

AP sophmore
i took this as a sophmore and we didn't have an official class but i had a pretty good teacher, the book was pretty good for looking up events and the tests were really helpful because they explained all the answers and essays. there wasn't any index though so you have to look up things using the chronology. i don't reccommend buying the version with the CD Rom because some of the tests are the same. i passed the AP anyways =)

Not what they seem to say!
Alright, everyone has been praising this book and it is obviously because they have a LOT of dedication. I bought this book from amazon and was extremely excited. I opened it up and my jaw DROPPED! It is comprehensive, but that's not why I was shocked. IT IS DOWN RIGHT BORING. If you're like me, you need something to keep you awake. I love test prep that works and that's is why I am warning you to stay away.
Yeah, it has information, but not even as comprehensive as Peterson's or Princeton Review's. The sections were very minor and didn't have much detail on certain events. There were no practice questions after sections! I guess I would buy it for the practice tests but even those weren't great. Check out Arco, Kaplan, of Princeton Review. Any Barron's or REA book is horrible (even the format was boring:just plain paragraphs, no margins, sidenotes, concentrated material, jokes, pictures).

Best one out there!!!
this book by far is the best US AP review book out there! I took the AP class and didn't have that great of a teacher... we were on WWI during AP time.. and by reading this book, I got all the necessary info on WWII, veitnam/coldwar also, that we hadn't covered in class.
Personally speaking you don't even need to read the textbook ( I had bailey's American Pageant) which was simply bad. This book overs all the needed info, and nothing that is not required!
Buy it, read the whole thing, take one or two practice tests and you are sure to get atleast a 3/4!
believe me you won't regret getting REA. ... Read more

Book Description

A Java edition of our popular test prep book for AP Computer Science prepares students for the AP CS exams in Java, starting 2004. Thorough review chapters cover all of the A- and AB-level material and the Marine Biology Simulation Case Study. Includes four complete practice exams, two A and two AB, with no overlap. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Review Manual for the AP Comp Sci Exam in Java
Maria Litvin has done an extraordinary job of putting together the new "Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java". This review manual, which has enough detail to double as a text book, has everything students need to focus on prior to taking the exam. It addresses everything in the ETS Java subset that students should have studied during the school year and has outstanding multiple choice and free response practice exam questions. The tests even include questions about the Java Marine Biology Simulation program which students need to know for the exam. Her web site also includes the 2003 C++ free response questions, which have been translated into Java. If you are searching for a great review manual with great practice questions, this is it!

Definetly Better then Barron's Guide for Review
The Barron's giude is very nice, but it basically reteaches evrything for the student, which is only good if you have the typicall AP Computer Science teacher, like the ones in the Reviews : My teacher was horribale, she doesn't know anything about Java/C++/Pascal. She only knew about some other language and never assigned homework and was just horrible. If that is your teacher then get barron's, but if your school is respectable enough to actually try to get a good Computer Science teacher then get this book, it actually reviews. Another plus over barron's, this book actually has tips and an introduction to the test, Barron's only has 3 pages compared to a chapter with Litvin's guide on this subject.

Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java
I haven't read this book, so I am rating it on how I think the book would go, judging from the web-site. I am just saying that if you can only get one book to prepare for the AP Computer Science test get this one since this isn't available in any libraries in the U.S., or anywhere but the other AP Computer Science books are.

Evene better than their C++ version
I used their C++ version (ISBN 0965485366) for several years and my students loved it. This Java version is completely rewritten for the new exams in Java but in the same to-the-point style. Very complete review with four practice exams. It is slightly bigger than the C++ version: the Marine Biology case study chapter is included (used to be online). ... Read more

Book Description

These easy-to-understand handbooks How to Be School Smart, How to Write Terrific Book Reports, How to Do your Best on Tests, and How to Write Super School Reports have offered students clear, commonsense advice on how to successfully organize and carry out school assignments for over a decade. Now these great guides have been completely revised to reflect the needs of today's technology-savvy kids. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great
This book and another book called SURVEY OF 300 A+ STUDENTS
by Kenneth Green, are the two best books on study skills,
in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description

Master the SSAT/ISEE provides comprehensive preparation for the two most common private school admission exams, the upper-level SSAT and ISEE tests. The book includes in-depth subject review for verbal, math, reading comprehension, writing skills with extensive examples and practice questions. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

to kill a mockingbird
This is a story about a man named Atticus Finch an attorney who lives in small town who is considered to be well off. He lives there with his daughter called Scout and his son Jem. Atticus is a man of convictions, he does not see any place for prejudice of any kind. He is called upon to defend a blackman Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white girl. He knew this case would be difficult to win and could totally change his life. The story seems to focus on the representation of the mockingbirdas a symbol of innocence.
Atticus was portrayed as a good father who taught his children honesty and compassion. He had a tough time as a lawyer who was labeled as a "Nigger Lover" because he showed respect towards the black community. He took many risks to stand up for his beliefs.
I related well with "Scouts", Jean Louis who was strong willed and loved to be involved with everthing. She could not understand why people dislike other people just because they were different. Scout idolized her brother and preferred to hang out with Jem than anyone else.
Jem was just an ordinay boy who supported his father's beliefs. He looked out for his sister Scout. He would become his sister's hero when Scout was attacked in the woods by a crazed man whose heart was full of hate.
The character Boo Radley was a bit confusing. I could not quite follow the author's portrayal. It was a mystery that did not unravel until the end of the story. It was reassuring to find out that Boo turned out to be sweet and kind but an introverted soul.
Tom Robinson the alleged rapist's personal life was not really described until they went to trial. It was definitely unfortunate that he was the center of so much ignorance, prejudice and in my opinion, blindness which prohidited the pursuit of justice. The story was easy to read but difficult to follow. It was a little drawn out but once i became familiar with the characters I could not put it down.
The mockingbird that was mentioned repeatedly represents innocence. This novel makes us all look at innocence and try to understand it. It made us see how some people are capable of killing the innocent because of their own ignorance and prejudices. It also makes us realize how we judge those people who are different and eccentric like Boo Radley who turns out was more humane than the townspeople who feared him. We all began as children who look at things innocently but as we grow older are influenced by others that changed our opinion on how we think of people.

A thematic guide on Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Here in Duluth everybody in town is supposed to be reading Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and there are all sorts of literary discussions, dramatic events, and the like going on all month long. In addition to rereading the novel, which is probably my favorite in American Literature, I have been looking over the various study guides available. Barron's "Literature Made Easy" guides are based on "modern scientific knowledge of how the brain works," which means not only using pictures and graphics, but unique "mind maps" that summarize details students need to learn. The idea with these is that you use them to take notes and develop a personal outline of your thoughts about the character and plot of the novel which branch out from a central point. Now, this might look a bit intimidating to me, but the goal is to build simple chains of key associations regarding what is happening in a novel and what it means. Ah, the joys of 21st century education.

This book, written by Mary Hartley, also makes use of icons for key themes from Harper Lee's novel: growing up is a cake, courage is a heart, racial prejudice a face half black and half white, etc. A typewriter is used to highlight commentary about Lee's choice of words and imagery (i.e., style and language). These icons pop up during the commentary section so that students can trace the develop and interaction of the various themes. The guide begins with some background on the author and the time in which "To Kill a Mockingbird" is set, followed by a synopsis, a discussion of the main characters, and an overview of the main themes of the novel.

The commentary section breaks each chapter into sections. For example, Chapter 1 is broken down into The start of it all, Atticus and the Finch family, Dill's arrival, Boo and the Radleys, and "Just go up and touch the house." Each section starts with the first and last sentence that define it, followed by a list of what happens in that part, commentary, and questions marked with stars which young readers are supposed to stop and think about. In comparison to similar study guides, such as Cliffsnotes, this approach has the key values of inviting active participation from the readers and dealing with more discrete units within each chapter. The little pieces add up to some significant whole without the students realizing what is going on.

The back of the book has Topics for Discussion and Brainstorming, suggestions on How to Get an "A" in English Literature (which probably translates to American Lit as well), an Exam Essay, a Model Answer and Essay Plan, Glossary and Index. My feeling is that this book is geared more towards junior high students, which is fine since that was the grade level at which I taught "To Kill a Mockingbird." Teachers can certainly find some useful things to emphasize in class discussions, even if students are not using the guide. Other volumes in the "Literature Made Easy Series" look at "Animal Farm," "Julius Caesar," "Lord of the Flies," "MacBeth," "Of Mice and Men," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Romeo and Juliet."

This book is sensational!
To Kill a Mocking Bid is definitely one of the best books in American history. It clearly describes the unjust discrimination against the blacks in the south in the 1930's. It taught me alot about racism in the south. I really admire Atticus Finch, the main character in this novel, he stepped up to defend a black man despite losing all his friends and reputation.

A wonderful book for all ages.
Great life lessons, on racism and hate. It makes you sympathetic towards the outsiders. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Best AP History Prep Book
This was the only thing I used to study for the AP exam and it helped me ace the exam. It also has additional material that is not supplied in the regular history book, which got me some right answers on the exam! THIS IS ALL YOU NEED FOR A 5!

Excellent
If you're taking the AP exam make sure you know this book by heart. You can't help but get a 5. Better than all (and I mean ALL) the other AP U.S. History Books out there.

Great, Great Book
I loved this book! It helped me earn a 5 on the exam. It had comprehensive summaries and practice questions after each chapter, It also had practice DBQs and I even like the color! 10 stars!!!!BUY THIS BOOK!

Wow! What a book!
I'm sorry but the textbook we were using in class just didn't cut it.It was overlong and, frankly, boring.It used a ton of figurative language and never got to the point.The readings in my textbook were difficult to understand because the book assumed you had already taken a class in US History.This book, saved me! It presented all of the information logically and simply.After each chapter it provided sample documants and quizzes.This book is fantastic to read as you go along in your textbook in class, or to just simply review for the AP exam.I felt well prepared for the exam and definitely recommend this book.

very helpful
this is a great book if u r looking to get ahead in the ap class. if gives a lot of infoabout everything and i mean everything that happened in the history of the united states ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

pretty good
I used this book in my french class and I thought it was great practice and very helpful, but yeah, be warned -- this is just the student copy WITHOUT the tapes or the answers so pretty useless it's used in a classroom setting.

disappointed
This book is simply a question book. In order to use it properly you need the audio cassettes and the the teacher's guide( to check your answers!) which is impossible to purchase unless you are a teacher. It makes no sense why it is sold on it's own. A complete waste of money........

No answers + no tapes or CDs = Useless
I ordered this book after reading the 5 star review, and upon receiving it realized that it is a STUDENT edition, with NO ANSWERS and NO tapes or CDs (or even a written script) for the listening sections! Without answers and tapes, it is useless as an AP study guide! The Amazon description of the book should state this, so other people don't waste their time ordering it. I couldn't find the missing items on Amazon, so I searched the web until I found the teacher guide ($16.97) and tapes ($49.97) on the Prentice Hall webpage.

J'utilise ce livre dans ma classe de français!
I use this book in my French class. It's the book mon prof uses to test us. I think the listening exercises provided in here are wonderful. The other exercises are good as well. The vocabulary provided in the back is also very good. It's an excellent prep tool for anyone in AP French language. Bon chance! ... Read more

Book Description

This is the guide to the entrance exam for New York City's top public high schools!Every December, thousands of New York City's brightest eighth and ninth graders compete for admission to the Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Stuyvesant High School--and this teacher-recommended book is the only guide to the entrance exam! Now revised to cover the latest test format, it includes 10 sample tests, explanatory answers for all questions--plus practice tests for the Hunter Junior/Senior High School Entrance Exam.Stephen Krane is a former teacher at Bronx High School of Science. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

SSHSAT Book review
There are a few prep books in the market, I woul rate them as below
1. Barron's How to prepare for SSHSAT ----4 stars
2. Kaplan's SCI-Hi------------------------3 stars
3. Princeton Preview SSHSAT---------------3 stars
4. Arco Specialized science High exam-----2 stars

I GOT INTO STUYVESANT!!!!
I bought this book preparing for another exam. When it was time to prepare for the Specialized High school exam I picked up this book again. My friends thought I had no chance. They were paying $1,000 for courses. While I was just using this book. And now Im in Stuyvesant and they're not. It's all thanks to this book!!!

I MADE IT INTO STUYVESANT JUST BY USING THIS BOOK!
I made it into Stuyvesant High School. I didn't use any other book (I couldn't find any). This book really helped me.

Spend your money wisely
I was accepted to Stuyvesant High school. To prepare for the exam, I used almost all the books available on the market, including Arco.

Do not plan to rely on Arco books as a primary source of test preparation. The questions are not challenging enough. The reading passages do not share the same depth of analysis like those found on the exam. The math questions are much too simple and require almost no thinking skills whatsoever. The logic questions do not encourage the reader to reason through a situation. As a result, the user of Arco books is mislead about the exam's degree of difficulty.

Tried and True
ARCO's Specialized Science High Schools Admissions Test guide was a staple when I was preparing for the big test. It explained the exam format, gave test-taking strategies, and provided ten short sample quizzes. It gives a wide variety of sample questions, and explains why the right answer is correct. Using this resource, I made the Bronx Highschool of Science! If you are serious about the science high schools, the ARCO SSHSAT book is a must. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not up to expectations
This workbook contains 5 pages of SAT9 general overview and
howto suggestions about improving test scores such as answer the easy questions first.
This is followed by one example of an SAT 9 test with a short (4-5 sentences) paragraph of suggestions/tips for each test category (2-4 pages each including answers).
For example, the language context category is preceded by the suggestion that reading
the entire sentence will help in finding the meaning of the unknown word.
The book is no more that a glorified SAT test with less
than expected amount of extra help. The book's scope is thus
very limited in its use for preparing an SAT student.

How to Prepare for the SAT 9 - 3rd Grade is great help!
This text is a helpful guide to warming up for the dreaded SAT 9 test. It guides parents and their test taking children in the types of questions that might appear on the test. ... Read more

Book Description

This brand new version of the popular Spectrum Test Prep series offers children the preparation they need to achieve success on standardized tests. With content developed by educators experienced in standardized tests such as The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Terra Nova/CTBS, and Statewide Assessments, this series of workbooks offers students a comprehensive and sequential way to practice the content areas offered on state tests. In addition, the Test Prep series familiarizes students with test-taking strategies – how to approach multiple choice, true/false, and analogy questions, for example. The books also include instruction on how to manage time, eliminate answers, and skim passages for main ideas, plus tips for parents.

Features:

• Up-to-date content reflecting state and national standards
• Tips on test preparation
• Homework log
• Skills checklist
• Strategies and techniques for answering different kinds of questions
• Full-length practice tests

Book Description

This invaluable guide to studying covers everything students need to know about tests, including how to study for quizzes, tests, and exams and how to prepare for all the major standardized tests -- from the CAT to the Stanford Achievement Tests. Crammed with practical tips and sound advice -- plus a wide range of sample questions -- How To Do Your Best on Tests helps students approach every test with confidence. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

In case you didn't know...
If you're reading this, it's no news to you that test-taking is a skill apart from learning. The better one knows the subject, the more likely that person will score well. But a second--and important--factor is how well one knows how to prepare for and take a test. This brief book provides a nitty-gritty compendium of such vital skills.
I used this book in conjunction with the excellent, and broader, "What Smart Students Know" (Adam Robinson) to teach a small college orientation week class on school survival skills. This book is valuable in its directness and scope. At its price, it's really a "no-brainer" purchase (sorry, pun intended).

(...)

How to do your best on tests
I thought this book was very good. Since i have read this book i've improved in my test taking skills and i also plan to do better on them in the future. I think this book can help people of all ages-young and old- read this book and you'll never fail a test agian. ... Read more

Book Description

This book prepares teachers, students, and parents for this increasingly important test. It is based on California's state standards, which are what the SAT 9 is testing. This book is full of test taking tips and strategies, parent tips, the actual state standards, and lots of practice problems based on the standards. A must for anyone concerned about their child or school's preformance on the SAT 9 ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Who checked this
While overall usefull I found many errors in the test answers and had to check each answer myself. Not what I paid for. ... Read more

Book Description

This book prepares teachers, students, and parents for this increasingly important test. It is based on California's state standards, which is what the SAT 9 is testing. This book is full of test taking tips and strategies, parent tips, the actual state standards, and lots of practice problems based on the standards. A must for anyone concerned about their child or school's preformance on the SAT 9 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How to Prepare for the SAT 9 - 4th grade
This is a good source for test preparation, second only to McGraw-Hill Spectrum Test Prep book.

Wouldn't buy again
We have the 2nd grade book in this series (different author, same editor) and are very satisfied. This one is a different story.

Questions are so clumsily worded as to have no real correct answer, regional variations in meanings of words are ignored, and some questions are just plain wrong (one question, for instance, asks students to find the misspelled word; all possible answers are spelled correctly, including the one listed as the "correct" answer in the key.)

In addition, it is heavily oriented to California's testing requirements. It may be very interesting to know which native American tribe lived in which section of California, but as the history of everything other than California is mostly ignored, it isn't much help in preparing children in other states for their tests.

Terrific
I have been using this book with my daughter and we love it. She and I were able to sit down together and work on it for over a half an hour. She does not like to do homework, and for her to work with me for that amount of time and remember what she was doing is great. The topics are straightforward and helpfull for me as a parent. I am looking forward to starting the fifth grade book with her. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

To Say Informative Would Be An Injustice
Where should I begin? This book is one of the most in-depth, comprehensive, and helpful Test Prep books I have seen so far. For students of AP Spanish, this book is almost a must as it covers all aspects of the course and gives an endless amount of tips that are sure to be helpful on test day. For those who are hesitant about buying this book and fearing that it will be another dull, inexplicable waste of money, I highly advise that you look at the contents that Amazon.com provides. Grammatical structures are fully covered and there is a huge array of vocabulary that fills almost every chapter to the brim. The authors of this book also include many students' weaknesses and help teach strategies to strengthen skills with many examples. Most importantly, however, is the fact that everything is explained thoroughly and in a manner that everyone can easily understand. Asterisks, underlined phrases, circled words, and bolded information along with tips to the side of the margins easily help focus the reader's attention on what information is crucial to retain. As far as familiarizing the student with the actual test is concerned, the book is filled with 3 practice tests and comes with 2 CDs which cover the speaking and listening portions of the exam. Aside from that, every chapter contains exercises that closely mirror actual test questions in order to further aid students. Overall, this book is almost vital for the average student looking to maximize his or her scores on the AP Spanish test. If reviewed nightly and taken seriously, this book can very well help the anxiety-plagued student who would normally make a 1, make a perfect 5. Very highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

GED Mathematics preparatory course in Spanish. Includes sample tests. ... Read more

Book Description

This book helps teachers, parents and their children prepare for the SAT 9. The SAT9 is given to students and completely covers the state standards. The book includes all the state standards, parent tips and lots of practice problems. This book is a must for all serious students and for parents concerned with their child's preformance on this all-important test. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good, but could be better
This book is very good in that it offers numerous questions, which gives the student very good practice, but the answers that follow have no explantions. Also, it lacks info on the actual format of the test, the pacing a student should use when taking it, and the time allowed. The tactics given are helpful, but this book would have been better if the book had set times the student should try to achieve, offered explanations to the preceding questions, and given more information about the format of the test. However, it did offer much practice, which was very useful. ... Read more

Book Description

This brand new version of the popular Spectrum Test Prep series offers children the preparation they need to achieve success on standardized tests. With content developed by educators experienced in standardized tests such as The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Terra Nova/CTBS, and Statewide Assessments, this series of workbooks offers students a comprehensive and sequential way to practice the content areas offered on state tests. In addition, the Test Prep series familiarizes students with test-taking strategies – how to approach multiple choice, true/false, and analogy questions, for example. The books also include instruction on how to manage time, eliminate answers, and skim passages for main ideas, plus tips for parents.

Features:

• Up-to-date content reflecting state and national standards
• Tips on test preparation
• Homework log
• Skills checklist
• Strategies and techniques for answering different kinds of questions
• Full-length practice tests