Powerful Strategies to Help You Take Control and Succeed on the Exam
Also available from Kaplan:
AP Biology 2004
World Leader in Test Prep and Admissions
Kaplan has helped more than 3 million students achieve their educational and career goals. With 185 centers and over 1,200 classroom locations throughout the U.S. and abroad, Kaplan provides a full range of services, including test prep courses, admissions consulting, programs for international students, professional licensing preparation, and more.
For more information, contact us at
1-800-KAP-TEST or visit
kaptest.com.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2006-12-03
I used this book for my own exam and got a 720 on it. I only found two negative aspects of this book; the poor diagrams and irrelevant information. In place of the diagrams in the Kaplan, i recommend that you use Priceton Review. I absolute hope that you don't use the Barron's book, considering all of the poeple i know who sue it said it sucked. I personally found that their font and spacing was too small and hard to read. Kaplan has larger text and large margins in the pages for you to tkae notes.
Kaplan's Biology compared to others.......2005-10-16
I got a 760 on the test (40 points below my goal). Although I read through the princeton review book (which reads like a novel, but not), the barron's book (which DOES have irrelevant stuff), and the REA book (which has 6 practice tests, but the material it reviews doesn't seem quite standard), I used Kaplan's mainly. It takes a lot of time to review, but it covers everything in an organized way, with 5 main subjects. Another note: Use the fourth edition, the one with a green and black cover. All of the "effective through 2003" editions are printed on brighter, higher quality paper than the editions that were "improved." I find it easier to read from this paper, that is just like the paper in your copy machine.
Excellent book.......2004-09-10
This book served to help me with the exam. Important topics liked ecology and cells are explained that is nice to learn from. I also used Cliff's Biology by Philip Pack which is also a good reference--easy reading. However, if you want great test preparation questions get the following which helped also---
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations
Volume 1 isbn: 1933023007
Volume 2 isbn: 1933023015
Volume 3 isbn: 1933023023
These study guides were very thorough for going over the important topics encountered. Kaplan SAT II: is also very good for building the core knowledge in biology that one needs to know for test.
SOLID HELP.......2004-06-18
I used this book along with the Cliffs AP Biology review book. They worked great together. KAPLAN's book reads like a textbook but is good to read twice. Cliffs is excellent inside-out as far as information coverage. Read that for a foundation. Concentrate before you read and you will do just fine. I did- I got a 790 and just read these two books for 2 weeks. The test might have a few wierd questions but don't get afraid, SAT 2s are scored very leniently. You will do fine.
Good book!.......2003-08-21
I used this book (if only for 2 days!) and got a 740 in June '03. The 2 practice tests were good, although some of the other content was boring. I didn't find any errors, and thought that the practice tests were harder than the actual thing
Customer Reviews:
good coverage, A LOT of good coverage.......2003-10-30
This book is really good and covers all of the bases of biology, but I only have a week to prepare for the test, and all of this material is, well, quite overwhelming. I would definitely reccomend this book if you have two weeks or more to prepare for this test. If you have the test really soon like me I would reccomend going with the Kaplan book.
This book was average.......2003-01-03
I am not a great studier but i did not find this book covered all the topics on the Sat2. The tests were way too easy. I scored nearly 70 points lower on the actual Sats. Decent book but i think you could find better books out there. There was a ton of information but it was too much for me to cram with yet it didn't cover all the questions on the real tests. The answers were well explained to their practice tests but maybe that was because they were so easy.
Maybe if you have over a year..........2002-12-31
When I decided to take the SAT II Biology, I also ordered the Barron's and Kaplan test preps. I had already taken the AP Biology test and recieved a 5, and I had the Cliff's AP Biology book as well. I had about a month and a half left before the Dec. exam and opened up the Barrons book to get started. MISTAKE MISTAKE MISTAKE!!! This book is very intimidating, there is way more information that you need to know, for example, the whole section on cancer and other diseases is completely unnecessary. TRUST ME...YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW THOSE DISEASES!!! The practice tests reflect the information provided in this book and is more like a "final exam" for those that read the book instead of an accurate model. I shut the book up within two days, thinking yeah right, and I picked up the Kaplan book instead. The Barron's book is also very visually unappealing and goes into too much detail. I would only use it if I had over a year to study and needed to make sure I knew every possible thing. The Kaplan book was a better at giving you the right material, but sometimes the paragraph format of the book takes too much time to read through. At this point, it would be smartest to use the Cliff's AP Biology book to get a quicker easier grasp of the information necessary. Neither the Kaplan nor the Barrons had very good practice tests, so I'd just take both to get a feel for what I need to know.
Good book, not enough detail.......2002-10-07
I was quite pleased with this book in that it covered everything and more that was on the SATII, but it alone will not do. I had a great teacher for Honors Biology, and that I belive is what earned me my 720. This book did help the nights before the test with little miscellaneous buts of information, but the book really does not teach.
The book just throws information at you without trying to get you to understand the pricess or the concept. That is was the teacher is for.
If you had a bad teacher or were not even taking Bio., this book would only help you if you were an insane memorizer like those weird kids in Japan that stay up until 2am studying for quizzes.
If you want a 'just average' score.......2002-06-01
This book was ok if u only want an average score. I just took the SAT II Biology E the other day and the questions on the test were BARELY covered in the book. The does have some detailed summaries, but only about 1/4 of the material on the test could be found in the book. and the practice tests were SOOO incredibly easy. Perhpas this was to boost morale so it made the book look like it was a good book......but I dunno. When I take the test again after i take AP bio, i'll use the Princton or the Kaplan.
Average customer rating:
- Great, but lacking
- I liked it, despite its simplicity
- A disgrace...
- Good if you've never, ever picked up a biology book
- Too dull...
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Cracking the SAT II: Biology E/M, 2003-2004 Edition (College Test Prep)
Judene Wright
Manufacturer: Princeton Review
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Similar Items:
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Cracking the SAT II: Math, 2003-2004 Edition (College Test Prep)
ASIN: 0375762949
Release Date: 2003-03-11 |
Book Description
The Princeton Review realizes that acing the SAT II: Biology Subject Test is very different from getting straight A’s in school. We don't try to teach you everything there is to know about biology–only what you'll need to score higher on the exam. There's a big difference. In Cracking the SAT II: Biology E/M, we'll teach you how to think like the test writers and
·Score higher by reviewing key biology concepts
·Earn more points by familiarizing yourself with the format of the test
·Safeguard yourself against traps that can cost you points
·Perfect your skills by practicing review questions in each chapter
This book includes two full-length practice SAT II: Biology E/M Subject Tests. All of our practice questions are just like the ones you'll see on the actual exam, and we fully explain every solution.
Customer Reviews:
Great, but lacking.......2004-01-15
Well I've taken the test and I did fairly well, a 740, decent, but not great. However I managed to go through about 3/4 of this book and finished the rest later just for the heck of it. So here's essentially the basis of this book. First the sections give you generally accurate information and provide you with practice sets and questions after each section. However, though most sections cover 80-100 percent of the needed SAT II information there are some key lacking points. Firs the ear and eyes are not covered. And let me tell you this: THERE IS ALMOST ALWAYS A QUESTION ON THEM! Yes two tests in a row there have been questions on the eyes and ears, hm... Also genetics is a bit brief, while evolution is simply great. Also let me note that the SAT II had fewer molecular questions in general in the regular exam part, then analysis and organism biology. So using this with the Kaplan book, and studying will likely get you at least a 750-800 depending on study time.
I liked it, despite its simplicity.......2003-11-02
Most people, in their reviews, have found excuses to call this book bad simply because it is easy to read. Well, let me tell you right now that just because the book is easy to read does not mean that it is a bad book. I've looked at other books, but this book appealed to me most because of the fact that it isn't boring like most text books. I'll go as far as to say that reading this book was an enjoyable experience for me (something I can't say for most books). This book recognizes the fact that the SAT2 Biology is a concept based test, and it uses this to the advantage of the reader. The book presents the concepts in a "big picture" form and gets into some detail, but not much. This way, the reader is able to get a grasp of the material without getting overwhelmed. I used this book EXCLUSIVELY for just 2 days and I got a 740 on the SAT2 Biology M. If I would have spent more time reading it, I'm sure I could have done better. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good SAT2 Biology preparation book with minimal time commitment and minimal headache from boredom.
A disgrace..........2003-09-05
I had purchased this book three months prior to the Biology SAT II examination; it offered a concise review of my 9th grade biology curriculum, perhaps too concise. Those who repeat my blunder of studying from this guild will, as I did, find themselves in an inept state as they ponder for several minutes on question "X", in a futile attempt to recall fact "Y".
Too generalized!
Ambiguous!
Repository of useless facts!
Harbinger of a poor grade!
Good if you've never, ever picked up a biology book.......2003-07-12
It's simple and to the point. It's great if you are not so well versed in biology, or there's a concept that you don't understand. I used this only to do the latter. If there was something I didn't understand from my textbook I went and looked it up. If your looking for a last minute review this book is also for you. If not then go get the barrons. People say the barrons book is not that great because it contains too much information. Would you rather buy a book that had too little? Then you just end up wasting your money and buying another book. Get the barrons. All lot of it isn't seen too often, but I was surprised when some topics I thought wouldn't be on the tes were.
Too dull..........2003-05-24
This is really boring. The topics are presented in a really messy way, with way too many diagrams. Stick with the Barrons book. That one made me want to study.
Book Description
WE KNOW THE SAT II: BIOLOGY
The experts at The Princeton Review study the SAT II: Biology and other standardized tests each year to make sure you get the most up-to-date, thoroughly researched books possible.
WE KNOW STUDENTS
Each year we help more than two million students score high with our courses, bestselling books, and award-winning software:
WE GET RESULTS
Students who take our courses for the SAT, ACT, and many other tests see score improvements that have been verified by independent accounting firms. The proven techniques we teach in our courses are in this book.
AND IF IT'S ON THE BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGY E/M EXAM, IT'S IN THIS BOOK
We don't try to teach you everything there is to know about biology--only the techniques you'll need to know to score high on the SAT II exam. There's a big difference. In Cracking the SAT II: Biology and Bio E/M, 1999-2000 Edition, you will learn to think like the test makers and:
*Eliminate answer choices that look right but are planted to fool you
*Earn more points by reviewing and mastering the biology topics most likely to be tested
*Avoid the traps that trick most students
*Use targeted review techniques to crack the complex structures and functions of organisms
Practice your skills on the full-length sample tests inside. The questions are just like the ones you'll see on the actual SAT II: Biology and Bio E/M exam, and we fully explain every solution.
Customer Reviews:
Good for mediocracy.......2000-07-07
I am a biology teacher who was looking for a book to help another teacher's student prepare for the SAT II's in Biology. I was attracted to this book because it seemed to have a lot of helpful test taking strategies and because it was a fairly easy read. The student I worked with, who had done very well in a competitive high honors biology class, did the entire book, and the two practice tests, yet she only scored a 650 on the real exam. In looking over other materials, I can now see that the Princeton Review manual is a lot less thorough, although it is clearer and more readable. Since many courses do not cover all the material on the exam, lack of thoroughness can mean the student does not get any exposure to several topics. If you are looking for an above average score, this book is certainly easier to follow, as well as more enjoyable. However, it is not for the person loking for the highest possible score. In addition, the amount of mistakes the book has is pathetic- for example, they left out how to score one of the tests!
The Princeton Review has a good reputation, but I am beginning to believe they are for the average to slightly above average level student. This is not the only book by them in which I have had a negative experience- I doubt I'll buy something from them again.
Recommended Book.......2000-05-09
The material in this book is easy to read (easier than Barrons). It doesn't get into the nitty gritty details but the important concepts were covered. It's good to read before you go to the textbook; it gives a general idea of the topic. Barrons went into a lot of details and for me their explanations were not that clear.
Pretty Good.......2000-04-18
It was a pretty good preparation. Though the review of Biology was pretty skimpy, the techniques for getting a higher score is Great! I am taking AP Biology right now, so I understand all of the info, but I am a bad test-taker, but this will give me the edge I need!
This Book is too Easy.......2000-03-08
This book took me about 10 seconds to read. When I finished, I thought I knew everything. Nope. I got a lousy 690 (about 10 points were becuase of this book and the other 680 because of my teacher). If thats what you want go for this book, if not get another one (still looking for a good one) Plus there are about 5000 mistakes
Too many mistakes. Covers just basics........2000-02-16
It's a shame they didn't proofread the book. The number of mistakes in the 1999-2000 edition which we bought in Spring 1999 rendered it totally unacceptable. [Just two examples of the types of careless mistakes found throughout: on page 27 the drawing of a peptide leaves out a double-bonded oxygen. In the first test there are two errors in the answer section: in one case the answer key gives the wrong letter for the answer (the explanation section is correct) and in another, the explanation section gives one letter for the answer but proceeds to explain why another one is correct. My son even found two mistakes on one page of the text; I wish I could remember which page.] These sorts of mistakes made it impossible to trust anything else in the book.
If they would remove all the mistakes it would be a very helpful, easy-to-read book for those who need quick help in order to score decently. For those striving to score in the top brackets (above 700), a "meatier" book like the Barron's is essential; this one is rather minimalist in its coverage of the material.
Book Description
Everything students need to ace the SAT II exams
As if taking the SAT I weren’t traumatic enough, many colleges and universities require applicants to take one or more SAT II tests to demonstrate their mastery of specific high school subjects. The five books in McGraw-Hill’s SAT II series cover tests taken by more than 475,000 students each year. Written by experts in their respective fields, these first-rate preparation guides arm students with everything they need to ace the tests, including:
- Diagnostic exams that pinpoint relative strengths and weaknesses
- Numerous full-length sample tests
- Hundreds of problems with complete solutions
- Step-by-step reviews of all topics covered in each exam
- Classroom-tested strategies to help students earn top scores
Customer Reviews:
Beware typos ahead!!.......2007-06-25
I use three books at a time to study for the SAT II Biology exam. No review book is perfect; athlough, I would highly suggest buying a copy of Barron's. Until reaching page 85, I rather liked McGraw-Hill and thought that Barron's was getting a run for its money!! But seeing as though McGraw-Hill got the forumla for the Krebs Cycle wrong due to a typo, I have lost a lot of confidence. 2 NADH ARE NOT THE NET GAIN FROM KREBS PER PYRUVATE! IT IS 3!!! 2NADH per Pyruvate would leave us 6 ATP short! Not good!
Other than that rant, McGraw-Hill does give some good outside information and yet another perspective on Biology-something you really need when facing the exam!
Proceed with caution!
Disgraceful........2007-05-25
I am totally disgusted with this review book. I have been studying this review for a little over a week and I just cannot stand it anymore. I find a typo on every page, literally. The tests are both unrealistic and have the wrong answers printed in the back of the book. Additionally, there is no scoring guide to even gauge how well you are doing. Not that that would matter, because there is really no way to even find out which questions you got wrong in the first place. Truthfully, I feel more confused about biology now then when I started reading this mess.
Book is Full of Errors/Typos.......2006-06-03
Editors must've been napping on this one. The book is full of errors, typos, and many of the answers to the questions are placed incorrectly resulting in an absolutely frustrating experience for someone who is probably already suffering anxiety at having to take the SAT II to begin with. (I know it was for me). I suggest you buy a similar book from another publisher. Their editors messed up. When trying to take practice tests and determine how I'd do on the SAT II, I was confronted with answers for questions all jumbled, making me (at first glance) believe that I had repeatedly failed the practice exam and giving me no hope for the real test. (You can surely imagine how frustrating this was after all of the studying I had been doing!) Many questions also did not have supporting information in the review part, so there was no way to go back and look up something you might not understand and need to review again. Some of the answers given in the answer key were not backed up by the explanations and some of the explanations contradicted themselves so you kind of didn't really know if your answer was right or not, which doesn't help much. Please note that I'm an honors student with a very high average so it's not like I'm whining and just trying to blame the publishers. I just think that it's important for the book to HELP you study for the SAT II, not CONFUSE you. In short: this book helped only slightly, and I would NOT recommend it to anyone.
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- Biology: Concepts & Connections with Student CD-ROM (5th Edition)
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Cracking the SAT Biology E/M Subject Test, 2007-2008 Edition (College Test Prep)
Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Biology E/M, 2007-2008 Edition (Kaplan Sat Subject Test. Biology E/M)
How to Prepare for the SAT II Math Level II C
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