Book Description
One diagnostic test and three full-length model SAT Subject Tests in Physics reflect recent actual tests in length, subject matter, and degree of difficulty. All questions are answered and explained. An extensive subject review covers mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and all other test topics. Also explained is the methodology used in solving physics problems, a basic math review, additional practice questions with answers, and test-taking tips.
Customer Reviews:
Tough. Too tough for even the writers, it seems.......2007-05-29
I'll put it out now - I ranked top 5% for the NJ science league for physics I . I've had many experiences with questions aimed at really testing your knowledge, and some of these questions do that. But some of them do it too much, to an extent where the question covers information NOT even in the information they cover in their chapter review sections. Worse, there are many glaring errors, both in their review, in their tests/questions, and their reasoning for their questions. Their questions, like i said, aim to test you, but often it only comes off as confusingly worded. Sometimes, the answer they find uses numbers different than initially stated (one question used 125m/s, but the answer worked off 100m/s.).
To be honest, the only thing going for this book is its name - barrons, without a doubt, is tough. But too tough, even for the writers of the book. If physics is not a strong subject for you, then find another book. You will most likely find it easier to follow
Book Description
Updated to reflect recent SAT II Physics tests, this manual presents a diagnostic test and three additional full-length model tests with all questions answered and explained. A detailed subject review covers all SAT II Physics topics and reviews the required math skills. Also featured are additional practice questions with answers.
Customer Reviews:
insightfull comment.......2007-01-10
This is a good book a source of information for what comes in the test. But the actual test is more difficult than the practice tests in the book
are you ready to be a professional physicists?.......2006-11-29
ok, basically i took AS physics (british system) and did pretty bad (D.) I decided to take the SAT 2 physics to show what im really made of to the universities, and this book came along. Essentially this book is difficult to comprehend, its probably useful to study it with a tutor. It has so much detail most of it does not come up in the exam, but knowing more than what is needed is better than knowing less. I got 690 which isnt entirely good i.e 800 but its acceptable. I did this without a tutor so one might succeed with a tutor and this book.
Trivial Information Encyclopedia.......2006-05-27
This book has WAY WAY WAY WAAAAAAAAAY to much trivial information. I took advanced placement physics and I never even heard of half of this stuff. It takes a long time to sift through all of the unimportant stuff, and it is even missing some important information. Do yourself a favor, and don't buy this book.
a decent review book.......2005-05-24
While its practice problems may not exactly represent those on the actual test, they get you acquainted with the format and the types of questions you will likely encounter. My suggestion is to use this book to study for the modern physics portion of the exam, which some regular textbooks don't cover. For mechanics and E&M, use your own resources instead, as the barron's study book cover some trivial and unimportant information that will only serve to confuse you. Certainly don't just rely on this book to study off of.
Definitely not recommended.......2004-11-30
The convoluted explanations and completely inaccurate practice tests make this book pretty near worthless. The two weeks I spent going through it were a waste of time. Now, I'm going to buy the PR book and use that for review.
Book Description
Master the SAT II Physics Subject Test and score higher... Our test experts show you the right way to prepare for this important college exam. REA's SAT II Physics Subject test prep covers all Physics topics to appear on the actual exam including in-depth coverage of vectors, kinetic theory, mechanics, magnetism, and more. The book features 5 full-length practice SAT II Physics exams. Each practice exam question is fully explained to help you better understand the subject material. Use the book's glossary for speedy look-ups and smarter searches.
Follow up your study with REA's proven test-taking strategies, powerhouse drills and study schedule that get you ready for test day.
DETAILS
- Comprehensive review of every physics topic to appear on the SAT II subject test
- Flexible study schedule tailored to your needs
- Packed with proven test tips, strategies and advice to help you master the test
- 5 full-length practice SAT II Physics Subject exams. Each exam question is answered in complete detail with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations.
- The book's glossary allows for quicker, smarter searches of the information you need most
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE TEST
ABOUT THE REVIEW
SCORING THE TEST
ABOUT RESEARCH & EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
PHYSICS COURSE REVIEW
Chapter 1 Vectors and Scalars
Chapter 2 Mechanics
Chapter 3 Electricity and Magnetism
Chapter 4 Waves and Optics
Chapter 5 Physical Optics
Chapter 6 Heat, Kinetic Theory, and Thermodynamics
Chapter 7 Modern Physics
List of Units and Measurements
THE PRACTICE TESTS
Test 1
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 2
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 3
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 4
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Test 5
Answer Sheet
Answer Key
Detailed Explanations of Answers
EXCERPT
About Research & Education Association
Research & Education Association (REA) is an organization of educators, scientists, and engineers specializing in various academic fields. Founded in 1959 with the purpose of disseminating the most recently developed scientific information to groups in industry, government, high schools, and universities, REA has since become a successful and highly respected publisher of study aids, test preps, handbooks, and reference works.
REA's Test Preparation series includes study guides for all academic levels in almost all disciplines. Research & Education Association publishes test preps for students who have not yet completed high school, as well as high school students preparing to enter college. Students from countries around the world seeking to attend college in the United States will find the assistance they need in REA's publications. For college students seeking advanced degrees, REA publishes test preps for many major graduate school admission examinations in a wide variety of disciplines, including engineering, law, and medicine. Students at every level, in every field, with every ambition can find what they are looking for among REA's publications.
While most test preparation books present practice tests that bear little resemblance to the actual exams, REA's series presents tests that accurately depict the official exams in both degree of difficulty and types of questions. REA's practice tests are always based upon the most recently administered exams, and include every type of question that can be expected on the actual exams.
REA's publications and educational materials are highly regarded and continually receive an unprecedented amount of praise from professionals, instructors, librarians, parents, and students. Our authors are as diverse as the fields represented in the books we publish. They are well-known in their respective disciplines and serve on the faculties of prestigious high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States and Canada.
ABOUT THE TEST
The SAT II: Physics Subject Test is developed by the College Board and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test development process involves the assistance of educators throughout the United States, and is designed and implemented to ensure that the content and difficulty level of the test are appropriate.
Although some colleges require SAT II: Subject Tests as part of their admissions process, most colleges use the scores from the SAT II: Subject Test for student placement purposes. Test scores are used as a means of determining a student's aptitude for a particular course of study.
The SAT II: Subject Test in Physics is one hour in length and consists of 75 multiple-choice questions. These questions are designed to measure your knowledge of physics and your ability to apply that knowledge. The general difficulty level of the test is designed for students who have taken a one-year introductory course in high school physics. To assist you in preparing for the exam, the College Board has provided the following list of exam topic percentages: mechanics (34-38% of exam); electricity and magnetism (22-26%); waves (15-19%); heat, kinetic theory, and thermodynamics (8-12%); modern physics (8-12%); miscellaneous (measurement, math skills, laboratory skills, history of physics, 2-4%). Concept application percentages are also provided: recall (20-33%); single-concept problem (40-53%); multiple-concept problem (20-33%).
Primarily, the test assesses your knowledge and understanding of the most significant concepts in physics and your ability to apply that knowledge. Laboratory experience will contribute to your understanding of some of the questions on the test. Since the mathematical calculations are limited to simple algebraic, trigonometric, and graphical relationships, students are not permitted to use electronic calculators or slide rules during the test. For the majority of the test, metric units are used.
For information on upcoming administrations of the exam, consult the publication Taking the SAT II: Subject Tests, which can be obtained from your guidance counselor or by contacting:
College Board SAT II Program
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, NJ 08541-6200
Phone: (609) 771-7600
Website: www.collegeboard.org
ABOUT THE REVIEW
The topical review in this book is designed to refresh your knowledge and further your understanding of the test material. It includes problem-solving techniques you can use to enhance your scores on the exam. Also included in the review are extensive discussions and examples to sharpen your skills in physics. Topics covered in the review include:
- Vectors and Scalars
- Mechanics
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Waves and Optics
- Physical Optics
- Heat, Kinetic Theory, and Thermodynamics
- Modern Physics
SCORING THE TEST
When you take the actual Physics Test, your test will be scored electronically by a scanning machine. For each correct answer, you will receive one point. For each incorrect answer, you will lose one-fourth of a point. This method compensates for random guessing. Unanswered questions will not be counted.
Customer Reviews:
Chock Full of ERRORS.......2004-03-07
Frankly, this book does not help the critical reader. I tried and didn't get as good an understanding as any other test prep book I've ever read, in any subject. There are numerous errors including spelling, incorrect answers and concepts. Not only that, but the drawings were poor - I wondered what kind of program they were using to make such images. The end product looks like what you might get if you had 5 days to finish it. Only buy if you get a tremendous deal.
Full of errors.......2002-05-08
Do not buy this book! I was astounded by the number of errors. There are serious mistakes in the core subject material as well as numerous typographical errors and incorrect answers to questions. There are several cases where the "correct" letter answer does not correspond to the detailed answer provided a few pages later. The editors, if they existed, were asleep for this one.
anon.......2000-12-09
This book is wonderful, I read through it before I took the physics test, and I scored 770 on the second try! My first one was only 660. It is great not because it gives a lot of concepts but it presents real SAT II-like questions in the practice tests. you have to use your concepts to solve them.
Horrible, riddled with errors........1999-04-28
This book's physics presentation is at about a third grade level; it is riddled with typographical, grammatical, and physics errors. A good number of the questions in the practice test are keyed incorrectly to the answer sheet, and I spotted many completely wrong statements in the core material.
Book Description
Are you ready for the SAT II: Physics exam? You will be.
Kaplan's SAT II: Physics 2004-2005 Edition comes complete with a targeted review of all the material on the exam, plus Kaplan's score-increasing strategies. This powerful combination will help you go into the test with confidence -- and come out with a higher score.
4 Full-Length Practice Tests with Detailed Answer Explanations
The Most Up-to-Date Information on the Test
Review of All the Important Test Topics, Including:
Mechanics
Heat and Thermodynamics
Electricity and Magnetism
Modern Physics
Waves
Laboratory Skills
Powerful Strategies to Help You Take Control and Succeed on the Exam
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:
Master of Physics.......2005-07-21
This book is obnoxiously bad. If you prepare for the SATII with this book, you are guaranteed to fail
It's good, but it's probably not the best.........2005-02-05
I have studied two years of physics during high school, but found out that the SAT II physics exams covers wider range of subjects than my highschool material (I was familiar with only 60% of the test material)this book did a VERY GOOD job reviewing and explaining the test material.
cons:
very easy example tests (I scored 800 In all four of them)
In the actual test I knew the material very well, and most of the questions were easy, but few were trickier and requiered some thinking (unlike the practice tests)..
I scored 760 (83 percentile) which is both good and bad, because I knew the material perfectly, if I had better practice exams, I think I would have done a little better...
(I have heard that the princeton review book is better..)
Complete, concise and understandable........2004-12-05
These are three descriptive words for this book. There were themes which I didn't cover at school, I never stepped inside a Physics lab and still, this book was very helful.
In the real test, questions are a bit longer, but if you studied from this book and from other resources -like your physics school book-you will do absolutely fine.
Except for a thing or two that the book didn't teach, it was EXCELLENT. Best thing is, it made hard things easy. Kaplan books are student-friendly in these matters.
Customer Reviews:
Good for wrapping up........2001-04-28
The more practice tests the better(by the way there is a nice problem explanation area after each test). If you are looking for a book that helps you from the ground up, forget it. Take another physics course at school. I found this book very useful for checking up on my physics.
Not good for people using SI units but was the best avail........2000-03-28
Although the book and the SAT II: Physics test stress on different things, "How to prepare..." is one very good book. The chapters are well developed and explained. The problems are more computational than they must be. I used that book to prepare myself but my country and many others use SI units. As you know, the Physics test also use SI units. However, I had to face constantly problems and theory concerned with English system.
Book Description
You will score higher. We guarantee it.
Kaplan's SAT II: Physics 2003-2004 combines an in-depth review of all the test material with Kaplan's exclusive test-taking strategies and targeted practice -- a combination guaranteed to help you score higher on this difficult subject test. With SAT II: Physics, you'll go into the exam with confidence.
4 full-length practice tests with complete explanations
In-depth review of the material covered on the exam
Intensive practice with hundreds of statistics questions
Effective strategies to help you succeed on every question type
Test Prep, Admissions and Guidance. For life.
Kaplan has helped more than 3 million students achieve their educational and career goals. With 185 centers and more than 1,200 classroom locations throughout the United States and abroad, Kaplan provides a full range of services, including test preparation courses, admissions consulting, programs for international students, professional licensing preparation, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre at Best.......2003-08-25
With about a month left to prepare for the SAT II: Physics test, and a college level background in Mechanics (from preparing for the AP Physics test), I purchased this book with the hopes of improving my knowledge of electricity, magnetism, thermal physics, and everything else the test covers that isn't Newtonian Mechanics.
After working my way through the book in about two weeks, I began taking the practice tests, and low and behold, I was near 800 on every single one of them (I believe I averaged a 780 on them), and was finishing in half the alloted time. However, once I sat down in the classroom on that Saturday morning to take the real thing, I suddenly realized that the level of questions on the test was much more difficult than anything I encountered in the book.
Sure enough, based on my guessing skills, and leaving the right questions blank, I was able to get a 700 on the test, with only ten minutes left to spare to check over my work (as opposed to thirty while practicing). 700 was exactly the minimum score I wanted, so I was quite content with it after how badly I felt right after taking it. However, I was unhappy that the book led me to believe that my score would be higher than it actually turned out to be.
In the future, I hope Kaplan models their practice tests more accurately to the level of questions on the test.
Disappointing.......2002-11-18
I purchased, and began studying with, this book three months prior to the examination. I went in on test day knowing the book cover-to-cover, but did not score above the average test score. As a straight-A physics student, I was highly disappointed with my results. Though the book did break down the basics, it did not go beyond those basics, and subsequently resulted in a less-than-comprehensive text. If you wish to take the Physics test, I would strongly recommend an AP Physics book, or even any other book.
Filled with errors........2002-06-05
Compared to the other Kaplan SAT II books this one was a major disappointment. The material was poorly covered and the book is filled with small errors. While all the material is correct, there are many typograpphical errors and other errors that should have been caught by editors. There are many typos in the otherwise very helpful practice tests. Many questions are mispelled and the answers in the back do not match up with the same questions in the test. Kaplan was very sloppy with this one. However since this is their first edition the second may be better.
Well organized and MORE sample tests.......2002-04-10
This guide is well-written making it easy to choose just the topics you are weakest in. It seems better than the competing Barrons books. Take the practice tests!
Average customer rating:
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SAT II Success Phsyics 2002 (Peterson's SAT II Success)
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Book Description
The Princeton Review realizes that acing the SAT II: Physics 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 physics–only what you'll need to score higher on the exam. There's a big difference. In Cracking the SAT II: Physics, we'll teach you how to think like the test writers and
·Dodge the test traps and pitfalls that can cost you points
·Use proven score-raising techniques to break questions down and improve your score
·Use targeted review techniques to crack mechanics, kinetics, thermodynamics, modern physics, and other complex topics
This book includes two full-length practice SAT II: Physics Subject Tests. The practice questions are just like the ones you’ll see on the actual exam, and we fully explain every solution.
Customer Reviews:
Not a bad book.......2006-06-10
This is an excellent book for studying physics but not for preparing SAT 2 physics.However this book is a little harder than the real test.
Decent Book.......2005-05-27
I found this book decent. One MAJOR complaint I have is that the problems at the end of each chapter are much too difficult and are not useful because they are too specific and will never be tested on the exam. The questions make you recall often specific formulas that won't be on the SAT II.
Also, some of the concepts covered in the book are superfluous or too far in depth. My suggestion is to use the SparkNotes Physics SAT II for review and then practice tests in this book. I haven't looked at any other review sources besides Princeton Review and SparkNotes, however out of those two I recommend the SparkNotes because it is shorter and much easier to understand.
The best way, however to study, is to have a good physics textbook, a good teacher, and be confident in material you reviewed in class. Taking this exam by just using this book and having no other knowledge is a huge mistake.
In conclusion, my main problems are the chapter questions which are too specific and exam review which is often useless and also overly meticulous.
Very good book.......2004-07-08
I took the June 04 SAT II Physics after taking a freshman Honors Physics course. In this class we did not cover electricity, magnetism, nuclear physics, particle physics, or relativity.
I studied for about two and half months prior to the exam, maybe half an hour every day, and in the last month, an hour a day, and the last two weeks, two hours a day.
This book is very good as it is extremely thorough, and I found its explanations of uncovered topics to be quite helpful.
However, there was a lot of unnecessary material that was in the book. Rotational Kinematics and a lot of particle/nuclear physics were not covered in the least on the actual exam. I don't know if this is the standard for all tests or if the edition I took was an exception.
The practice tests were much harder than the actual thing. I received a 720 and 760 on the Princeton, and an 800 on the actual thing.
In addition to the Princeton Review, I used the Kaplan and Sparknotes books and studied them thoroughly, and I glossed over the Barrons. My suggestion for doing well? Use the Kaplans and work through that in the first month or so (it is not indepth, just provides the basic ideas, and the practice tests are a joke). Then, move onto the Princeton, and perhaps take a look at some of the Barrons problems as they are extremely hard and good. However, I would advise those not to use the Sparknotes as it is plagued with errors, although the material is very good.
Good luck to all those who take the Physics SAT II. If you are any good at Physics I would advise taking it as it is one of the more lenient SAT II's (Get 8 wrong, and you can still pull off an 800 or 790).
Cutting corners.......2004-05-24
Really, if you want to buy this book I'd suggest you buy the AP Physics Review published by Princeton Review instead. Why? Because its the SAME thing! The only difference is that they took out the Physics C-level stuff and scarped out all the free response questions. All the multiple choice are the same, and so are the review material (from the diagrams to the explaination).
Publisher Says No Errors Reported.......2004-05-13
I'm giving this review a decent score sight unseen because the publisher monitors errors, and none has been reported (per Random House Customer Service, 800-733-3000).
All the SAT prep books are surely produced under tight time and budget constraints, and so the availability of errata is an important attribute. I ask others to consider this in their reviews. Random House's system is cumbersome; many publishers could learn from O'Reilly's handling of this issue.
Customer Reviews:
Wow - what a disapointment.......2004-02-08
I'm a college student transferring into another school - I've been through 2.5 years of college math and I needed to brush up on some of the stuff I hadn't used since high school so that I could take the SAT II Math IIC, a requirement for some of the schools I'm trying to go to. College math credits are apparently no match for requirements set forth by admissions boards.
While browsing the book, I saw no less than 10 major errors in the explanitory parts of the book - now, it's one thing to make a mistake on a review question, but when there are HUGE errors in the parts of the book dedicated to trying to help you learn something, there's a problem. Luckily they didn't affect me much, since I know all of the material in the book, but I feel sorry for anyone else who isn't quite on solid ground with this material. For example, there is a part of the book detailing Statistics and Probablility. After adding up 20 fictional test scores, you are then told how to find the Arithmetic Mean, Mode, Median, and Range - too bad they made an error on the most simple part of the whole problem: Adding up the test scores. Their answer was 84 LESS than when you get by simply plugging the numbers in a calculator and hitting enter. This is a no-brainer here, something that "Hardvard Students" should not mess up. My mother never went to college and she knows how to add better than that.
That brings me to my next point. They make it a point to say it was written by _*OMG HARVARD STUDENTS!!*_ - to sell more books - although I'm betting the students were busy getting drunk until the week before their deadline and they made tons of errors just trying to get the book out on time... This isn't worth the money you'll pay for it.
Conclusion: Solid in theory, but disapointingly lacking in the details.
Customer Reviews:
Where are Errata?.......2004-05-13
This book must have been produced under tight budget and time constraints. On the other hand, I'm out of practice. Let's just say I *suspect* a number of errors in the sample tests. This would be fine if the publisher made errata available. (See OReilly.com for an excellent example.) Unfortunately, I cannot find them online, and the publisher has not responded to either e-mail or telephone messages. That's pretty disappointing.
Due to production pressures and frequently issued new editions, availability of errata should be an important criterion in evaluating test preparation books. I ask other reviewers to consider this in their comments.
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Cracking the SAT Physics Subject Test, 2007-2008 Edition (College Test Prep)
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