By Dr. Robert Postman and Ryan Postman. Grade: A

So it’s your turn, huh? The SAT test is finally upon you. That test that will decide your fate when it comes to getting into colleges and will tell you how smart or how dumb you are. And you know the math section is not only going to get you, it will crush you. Turns out you can relax. The SAT is a multiple choice test with little bubbles you get to fill in, fun pictures and logical answers. And no matter what anyone says the SAT is not an IQ test. What you need is a book that understands your frenzied predicament and puts its information in an hands-on, ready-to-digest, kind of way. And I’ve got just the one for you.

There are quite a few books on mastering the SAT. Some are 6 inches thick and comprehensive. Others are less than half that size and just focus on one section of the SAT at a time. This particular SAT book falls into the latter category. And when they say Conquering SAT Math, they mean it.

This book takes you through basic arithmetic to Algebra II. At the beginning of each chapter they explain the math to you and the methods you can use to solve them. Sometimes they show you more than one method which can be really great if you understand one way better.

It has a plethora of practice quizzes. There is one at the end of each chapter as well as a few full length practice tests. This gives you the ability to test yourself not only for mastery but nerves. The full length tests at the end of the book allows you to simulate the real SAT test environment which is great for first timers.

The answer keys in this book are incredibly helpful. They walk you through the problems very slowly, step by step. That way if you are a little rusty or not familiar with the type of problem, the book can show you the ropes. Also, you know that phenomenon where in class they give you an easy problem, and then on your homework it’s a little harder and on the test it’s not familiar at all? Well, that happens in this book as well but you have a terrific answer key to help you out.

The thing about studying for the SAT is that studying actually works. The SAT is not like any test you have ever taken so there are a lot of things you might not know right off the bat. If you pick up a study book for two minutes you most likely will gain a few points right there!

If someone were to ask me my advice for taking the SAT, I would say, don’t freak out about it you can always use your head. Some of the questions on the test can be solved by logic without doing any math. It’s mostly a multiple choice test after all. But the other part of using your head is preparing properly. Know how much time you have till you take the test and make a study plan. As I said before, studying really does work here. The SAT only plays tricks with the uninformed students, it leaves the prepared students alone. So good luck, wish you well, and don’t forget to come back and tell me how you did!

PSSSSTTT! If you like the sound of this book you should also check out SAT Writing and SAT Verbal from McGraw-Hill. But don’t let the SAT test makers know how empowered you feel or you may notice some black suits with calculators in their holsters following you around.