Up Your Score: an Underground Guide to the SAT

If you are a student who learns best with shortcuts, tricks and pneumonic devices, “Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT” will be exactly up your alley. This book was written by five people who all received perfect or near-perfect scores on their SATs. Larry Berger, Michael Colton, JaJa Liao, Manek Mistry and Paul Rossi go through the test section by section and teach you exactly what you need to know in order to ace the exam.

For example, for those of you (like myself back in high school) who are more language-oriented and are not super-confident about the math section, Berger et al. provide easy tips that will help you solve even the scariest looking questions. Plug in a random number like “2” in order to complete a problem quickly and correctly. This little trick will give you more time to focus on harder problems and re-check your answers. And for students who can tackle trig and calculus, but are not as interested in reading or writing, Berger et al. provide common vocab words and ways to remember their definitions. Remember, if something is palatable (acceptable to the taste), you should think “plate-able.” 

Furthermore, this guide is a helpful resource for more than just your standardized testing needs. It is also a book that can aid you through some AP tests or could be a trusted source for your freshman year of college. Sure, it will not teach you everything you need to know for those situations, but it will be a refresher on vocabulary, math problems and effective writing strategies. “Up Your Score” is a worthy investment for SAT prep, and for simply getting a quick, concise review of what you learned throughout your high school years. 

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