How to Beat the S.A.T. and All Standardized Multiple-Choice Tests

Like the previous reviewer I received this book as a gift before taking the SAT's in the 1980s and have never forgotten the lessons I learned from it. I have taken numerous similar standardized tests since then and I believe the lessons I learned from this book have helped me in every single case. This should NOT be the only SAT prep book (or other test prep) book you use, as there is no substitute for simply knowing the answer. However, as the previous reviewer points out, this book offers something that I don't think any other does - strategies for when "knowing the answer" fails. I believe the writer is a former editor of Games magazine, and the book keeps the tone of that funny, but very intellectually demanding, puzzle magazine. I am a psychologist who works with children and teens and I have recommended this book to dozens of kids over the years who have found it helpful. I might also note that when I took the standardized psychology licensing exam over a decade ago, I used these techniques and was told I earned the highest score in the state of CA on that round of the exam.

The strategies are useful in any multiple choice testing situation. I first used this book to study for the SAT's in 1985. But my results were nothing spectacular. I then leant the book to a friend and never got it back. But did not forget some of the testing strategies. I used them during my Microsoft MCSE, Novel CNE and Cisco CCNP certification tests. Passing 20 exams in all. Of course I studied and knew the material. But there is the testing scenario and the real world. Rarely to these questions have anything to do with the real world. What the strategies do is to give you a slight advantage to just guessing "C". I love how he talks about "smoke" to hide the right answer. Just a few months ago, I purchased another copy before taking my next IT exam. Recently I passed my Cisco re-certification by 1 point after 6 months of studying. I know that the strategies made the difference between pass or fail. I wanted to expand on my previous review of this book. I have not come across anything else like it. If there are questions that you can not answer, this book gives you strategies to eliminate answers and make a better guess than just the "C" answer. His premise is simple. A multiple choice exam is simply a game and there are strategies to help you win this game. This can give you a slight advantage as you encounter questions or answers that stump you. Some of the examples or strategies, you don't even read the questions. You look at the answers. On my recent CISSP exam, I would read the answers from the bottom up. Often times, the test maker will give you a nice soft pitch on "A" hoping you will stop reading and select "A". Strategies: ----------------------- Avoid ACE The test maker does not like to have the answer hanging out on the outside i.e. "A" or "E". The test maker likes to "hide" the answer with smoke and not expose it. His strategy - Avoid ACE or "A" "C" "E" ------------------- Avoid pairs or triplet same answers- "B" "B" "B" Question 9 - you are pretty sure the answer is "B" Question: 10 - You are not sure of the answer or you have gotten it down to 2 choices - "B" or "D" Question 11 - you are pretty sure the answer is "B" The probability there would be 3 consecutive "B" answers, should tell you "B" could be eliminated as a wild guess and "D" would be a better guess. ------------------- Avoid the outcast What gives milk? A - Cow B - Chicken C - Bird D - Tyrannosaurus rex Answer "D" stands out as different from all the other answers. If there was a question that you did not know, you could eliminate "D" as a guess. Now you can build on the answers before and after this question to possible eliminate other answers to give you a better shot than just guessing "C" ------------------ Look for similarities A - 2 B - 4 C - .4 D - 1.5 E - None of the above Did you notice "B" and "C" are similar? Did you notice the outcast of "D" as the only answer with 2 digits? You probably narrow this down to "B" or "C" This shoul