Are you planning on taking the Chemistry SAT Subject Test? You have a much better chance of getting a great score if you prepare ahead of time with one or more of the best chemistry SAT 2 books. Here, we’ll tell you the most important things you need to know about this important test and how to study for it, along with reviews to help you pick the best book for SAT Chemistry for you.
We have reviewed and updated this guide. It is ready for 2020!
We have previously reviewed books for high school chemistry, or textbooks for different areas, such as general, organic or inorganic chemistry.
What is the Chemistry SAT 2?
If you feel like you’re hearing “SAT 2” or “SAT II” for the first time here, don’t panic—this is just an older name for what are now called the SAT Subject Tests. As such, the Chemistry SAT 2 and the Chemistry SAT Subject Test are one and the same.
The SAT I is the general college readiness assessment that most people are familiar with; we now just call it “the SAT”, but some colleges might use the old nomenclature. As you probably know, this test has sections for reading, writing, and math.
While the regular SAT is a requirement to apply to most US colleges, SAT subject tests are only required by some of the more selective schools. You can, of course, take one or more subject tests even if they are not required, if you think the scores will make you a better candidate for your dream school.
The SAT Subject Test in Chemistry is recommended for high school students who haven’t taken a science SAT II yet and have recently taken chemistry (AP chemistry would be even better, if yo are preparing AP chemistry exams, check out this previous post), or for students who are thinking about majoring in chemistry or a related field in college.
It’s an hour long, with 85 multiple choice questions that come in three different types (more on that later). Possible scores range from 200 to 800 points.
Preparing for the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
First, a very important difference between the SAT subject tests and the general version. The standard advice used to be not to guess on the SAT because points were deducted for wrong answers. The College Board did away with this policy years ago on the SAT I, but it is still in effect on the SAT II, including the chemistry subject test.
So, on the chemistry SAT, you will be awarded one point for each correct answer, zero points for blanks, and minus ¼ point for each incorrect answer. This means your test-taking strategy should be a bit different from what you have used on other tests.
To properly prepare for this test, you need to practice the three types of questions you’ll see on the big day. The best SAT 2 Chemistry prep books contain practice tests with all three question types, explanations of the answers, and a review of each topic to help you study proactively.
The Three Question Types on the Chemistry SAT 2
All questions are multiple choice, but they fall into three categories: five-choice completion, classification, and relationship analysis.
- Five-choice completion are your standard multiple-choice questions, with five answer choices, A-E.
- Classification questions present you with a list of options that you will use as the answer choices for multiple questions in a group. They are usually presented this way: “Questions 1-5 refer to the following…” These are essentially matching/identification questions.
- Relationship analysis is by far the most confusing type of question, so it’s really important to study with a Chemistry SAT 2 book that uses them. In short, you are presented with two statements joined by the word “because”, and you must decide whether each statement is true or false, and, if both are true, whether the second statement explains why the first statement is true.
With that in mind, we can move on to our recommendation for the best SAT 2 chemistry prep book.
Top Pick: Best Chemistry SAT Subject Test Book
We’ve chosen Barron’s SAT Subject Test: Chemistry with Online Tests as the best book for SAT Chemistry preparation.
Barron’s SAT Subject Test: Chemistry with Online Tests
It meets all three criteria we consider to be most important for students: practice tests that are representative of the questions on the real SAT 2, full explanations of the correct answers, and a content review for each topic that you will face on test day.
In terms of price, Barron’s is mid-range, a bit more expensive than some of the other books on our list. But even so, we would say it is the best value considering everything it offers.
Quick Comparison of the Best Chemistry SAT 2 Books
Reviews of the Best Chemistry SAT Subject Test Books
We’ve chosen six books that can help you study for the Chemistry SAT 2. Starting with our top pick, here are reviews of each one so you can decide on the best SAT subject chemistry book for you.
1. Barron’s SAT Subject Test: Chemistry with Online Tests
With the sole exception of the real Chemistry SAT tests offered by the College Board in their official study guide, Barron’s practice tests are the most similar to the questions you will face on test day.
Barron’s SAT Subject Test: Chemistry with Online Tests
Importantly, this includes those mind-boggling Relationship Analysis questions we mentioned before.
This prep book gives you a lot of bang for your buck. With a full-length diagnostic test plus four practice tests, answers and explanations for all questions, and a detailed content review, you’ll have everything you need to get your best score. And it’s not even the most expensive book on the list!
For all these reasons, Barron’s gets our number one spot for the best Chemistry SAT Subject Test book.
2. Cracking the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
Similar to Barron’s, Cracking the SAT Subject Test Chemistry from The Princeton Review ticks all our boxes: all three question types are represented, answer explanations for the practice tests are provided, and the book also contains a review of all the test topics.
Cracking the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
This book also gives some great tips and strategies for tackling each SAT question type, plus helpful overall test-taking advice and good information about SAT Subject Tests, and the chemistry test in particular.
It’s a bit cheaper than our first choice, but it only contains three practice tests, compared to four plus a diagnostic from Barron’s. The first practice test is placed before the subject review in this book, suggesting that they might intend for you to use it as a diagnostic.
3. The Official SAT Subject Test in Chemistry Study Guide
Coming up next, The Official SAT Subject Test in Chemistry Study Guide is, as they say, straight from the horse’s mouth.
The Official SAT Subject Test in Chemistry Study Guide
It is published by the College Board, the folks who make and administer the actual SAT Subject Tests. The advantages of this are obvious, and if you only care about high-quality practice tests, then this might be the best chemistry SAT 2 book for you.
According to the publishers, the official guide offers two never-released forms of real, previously administered SAT 2 Chemistry exams, full length and perfect for practicing. They have also included detailed answer explanations for every question, plus test-taking techniques that are presumably very helpful, considering they come from the test maker themselves.
4. 320 SAT Chemistry Subject Test Problems
The full title of this book, 320 SAT Chemistry Subject Test Problems Arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level, tells you basically everything you need to know.
320 SAT Chemistry Subject Test Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level
What isn’t obvious from the name, though, is that, while there is an answer key for all 320 exercises, only half of the problems have full solutions and explanations. In other words, you’re expected to figure the other half out for yourself, and then check your answer.
Interestingly, for the 160 problems that are fully solved and explained, most actually have more than one way to solve them and reach the same correct answer. When available, these alternative solutions are also provided.
The other unique feature of this book is that the practice problems are organized by level of difficulty and then by topic, so you can start with a strong foundation and then build your way up to more challenging questions. If you decide this is the best Chemistry SAT 2 book for you, we would recommend following the authors’ advice for using it.
5. Sterling Test Prep SAT Chemistry Practice Questions
This Chemistry SAT prep book from Sterling has an impressive number of practice questions—960 of them, in fact.
Sterling Test Prep SAT Chemistry Practice Questions
These questions address every topic covered on the real test, and step-by-step solutions and explanations are provided. However, the problem is that it only meets two of our three criteria to be considered the best book for SAT Chemistry. Otherwise, it would have ranked higher on the list.
Where Sterling’s book is lacking is in the types of questions. Students taking the SAT 2 are most often confused by Relationship Analysis questions, and this book does not contain any to help them practice.
While the questions are good and the content is focused and well-explained, this book would be most effective as a supplement to another item that does contain these essential questions. The College Board’s official study guide would be a good match, for example.
6. SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published
First of all, the most important thing you need to know about the SAT Prep Black Book is that its focus is on the SAT I, not SAT II.
SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published
It uses freely available old SATs from the College Board and goes through them one question at a time to teach clever strategies to maximize your score, but keep in mind that the questions it is referencing are from the Reading, Writing, and Math sections of the general SAT exam.
That being said, if you are going to be taking the general SAT around the same time as the chemistry subject test, then this could be a very useful book that could offer some tricks to improve your score on both exams.
Choosing the Best Chemistry SAT Subject Test Book
As always, different prep materials will work better for different students. In our opinion, Barron’s SAT Subject Test: Chemistry with Online Tests has the best overall value, offering good topic reviews, all three types of SAT questions, and detailed explanations for the practice test answers.
Still, you can’t go wrong with the College Board official study guide—if you don’t feel you need a content review, you’re all set, and if you do, you can simply use it to supplement a more comprehensive resource. And if what you really want are tricks, tips and test-taking techniques, to get inside the minds of the test makers, then you might prefer a different book entirely.
Whatever you choose, remember to leave yourself plenty of time to study. Try to simulate actual testing conditions when you do your practice tests: time yourself, put away your calculator, and use only the permitted materials (i.e. a basic periodic table). If you haven’t chosen a test date yet, remember that the best time to take any SAT Subject Test is late in the school year when you are wrapping up the corresponding class.
Study smart, and best of luck on your Chemistry SAT 2!
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