How to prep for SAT for a very academic kid who has never taken a standardized test

[lewelma]

I've been looking around at the Statistics on the SAT and the subject maths 2 test, and it looks like mean, median, and mode and nothing else (like Z-score, std dev, t-tests etc).  The rest seems to be probability. Is this right?  I ask because I'm trying to determine if I need to by a SAT math book for ds as he has never taken a statistics course. But he is at the olympiad level for probability and combinatorics which actually seems to be what the College Board is calling "statistics". Is this true? 

[Arcadia]

No statistics course required for either.

 

This is for sat math 2

"Data analysis, statistics, and probability

 

Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, standard deviation, graphs and plots, least squares regression (linear, quadratic, exponential), probability

8%—12%" https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/subjects/mathematics/mathematics-2

 

The diagnostic tests on the prep books are more useful than Khan Academy for us.

 

Z-score, std dev, t-tests etc are in AP Statistics

Edited December 11, 2016 by Arcadia

[lewelma]

I have purchased the official SAT math 1 and 2 book that has a couple of practice tests, but I was hoping not to buy another SAT math 2 book that summarizes all the stuff he is supposed to know as I'm guessing he knows it all.  Is this list in Sparkesnotes a full list of what he needs?, http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/sat2/math2c/chapter11section6.rhtml

 

Or is there another place free online that describes all the topics?

 

 

[quark]

I have purchased the official SAT math 1 and 2 book that has a couple of practice tests, but I was hoping not to buy another SAT math 2 book that summarizes all the stuff he is supposed to know as I'm guessing he knows it all.  Is this list in Sparkesnotes a full list of what he needs?, http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/sat2/math2c/chapter11section6.rhtml

 

Or is there another place free online that describes all the topics?

 

Ruth, you can see all the topics by clicking on the drop down arrow:

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/subjects/mathematics/mathematics-2

[lewelma]

Ah, got it.  I was looking at the "anticipated skills" which is really quite vague rather than the "topics on the test." 

 

Can I just say, this whole thing is a serious pain in my neck! Luckily for me, I'm going on holiday in a week and I am NOT bringing any technology!

[quark]

Can I just say, this whole thing is a serious pain in my neck! Luckily for me, I'm going on holiday in a week and I am NOT bringing any technology!

We tried to think of it as hoops to jump and as one way for colleges to compare apples to apples. DS did only the bare minimum needed to fulfill requirements of selective colleges he had in mind so it was not too bad for us/ him. Much more competitive students take many more of these tests. DS does not like anything timed as you well know (he does not do math contests if you recall) so I talked with him about some of the necessary evils needed to have a shot at where he wants to go.

 

Good luck. I'm sure your DS will do awesomely well.

[tigerdad]

I would recommend your child to take a look on Khan Academy for free lessons on the SAT or ACT.  Very good free stuff to familiarize what the test is and how different it is to New Zealand tests.  I would then look online for paid online classes.  There are various ones such as Prep Expert, Magoosh, Prep Scholar.  Just google them.  Some of them are recorded lessons.  Others are live online classes.  If you want to know more just PM me or email me.

 

Good luck!

[lewelma]

Thanks tigerdad,  DS took the test and scored well enough to have no interest in taking it again.  :hurray:  DS took all 8 released practice tests and carefully studied his mistakes. Well worth the effort as he raised his score 70 points.