Getting a top score on the SAT is crucial for admissions into a top college and getting crucial scholarships and financial aid packages. Kaplan’s SAT Advanced 2010 Edition is the perfect guide for students who are serious about gaining an edge on the competition and getting a perfect score on test day.

With undergraduate admissions competition increasing, the costs of college higher than ever, and the economy uncertain, acing the SAT has never been so important. This indispensable guide provides students with the toughest practice questions and best strategies to help them achieve a great score on the SAT.

The Perfect Score

PART ONE: INSIDE THE SAT

Chapter 1: About the SAT

 The Test Breakdown

 Format and Time

 SAT Registration

Chapter 2: SAT Strategy Overview

 General SAT Strategies

PART TWO: CRITICAL READING

Chapter 3: The Reading Comprehension Challenge

 Attacking SAT Reading Comprehension Strategically

 The Method in Action

 Working with the Passage

 Working with the Questions

Chapter 4: Strategies for Tough Reading Comprehension

 What Makes Hard Reading Comprehension Passages Hard?

 Attacking Difficult Long Passages: The Approach

 What Makes Hard Reading Comprehension Questions Hard?

 Tough Reading Comprehension: Strategy Recap

Chapter 5: Reading Comprehension Practice Sets and Explanations

 Practice Set 1: Short Passages

 Practice Set 2: Long Passages

Chapter 6: The Sentence Completion Challenge

 What Makes Hard Sentence Completion Questions Hard?

Chapter 7: Strategies for Tough Sentence Completions

 Using the Clues: Advanced Detective Work

 Paraphrasing

 Word Charge

 Working Backward

 Tough Sentence Completions: Strategy Recap

Chapter 8: Sentence Completion Practice Set and Explanations

PART THREE: WRITING

Chapter 9: Strategies for the Writing Section Essay

 How the SAT Essay Is Scored

 What Skills Are Tested?

 Do You Need to Prepare for the Essay?

 Establish and Adhere to a Practice Schedule

 The Kaplan Method for the Essay

 Maximizing Your Score

 Applying the Kaplan Method

 You Be the Grader

 How To Turn a 4 into a 6

 Building a 6

 Practice and Self-Evaluation

 Get a Second Opinion

 A Special Note for Students for Whom English Is a Second Language

 Essay Writing: Strategy Recap

Chapter 10- Essay Writing Practice Set

 Essay Prompt I

 Sample Essay I

 Reader Analysis of Sample Essay I

 Essay Prompt II

 Sample Essay II

 Reader Analysis of Sample Essay II

 Practice Essay Prompts

Chapter 11. The Writing Questions Challenge

 How Writing Questions Are Built

 Practice Applying the Kaplan Methods

 The Method for Identifying Sentence Errors Questions

 The Method for Improving Sentences Questions

 The Method for Improving Paragraphs Questions

Chapter 12: Strategies for Tough Writing Questions

 What Makes a Writing Question Tough?

 Identifying Sentence Errors Questions

 Improving Sentences Questions

 Improving Paragraphs Questions

 Elimination Strategies

 Self-Evaluation

Chapter 13: Writing Practice Sets and Explanations

PART FOUR: SAT ADVANCED MATH--THE BASICS

SAT Math Directions

Chapter 14: The SAT Math Challenge

 Know What to Expect from SAT Math

 What Makes an SAT Math Question Hard?

 Grid-Ins

Chapter 15: Essential Math Strategies

 Picking Numbers

 Back-solving

 Calculator Strategies

 Essential Math Strategies Recap

Chapter 16. SAT Math Strategies Practice Set and Explanations

PART FIVE: STRAIGHT MATH ON THE SAT

Chapter 17: SAT Arithmetic

 Number Properties

 Roots and Exponents

Chapter 18: SAT Algebra

 Straightforward Algebra

 Inequalities

 Absolute Value Problems

 Simultaneous Equations

 Radical and Exponential Equations

 Quadratics

 Function Questions

Chapter 19: SAT Geometry

 Geometric Notation for Length, Segments, Lines, Rays, and Congruence

 Triangles, Rectangles, and Circles

 Coordinate Geometry

 Function Graphing

Chapter 20: Straight Math Practice Set and Explanations

PART SIX: SAT MATH WORD PROBLEMS

Chapter 21: Arithmetic and Algebra Word Problems

 Word Problem Strategies

 Ratios, Proportions, and Variations

 Percents

 Rates and Averages

 Set Terminology

 Exponential Sequences

 Algebra Word Problems

Chapter 22: Geometry and Data Interpretation Word Problems

 Geometry Word Problems

 Three-Dimensional Geometry Word Problems

 Geometry Word Problems (Modifying Diagrams)

 Data Interpretation

Chapter 23: Oddball Word Problems

 Oddball Word Problem Sets

Chapter 24: SAT Word Problems Practice Set and Explanations

PART SEVEN: SAT RESOURCES

100 Essential Math Concepts

Writing and Vocabulary Review