Vibrant Publishers

"Practice Tests for the SAT (Second Edition)" by Vibrant Publishers serves as a valuable resource for students preparing for the SAT exam. With five full-length SAT-style practice tests and a total of 770 practice questions covering Reading, Writing & Language, Math, and the optional Essay sections, this book offers comprehensive preparation for the SAT. The detailed answer explanations provided for each question aid students in understanding the logic behind the correct answers, thus guiding their reasoning processes and helping them improve accuracy.

Beyond simply providing practice questions, the book's focus on familiarizing students with the format and style of SAT test questions is crucial for achieving high scores. By simulating the test-taking experience and offering updated content in the style of the SAT exam, this book prepares students not only in terms of subject matter knowledge but also in test-taking strategies. Additionally, being part of the Test Prep Series underscores the book's commitment to effective test preparation, offering students access to thoroughly researched and frequently updated materials prepared by experienced authors in the field. Overall, "Practice Tests for the SAT" is a valuable tool for students aiming to maximize their SAT scores and is indicative of Vibrant Publishers' dedication to providing quality test preparation resources.… (altro)

You may not be able to cheat your way through the ACT, but you may get some helpful preparation coaching from "Math Practice Tests for the ACT (Second Edition)" by Vibrant Publishers, which claims to be a comprehensive resource designed to aid students in achieving high scores on the ACT Math section. The book features eight full-length practice tests with updated question formats that closely resemble those found on the actual exam. Each test is accompanied by detailed answer explanations, offering students insights into the reasoning behind correct answers and helping them develop a deeper understanding of core math concepts. Beyond simply providing practice questions, the book emphasizes the importance of test familiarity and question style comprehension in achieving success on the ACT. By offering practice tests that mirror the format and difficulty level of the actual exam, along with thorough answer explanations, the book equips students with the tools they need to improve their test-taking skills and maximize their scores. Additionally, the inclusion of practice test results allows students to identify areas for improvement, enabling targeted review and further skill development. Overall, "Math Practice Tests for the ACT" serves as a valuable resource for students seeking to enhance their performance on the ACT Math section and is a testament to Vibrant Publishers' commitment to providing effective test preparation materials.

But watch for later editions; the older editions do pretty much the same thing, but the newer editions may be worth the investment.… (altro)

"GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 1 (Test Prep Series)" is a reasonably robust presentation of anticipated topics on the GRE. However, for those in need of remediation in writing and composition, it falls a little short. The writing in the book itself could use improvement. For example, in the section "Strategies for Completing Analytical Writing Measure" the paragraph should lead with the very most important phrase to alert the reader to its content; that strategy would allow a busy student to skim the area to make the best use of their study time. That paragraph should have begun with the sentence "Budgeting your time is crucial." (An exclamation point there would have helped in that regard, too!). How ironic that the structure of that paragraph is contrary to best management of time. Also a very important article of speech -- the word 'the'-- is missing from the that paragraph heading. That single missing word may not seem all that important however, in a book that is supposed to guide students through a test on essay writing, using proper grammar when presenting information is a must! As the authors point out, the GRE test was not created to assess personal knowledge about specific essay topics, but rather to assess the student's academic skill and propensity for success as a graduate student. A key skill in that regard is the artful ability to write essays to inform, persuade and even entertain an audience.
One of the sample essays on the Arts is rather rambling. What may be more helpful to readers is to show two (or more) sample essays side-by-side with highlighted edits to demonstrate the process. The rambling sample essay also departs from what is generally taught in graduate programs on how to write an academically-focused (rather than entertainment-focused) essay: begin by telling the reader what is coming, present the main argument(s) and wrap up by reminding them of what they've already been told. Yes, that isn't the most creative style of writing, and to some of us academicians it's stodgy and boring, but that is what so many in academia expect from students and each other. Alerting readers to that heuristic format would be helpful.
Also missing from this book is a discussion on how students should cite their work during the test. Academic essays, unlike Op-Ed pieces and essays created for entertainment, academic works must include citations. The issue of plagiarism has recently sent disturbing shock waves through academia and eroded the public's trust in scholars' ability to perform in an ethical manner. Companies such as ETS are probably facing increased scrutiny and are responding by putting greater emphasis on identifying plagiarism.
The book does provide a rather comprehensive list of sample topics. A reader could choose a topic and be prepared for the test by becoming familiar with the most common sources on the topic, memorizing one or two references that could be cited on the exam essay. A student who can demonstrate that he or she is not only able to think clearly and independently but is also doing his or her best to avoid plagiarism is likely to receive a favorable reading of their test essay.… (altro)