Vibrant Publishers

"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)

As the SAT transitions from the traditional pencil-and-paper format to the new Digital SAT version, it is crucial that test-takers familiarize themselves with the test’s new format. Vibrant Publishers’ Digital SAT Reading and Writing Practice Questions (Test Prep Series) by Vibrant Publishers is specially designed to prepare students for the new digital format while providing hundreds of practice questions with detailed answers in five realistic sample tests. This well-organized book covers the math component of the SAT. The questions are of the type and quality that you would expect to encounter in the actual SAT, with varying difficulty levels, covering the comprehensive scope of high-school level algebra, data analysis, geometry and trigonometry. Perhaps the book’s best feature is that it provides thorough, step-by-step explanations of the answers to questions so that you can understand why a particular answer is correct. This book is highly recommended.… (altro)