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Title: Barron's Ap Calculus Advanced Placement Examination : Review of Calculus Ab and Calculus Bc (6th Ed) by Shirley O. Hockett ISBN: 0-7641-0186-2 Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Inc Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.9 (29 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Thorough and helpful to the diligent student
Comment: This can be a very helpful book for those studying for the AP Calculus AB exam. I used this book as part of a high school AP Calculus AB class (in conjunction with a standard high school calc textbook). I can therefore only speak to the book's quality regarding the Calculus AB sections (the first half of the book). I can't really speak to the BC sections (second half of the book), though I suspect that the quality does not change dramatically between the two sections.
The strength of the book is its thoroughness. Every chapter provides text explanations and examples that cover the key concepts of the AP Calculus AB program. These explanations and examples allow students to get comfortable with the important concepts and see how potential AP exam questions might be phrased. Each chapter also includes many practice problems that are all fully explained and worked out. The book also includes 4 practice AB exams which again include answers and explanations. These practice tests give students the invaluable opportunity to get a feel for taking a real AP Calculus AB exam. The problems presented in the book are definitely reflective of those found in the real AP exam. The book does err a little on the side of difficulty in the practice problems and practice tests but I think this is a good strategy because it gives students the ability to take the real AP test with more confidence.
The explanations, examples and practice problem/test answers were all very thorough and (most importantly) error free. The book's thoroughness eliminates what is probably the most frustrating part of most study guides--concepts or answers that you don't understand or answers that are just plain wrong.
As with most study guides, this book will be most useful to students who work diligently through the relevant chapters. This is not a book that you can pick up a week or two before the exam and expect it to magically improve your calculus abilities. Diligently and patiently working your way through this study guide is an excellent way to prepare yourself for the actual AP Calculus AB exam.
Rating: 4
Summary: Haven't solved practice problems? Don't like this book?
Comment: Barron's has a reputation for going a step beyond what is required. And precisely that approach helped me get a 780 on the SATII Mathematics test. May be that influenced me to buy this book instead of Kaplan and those other guys. While studying, I "learnt" that the Barron's book lacks sufficient explanation and clarification of doubts (Hey! Calculus is hard you know!). And wisely so, because your teacher has probably already explained the concepts in detail in the classroom. Why to confuse the student even more with further jarring explanations, even though they might be right? What can substitute a good old classrom?
"Practice makes perfect" is the only measure of your grades. You will get a five only if 1) either you are brilliant (never assume you are) 2) or you put a lot of effort into studying. And so Barron's provides you a lot of practice problems, some of which are admittedly silly while others are extra-hard. But you can expect the AP multiple choice section to have these kinds of problems.
There are some backdraws though. The "extra-hard" problems are not hard enough. The actual test may stump you with its difficulty in the free response section. So always practice from the actual exams which you will find on collegeboard.com. And Barron's needs to put more emphasis on Volumes of solids of revolution, and surface areas because the test is sure to contain these topics. But even with these backdraws, you should buy Barron's because, hey, it really does work!(I got a 4).
Rating: 2
Summary: Get This Book If You're A Robot
Comment: Simply put, there are much better books than this. The format is hard to decode and not fit for 80% of Calculus students. The book is ordered in a logical way and is packed with information, but it lacks proper inductions to material and is just too packed. More expanded books, such as the Princeton Review or ARCO review books, are much better. Some people will do well with the terse format of the Barron's book, but I have found that it is a poor choice overall. The same goes for the rest of the Barron's series. Princeton Review is, by far, the best choice overall if you want good test review.
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