The Princeton Review, one of the most respected names in SAT tutorials, produces Inside the SAT, while Workman Publishing Company and Swfte International, Ltd. produce The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT. Both titles cover pretty much the same material but in different ways. Inside the SAT uses a more traditional approach with an instructor covering lessons in general strategies and verbal and math topics.
The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT, on the other hand, presents the tutorials (outsmarting the SAT, the writing test, and the verbal and math topics) using four characters representing students who performed well on the test and went to Ivy League schools. It is more nonconformist than The Princeton Review title and often presents the material in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The introduction states that "we all know the SAT is a drag; but preparing for it doesn't have to be." The tutorials often advise that when you don't understand a question, first scream, then relax. While this may allay fears and relieve some tension, it may also raise questions about the title's seriousness of purpose.
The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT also makes ridiculous suggestions for learning, like "tattooing" new vocabulary words on your butt.
Inside the SAT does have a sense of humor, most evident in the graphics but also found in some fictional fun, such as the guidance counselor's safe that contains SAT scores for Aristotle, Bonnie and Clyde, Confucius, Barney, Lassie, George Washington, and Waldo (can't find his scores), among others.
The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT uses more multimedia than Inside the SAT and PSAT. Lessons are primarily in audio format with supporting text and occasional animation and video. The menu bar (black on gray) is often hard to read and flashes red at the end of sections to prompt the student. (Sometimes Next and OK buttons serve to proceed.)
Inside the SAT is more textual and recommends a particular sequence in taking the tutorials. Attempting to explore an advanced section without completing the more basic ones will produce a warning message. What it sacrifices in multimedia elements, it makes up for in content and usability. Inside the SAT's main menu is a high school hallway with six doors opening to the various sections.
Inside the SAT includes four full-length tests while The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT has only one mini SAT test (90 minutes) and 10 practice tests of 25 questions (30 minutes) each to identify weaknesses. Both products include a digital timer. The one in The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT appears on the bottom of the screen as part of the options bar while the one in Inside the SAT is optional and appears in the upper left corner of the screen.
Inside the SAT also has an on-screen calculator that appears only when the developers think it's appropriate. It includes a paper version of the fourth test, so students can take it either on screen or on paper. They can also mark questions for further attention. The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT automatically advances to the next question on the test and highlights the line on the answer sheet, a nice feature that helps keep one on track. It does not allow marking doubtful questions as does Inside the SAT.
Following sample tests, both products show the scores and let students review the test and get explanations for every question. The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT displays a button next to each section of the test results to permit easy access to the lesson covering that particular section.
The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT includes several Study Breaks that offer useful tips and nonconformist information. One of these covers the topic of cheating. It acknowledges that it is a reality and covers many of the ways one can cheat on the test, concluding by encouraging students not to participate in it. However, the treatment of the topic may actually encourage such behavior. Another Study Break claims that students can save as much as six minutes on the test if they know how to fill in the circles on the answer sheet most efficiently. The on-screen answer sheet is not quite so easy. One cannot click just anywhere in the circle to shade in the answer but must click on a very small area near the center of the circle. Other buttons show the same peculiarity in that the button is larger than the actual "hot" area.
Unlike The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT, Inside the SAT has a Guidance Counselor option that provides useful information about the SAT, how it is scored, and feedback for self-evaluation and for developing a study plan. It includes a checklist that tracks lessons, drills, and tests completed, showing the student's progress by comparing results on each of the tests against the goal. The student can also compare his or her scores with the average scores at more than 300 target colleges. Students and parents will also appreciate the Admissions Overview section, which outlines strategies and a suggested timeline for applying to colleges. Inside the SAT also comes with 30 minutes of phone tutoring with a Princeton Review instructor.
These two titles both provide good, solid help in preparing for the SATs and PSATs but they follow almost diametrically opposed methodologies. The Underground CD-ROM Handbook for the SAT may hold the student's interest longer, but I prefer Inside the SAT for its greater breadth of content, extra features, diagnostic and evaluative utilities, and its more traditional approach.
Norman Desmarais serves as Acquisitions Librariam at Providence College.
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