AP* Statistics Examination: Evaluation of Study Guides

Many books provide test-preparation help for the AP Statistics exam. To identify the best study guide, Stat Trek evaluated the various alternatives.

Evaluation Plan

We evaluated the major study guides published since 2003 on the following criteria.

• Content: Coverage of test topics.
• User rating: From 1 (unacceptable) to 5 (excellent).
• Advice for test-taking success.
• Number of practice tests.
• Price: The price of a new or used book on Amazon.com, as of July 20, 2008.

Evaluation Findings

All of the books covered the test content fairly well. With respect to other criteria, however, some books were better than others. Strengths and weaknesses of the various study guides are summarized below.

Study guide User rating Test advice Number of practice tests New price Used price Pub date Number of raters Barron's How to Prepare for AP: 2003 4.5 Yes 6 $2.00 $0.40 2004 20 CliffsAP Statistics 4.0 No 7 $4.80 $2.94 2004 2 5 Steps to a 5 on the AP Statistics 4.5 Yes 2 $6.05 $3.78 2003 2 Cracking AP Stat Exam, 2006-2007 3.0 Yes 2 $5.90 $2.33 2006 4 AP Statistics (REA) 5.0 Yes 4 $12.20 $10.89 2006 1 Kaplan AP Statistics 2007 Yes 2 $9.38 $3.58 2006 Barron's How to Prepare for AP: 2008 4.0 Yes 6 $4.00 $2.87 2007 3

User ratings and prices are current, as of July 20, 2008.

Recommendation

The best study guide for Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics depends on your personal needs. Here are some things to consider.

• Cost. If you want a new study guide at a low price, choose Barron's How to Prepare for AP: 2003. If you want a used study guide at a low price, choose Barron's How to Prepare for AP: 2003.
  
  
• User satisfaction. The highest rated study guide was the AP Statistics (REA), with a satisfaction rating of 5.0. However, this satisfaction score was based on the opinion of only one rater.
  
  

We like Barron's How to Prepare for the AP Statistics: 2003. It has more user ratings than any other study guide; and nearly everyone who reviewed the book said that it was excellent. The book provides test taking advice as well as six practice exams. And it is not expensive. For these reasons, we think that it is a good choice to help you prepare for the AP Statistics Exam.

Those wanting a newer text might consider AP Statistics from REA or Barron's How to Prepare for AP: 2008.