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Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

As surely as fall gives way to winter and winter gives way to spring, spring gives way to standardized tests, whether placement or college entry. One of the biggest, most important standardized tests of all is the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, with its math, critical reading, and writing sections. I always felt that if you knew math and were good at it, the chances were fairly good you could work your way from problem to a reasonable estimation of the correct solution. Or at least enough to where the odds of guessing the right answer were significantly higher.

The verbal section- as it was known back in my day- was a bit trickier, though. Especially analogies and vocabulary. Either you knew the meaning of the word or you didn’t and no amount of staring at it would change that painful fact. I remember studying vocabulary words as though my life depended on it because I was so terrified I was going to encounter a word I’d never encountered before. And in spite of all my studying, I did.

It’s been a while since I took the GRE and even longer since I took the SAT, but I wish I had Flash of Genius’ SAT Vocab back then. Unfortunately, all I had were a few stacks of well-worn index cards.

Here’s how SAT Vocab works: in addition to a database of over three hundred words, Flash of Genius also incorporates word roots, mini-lessons, sample sentences, and even audio pronunciations. The objective of the app is to help the user learn not only the definitions of various words, but also the connections between words. If you know the definition of one word and understand its roots, when you encounter other words with identical roots, you can reasonably deduce its meaning even if you’ve never encountered it before. For example, if you know that the root “bene/ben” means good, then you’re that much closer to knowing the definition of words like benefactor, beneficiary, benign, or benevolent. In essence, learning word roots can help you to even the odds of choosing the correct answers.

And with the SAT, every little edge counts.

I do think this application could benefit from an expanded word database. 359 words is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but a few hundred more would be awesome.

Still, there are so many reasons why this is a great app to own if the SAT is in your immediate future, chief of which is the cost: 99 cents. SAT Vocab is well-designed, uncluttered, adapts to your needs and the value of the word roots is simply inestimable. The uses of this app go beyond the SAT, however. Anyone studying vocabulary words for a standardized test or simply seeking to expand their personal vocabulary could truly benefit from this handy tool.

iTunes Link- Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab

Version 2.2

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3