Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab

Michael E. | Feb 12, 2010 Education

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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 math was a strength for you, the chances were fairly good that 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 seen or even heard of before. And in spite of all my studying, I did. Although it’s been a while since I took the GRE and even longer since I took the SAT, I wish I had Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab back then. Unfortunately, all I had was a few stacks of well-worn index cards.

Here’s how Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab works: in addition to a database of over three hundred fifty words, Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab 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 Latin or Greek roots, when you encounter other words with similar roots, you can reasonably deduce its meaning even if you’ve never seen the word 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 increase the odds of choosing correct answers.

And with the SAT, every little edge matters.

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 fact that it just works. Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab is well-designed, easy to use and understand, and adapts to your needs. The value of the word roots is simply inestimable and the ways in which the app could be used go far beyond the SAT. Anyone studying vocabulary words for a standardized test or simply seeking to expand their personal vocabulary could also benefit from it.

iTunes Link- Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab

Version 2.2

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3