12 Best SAT Prep Courses and Books Reviews 2023

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Despite the varied opinions about the role of the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the SAT, (darn you College Board!) in a student’s university application, everyone can agree that acing them would be a good thing. While preparing for it can be a serious pain, a study tool like the best SAT prep book can help you out in a grand way.

Below are the top options as based on personal experience helping 2 of my younger brothers prep for the new SAT in the past 3 years and as a private SAT tutor. It’s been almost 10 years since I had personally taken it so it is different, but I continue to consistently tutor and help many students who score in 95th percentile.

What you need really depends on you, but you really can’t go wrong with any of these as long as you study these prep books and put in the work and are ready to crush pracice tests.

How We Rate SAT Prep Books

The following are the main points we look at as we rate and rank these books so that we can help you score high on the SAT and begin your ideal career path:

  • Quality of practice tests
  • Number of practice tests
  • Other reviews
  • Online resources that accompany the book
  • Overall format of the book
  • Teaching of and explanation of concepts
  • Practice test answer format and quality fo sample answers

While we’re confident that the tips above will be able to help you choose a solid SAT study book, you might still need some help in narrowing down your options. With so many different options available, it would be nice if you know where to start looking for a good review guide. So to help you with that, here are 10 of my top picks that would make your search for the best SAT prep books easier. The list featuers a variety of books – some that help with more approach and test taking strategies while others feature full length practice tests with a variety of question types and prep materials. Some even have a detailed study plan by providing a study schedule.

Prep Expert SAT Prep Courses

We recommend Prep Expert’s SAT Prep Course because of its comprehensive and strategically designed program, highly qualified instructors, flexible learning options, proven track record of dramatic score improvements, and engaging and interactive approach.

Prep Expert’s expert-crafted curriculum covers every aspect of the SAT test. Students learn not just content, but specialized strategies to tackle questions effectively. For example, students are taught how to analyze answer choices to effectively eliminate incorrect options. The curriculum is designed to build skills cumulatively so students are prepared as the questions get harder through each SAT section.

Prep Expert

The course is taught by instructors in the top 1% of SAT scores who share insider tips and tricks that gave them an edge over other test takers. These instructors have firsthand experience with every question type and bring an instructor perspective most test prep companies lack. Their guidance goes beyond traditional teaching methods to reveal the thought processes and techniques needed to reach top scores.

Prep Expert understands students have diverse schedules and learning styles. So they offer live online classes, on-demand lessons, and personalized tutoring. Their interactive online classroom platform makes classes engaging and accessible. Video lessons allow for self-paced learning while their tier of expert tutors provides fully customized 1-on-1 coaching. This flexibility allows students to choose the best format for them.

The effectiveness of Prep Expert’s methods is proven by their students’ significant SAT score gains of 200, 300, or even 400 points. Confidence in their courses is demonstrated by their money-back score improvement guarantee – if your total score does not increase by at least 200 points, you get your money back.

Comprehensive study guides, practice tests, and feedback help address each student’s weak areas. Constant progress tracking and encouragement keeps students motivated. Interactive learning also boosts concept retention and test readiness. Games, challenges, peer collaboration, and teacher interactions promote active studying.

Through strategic course design, elite instruction, flexible options, proven score boosting, and engaging learning, Prep Expert offers an SAT prep solution that drives results.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Top 1% instructors with firsthand SAT success
– Comprehensive course covering all SAT aspects
– Flexible learning formats (live, on-demand, private tutoring)
– Proven track record with a score improvement guarantee
– Personalized attention and feedback
– Engaging and interactive course design
– Comprehensive study materials and practice tests
– Premium pricing, which might be a barrier for some students
– Intensive course structure may be challenging for students with limited time
– Live online classes require a stable internet connection, which could be a limitation for some

SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published 2nd Edition

SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published 2nd Edition

A quick online search will tell you that the SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published 2nd Edition  by Mike Barrett and Patrick Barrett is hailed by many as the ultimate pick for a SAT math and SAT reading study guide. Every ‘best-of’ and expert recommendation list has this title as their number one pick. And in the ones that it’s not the top suggestion, it’s most likely the second choice. Over 80% of my students decide to use this book (I have them choose their own out of a few recommendations I make) and I consider it to be the ultimate SAT guide.

Myself and other experts consider this book as an ‘essential’ and ‘critical’ prep book that every test-taker should have on hand if they’re after the SAT perfect score. Why? The simple answer would be because of its perfect combination of SAT strategies and content review.

This means that its content is very well-rounded. It will help you address the various areas that you’ll need to work on in order to get a good score. I’ve had some tutees improve their score by up to 400 points and a lot of it is because of this book. Easy to say it is an effective SAT resource.

Its main feature is its 600+ detailed discussions of actual  SAT questions from previous SATs. This allows you to be more familiar with what the test is about and how it operates. In addition to these, it also has tips that will teach you how to tackle the trickiness of the exam and how to answer them on your own. It’s particularly helpful in giving good answer choices when you’re quite unsure about a question.

Created by a top professional SAT tutor that is regarded as one of the best in the industry, you can be guaranteed that the author knows the ins and outs of the exam. It contains a lot of information and very useful tips that are specifically useful to all test-takers, no matter what their standing is.

What really makes the Black Book stand out, however, is its approach to the exam. It’s more about helping readers have a friendlier attitude towards the SAT. It teaches readers to have a mindset that this exam is a predictable and standardized test so it’s not necessarily something to be very scared of. It helps you realize that there’s a way to conquer the exam effectively which is a very good way to fully get acquainted and prepare for it.

I find that the SAT math section is particularly good because of the explanations and problem sets, but it’s solid in all aspects.

Some experts say that SAT Prep Black Book is the best alternative if you can’t get a private tutor or sign up for a prep course. However, it’s not a standalone book even if it’s very dense – none of them are. Like with all books, we recommend you get supplemental SAT practice test books and study guides in order to fully cover all your bases in preparation for the exam.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Will help you understand and create effective strategies for the SATs 
– Well-rounded and will let you address various points that are crucial to the exam
– Highly-recommended and liked by almost everyone
– Excellent SAT math and SAT reading prep and practice tests
– Doesn’t contain practice questions

SAT Prep Book Plus 2021: 5 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online (Kaplan Test Prep)

SAT Prep Book Plus 2021: 5 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online (Kaplan Test Prep)

Our next pick is the SAT Prep Plus 2021: 5 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online (Kaplan Test Prep). This SAT guide is very notable for offering great value for your money as it has a comprehensive coverage that is designed to efficiently prepare you for the test day and the sections help with time management.

If you’re after a more concise study guide that will help you brush up on all of the topics and concepts that you need to know about before the exam, this would be a great choice. It has sections on nearly every portion of the test so it can be a reliable study tool for many.

In addition to this, SAT Prep Plus also contains more than 1400 practice problems to help you with SAT pattern recognition and five full length practice tests. This will help you grill yourself nicely of the things you’ve learned and already touched up with while you review for the upcoming test. It will also help you gain confidence in answering the actual test questions as you will need a lot of practice if you want to get good scores on the Math and English sections.

While it’s not exactly low priced, this book covers nearly everything you need to go over with if you’re going to be ready to take the SAT math, reading, and English sections. This fact makes it worth every penny as its very comprehensive. Compared to other titles by other popular publications, it’s believed to have the most topics covered and includes a nice section about grammar rules.

However, you might also want to know that some experts don’t find this book particularly challenging. This is actually one of the common issues some folks have about Kaplan titles, but I find that the SAT practice tests are actually pretty good. The SAT reading passages are solid and it’ll definitely test your word definitions knowledge with its awesome practice exams.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
-All-in-one study guide that will give you a good run through of all of the concepts and topics for awesome SAT practice
– Contains lots of practice questions and is sorted by question type
– Covers more topics than other study guides
– Some don’t find its questions as challenging as the actual exam questions

SAT Prep Book 2020 and Practice Test Questions for the College Board

 SAT Prep Book 2020 and Practice Test Questions for the College Board

Another solid option for a comprehensive study guide is the SAT Prep Book 2020 and Practice Test Questions for the College Board of Test Prep Books. It’s considered as a solid refresher book with its wide coverage and concise discussion of test prep tips and concepts.

While this Test Prep Books product isn’t the densest title in this list, it’s still a good choice for those who are looking to brush up on everything they’ve already learned before. Its 200 and some pages touch nearly all of the topics and subjects that will be included in the test. So don’t expect it to have detailed discussions and explanations for everything that you need to learn about the exam. However, it can still be a good reference if you need to quickly go over everything quickly for those who need help with time management.

Its size tends to make it less intimidating and easier to work with as well. Bigger and denser books can feel overwhelming that some students end up avoiding them entirely.

A lot of users also found it very useful because of its conciseness. It’s straight to the point when discussing the concepts and topics that are included in the exam. It also effectively explains answers to the practice questions so you’ll easily understand how to improve your answer choices on the exam.

It’s also a good choice for its organized manner of discussing the crucial points that should help make your SAT preps simpler. The way it presents information and covers study topics is easy to follow and will not confuse readers. This makes it even more effective for those who tend to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of things that they need to go over in order to get ready for the said exam.

This book also contains a good amount of practice materials. Unfortunately, you might need to manually look for some of the answers as there are numbers with blank areas, so be ready to do that.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Concise content review and straight to the point when explaining answers

– Organized presentation of information

– Easy to understand and follow

– Good as a refresher book
– Some practice test questions don’t have answer explanations

Princeton Review 10 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2020

Princeton Review 10 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2020

When it comes to supplemental study material, the Princeton Review 10 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2020 Edition:  is a popular pick for those who want to aim to score high on this College Board test. This item contains 10 full-length SAT practice tests, every question type, and more than 1,500 practice questions to help you comply with the universal advice that practice makes perfect.

To be clear, this Princeton Review SAT prep book is not a comprehensive study guide but an effective SAT practice book. This is why it might not be the only book you’ll need if you want to get the perfect SAT score. It doesn’t contain concept and topic discussions so it’s best used with a book that is solely dedicated to such.

What this book provides, however, is a hands-on exposure to the SAT math and English sections. It might not be made by the actual folks who made the test but its practice test and practice questions are high quality. They’re challenging enough to challenge you and will assist you in answering questions that are in the same vein as the actual test questions. They can also promise to help build your confidence in tackling the the SAT.

It also contains great answer explanations for the SAT practice tests and 1,500 practice questions. This is one of its strongest suits as it can help you further progress in your SAT preparations since 1,500 practice questions is a TON. With its detailed discussions of the answers for its practice test, you can definitely gain a better understanding of the exam.

On top of its full length practice tests and questions, it also has a portion where you can learn about the actual SAT scoring system. While it’s not exactly the same as the College Board’s scoring system, this book provides you a good estimate of your score if the practice test you just took was the actual exam, though keep in mind they are just practice exams.

Things We LikedThings We Liked
– Challenging practice tests which cover every question type
– In-depth answer explanations
– Lots of sample problems to work with
– 1,500 practice questions
– Contains a few similar practice problems as the previous version

Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Premium Edition with 8 Practice Tests, 2020: The All-in-One Solution for Your Highest Possible Score (College Test Preparation)

Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Premium Edition with 8 Practice Tests, 2020: The All-in-One Solution for Your Highest Possible Score (College Test Preparation)

In search of a big study guide that has everything? Check out the Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Premium Edition with 8 Practice Tests, 2020: The All-in-One Solution for Your Highest Possible Score (College Test Preparation). This is a tome of a review book with nearly 900 pages of content discussion, test-taking tips, and practice tests that will really help prepare you for the test day and is one of the sat practice books with the most content. Time management and self discipline is of the essence with this monster resource.

With its size, it’s easy to get intimidated by this title. It’s bulky and clunky. However, it can also promise that it contains everything you need in preparation for the actual SAT. And if you’ll take our word for it, it kind of does. It’s a comprehensive book so some opt to use it as a stand-alone study guide.

If you’re planning to do the same thing, you can very much do so. It covers nearly everything that will come out of the actual SAT so it can already prepare you enough for the exam. It discusses various topics and points that are included in the SAT and it also has a lot of tips on test-taking strategies.

On top of these, you’ll also get 8 full-length SAT practice tests with this book that cover every practice question type. Four are printed inside while four more are available online. You can even take advantage of the online score reports so you can easily keep track of your progress.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Packed with everything you need to study for SAT prep
– Very informational
– Comes with useful online content
– Lots of practice questions over 8 practice tests
– Some materials are similar to the 2018 version

The College Board The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition (Official Study Guide for the New Sat)

The College Board The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition (Official Study Guide for the New Sat)

For what could be the most accurate content, get the College Board The Official SAT Study Guide, 2020 Edition (Official Study Guide for the New SAT). This is the authoritative SAT study guide since it is made by the very people who made the actual exam. With this book, you can be sure to learn pretty much the exact same things that the College Board will use to come up with your test scores and should be included in your arsenal of sat prep books.

Many students use the official study guide, as it’s definitely one of the must-haves if you want to fully prepare for the exam. It’s highly recommended as a reference book for all of your SAT prep efforts. You can also effectively use it as a starter book if you don’t know how to approach the prep process.

What makes the College Board SAT book worth your time? As mentioned above, it’s made by the same folks (The College Board) who crafted the SAT so this book is bound to teach you the same data used to create the exam. This can boost your odds of scoring high and give you a lot of confidence in facing this test since it has official SAT practice questions from previous exams.

While some people find it lacking in the test-taking tips department, it does a good job of discussing content. It will help you cover the areas that you’ll need to know to crush the SAT, so it’s certainly a good addition to your SAT prep arsenal with the most accurate practice tests.

This book contains 8 full-length practice tests that are crafted and presented in the same way as the actual exam. It also contains practice questions and detailed information on all of the exam sections. A lot of users also found its SAT essay writing guide very useful.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Made by the same folks who crafted the SAT
– Contains 8 SAT practice tests
– Highly recommended by students, tutors, and teachers
– Some folks find the explanations quite complicated

Test Prep Books SAT Prep Book 2020 & 2021 Practice Tests: Three Full-Length Practice Tests

Test Prep Books SAT Prep Book 2020 & 2021 Practice Tests: Three Full-Length Practice Tests

To get more practice in preparing, you should check out the Test Prep Books SAT Prep Book 2020 & 2021 Practice Tests: Three Full-Length Practice Tests. This is one of the most popular SAT practice books that promise up-to-date content and formatting and is an overall awesome SAT guide and one of our favorite SAT prep books.

As its name suggests, this item is a workbook and not a study guide but still qualifies as one of the top SAT prep books. This means that it’s more focused on helping you get used to the exam format and questions rather than provide content that can help you answer the exam questions. It’s more of a companion of SAT study material to review books, so you should use it like such.

It is great with SAT Pattern analysis and will help you strategize and pace yourself.

What you’ll get from this book are 3 SAT practice tests and detailed discussions of the answers. They should help you gain better understanding of the concepts and topics asked about.

There are also tons of test-taking tips included in this book. This make it a lot more useful in getting acquainted with the format and challenges of College Board’s SAT.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Great price
– Useful for self-study sessions
– Provides good test-taking tips
– 3 SAT practice tests
– Some find the questions here are more complicated than the actual test’s


The Critical Reader 4th Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook

 The Critical Reader 4th Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook

If your grammar needs some work, the Critical Reader 4th Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook would be an essential addition to your study materials as one of the few grammar-focused SAT prep books. This is a subject and topic-specific supplemental material that can really help you work on your grammar improvement but doesn’t offer many SAT strategies. So if that’s your weak point, this book should help you out.

This book is one of the most popular and highly recommended titles for those who need some extra help in the grammar portion of the SAT. It’s also widely used by tutors and test prep course providers so you can be sure that it’s a popular pick by many. Its author has extensive experience in tutoring, grad school admissions, and test prep, making it a credible and reliable resource.

What exactly does this book contain? As it’s the recommended companion to the best-selling Erica Meltzer SAT Grammar Guide, it offers a good amount of SAT grammar practice tests and problems. It comes with six SAT practice tests and a detailed set of in-depth and effective answers explanation so it can help provide a well-rounded approach in preparing for the grammar portion of the exam with all grammar-related question types.

Aside from not having any competitor in the grammar area, this book is also unique in its way of advising its readers with great answer explanations. A lot of experts also point out that it also explains all sorts of error types so it can definitely help you cover all your bases during the prep process.

Unfortunately, this book might come off as a bit dry and boring. However, since it is a workbook, it can be expected. The practice questions are great in understanding grammar and improving your score. 

Note this isn’t explicitly for the SAT essay portion of the exam, but it will help, along with helping to improve your SAT reading and writing skills with word problems, grammar rules, and improving your writing style.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Lots of great information
– Effective discussion of error types
– There are some typographical errors

New SAT Math Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level – Steve Warner

The Critical Reader 4th Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook   If your grammar needs some work, the Critical Reader 4th Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar Workbook would be an essential addition to your study materials as one of the few grammar-focused SAT prep books. This is a subject and topic-specific supplemental material that can really help you work on your grammar improvement but doesn't offer many SAT strategies. So if that’s your weak point, this book should help you out.  This book is one of the most popular and highly recommended titles for those who need some extra help in the grammar portion of the SAT. It’s also widely used by tutors and test prep course providers so you can be sure that it’s a popular pick by many. Its author has extensive experience in tutoring, grad school admissions, and test prep, making it a credible and reliable resource.  What exactly does this book contain? As it’s the recommended companion to the best-selling Erica Meltzer SAT Grammar Guide, it offers a good amount of SAT grammar practice tests and problems. It comes with six SAT practice tests and a detailed set of in-depth and effective answers explanation so it can help provide a well-rounded approach in preparing for the grammar portion of the exam with all grammar-related question types.  Aside from not having any competitor in the grammar area, this book is also unique in its way of advising its readers with great answer explanations. A lot of experts also point out that it also explains all sorts of error types so it can definitely help you cover all your bases during the prep process.  Unfortunately, this book might come off as a bit dry and boring. However, since it is a workbook, it can be expected. The practice questions are great in understanding grammar and improving your score.   Note this isn't explicitly for the SAT essay portion of the exam, but it will help, along with helping to improve your SAT reading and writing skills with word problems, grammar rules, and improving your writing style.  Things We Liked Lots of great information Effective discussion of error types Things We Didn't Like There are some typographical errors Editor's Rating:  4.4/5  Check Current Price New SAT Math Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level - Steve Warner
Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Comprehensive breakdown of math problems into 5 types for better understanding
– High quality practice tests with immediate answer explanation
– Great explanations of concepts to help you solve problems
– Only for math

Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Subject Test in Math 1, 2nd Edition: Everything You Need to Help Score a Perfect 800 (College Test Preparation)

Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Subject Test in Math 1, 2nd Edition: Everything You Need to Help Score a Perfect 800 (College Test Preparation)

If math is your weak subject, the Princeton Review Cracking the SAT Subject Test in Math 1, 2nd Edition: Everything You Need to Help Score a Perfect 800 (College Test Preparation) is something you should look into for math practice. This SAT math study guide might just be the very thing you need to conquer the subject and boost your score.

It is designed to help you cover all your bases when preparing for the math portion of the SAT. This book provides the essential topics and points that are covered by the exam and provides SAT math problems. 

It also includes up-to-date information about this exam section as well as several tips in how to ace the portion. With 3 full length practice exams not only will you get sufficient math practice but it’ll test you on reading comprehension in the reading section and reasoning skills, helping you gauge your readiness for the upcoming exam.

With the difficulty level of SAT math, it can definitely come in handy even for those who aren’t necessarily struggling with the subject. The real SAT math problems are great to take to take if you want an 800 on this section.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Provides various information that will let you conquer math questions
– Packed with useful tips and strategies that will help you work smart for the exam
– 3 SAT practice tests
– Some sample questions are easier than what would be asked in the actual exam

Barron’s SAT with Online Tests

Barron's SAT with Online Tests

Another widely popular comprehensive prep book is the 29th edition of the Barron’s SAT with Online Tests. Like most other titles from this test prep material publisher, this title is considered one of the great SAT prep books if you need a study guide and online practice that will help you cover all your bases.

What makes the Barron’s SAT a popular pick is its very comprehensive format. It’s one of the few books that do well in covering nearly everything that you need to tackle in preparation for the real SAT. It’s very dense and contains brief but effective explanations of the core concepts so you can go over all of the things that will possibly come out in the exam.

Aside from its 6 full-length practice tests that will already help you keep track of your progress, it also contains a diagnostic test and only practice options. This makes it an even more useful study guide as it can guarantee to assist you from the beginning to the end of your prep process. On top of these, it also contains lots of useful test-taking tips that should teach you to effectively take on the SAT during test day.

Unfortunately, there are a few concerns people have about this book. Some think that it overcomplicates some concepts and points. Others also have qualms about Barron’s habit of rehashing old sample questions and it isn’t particularly great with the SAT writing section.

Things We LikedThings We Didn’t Like
– Very comprehensive and packed with useful information
– Will thoroughly practice your test-taking skills and knowledge
– Contains a diagnostic test
– 6 practice tests
– Explanations can be quite complicated

KALLIS’ Redesigned SAT Pattern Strategy

Kallis’ Redesigned SAT Pattern Strategy isn’t as well known as some of the other options here, but it is worth mentioning because it has a very different approach from the other options we’ve reviewed. It has a practical analysis of the SAT and will help you think through problems instead of just memorizing answers, making it one of the few SAT prep books that focus more on thought process as opposed to pattern recognition.

It also comes with over 1000 questions with 6 practice tests that are pretty close to the real SAT. I’ve only had 3 students work out of this book, but they all more than 1450. It’s a small sample size so it’s hard to say whether it’s a coincidence or not, but after going through it it does seem good overall.

Buying Guide: Things to Consider

Preparing for the official SAT can be an overwhelming task – the College Board made sure of that. It’s a huge undertaking with an outcome that has a lot of weight on your future. It can certainly be scary and intimidating but it’s not impossible to come out on top. To help you do this, here’s a quick guide that should help you find the best SAT books available today.

Finding the best SAT prep book will help you get started on the right foot. The right title can serve as a study guide that you can use in various ways. You can use it to effectively navigate the prep process. It can also help you learn the most crucial things that you need to know to crush the exam.

Note, however, that you don’t necessarily have to get just one title – you want multiple SAT prep books. In fact, a lot of experts say that even the most comprehensive ones will still need a few supplemental materials. Also, if you’re not necessarily strong in all subjects included in the test, it would be best to get a subject-specific material in that area. This is why you might be better off looking for multiple prep books than just a single one.

How do you find the best SAT study guide in any case? Here are some tips you can use on your search:

Get to know the different kinds of SAT prep books available.

As not all SAT books are made equally, you can expect them to have different contents and offerings. This is also the very reason why not all of them will work for you as not every title will match your needs, learning style, and goals. By learning their differences, you’ll be able to narrow down your options or even pinpoint a specific title that can really help you in your prep efforts.

Generally speaking, there are three types of SAT books: the comprehensive study guides, the subject-specific review books, and the ST practice books. You’ll also find some titles that will help you drill in concepts and information to your memory.

Understand the Nuances of the Options You are Considering 

By learning what a specific book can offer, you can pretty much tell already which one will work for you. For example, you think you need to improve your time management to effectively conquer the time crunch that comes with the SAT, you should look for titles that help with such. If you’re the type who wants to be efficient in covering study areas, you should look for titles that present concepts in a manner that is easy to digest and to do content review.

The ACT is a similar test, but don’t study off of those books as they are in a very different format. If you’re taking the ACT, you’ll want specific prep books to prepare for it.

Look for a product with up-to-date content.

Next to the kind of content you should look for, you should also only go for the best new SAT prep books. As College Board had the exam redesigned in 2016, it’s crucial that you use a study guide that is in tune with the new changes. Otherwise, you won’t be ready enough and will waste a good amount of time doing stuff that won’t help you face the exam fully and effectively.

A lot of today’s SAT prep books are published in the last couple of years and they will indicate this information clearly. Make sure to pay attention to this detail so you won’t make the mistake of getting the wrong study guide, such as one that makes you write the SAT essay despite the fact that the SAT writing section is now optional.

Get to know what tutors, teachers, and former SAT-takers have to say about the title you’re eyeing.

Some of the most reliable information about the best SAT books are the reviews and recommendations of those who have used them before. Tutors are great sources of such as they tend to use different materials and they have met a lot of students who have used different study materials as well. Of course, teachers and students are reliable sources as well.

Just be very discerning of the information you’ll believe when reading reviews and feedbacks, however. These write-ups are very subjective so you have to weigh their merit before using them as a basis for your decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1400 a good SAT score?

1400 is a good SAT score and will land you in the top 80% percentile in most cases, which is good enough to get into most colleges except the very elite (Ivy Leagues, UC Berkeley, etc). The official SAT is out of 1600 so 1400 is very competitive.

When should you start to prepare for the SAT?

To prepare for the SAT you’ll want to start 3 months ahead. From there, get 2 prep books to help you start studying. Studying along with answering practice questions will get you ready for the official SAT test as long as you are CONSISTENTLY working on it. At the end do a comprehensive content review.

How can I prepare for the SAT in a week?

To prepare for the SAT in a week you’ll want to get SAT Prep Black Book which is the most comprehensive resource. Study at least 3-4 hours a night and take a practice exam each night. After each practice exam review incorrect answers so that you can improve every day. It’s hard to prep in a week, but this method is the most effective.

Which SAT is the easiest?

The easiest SAT is traditionally the one in December. College board understands this is likely the last test seniors can take to submit to their colleges and, according to urban legend, make it easier. I took the official SAT when it was out of 2400 and the one in December was definitely easier for me – I scored a 2150 whereas my 2 previous attempts were 2010 and 2040. 

Is Khan Academy good for SAT?

Khan Academy is good to use for the SAT if you can’t afford a proper prep book or course – aim to get another course or book as it is not comprehensive. Studying off of it alone won’t boost your score by much on the official SAT test. It helps more with the math section than the others, but isn’t as good as the official SAT study guide.

Conclusion

There are a lot of good resources, and the best scorers often prepare with more than one resource. However, if we had to choose a single must have the choice is fairly easy – The Black Book is the most complete prep book out there and will help you improve your score by providing detailed concept explanations and authentic practice exams.

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