Are you on the hunt to find the best SAT prep books? I have the best ones for you!
You will find some of the best SAT prep books that are entirely focused on bettering your SAT preparations. In fact, some SAT prep books are based on specific sections.
In this article, I explained the review of the best SAT prep books by highlighting all the benefits that you would get in each of the best SAT prep books.
Sit back and continue reading!
List Of The 14 Best SAT Prep Books
Any exam preparation can be hard if you do not have the right resources to learn. In fact, it is proven that study materials help enhance your revision with adequate lessons than oral teaching and interpretation.
I researched and curated a list of some of the best SAT prep books that you might find beneficial when preparing for the ultimate SAT. Although you might have gone SAT coaching, it is crucial to have insightful resources to better your preparations.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the best SAT prep books list!
| Book | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| McGraw-Hill Education SAT | Christopher Black and Mark Anestis. |
| 500+ practice questions for New SAT | The Princeton Review |
| Dr. John Chang’s SAT Math | John Chung |
| Barron’s SAT | Sharon Weiner Green Ira K. Wolf Brian W. Stewart |
| The Official SAT Study Guide | The College Board |
| Kalli’s SAT Pattern Strategy | Kallis |
| The Complete Guide to SAT Reading | Erica L. Meltzer |
| SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition | Mike Barrett Patrick Barrett |
| The Vocabulary Builder Workbook by Magoosh | Chris Lele |
| The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar | Erica L. Meltzer |
| Kaplan SAT Prep Plus | Kaplan SAT Prep |
| The Princeton Review SAT Premium Prep | The Princeton Review |
| 500 New SAT Math Problems | Dr. Steve Warner |
| Gruber’s Complete New SAT Guide | Dr. Gary Gruber |
Let us have a detailed look at each of the mentioned books in the section below:
1. McGraw-Hill Education SAT
McGraw-Hill Education SAT is a resourceful SAT prep book that offers cognitive practice questions that are closely matched with the actual SAT questions.
Since you get realistic questions based on SAT, you are guaranteed effective learning, so writing the actual SAT will be easy, and you can actually break a leg.
In this book, you will acquire excellent data analysis and problem-solving skills that will greatly help crack the SAT and in the future for apparent reasons.
In fact, this book highlights the mathematical areas and produces compelling solutions that you cannot find elsewhere, and that is something to look out for.
Lastly, you get 5 full-fledged practice questions that you can potentially utilize to further your revisions. Yet, the importance of English-related sections like reading comprehension, essay writing, and vocabulary learning is quite limited.
The book also offers insightful quizzes and games to make your learning more fun!
Note: Check the difference between the ACT and SAT here.
2. 500+ Practice Questions for new SAT
Although you might feel that the number is small in terms of questions, the quality that you get in this book is immaculate for the right reasons. Hear me out.
Each question is answered with a thorough and detailed explanation wherein you get the best solution for every question that you see in the book. In fact, after proper use, you can start solving different problems based on the solutions that you’ve learned.
You can enhance your SAT preparations as the questions are primarily surfacing the real SAT questions. The best part – you get questions on difficulty levels with answers.
Each lesson in the book gives an immersive teaching experience by highlighting necessary sections like Algebra, Trigonometry, and Advanced Mathematics.
Although you are promised detailed solutions, you also get different options so that you can find alternative options to solve a particular problem in SAT. In simple words, I’d say that this specific book is exclusively designed for students weak in math.
3. John Chang’s SAT Math
As the name suggests, the book is entirely dedicated to coaching for the math sections in SAT. You get a whopping of 1500+ SAT practice questions in this book with verified answers that will help you understand the concept better and easier.
Like other competitors, this book also offers questions in different difficulty levels which means even if you are not familiar with big problems, you can start with small.
Although the questions do not promise to be the same as SAT questions, it reflects and offers similar questions to the real SAT. The best part – you learn strategies.
Yes – The book guides you answers like never seen before. This way, you’ll learn how to cope with complicated questions that might need hours of logical thinking.
Yet, the only drawback is the resources are insufficient apart from the questions.
4. Barron’s SAT
Barron’s SAT is one of the most popular SAT prep books that break down multiple concepts in different sections with comprehensive explanations and writing.
Since most students find it hard to prepare math, the book also suggests test-taking strategies for math sections only. It also expands to the verbal section by highlighting synonyms and vocabularies that you cannot find elsewhere.
Plus, I found that you get exclusive access to Barron’s SAT prep course online, which is a great way to get yourself hooked to learn better from professional educators.
In this book, you also get additional practice questions to help you revise confidently without making unwanted errors in problems and sections.
You get one full-fledged diagnostic test. Although Barron’s SAT offers only one test, it covers all the relevant sections that might appear in the actual SAT examination.
5. The Official SAT Prep Guide
The Official SAT Prep Guide is a verified and authenticated study material curated by the College Board for SAT aspirants struggling to crack their SAT exam.
In this guide, you’ll find almost everything that you’d need to better your preparation. From test-taking strategies to test format to writing structure – EVERYTHING!
The best thing about the official SAT prep guide is that it also provides additional information regarding certain sections, which you might not usually find in others.
Plus, you can blindly trust the pattern and curriculum followed since qualified educators in the College Board literally prepare it. Lastly, you can revise up to 8 times with the diagnostic practice tests that the guide provides.
The only drawback – you cannot find a single study material per section, but you can spot descriptions on the type of questions that will show up in the SAT exam paper.
6. Kalli’s SAT Pattern Strategy
Kalli’s SAT pattern strategy book has proven to deliver real SAT questions and assistance in learning complicated problems with instant answers.
The book is filled with many resources, including detailed explanations and the use of a strategic approach. Additionally, the book gives importance to math and reading so that you become unbeatable in those two sections effectively.
Plus, the fact that you get instructions on answering questions is impeccable. Regarding the practice tests, you get 6 full-fledged practice tests to get going.
As the name suggests, you’ll find ways to grasp the SAT exam pattern efficiently.
7. The Complete Guide to SAT Reading
Most students find math difficult, yet some students cannot get through adequate grammar lessons and language-related sections like reading comprehension and so the complete guide to SAT reading might help them.
In this book, you’ll find strategic ways to approach certain questions that other SAT prep books usually do not cover. Plus, you can find subject interpretation and vocabulary learning to enhance your preparation for the writing section.
I figured out that the questions in this book closely match the real SAT questions. Lastly, you get an abundance of synonyms and phrases that you can revise easily.
Yet, some students might find the formatting in this book quite distracting. To be precise, it can get confusing because the lessons are not properly arranged.
8. SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition
SAT Prep Black Book is the book that you’d need if you are a first-time SAT exam attendee because you’ll learn everything about SAT with an instructive guide on how to approach SAT. Still, the strategy is quite effective compared to other prep books.
The best thing – the book will guide you to each official SAT practice question that you’d get in SAT. Plus, it also helps in achieving your desired SAT score with insightful tips.
Also, the strategies offered in SAT prep black book are quite practical and not blunt information on writing a random competitive exam. Trust me; the advice is surreal!
If you are trying to upscale your English-related skills for the SAT, this book might not be the perfect match. Although it will help you to some extent, it can be upsetting.
Related Reads: What Time Does The SAT Start
9. The Vocabulary Builder by Magoosh
You might already know Magoosh for its excellence in delivering quality content via simple video-formatted lessons in its SAT learning prep course. As an expansion, Magoosh has dedicated study material that can help in furthering your English.
Students are often told to read journals and infotainment magazines to learn robust vocabulary and phrases, but it is helpless in reality. What makes the vocabulary builder stand out is the adequate learning techniques.
I found that students tend to learn certain vocabularies and use them in their daily conversations despite completing the SAT. This is a testimony that it truly helps!
The only downside that you’d face is that the vocabulary builder does not provide anything related to math or other sections outside reading or writing.
10. The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar
The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar should be your English book calling if you are on the lookout for resourceful study material for learning vocabulary and advancing your English. You’ll also get helpful tips on writing essays effectively in this book.
Although the book mostly focuses on writing and reading, some students might find it dry since it highlights already known content. In fact, I noticed that the majority of the book would be apt for a beginner who has no proper knowledge of grammar.
Additionally, the structuring in the lessons and the format followed is not consistent, so you might confuse between chapters and turn back pages all over again.
Yet, if the quality factor is quite decent, you get the best vocabulary learning!
11. Kaplan SAT Prep Plus
One of the best books for SAT preparation is Kaplan’s SAT Prep Plus. In this book, you can get a complete overview of the SAT exam, such as what type of questions you can expect and how it works. It includes potential questions for all three sections of the SAT. The number of practice questions is around 1400, and also five practice exams based on the actual exam.
The practice material of Kaplan’s SAT Prep Plus book is realistic and helps you predict the pattern of the questions for your SAT exam. You can purchase this book separately or get it through Kaplan’s SAT exam course from its website, where you will get both online and offline material.
Related Reads: Kaplan MCAT Prep Review
12. The Princeton Review SAT Premium Prep
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly SAT prep book that also offers practice tests, complete content, premium online extras content, and proven techniques for scoring marks in SAT, then the Princeton Review’s SAT Premium Prep book is the right choice for you. This book’s content is similar to the book Barron’s Guide, which includes all the exam concepts and strategies for approaching questions and managing your time.
This book comes in regular and a premium editions. If you purchase the premium edition, then you will get complete online content of The Princeton Review SAT prep course. This book contains over 900 pages which is more than enough materials for you to prepare for SAT. This book’s content is well organized, making it easy for you to practice.
13. 500 New SAT Math Problems
Dr. Steve Warner’s book 500 New SAT Math Problems is the most recent in the addition of Best SAT Prep Books of 2024. He has covered all the aspects of the test like Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math. The concept has been made very clear by Dr. Steve Warner. It comes in 5 levels with 1 being the easiest. Each lesson is perfectly crafted to help you understand. You can get your book at $40.
14. Gruber’s Complete New SAT Guide
Gruber’s Complete SAT Guide uses a different approach. Rather than the online learning approach, it uses textbook learning method. It is one of the best book written by Dr. Gary Gruber which is very highly rated.
There are about two full-length practice tests and 37 illustrated strategies. The most effective method, Gruber Method is well know to help students to prepare for SAT in the most straightforward method.
Most of the students use this guide as a refresher material. Especially when you are short in time. It has a complete math refresher, mini math & 101 math questions. It also comes up with 90 Different types of mockup test alongside with brief explanation.
Final Thoughts: Best SAT Prep Books Of 2024
In the quest to find some of the best SAT prep books, I found the above-listed SAT prep books that produce excellent study materials in math, reading, and writing.
I will disagree if you say that you don’t need many study materials for a competitive exam. You cannot go further with your preparation if you do not have enough resources to back up your preparation since revision is key.
You can use any of the recommended SAT prep books to advance your SAT learning!
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