As we ramp up for the busiest test season of the year, let’s remember to prep intelligently by using quality SAT prep books.
Below, we’ll share top tips on choosing the best study materials for you and your goals. And we’ll follow that up with our best picks for books to help you prepare for the SAT test.
Get SAT prep off your To-Do List: Discover How Top Students Like You Get Killer SAT Scores ➡
Choosing the best test prep books
Remember that what happens to be the best SAT test prep book for you may not be as great of a selection for other students. When gathering study materials, customize your selections for what best suits you.
Some personal aspects to consider are:
- where you are in your test prep journey
- your strengths and weaknesses
- and your goals
On top of that, you’ll want to consider the study materials themselves.
Luckily, the best test prep books will have a few key characteristics:
- a few strategies
- tons of practice problems
- and an appropriate difficulty level
Essential Books To Prep for SAT Test
As you’re reading through the list of recommendations, you’ll notice we’ve included which test prep scenario each book is best suited for.
We’ve organized them into the following categories:
Browse SAT test prep books to help:
- Improve your overall SAT score while limiting the number of books you need to buy…
- To focus on taking practice tests rather than reviewing skills…
- Master practice tests that are more difficult than the actual SAT test
- 10 full-length SAT practice tests that are completely free
- Focus on a specific subject using supplementary SAT prep books
So, read the selections carefully and if you are still unsure, feel free to schedule a free consultation with us so that we can help you develop a more personalized study plan for your SAT test prep.
Improve your overall SAT score while limiting the number of books you need to buy…
The Princeton Review’s SAT Premium Prep and/or The Princeton Review’s SAT Prep are excellent options for this.
Both offer an overview of all the material on the test along with 4-paper and 5-electronic practice tests (in the premium version) and 4-paper and 2-electronic practice tests (in the regular version). It is an especially good option if you have not done any previous prep for the SAT.
Some similar options include:
To focus on taking practice tests rather than reviewing skills…
One of the best ways to improve your score is by simply working through a book of practice tests, reviewing the answers, and self-analyzing.
Practice tests also help students master crucial skills like test-taking stamina and timing.
As such, taking a practice test that feels a little more like the actual SAT test can be beneficial in improving a student’s test scores in a number of ways.
If this is you, these two books are worth looking into:
Master practice tests that are more difficult than the actual SAT test
As we covered in our article, Is the Real SAT Harder Than The Official Practice Tests, we learned severasl reasons why the practice tests are typically easier. (I suggest you check out that article next for some excellent practice test taking tips.)
So, if you’re looking for an additional challenge, Barron’s 7 SAT Practice Tests is an excellent choice.
In our experience, many students find this book to be of higher difficulty than the real SAT.
10 full-length SAT practice tests that are completely free
Don’t forget that the College Board offers (at the time of writing this) 10 free full-length practice tests on their website for both print and online testing.
You can download the College Board’s SAT practice tests here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/practice-preparation/practice-tests.
Not all test prep books are created equally
While we do recommend the free practice tests linked just above, we suggest that you don’t rely too heavily on test prep books from The Collegeboard.
For example, The Official SAT Study Guide (Collegeboard).
Although this book seems to be the best source of realistic tests, our data indicates that they’re generally a bit easier than the actual test.
Focus on a specific subject using supplementary SAT prep books
If you have specific areas you need to work on these books are great. You can use them on their own or in conjunction with any of the more generalized books we’ve already mentioned, like Princeton Review’s Premium Prep.
Alternatively, you can work through these books once you’ve finished one or more of the generalized books above. Using this method, you can continue to work on the areas that give you difficulty.
Ace the SAT: It only takes 10 minutes a day with Power Play. Get Your 200+ Score Increase Now ➡
To improve Reading and Writing skills
To improve Mathematics skills
We recommend Dr. Steve Warner’s 28 SAT Math Lessons for students who need to sharpen their SAT math skills.
The collection of books is suited for every level:
- Beginner (for students scoring below 500)
- Intermediate (for students scoring between 500 and 600)
- Advanced (for students scoring above 600)
Additionally, we also recommend Neilson Phu’s The Collge Panda SAT Math Series and Princeton Review’s Math Workout for the SAT.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your SAT Test Prep Books
First, don’t waste time reviewing the subject matter you’re already strong in.
Prep more efficiently by practicing the areas in which you’re weakest. Use targeted materials like Reading and Writing Workout for the SAT or SAT Math Workbook to focus in on your weak spots.
This is a recurring theme among all those who are excellent in their fields: athletes, musicians, and test prep stars alike.
Though it’s satisfying to do an hour’s worth of math problems and get them all correct, there’s less learned
Finally, Your goal should be to have the actual SAT test feel easy.
You can accomplish this by choosing very challenging prep books like Advanced Prep SAT Writing and 28 SAT Math Lessons (Advanced), books which feature very challenging problems to help you achieve a perfect score.
Okay, armed with any of the books above, we’re confident you’ll find your way to improved SAT test scores.
Here’s to a great school year of high scores!