Best SAT Prep Books

The College Board made dramatic changes to the SAT and a slew of prep books are promising students success on the redesigned exam. Students should take practice tests to figure out their strengths and weaknesses, then consider some of these books to practice areas that need improvement.

Official College Board Practice Tests

First, you should know that these practice tests are free and online. You have to print them, but they are real exams with questions from previous tests. They are realistically difficult and composed like the test you'll take.

Your first score will be an excellent indication of where you need to improve. Of course, the College Board also offers the Official SAT Study Guide, which includes ten practice tests, but this book costs money and offers very little explanation.

Kellis’ Redesigned SAT Pattern Strategy

This book caters to students taking the new SAT. It describes the tests and provides students with patterns and tools for maneuvering through problems. It contains a number of good practice questions. It is a worthwhile investment with good content and priced at $32.99.

Erica Meltzer’s SAT Grammar and The Critical Reader SAT

These books are focused on the Reading & Writing sections of the SAT, providing straightforward advice for understanding passages and quickly learning grammar rules. Also, The Critical Reader offers questions for strengthening specific skills required on the SAT Reading section.

The SAT Grammar and accompanying workbook both articulate grammar rules on the SAT, but there’s little guidance for how to strategize. Altogether, these books cost about $90.

Dr. Steve Warner’s SAT Math Lessons

Dr. Steve Warner’s book has great explanations of the underlying math rules involved in the SAT Math Section. The guide is split into sections based on questions. You'll have to buy multiple books to cover all of the bases, which could end up costing about $100. We also suggest looking at the free Khan Academy Math Modules for a better understanding of the math principles you'll need to know.