Best SAT Prep: Books, Courses, and More
Studying for and taking the SAT is a huge part of the college application and admissions process, which means it often causes students significant stress. Having a game plan for how you’re going to tackle your SAT prep will help alleviate some of that stress, and get you a better score in the process.
There are a few questions to ask yourself when choosing between SAT prep options:
- How much time do you have to prepare for the SAT?
- How do you study best?
- What’s your target SAT score?
Once you’ve answered these questions, start narrowing down your SAT prep options.
Best SAT Prep Courses
Study with a private SAT Tutor.
If you want one-on-one attention and lessons catered specifically to your strengths and weaknesses, consider prepping for the SAT with a private SAT tutor. This is also a good option for anyone with a particularly busy schedule; since you’ll be meeting with a tutor individually rather than with a teacher and many other students, you’ll have more scheduling flexibility. With Kaplan’s SAT Private Tutoring you’ll get between 10 and 40 hours of private tutoring, depending on the package you select, plus 8 practice tests with score analysis, 4 SAT prep books and on-demand online practice questions, and access to a full Live Online course. The downside to private SAT tutoring is the cost; expect to pay significantly more for any tutoring package than you would to enroll in a course or prep on your own.
Take an SAT Course.
If you learn effectively in a group setting and appreciate being held accountable by scheduled assignments and class times, take an SAT course. Classes in traditional classroom settings might be on their way out, but Kaplan’s Live Online courses give you the benefit of teacher-student interaction and collaboration without the commute. In fact, our Live Online courses feature our best teachers both on-screen and off, to help answer any questions you have in the chat while class is being conducted. You’ll be equipped with a set of 4 SAT books, a QBank with 1,000+ questions, and 8 practice tests (including 4 official College Board exams).
Study on your own with an SAT Prep Book.
If you manage your own time well and feel confident that you can fit SAT prep into your schedule without being held accountable by a teacher, classmates, and assignments, studying on your own with an SAT prep book might be enough for you. Be sure to create a study plan for yourself so you stay on track and get through the material before SAT test day.
[ RELATED: SAT 3-Month Study Plan • SAT 1-Month Study Plan ]
Best SAT Prep Book
Some SAT books to consider as you start prepping for the SAT are the following:
SAT Total Prep Book
Kaplan’s biggest SAT book gives you content review, test-taking strategies, practice questions, and practice tests, as well as a year of access to our online resources (including a Qbank, more practice tests, and video lessons).
SAT Prep Plus Book
Get test day strategies, content review, practice questions and practice tests, plus an online tool to create a customized study plan.
SAT Math Prep Book
If you specifically want to increase your score on the Math section of the SAT, consider getting this book. It has math practice sets with detailed explanations, techniques for each kind of math question you’ll see on the SAT, and review of key math concepts.
SAT Reading and Writing Prep Book
This book uses reading and writing practice sets with explanations, proven test-taking strategies, and full reading and writing practice test sections to boost your SAT Reading and Writing score.
Best Free SAT Prep Resources and Materials
Pop Quiz — Free SAT Skills Assessment
SAT Pop Quizzes, while certainly not as thorough as full practice tests, are a great way to start gauging your readiness for the SAT.
Free SAT Practice Questions
Take Kaplan’s SAT 20-Minute Workout for practice questions and answer explanations.
Free SAT Practice Test
Taking an SAT practice test can significantly decrease your stress level about the actual SAT, as well as give you a baseline for how you can expect to perform on test day. Free SAT practice tests are widely available in both paper and online formats, often with free score reports. College Board has eight official practice tests you can take either online with Khan Academy or on paper, available for download on the College Board website. You can also take Kaplan’s free online SAT practice test, which comes with a detailed score report and answers and explanations for each question.
SAT On Demand Free Trial
Try out Kaplan’s SAT On Demand, a product that breaks SAT prep into lessons you can fit into your busy schedule—some as short as 30-minutes. You’ll get access to 1,000+ practice questions, over 50 video lessons, and quizzes. Get free access to sample lessons for 7 days.
SAT Question of the Day Series
For bite-sized, daily SAT practice, sign up for Kaplan’s SAT Question of the Day. The questions—along with detailed answer explanations—will be delivered to your inbox every day.
[ KEEP READING: How long to study for the SAT ]
