The Best ACT Science Prep Books of 2024

Looking for the best ACT Science Prep Book? There are a lot of guides to choose from, but you need to ensure that you’re using quality learning materials that offer results. In today’s article, we help you find the best ACT science prep books divided among favorites, runner ups and value picks. Continue reading to learn about the best resources you need for academic success.

If you want to just get back to studying, get our top pick for ACT Science prep books here.

Last update: 2024-04-29

Our Favorites for Best ACT Science Prep Books

For the Love of ACT Science

To start off, here is a top-rated ACT Science prep book prepared by Michael Cerro. The author is a professional test prep tutor with a background in chemical engineering. This best study guide book for ACT helps you hone your ACT Science skills without losing interest in the study process.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• The book features sample questions customized specifically to reflect actual ACT material
• Offers complete breakdown of ACT Science questions
• Gives you a step-by-step approach to discover answers within the given materials
• Based on tried and tested methods to help you improve your ACT score

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• While the book is result-driven and impactful, it is shorter than most ACT Science prep books on the market
• This helps you cover the material quickly and effectively

Last update: 2024-04-29

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The Official ACT Prep Guide 2022 - 2023

When it comes to top recommendations for the best ACT science prep book, we can not skip The Official ACT Prep Guide, otherwise known as ‘Red Book’ of ACT preparation. Prepared by the ACT test makers themselves, this is the closest you get to preparing for actual test questions.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• Contains real ACT questions from past tests. This means the content closely resembles what you will find on the test
• Familiarizes you with the format, timing, and wording of the questions
• Practising with actual ACT questions prepares you for what to expect on the test, and also helps identify problem areas and assess where you need more practice

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• The book contains five full-length practice tests
• You also get a code with the book that provides access to over 400 questions online
• Shorter in length that other ACT science prep books

Last update: 2024-04-28

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ACT Prep Black Book, Second Edition

Third on our list of the best ACT Science prep book is the ACT Prep Black Book, Second Edition, a helpful resource all students appearing for the exam should use.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• This Black Book is unique in the sense that it teaches you how to think about the ACT
• The test aims to check your grasp of basic concepts with questions which are phrased and worded in a complex manner, and the Black Book teaches you the thought process behind the questions
• You will learn an elimination process whereby you can confidently identify ambiguously correct answers and identify the right one

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• The author(s) present the concept in a clear manner and gives students the confidence to prepare well and ace the test
• More than ACT science tips and tricks, the Black Book teaches you practical strategies to tackle ACT questions
• It even provides alternative strategies for each section so you can discover what works for you
• However, you need to have the Red Book reviewed above for most question explanations. If you don’t have the official ACT guide, many parts of the Black Book will be hard to follow

Last update: 2024-04-29

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Runner Ups for Best ACT Science Prep Books

ACT Science Tutor Prep Book 2020 & 2021

For runners up, we have the ACT Science Tutor Prep Book which gives you a hands-on look at the ACT. The reason why we listed it in the runner’s up category is that sometimes the answers are too easy as compared to actual ACT test questions.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• This test focused prep guide gives you 3 exams to practice for the ACT
• You can also see in-depth explanations for the questions as well as their correct answers to understand the thought process behind ACT testing
• Detailed explanations of answers help you fully understand what counts as a correct and incorrect answer in the test
• Offers simple and to-the-point explanations of concepts and terms (however, sometimes it can get too simple)

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• This guide is ideal for those who are looking for ways to save time on the test without taking extra or wrong steps in answering the questions
• Concepts are made easy to memorize with visual aids like graphs
• The book comes along with a (free) DVD and additional study material

Last update: 2024-04-28

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Kaplan ACT Math & Science Prep: Includes 500+ Practice Questions

Moving on in our list of the best ACT science prep book, Kaplan also comes highly recommended when it comes to test prep books. The ACT Math & Science Prep provides focused study materials that help you ace specific sections of the test.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• Offers more than 500 sample questions for the science and math sections
• Along with tackling sample questions, you also learn detailed reviews of essential science concepts

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• Comes with 3 full practice tests to get you in the ACT test mode
• You not only learn ACT Science tips and tricks but also understand the underlying concepts that are actually being tested

Last update: 2024-04-29

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Value Picks for Best ACT Science Prep Books

The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science

For value picks for the best ACT Science Prep Book, we bring you The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science. Choosing a guide specifically targeting the science section of the ACT focuses your study time on a specific area where you need to score well (or improve your score).

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique:

• Provides a definitive list of ACT science tips and tricks for making the test easier, as this is the section that most students struggle with
• The only book on the market dedicated specifically to ACT Science and covers the topic from every nook and cranny
• Along with clever tips, this book also arms you with expert strategies necessary for scoring well on the ACT science test

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book:

• The book offers a detailed breakdown of all passages and question types on the test
• Offers several different strategies so you can find the one that works for you
• Comes with a definitive list of all scientific facts that you need to know for the test

Last update: 2024-04-29

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Barron’s ACT

Finally, we have one of the best books that cover all sections of the ACT. If you are looking for a single resource that covers content, strategies and practice questions, Barron’s ACT is your ideal choice.

What Makes This ACT Science Prep Book Unique

• Immerses you in the ACT by offering a study plan and providing an initial assessment of your current level
• Over 50 pages are devoted to science that includes a practice test, tips for taking the test as well as skills, concepts and question types

Why Choose this ACT Science Prep Book

• The science section (like all sections of the book) also comes with a warm-up exercise of about a dozen test questions
• A great book for the general study of the ACT

Last update: 2024-04-28

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How to Choose the Best ACT Science Prep Book for You

Science is a mandatory section of the ACT standardized entrance exam, and like all sections, it is scored on a 1 to 36 point scale. The overall ACT score also depends on the average score you obtain in the science section.

Many students think that the science section is similar to the math section in structure, rather than the reading section. But this is just a misconception. Reading is a major part of the entire test as you need to read scientific passages and answer related questions.

So how do you go about choosing the best ACT Science Prep Book?

Consider firstly that ACT science prep books are written both for students taking the test for the first time as well as those aiming for a higher score. That is why you need to pick out books from well-known sources.

Moreover, the study guide you choose should provide you with the best overall subject matter to study from that prepares you for the actual test questions. That means you should avoid books that both provide easy answers and also ones that dabble into advanced material that is not relevant for ACT students.

Many guides achieve this by reprinting or rewording questions directly from previous ACT exams.

Moving on, you need to see whether the ACT science prep guide you are purchasing contains sample questions on all three questions types (Data Representation, Research Summaries, Conflicting Viewpoints).

Also be on the lookout for ACT science prep guides that help you evaluate passages and utilize scientific data quickly. This means that the guide should help you understand scientific methods, analyze conflicting options and interpret graphs and tables. What you don’t want is an ACT book that needlessly goes into expert knowledge, which is good but can eat up a valuable portion of your study time.

Finally and most importantly, you need to find a study guide that teaches you how to manage pace and time. This is because each section of the ACT is timed, and you need to prepare for this beforehand. This once again means using ACT study guides that cover the concepts and questions of the exam without delving into expert knowledge.

Wrapping Things Up: The Best ACT Science Prep Book

Putting everything together, in this guide we reviewed the following:

Last update: 2024-04-29

So this wraps our list of recommendations for the best ACT science prep book for 2022. Each ACT science study guide has its own pros and cons, and that is why you should find one that best suits your study goals.

Some students have also found success using a combination of two to three ACT science prep books. Examples include the Official ACT Prep Guide and the Black Book, which together help you answer questions as well as get an in-depth understanding of the concepts.

Of course, these are general guides for all sections of the ACT (and thus suited more for those taking the first attempt at the ACT). However, if you just want to prepare for the science section to improve your score, we suggest you choose from our list an ACT study guide for science that focuses on this section only. These include For the love of ACT Science or The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science.

If you found this post helpful, you’re definitely going to like our other ACT prep resource guides here.

> The Best ACT Math Prep Books

> The Best ACT Reading Prep Books