Due to the restructuring of the SAT, there have been a lot of changes in how you should approach the test. The SAT has received a ton of updates since 2016, and it is only natural that the way you prepare for it should also adjust. That said, you need the best SAT study guides that have been updated to fit the changes in the upcoming test.
However, there are so many SAT practice books and review books to choose from in the market. In that regard, we have made things easier for you by picking out the best SAT review books.
If you’re looking for the best calculators for the SAT, read this article. Or for more general SAT help, read our comprehensive list of SAT tips here.
If you want to just get back to studying, get our top choice for SAT review books here.
Last update: 2024-04-26
Our Favorites for Best SAT Review Books (the best out of the bunch)
The Official SAT Guide by The College Board
Of course, there is hardly any other SAT study guide better than the official one. Published by the College Board, the body responsible for the annual SAT, The Official SAT Guide is the result of their commitment to transparency. In a sense, this is the only way you can get the College Board’s official practice tests in print since all of them are available for download online for free.
This book contains eight official SAT practice tests that were written by the same people responsible for the actual exam. In that sense, you will be getting practice tests that have the same quality and process as the real SAT. It also has detailed descriptions of the SAT Math section as well as the Reading and Writing parts. On top of that, there are specific questions on SAT Math parts, SAT Reading practice, and SAT Writing drills. It is basically everything you see online.
That said, what you are paying for in The Official SAT Guide are the print and paper. However, there are some differences between this and the one you can get online. Aside from the practice tests, it contains a section that discusses and explains the SAT structure. The Official SAT Guide also offers you excellent strategies and also answer explanations to the questions found in the practice tests.
Overall, you grab this book for the practice tests that are as close to the real thing as possible. You probably won’t be able to get any other SAT practice book or study guide that offers you the same kind of quality that the practice tests The Official SAT Guide offer you.
What makes it unique:
- It is the official SAT review book
- Its SAT practice tests are written by the ones that crafted the test
- The practice tests follow the same quality and process as the SAT
Why choose this book:
- It is the only review book officially licensed by the College Board
- The Official SAT Guide is one of the best books you can find in terms of the quality of SAT practice tests
- It has a total of eight official SAT practice tests
- Language- English
- Convenient to Carry
- This product will be an excellent pick for you
Last update: 2024-04-26
Cracking the SAT Premium 2020 Edition by the Princeton Review
Known as a giant in the prep book industry, the Princeton Review came up with Cracking the SAT as a solution for your need for the best SAT review book. It certainly lives up to expectations as it has an all-in-one approach in helping you get the highest score possible in the upcoming SAT.
With Cracking the SAT, you can get your hands on a comprehensive review portion that discusses the topics covered by SAT Math, Reading, and Writing. You can even gain access to some pro tips and tricks that are both crafted by SAT experts and tried and tested in the past by top students. The book even provides concrete examples of how you can make use of those SAT strategies.
As one of the foundations of the Princeton Review’s success, the practice tests in this book are great for working your mind to top shape in time for the SAT. Cracking the SAT has four practice tests in the book and four more online. That means that you will have all the practice you need to get a good score in the SAT. All of those tests have their corresponding answer explanations to help you understand your mistakes. There are even writing exercises that will help prepare you for the optional SAT essay.
Overall, it is a helpful material for anyone looking for an SAT review book that provides content review, useful information and tips, and practice tests. You certainly will not go wrong when you go for this book
What makes it unique:
- Has an all-in-one approach in helping you prepare for the SAT
- Offers expert tips and test-taking strategies relevant to the SAT
- Answer explanations are very thorough for SAT prep
Why choose this book:
- Provides you with a total of eight practice tests that are quite challenging
- Offers you the total package
- The Princeton Review (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 848 Pages - 05/07/2019 (Publication Date) - Princeton Review (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
SAT Prep Black Book by Mike Barrett
Written by a successful SAT tutor, the SAT Prep Black Book has sort of a different approach as an SAT Review book for the 2019 SAT. Instead of giving you a content review or practice tests, it actually specializes in providing you with SAT test-taking strategies straight from the mind of the author.
In addition to that, you also gain access to information about the format and structure of the SAT as well as advice that covers every aspect of the test. In some way, you can get a sneak preview into the mind of the author for you to learn the strategies that are unique to the different sections and types of questions you will encounter in the SAT. In that regard, it has over 600 walkthroughs for the different scenarios you might encounter while taking the SAT.
One of the more helpful aspects of the book is that it discusses all of the questions of the first four official SAT practice tests to help give you an idea of the thought process needed to tackle the types of questions you will see in the SAT. In a sense, the book helps you beat the SAT questions as it provides you a clear explanation of how they work.
What makes it unique:
- Focuses on providing you expert tips and strategies
- Breaks down the different types of questions in the SAT
- Gives you a sense of how SAT questions work by providing you with a conceptual map
Why choose this book:
- It adjusts to every type of student depending on their target scores
- If you want a book that hones your mindset to be SAT-ready, the SAT Prep Black Book is arguably the best at that
- Barrett, Mike (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 576 Pages - 07/01/2017 (Publication Date) - ACT Prep Books (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
Our Top Pick for the Best SAT Reading Review Book
The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading by Erica Meltzer
The author of The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading wrote this SAT Reading review book to help you get over the hump of what is regarded as the most challenging part of the SAT. It breaks down the different types of questions asked in the SAT Reading portion and also includes detailed explanations of how to tackle them.
No matter how complicated certain passages are, The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading provides you with certain strategies and techniques that will allow you to identify key information in a timely manner. It was also made to help you see one objectively correct answer instead of making you feel like all of the other choices are also subjectively correct.
What makes it unique:
- Breaks down the SAT Reading portion to make passage comprehension easier
- Provides strategies that give you an objective mind in assessing answer choices
Why choose this book:
- The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading is one of the best SAT Reading review books when it comes to demystifying complicated passages
- This book helps fix your mindset to see answers objectively rather than subjectively
- Meltzer, Erica L. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 349 Pages - 07/26/2017 (Publication Date) - Critical Reader, The (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
Our Top Pick for the Best SAT Writing Review Book
The College Panda's SAT Writing: Advanced Guide and Workbook by Nielson Phu
Arguably one of the best SAT Writing review books on the market, The College Panda’s SAT Writing is a complete SAT study guide dedicated to giving you everything you need to know to get a perfect score. From the most basic grammar rules up to the advanced fundamentals, this book has it all.
The book gives you a quick review of the grammar rules tested in the SAT regardless of whether they are the simplest ones or the most complicated ones. Other than that, it offers you a lot of examples of the different types of questions you will most likely see in the SAT. In addition to that, there are also hundreds of drills that correspond to these questions. Finally, it includes some of the most common mistakes students often commit in the SAT Writing portion.
Of course, no complete SAT Writing review book is complete without practice tests. In that regard, The College Panda's SAT Writing has three practice tests that mimic the real one as much as possible. Overall, it is a great companion for you if you want to get the best score possible in the SAT Writing section. You cannot find any other book that gives you the same all-around quality that The College Panda’s SAT Writing does.
What makes it unique:
- Tackles all of the essential grammar rules tested in the SAT Writing section
- Includes fun illustrations to break the monotony of studying grammar
Why choose this book:
- It is a complete SAT Writing study guide that attacks the test from all angles
- This well-rated SAT review book hones your knowledge of the fundamental grammar rules while drilling them in your head using tons of practice questions
- Phu, Nielson (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 290 Pages - 07/17/2018 (Publication Date) - College Panda, The (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
Our Top 2 Picks for Best SAT Math Review Books
SAT Math Prep by Test Prep Books
As one of the best SAT Math prep books you can find anywhere, SAT Math Prep is a useful material because of how it helps your review in a holistic manner. In that sense, it gives you a quick overview of the SAT Math portion as well as test-taking strategies that are quite effective.
The main bulk of this review book is the content review portion that discusses all of the topics that will be tested in the SAT Math section. As comprehensive as the content review is, it does not feel too heavy or long. It was written in a manner that is quite easy to comprehend and understand.
At the end of this book are two practice tests for the SAT Math portion. Both of those practice tests have their own answer explanations that will make you understand where you went wrong in your mistakes and help you improve on your weaknesses in time for the test. Check out our post on the seven common mistakes on SAT Math.
What makes it unique:
- It includes a content review portion
- The content review portion is a fast read
Why choose this book:
- There are not a lot of SAT Math prep materials that offer a comprehensive content review
- SAT Math Prep includes detailed explanations are thorough yet so easy to understand
- Books, Test Prep (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 125 Pages - 03/26/2018 (Publication Date) - Test Prep Books (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
500 New SAT Math Problems by Dr. Steve Warner
While 500 New SAT Math Problems specializes at practice questions, it was also written to have a content review portion. In addition to that, it also includes instructions, tips, and tricks that can help give you the edge on the day of the SAT. This makes it one of the better SAT Math prep books on the market.
True to its name, this book contains 500 SAT Math questions that are all ordered according to difficulty similar to the actual SAT Math section. In that regard, you can allow yourself to proceed through the practice problems steadily. All of the questions you can find in this book are patterned in a similar fashion to the actual SAT Math questions. Of course, they all have their own detailed answer explanations.
What makes it unique:
- It focuses more on SAT Math practice questions
- The practice questions are ordered according to difficulty
Why choose this book:
- You can get your hands on 500 challenging and realistic practice questions
- The answer explanations have several solutions so that you do not have to confine yourself to one way of answering the problems
- Warner, Steve (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 202 Pages - 06/27/2018 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-04-25
Summary of the Best SAT Review Books
Wrapping everything up, here are the SAT review resources we went over today:
Last update: 2024-04-26
Since most of the best schools in the country require you to have SAT scores somewhere near 1500 or above, it is highly crucial for you to perform well in all sections of the test. And one of the best ways to get the highest scores possible is to use the best SAT study guides and review books we reviewed here.
Looking for more resources to prepare yourself for the SAT? Read our 125 tips to tackle the exam here or figure out which calculator to get for the SAT here.
If you’re thinking about alternatives to college, learn about the best GED prep books here.
