A Note on SAT Books
We strongly advise all prospective college applicants to purchase at least 2 books on the SAT Reasoning Test (which we'll call simply 'the SAT' for short).
One should be the official guide from the College Board, the test's administrator. There is a significant difference between the official questions you will be asked on the exam and the practice questions contained in all other books. You need a College Board publication to familiarize yourself with the quality of questions you will actually face on the SAT.
Secondly, we recommend buying and studying at least one of the "unofficial" guides reviewed below. There is indeed a way to study for this test that will materially improve your score. The better unofficial guides contain many time-proven test-taking strategies that serve that purpose, as well as excellent explanations of the logic behind the correct answers to the practice problems. You will greatly increase your chances of receiving a higher test score if you go to the test armed with SAT test-taking strategies and knowledge of actual questions from previous exams.
For quick reference, here are links to related books we have reviewed:
- College selection
- SAT II preparation
- ACT preparation
- Advanced placement
- PSAT preparation
- Financial aid
- Success
Book Reviews
Note: These reviews are for the current edition of the SAT. The new test will not be released until 2016.
The Official SAT Study Guide with DVD by College Board (Editor)
We strongly advise all prospective college applicants to purchase this book. This is, by far, the most informative book available on the SAT test. The book includes 8 practice tests and an estimated test score calculator. The DVD includes an additional SAT test with exclusive online access to answer explanations along with an SAT test timer and exclusive video content.
Barron's SAT, 27th Edition by Ira Wolf and Sharon Green
[img=93,121]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/barrons-sat.jpg[/img] Buy this book from Amazon.com
This is one of Barron's better test prep guides. The diagnostic and five full-length practice tests alone should justify the purchase. Throw in the exceptional vocabulary section and you have a book that is a must for any ambitious test taker!
The Full Potential SAT Audio Program by Bara Sapir*[img=95,125]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/sataudio.jpg[/img] Buy this 5 CD set from TestPrepNY
The Full Potential program optimizes your test-taking potential by enhancing your mental retention, concentration, and relaxation. *Mention Z-Code "AC" to receive free shipping*
28 SAT Math Lessons to Improve Your Score – Intermediate by Steve Warner
[img=75,113]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/sat-math-problems-book.png[/img] Buy this book from Amazon.com
If you are looking for a specialized guide for SAT Math and you are currently scoring in the intermediate range of 500 to 600, look no further. Steve Warner has written the perfect guide for you. Seriously!
Are you looking to improve a math score that is already above 600? Click here
Are you looking to improve a math score that is currently below 500? Click here
The Ultimate SAT Tutorial: The Easiest and Most Effective Way to Raise Your Score by Erik Klass
Klass Tutoring's Ultimate SAT Tutorial has a short, medium, and long program built in to help students create study schedules that work for their particular needs. We were impressed with how the book is designed to be used in conjunction with the College Board's Official SAT Study Guide.
Math SAT 800: How To Master the Toughest Problems by Dan Eiblum and Michael Foreman
If you are looking for help with the SAT math section, and the more difficult math questions specifically, this is the book for you. Our clients who were scoring in the 600 range before using this guide have reported it is quite helpful at helping them further boost their scores.
The 32 Most Effective SAT Math Strategies, 3rd Edition by Steve Warner
[img=75,113]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/32-most-effective-sat-math-strategies.jpg[/img] Buy this book from Amazon.com
This is exactly the type of book we like to recommend for our clients. It's concise, well organized and helps test takers raise their SAT math scores without forcing them to learn any new math.
2nd Edition, The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar by Erica Meltzer
[img=88,114]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/sat-grammar.jpg[/img] Buy this book from Amazon.com
This very well written and organized book covers all the grammar rules you will need to know for the SAT as well as for later writing assignments in college and beyond.
320 SAT Math Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level by Steve Warner
[img=75,113]http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/images/sat-math-problems.png[/img] Buy this book from Amazon.com
This is another well organized – and self contained – book by Steve Warner (see our review of his The 32 Most Effective SAT Math Strategies above). Most students do need additional practice questions to augment the official guide and this delivers not only high quality questions but also organizes them by level of difficulty.
100 SAT Math Tips and How to Master Them Now! by Charles Gulotta
This is another useful guide from Charles Gulotta. It will not teach you math, but it will teach you how to answer SAT math questions and how to recognize the pitfalls and traps that the College Board intentionally includes in the test in order to trip you up. Once again, the quality of these tips, and the humorous cartoons illustrating them, make this a recommended SAT quantitative book. The book's concise (120 page) length also makes it a very manageable read.
Movie Themed Books for Vocabulary Building
One technique that has worked for many of our clients has been combining the love for movies and movie trivia with vocabulary building. Although these books are now over 5 years old, we still find our clients are familiar with the "classics." If you think this might make vocabulary building easier for you, we encourage you to look at the following books:
Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf
This verbal prep book for the SAT and ACT bases vocabulary lessons on some of the more difficult words from the popular novel Twilight. Lists of words refer back to sentences in the novel, so readers can see the word in context. This would be a fun and painless way to learn some essential vocabulary for fans of the book. I wouldn't, however, use it as the only book to prepare for the verbal sections of these tests. Stephanie Meyer has a good command of the English language, but there's no guarantee she used every word you might need to learn.
Name That Movie! (Comedy and Action) by Brian Leaf
If you are a fan of comedy and action movies, this book can help you boost your vocabulary skills while helping you recall famous scenes and lines. The author also ties actors' debuts in to the trivia as well.
Name That Movie! (Romantic Comedy and Drama) by Brian Leaf
If you are a fan of romantic comedy and drama movies, this book can help you boost your vocabulary skills while helping you recall famous scenes and lines. The author also ties actors' debuts in to the trivia as well.
