The Best SAT Prep Books

Barron’s “SAT Study Guide Premium, 2021-2022”

This highly rated SAT prep book features a step-by-step process that helps test-takers gradually master each content area. The book works well for students who learn best by repetition and by examining the same concepts from multiple angles.

In addition to ample practice questions and content review, “SAT Study Guide Premium” contains seven full-length practice tests — including one diagnostic and two online — and detailed answer explanations.

KALLIS’ “SAT Pattern Strategy, 3rd Edition”

Developed for individuals who learn by doing, this prep book prepares students to take multiple practice exams and learn from their mistakes in the process. The book analyzes common types of questions on the SAT, covering more than 100 subject areas.

It also includes six full-length practice exams and over 1,000 questions that adequately mirror the difficulty of those on the test.

Kaplan’s “SAT Prep Plus 2022”

Kaplan is a big name in test prep. With two in-book and three online practice exams, “SAT Prep Plus 2022” features clear explanations of SAT content areas, sound practice techniques, and effective strategies to use on exam day.

The book boasts more than 1,400 practice questions, all with in-depth answer explanations, as well as diagnostic pre-quizzes and “reflect” pages to help you better understand your comfort level with each test subject.

McGraw Hill Education’s “SAT Elite 2022”

Created by professional SAT coaches, this book tackles the most challenging types of questions on the exam and provides math and reading comprehension tips not found in other resources. Students who need to improve in specific subject areas and gain familiarity with how the SAT presents questions will appreciate this resource.

You’ll also get access to eight full-length practice tests, a bonus section with tips and tools for top-scoring students, and daily progress reports.

“SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition”

Based on the expertise of world-renowned SAT tutor Mike Barrett, the “Black Book” provides students practical advice on how to approach each section of the SAT. Readers learn to master the approach that the College Board takes when creating questions, giving them a leg up when preparing for the exam.

The Princeton Review’s “SAT Premium Prep, 2022”

Written by The Princeton Review — a top test prep company — this prep book offers a helpful introduction to the SAT for students less familiar with the exam. The guide includes common strategies for approaching the various types of questions on the test and nine high-quality practice tests (five online, four in the book). You’ll also get detailed online score reports.

Readers receive access to exclusive online features as well, such as videos covering test-taking strategies, multiweek study guides, and college admissions advice.

The Princeton Review’s “10 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2022”

The 10 practice exams in this bestselling prep book allow students to gain familiarity with the types of questions and concepts appearing on the SAT. The resource includes a self-scoring mechanism to give students an idea of how well they can expect to do on the exam.

Those who’ve already studied and simply need to practice will likely benefit the most from this book.

“Dr. Jang’s SAT* 800 Math Workbook, 2020 Edition”

This comprehensive workbook helps students understand all major types of questions and concepts they’ll see on the SAT Math section, including algebra and problem-solving questions. The book contains 10 full math practice exams, over 1,500 practice questions, and one diagnostic test to help you determine what you need to focus on in your prep.

“500 New SAT Math Problems Arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level”

Dr. Steve Warner — a university professor and math tutor — uses unique strategies to help students find solutions to a variety of math problems commonly found on the SAT.

In addition to providing thorough answer explanations, this guide covers different ways to solve the same math problems, allowing students to choose the approach that best suits their preferences and learning styles.

“PWN the SAT: Math Guide, 4th Edition”

This 2016 guide remains an excellent resource for students committed to maximizing their SAT Math score. Author Mike McClenathan — a perfect SAT scorer himself — makes clear that the strategies in this book require hard work and persistence.

This guide works best for test-takers willing to dedicate a considerable amount of time and effort to studying for this section of the SAT.

Barron’s “SAT Math Workbook, 7th Edition”

Reasonably priced and packed with quality practice problems, Barron’s “SAT Math Workbook” outlines key strategies that test-takers can use to solve a variety of problems on the exam. The book includes in-depth answer explanations and has helped many students raise their SAT Math scores, sometimes by over 100 points.

“The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading, 4th Edition”

Designed for students committed to raising their SAT Reading scores, this guide by test prep expert Erica L. Meltzer offers crucial strategies for quickly understanding complex writing and finding the information needed to answer related questions.

This extremely popular guide covers supporting evidence questions and chart-based data analysis concepts, both of which students will find on the SAT, as well as how to use context clues.

“2018 SAT Reading: World Literature Practice Book”

This guidebook helps test-takers understand the key concepts of the main idea, character development, the plot, and the theme, which they’ll need to know in order to master the SAT Reading section. The book includes the same American and international authors students will encounter on the exam.

In total, you get 500 Reading practice questions, 50 reading passages, and 2,000 answer explanations.

The College Panda’s “SAT Writing: Advanced Guide and Workbook, 2nd Edition”

This highly rated book details the SAT Writing and Language section’s grammar rules, including some of the more obscure guidelines that many students miss. The resource offers clear examples and hundreds of practice questions to help students gradually master the concepts that will help them succeed on this portion of the exam.

Additionally, the guide outlines common mistakes students make on SAT Writing and how to avoid them.

“The Critical Reader: The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, 5th Edition”

Another hit by Meltzer, this guide introduces test-takers to the various grammar, data analysis, and rhetorical concepts that drive the SAT Writing and Language section. Students learn these concepts and then apply them through several practice tests that mimic the real SAT.

You’ll study concepts and strategies individually before practicing applying them to passage-based questions like those on the exam. The book includes over 300 answer explanations.