What are the best SAT® prep books?

[Diemphuong_Ng172]

Can I download Barron's SAT 2400 from the Internet ? ... I can't buy it in my country , besides, I don't have account so i can't buy it online as well >"<

[Em2375]

If anyone's looking for a site dedicated to SAT Verbal, I'd suggest you take a look here: ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com. New tips are posted daily. It has information about everything on the exam and a one of the clearest, most comprehensive explanations of SAT grammar on either the web or in print (http://ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com/p/sat-grammar-rules.html).

[Em2375]

In terms of test-prep books, I'm going to say to stick with the College Board book. I know that some people find Barron's 2400 and Princeton Review effective, but in my experience (at least in regard to Critical Reading and Writing), they just don't get the test quite right. Some of the material is useful, but some of it isn't, and unless you know what's what, you can end up wasting a lot of time studying things you don't really need to know.

To practice for Critical Reading, I'd suggest reading the New York Times op-ed piece daily. It's a great vocabulary builder, and it gets you used to reading short, relatively challenging pieces of writing. The level is pretty much the same as what's on the SAT. If you're looking for specific books, I'd recommend starting with anything by Oliver Sacks (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Musicophilia), Temple Grandin (Thinking in Pictures), or Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food). The SAT loves these authors, particularly the first two, whose work has shown up on the test multiple times. But really, any "serious" reading will help: The Economist, Scientific American, etc. Just do it on a regular basis.

For grammar, I'd suggest you check out http://ultimatesatverbal.blogspot.com/p/sat-grammar-rules.html. It goes through all of the major concepts you need to know, in order of importance.

For the essay, look at "Write the Essay Right:" http://maupinhouse.com/index.php/write-the-sat-essay-right.html

It's a little cheesy but very straightforward and hugely effective. I've seen it take someone from a 7 to a 10 in a couple of weeks.

[Prepst]

The official SAT Study Guide is BY FAR the best book out there. Only practice the real tests, not practice tests made by other test prep companies. Those don't come even close to mimicking the real tests.

Here are a few sources for obtaining real tests:

The SAT official study guide, edition 1 & 2

Ten Real SATs

The Official SAT Online Course

[Prepst]

The official SAT Study Guide is BY FAR the best book out there. Only practice the real tests, not practice tests made by other test prep companies. Those don't come even close to mimicking the real tests.

Here are a few sources for obtaining real tests:

The SAT official study guide, edition 1 & 2

Ten Real SATs

The Official SAT Online Course

You can also check out our Prep Street SAT eBook Study Guide. It teaches you how to tackle the most difficult SAT problems in an accurate and timely manner.

Or if you just want read about SAT prep and college admissions, you can check of our free Prep Street SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog

[Testguru]

I'll try to make my response short and simple. The short answer is yes it is possible to get a perfect score. Just study very hard. Give yourself at least six months for preparation. Dont just do practice questions or exercises. You need to first make sure that you understand the fundamental of both math and english. Then do all the practice tests. Trust me, that's all there is to it. If you want to learn the fundamentals, all my students use the set of math and verbal book by EZ Solutions as this is the only and most comprehensive source. The best way to get hands on the practice questions is by getting the college board official guide. If you apply this strategy, you'll have a pretty good chances at scoring 2400 or close to it.

[Natalia1987]

I haven't heard EZ Solutions before. Is that a book or a computer program?

[Testguru]

EZ Solutions has actual hard copy physical books for the SAT as well as the ACT prep. They have a total of nine books for the math and five for the verbal. I have been using these books for a long time now and I recommend them to all my students. They are definitely going to be a bit pricier when you compare with other books. But these books are even more effective than an actual classroom course. All of my students have shown remarkable improvements in their test scores after using these books. You can find these books on amazon or any other major bookstore. I charge $100 per hour for private tutoring and these books make my life a lot easier. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

[Leafylilyz]

The Official SAT Study Guide is a good one.

[Gg500]

The more you practice, the higher you will score. Get books like Princeton Review's 12 Practice Tests and other books that have a bunch of practice tests and learn from the explanations. This method has gotten me to a 2260.