Preparing for the ACT can be a daunting task, especially with the plethora of prep books available in the market. Choosing the right book can make all the difference in achieving your desired score. In recent years, the ACT has become the preferred exam for many students and colleges, surpassing the SAT in terms of the number of students who take it. As a result, there are numerous books on the market claiming to prepare you for the ACT.
In this guide, we will provide you with an overview of the best ACT prep books available, their pros and cons, and how they can help you achieve your goals.
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Top 11 ACT Prep Books
Discover the best ACT prep books recommended by our expert team. Get ready to ace the test with our top picks and achieve your desired score!
- The Official ACT Prep Guide
- Kaplan’s ACT Prep Plus
- Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide
- Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep
- The ACT Black Book
- Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide
- Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT
- McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math
- The Complete Guide to ACT English
- The Complete Guide to ACT Reading
- The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science
The Official ACT Prep Guide
The Official ACT Prep Guide is a critical resource for students looking to prepare for the ACT, as it is created by the test makers themselves and includes real practice questions that match the content, format, timing, and wording of the actual test.
However, the book has some limitations, including a lack of thorough concept review and test-taking strategies, as well as potentially outdated practice tests that do not reflect recent changes to the test.
Pros:
- Includes the best sample questions because they are real ACT questions
- Six full-length practice tests included, all of which were previously administered official tests
- Over 400 questions available online with a code provided in the book
- Real practice questions help students get used to the test and assess where they need more practice
Cons:
- Weak when it comes to reviewing concepts or learning strategies
- Not comprehensive in terms of test-taking strategies
- Answer explanations could be more thorough
- Practice tests may not reflect recent changes to the ACT, potentially making them easier than the actual test
Overall, The Official ACT Prep Guide is an essential resource for its real practice questions, but students may need to supplement it with other books that review content and teach strategies.
Kaplan’s ACT Prep Plus
Kaplan’s ACT Prep Plus is a comprehensive guide that provides exceptionally thorough explanations for each answer. It offers both in-book and online practice exams, with access to video tutorials and expert strategies to help students tackle all aspects of the exam.
Kaplan is an official partner for the live online ACT prep and has current and up-to-date information. The “Smart Points” feature helps students identify which questions are asked most often and which topics are generally considered most important.
The online materials are taught by Kaplan’s expert tutors and instructors, and they go through the questions and required skills with a depth of focus that few other books can offer.
Pros:
- Comprehensive guide with exceptionally thorough explanations
- In-book and online practice exams with access to video tutorials and expert strategies
- Official partner for live online ACT prep with current and up-to-date information
- “Smart Points” feature helps students identify important questions and topics
- Highly digestible video lessons with awesome visuals
- Realistic practice tests
- Customizable Qbank with advanced filtering
- Helpful e-book for on-the-go studying
Cons:
- No money-back score increase guarantee
- Conversational approach to ACT instruction may not be for everyone
- Live class package could include more hours
Overall, Kaplan’s ACT Prep Plus is a great choice for students looking for a comprehensive guide with thorough explanations and realistic practice tests. The online materials taught by expert tutors and instructors are a strength, as is the “Smart Points” feature. However, the conversational approach to ACT instruction may not be for everyone, and the live class package could include more hours. Additionally, the lack of a money-back score increase guarantee may be a letdown for some students.
Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide
Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide is a comprehensive ACT prep book that provides a large amount of content, strategies, and practice questions.
It includes an introduction to the ACT, a suggested study plan, a diagnostic test, and in-depth discussions of each test section, along with test-taking tactics, skills and concepts, question types, and practice questions. There are also three full-length practice tests and two online practice tests included.
Pros:
- Thorough review of concepts that will appear on each section of the ACT
- Large amount of content, strategies, and practice questions all in one book
- Includes three full-length practice tests and two online practice tests
- Provides a comprehensive study plan for general study
- Offers subject-specific workbooks for even more practice questions
Cons:
- Practice questions may be more difficult than real ACT questions
- The amount of material can feel overwhelming to some students
- Without a frequency guide, it may be difficult to prioritize concepts
- Barron’s practice tests may not give the truest sense of a student’s scoring level
Overall, Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide is a good choice for students looking for a comprehensive study plan and a large amount of content, strategies, and practice questions. However, the practice questions may be more difficult than real ACT questions, and the amount of material can feel overwhelming to some students.
Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep
Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep book, Cracking the ACT, is a comprehensive test prep book that provides a full review of content, strategies, and practice questions. It includes a lot of content devoted to math and science and clearly states important grammar rules and math concepts.
The book provides thought processes to use when taking the test, drills, example questions, and eight full practice tests, four of which are in the book itself and four of which are online.
Pros:
- Comprehensive review of content, strategies, and practice questions
- Provides thought processes to use when taking the test
- Includes drills and example questions
- Provides eight full practice tests
- Devotes a lot of content to math and science
Cons:
- Can feel overwhelming and be difficult to approach
- Style may be dry and hard to stay engaged with
- Practice questions are not official and may not be the best representation of real ACT questions
- May not be the best book for achieving top scores
Overall, Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep book is a good choice for students looking for a comprehensive review of content and strategies. However, the book may not be engaging for all students and the practice questions may not be the best representation of real ACT questions. Additionally, the book may not be the best choice for students looking to achieve top scores on the ACT.
The ACT Black Book
The ACT Black Book is a test prep book that focuses on teaching students how to understand the structure, format, and tricks of the ACT. The book emphasizes that the ACT is a predictable test that uses the same template year after year, and by studying the question types and patterns, students can recognize exactly what each question is asking them.
The book is less concerned with teaching math and English skills and more concerned with teaching students how to think about the questions and avoid common pitfalls.
Pros:
- Focuses on teaching students how to understand the structure, format, and tricks of the ACT
- Emphasizes that the ACT is a predictable test that uses the same template year after year
- Teaches students how to think about the questions and avoid common pitfalls
- Can help any student score highly on the ACT regardless of their academic performance in school
- Provides a deep understanding of the ACT and how it works
Cons:
- Does not have its own ACT practice questions and must be used alongside another book for content review
- Requires a lot of dedication and motivation from students
- English and Science lessons are not as strong as the Math and Reading lessons
- Presupposes that students already have the skills down, and then shows them how to apply them on the ACT
Overall, The ACT Black Book is a good choice for students looking to gain a deep understanding of the structure, format, and tricks of the ACT. However, the book does not have its own ACT practice questions and requires a lot of dedication and motivation from students. Additionally, the book presupposes that students already have the skills down and must be used alongside another book for content review.
Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide
Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide is a more fun and humorous approach to ACT prep. It breaks down the format and concepts of the test in an engaging way and offers some test-taking strategies.
It also delves into issues of stress and pressure surrounding the test and offers advice for taming nerves. Additionally, the book includes a recipe for “GameFace Quintuple Sugar Blast Bars.”
Pros:
- Takes a fun and humorous approach to ACT prep
- Offers insights from former test-takers who understand the process
- Provides advice for taming nerves and dealing with stress and pressure surrounding the test
- Engaging way to learn about the test and experience
Cons:
- Not a sufficient source of test prep on its own
- More like a “pre-book” to start out studying and clear up questions and anxieties
- Has not been updated since 2017
- May not be the best choice for students looking for a more rigorous review of different sections of the ACT
Overall, Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide is a good choice for students looking for a more fun and engaging introduction to the ACT and to gain some insights from former test-takers. However, it may not be a sufficient source of test prep on its own and is more like a “pre-book” to start out studying. Additionally, it has not been updated since 2017 and may not be the best choice for students looking for a more rigorous review of different sections of the ACT.
Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT
The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT is a test prep book that provides clear, well-crafted lessons of each math topic that shows up on the ACT math, like algebra and geometry. It also breaks them down into smaller subtopics, like functions and plane geometry.
The book covers everything students need to know and has high-level strategies for solving problems, saving time, and prepping in the most effective and efficient way.
Pros:
- Clear, well-crafted lessons of each math topic that shows up on the ACT math
- Breaks down topics into smaller subtopics
- Covers everything students need to know without going beyond the concepts that will appear on the test
- High-level strategies for solving problems, saving time, and prepping in the most effective and efficient way
Cons:
- Answer explanations to the practice problems are not as thorough as they could be
- Doesn’t walk students through the steps of solving the problem like the ACT Black Book does
- Doesn’t have a frequency guide that shows how often to expect certain concepts or identify levels of difficulty
Overall, The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT is a good choice for students looking for clear, well-crafted lessons of each math topic that shows up on the ACT math. The book also has high-level strategies for solving problems, saving time, and prepping in the most effective and efficient way.
However, the answer explanations to the practice problems are not as thorough as they could be, and the book doesn’t have a frequency guide to show how often to expect certain concepts or identify levels of difficulty. Additionally, the book doesn’t walk students through the steps of solving the problem like the ACT Black Book does, which could lead to confusion with similar problems.
McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math
McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math is an engaging ACT prep book that discusses 50 critical math skills needed for the ACT, along with sample questions illustrating each concept. The book walks students through solving problems from beginning to end, which can aid their thinking when taking the real test.
The book also includes a diagnostic pre-test to assess skills starting out, a post-test to gauge progress, and two extra tests online.
Pros:
- Engaging style of writing
- Discusses 50 critical math skills needed for the ACT
- Walks students through solving problems from beginning to end
- Diagnostic pre-test to assess skills starting out
- Post-test to gauge progress
- Two extra tests online
Cons:
- Limited in terms of practice questions
- Best used to review concepts alongside the Red Book and another source of practice questions
- Doesn’t provide extra strategies or tips beyond the ordinary
Overall, McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math is a good choice for students looking for an engaging review of 50 critical math skills needed for the ACT. The book’s focus on walking students through solving problems from beginning to end is a strength, as are the diagnostic pre-test, post-test, and online tests.
However, the book is limited in terms of practice questions and should be used in conjunction with another source of practice questions. Additionally, the book doesn’t provide extra strategies or tips beyond the ordinary.
The Complete Guide to ACT English
The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica Meltzer is a test prep book that teaches students about the different types of English questions and drills them on those question types. The book explains important grammar and usage rules needed to answer these questions correctly, like parallel structure, sentences, and fragments, and punctuation marks like apostrophes and dashes. The practice questions are grouped by skill so students can drill their understanding of each rule.
Pros:
- Teaches about different types of English questions and drills on those question types
- Explains important grammar and usage rules needed to answer questions correctly
- Practice questions are grouped by skill for focused drilling
- Straightforward and covers the most important skills and rules needed to know
Cons:
- Relatively expensive considering it only covers one of the four sections on the ACT
- Not sufficient as a source of practice questions
- Questions are grouped by skill, but the actual ACT will ask these questions randomly
Overall, Erica Meltzer’s The Complete Guide to ACT English is a good choice for students looking to learn and drill all the grammar rules needed for the English section of the ACT. The book’s straightforward approach and grouping of practice questions by skill are helpful for focused drilling.
However, the book may be relatively expensive considering it only covers one section of the ACT and is not sufficient as a source of practice questions. Additionally, students will need to move beyond this book to make sure they can identify skills without them being pre-labeled in the book, as the actual ACT will ask questions randomly.
The Complete Guide to ACT Reading
The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica Meltzer is a test prep book that offers high-quality and realistic reading passages and practice questions. Meltzer identifies the skills needed for the reading section, provides activities to drill each skill, and discusses strategies for reading the passages and saving time. The book is also complemented by Meltzer’s blog, The Critical Reader.
Pros:
- High-quality and realistic reading passages and practice questions
- Teases apart the skills needed for the reading section
- Provides activities to drill each skill
- Discusses strategies for reading the passages and saving time
- Complemented by Meltzer’s blog, The Critical Reader
Cons:
- Relatively pricey
- Writing style may be dry for some students
- Layout is not compelling, with small font and not particularly creative graphics
Overall, The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica Meltzer is a good choice for students looking for high-quality and realistic reading passages and practice questions. Meltzer’s identification of the skills needed for the reading section, activities to drill each skill, and strategies for reading the passages and saving time are all helpful resources for students preparing for the ACT.
However, the book may be relatively pricey and its layout may not be compelling for some students. Additionally, Meltzer’s writing style may be dry for some students, although others may appreciate its direct and to-the-point approach.
The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science
The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science is a test prep book that covers every topic, skill, and question type that students will see on the ACT Science section. The book includes a list of every science fact that could be tested, allowing students to focus their study on the most important information.
It also contains multiple strategies for tackling ACT Science passages, helping students find the method that works best for them. The book’s best feature is its collection of test-taking tricks that help students identify every trick in ACT Science and avoid getting fooled by them.
Pros:
- Covers every topic, skill, and question type on the ACT Science section
- Includes a list of every science fact that could be tested
- Contains multiple strategies for tackling ACT Science passages
- Collection of test-taking tricks to identify every trick in ACT Science
- Sample questions in every chapter to help students understand different concepts
Cons:
- No final quiz or exam section at the end of the book
- To fully practice everything learned from the book, full-length practice test sections are recommended
Overall, The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science is a good choice for students looking to fully prepare for the ACT Science section. The book’s coverage of every topic, skill, and question type, along with its list of every science fact that could be tested, is helpful in focusing students’ study.
The multiple strategies and test-taking tricks provided in the book are also useful resources for tackling ACT Science passages. However, the lack of a final quiz or exam section means that full-length practice test sections are recommended to fully practice everything learned from the book.
Conclusion
In conclusion, For those looking for an overall study guide, Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide and Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep are great choices, as well as The ACT Black Book and Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide. These books cover a variety of topics and strategies, making them useful for students who want to improve their performance across all sections of the test.
For those looking for critical books, The Official ACT Prep Guide and Kaplan’s ACT Prep Plus are highly recommended. These books are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the test and give students an in-depth understanding of the exam format and content. They are particularly useful for students who are new to the ACT or who need to brush up on their basic skills.
For math, the Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT and McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math are top picks. These books provide a detailed review of the math concepts and skills that are tested on the ACT and offer plenty of practice problems to help students master them.
When it comes to English and reading, The Complete Guide to ACT English and The Complete Guide to ACT Reading are the best books on the market. These books teach students the important grammar and usage rules needed to answer questions correctly, and provide plenty of practice questions to help students understand how each concept is tested on the ACT.
Finally, The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science is the go-to book for science. This book covers every topic, skill, and question type that students will see on the ACT Science section. It also contains multiple strategies for tackling ACT Science passages and a collection of test-taking tricks to help students identify every trick in ACT Science and avoid getting fooled by them.
With these top picks, you can feel confident in your preparation for the ACT and achieve your desired score.