SAT + ACT Self-Study Resources

Although individualized tutoring is generally the gold standard for test preparation, we recognize that it’s not an option for everyone. For those of you who choose to self-study, here are some of the best resources available to you to help you improve your score on the SAT or ACT.

SAT

Official Materials

• 6 Full-Length Digital SATs from College Board: Digital SAT Practice in Bluebook™ – SAT Suite | College Board (requires installation of the testing platform) 

• 6 Non-adaptive Practice SATs from College Board: Full-Length Linear SAT Practice Tests | College Board (utilizes many of the same questions as the Bluebook test, so only use these if you have a Bluebook-incompatible device)

Third-Party Resources (Print)

Multi-Section Book

• Princeton Review SAT Premium Prep 2025, in our view, the best of the big-box options. A word of caution: PR sometimes creates questions that are very similar to officially released SAT questions - it’s good for representative practice, but this may lead to inflated scores on official practice content.

• SAT Prep Black Book, by Patrick Barrett (designed to be an accompaniment to official materials; good for highly motivated students, but likely to be overwhelming for most).

SAT Reading and Writing

• The Complete Guide to SAT Reading, 5th Edition, by Erica Meltzer (focuses specifically on “Information and Ideas” and “Craft and Structure”)

• The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, 6th Edition, by Erica Meltzer (focuses specifically on “Standard English Conventions”)

SAT Math

• PrepPros: The Complete Guide To Digital SAT Math, by Matthew and Michael Stroup

• PWN the SAT: Math Guide, 6th Edition, by Mike McClenathan 

• *The College Panda's SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook, by Nielson Phu

• *SAT Math Orange Book Volume I + Volume II, by 1600.io

*Because SAT math on the new digital SAT is very similar to the math on the paper-and-pencil SAT, these last two books are still great resources, despite being designed for the paper SAT.

Third-Party Resources (Digital)

Free Resources 

• Khan Academy

• Reddit

  • r/SAT

  • r/SATACTprep

Paid Resources 

• UWorld for SAT (an online question platform that allows you to create custom drills)

ACT

Official Materials

• The Official ACT Prep Guide 2024-25, by ACT 

• Free Official Practice Test (two formats, same test)

  • Paper-and-pencil

  • Digital through MyACT

Third-Party Resources (Print)

Multi-Section 

• ACT Prep Black Book, by Mike Barrett (designed to be an accompaniment to official materials; very good for highly-motivated students, but will be overwhelming for most) 

ACT English 

• The Complete Guide to ACT English, 4th Edition, by Erica Meltzer 

• The College Panda's ACT English: Advanced Guide and Workbook, by Nielson Phu 

ACT Math 

• PrepPros: The Complete Guide To ACT Math, by Matthew and Michael Stroup

• The College Panda's ACT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook, by Nielson Phu 

• Advanced Math ACT: A Must Have if Going for 30+, by Joseph Hammerman 

• The Best ACT Math Books Ever, Book 1 + Book 2, by Brooke Hanson 

ACT Reading 

• The Complete Guide to ACT Reading, 2nd Edition, by Erica Meltzer 

ACT Science 

• The Master Key to ACT Science, by Hugh Hung Vo 

• For the Love of ACT Science, by Michael Cerro 

Third-Party Resources (Digital)

Free Resources 

• Kaplan free practice

• Reddit

  • r/ACT

  • r/SATACTprep

Paid Resources 

• UWorld for ACT (an online question platform that allows you to create custom drills)

Note that these vary in format and difficulty. Some are more focused on explanation while others go heavy on practice content. Some emphasize content knowledge and others emphasize strategy.

Most importantly, all of these materials are only as effective as your plan to use them! The best books won’t help you if you don’t have good study habits, a practice plan, and a study schedule.

Best of luck!