Are you thinking of taking the SAT Exams? If that is the case, then you are going to need some assistance. The thing is, first of all, you will have to understand the concept of SAT first. Let me break it down for you. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test. This test is a pencil and paper examination taken by the college board of the United States of America. It has a sole purpose; to check a high school student if he is ready or not for college. It also provides the college authority a similar data type upon which they can conduct the selection process.
So, now you know the purpose. Now what? Yes, you will have to know the sectors on which the examination will be set. The exam papers will be set in three sections. First of all, will be Maths, then come Evidence-based Reading and Writing. The last one is optional, which is the essay part.
The cost of the examination is around 46 USD and 60 USD if you take the optional as well. The highest marks are 1600 and the average marks of the SAT is around 1060. The duration of the examination will be 3 hours.
Now, let us move on to the main part of this article, which is the top 5 books, which will make you fully prepared for SAT exams.
The list is mentioned below:
- Kallis’ SAT Pattern Strategy
- McGraw-Hill Education SAT 2019
- Barron’s SAT, 29th Edition
- SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition
- The Princeton Review’s Cracking the SAT, 2020 Edition
Now, as we have the list, let us not waste any time and fast forward ourselves to the reviews of the said 5 SAT Prep books.
Kallis’ SAT Pattern Strategy
According to the students and educators, this book is arguably the best for SAT preparation. The main feature of this book is that it has almost every sector covered. The unique selling point of the book is that it has six full prep tests which is worth almost 24 hours of tests. But as we can see, this book has some demerits as well. The main issue with this book is the pricing. In Amazon, you will probably get it around 30 US Dollars. This is certainly not cheap. Ion the other hand, you will be facing some difficulty in learning time management skills and other basic SAT Strategies. Other than that, this book is a good prep book for the students. Every year, many students are said to have encountered benefits and managed to score well on the SAT by using this book as a preparation guide.
McGraw-Hill Education SAT 2019
Suppose you have ample time, and you are willing to go deep into the strategies and the theories of SAT, then McGraw-Hill Education SAT 2019 is the best pick for you. This book is written in a detailed manner, that means it will be able to give you proper insight. The plus point of this book is that it is fragmented into separate sections according to the estimated time limit. So, you will be able to get yourself brushed up before the examination. The examination trials are very effective, as well. But the main demoralizing factor is that if you have less time, then this book will be a bit tough for you to digest in time. Some of the students complain that the book is weak in reading and writing. Other than that, the book is pretty good and has been beneficial to many.
Barron’s SAT, 29th Edition
Barron’s has been a prominent name in the industry when it comes to SAT Prep. The main aspect of this book is that it has four full-length tests. In addition, it has a unique feature that is that you can also give two full-length online examinations. So, basically, you will give six full length examinations. It offers a diagnostic test that will allow you to monitor your proceedings, and you will be able to judge your progress. Barron’s is known to cover almost every aspect in a detailed manner, so the book will be beneficial for the students who intend to score high. But there are some shortcomings in this book. For example, there is criticism in the market that the book recycles the questions in every edition. There is no proper light in the algebra sector. Some questions are very obviated and confusing. Apart from these glitches, this book is a good choice for a proper SAT preparation.
SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition
So, now we will be pulling down the light on yet another appealing book, which will be good for our SAT prep. This book is known as the SAT Prep Black Book. This is basically new in the market, just the second edition is out, and it is very promising indeed. This book focuses on the structure, format, tricks, and tips of the SAT. This will be proven to be beneficial for intense preparation. On the other hand, the amount of practical answering will make you more time conscious. The biggest plus point of this book is that they guide you throughout the answers with proper explanations on the first four SAT prep examinations. This is very good for us as we will be able to verify the answers for ourselves. But this one has some shortcomings as well. As we speak, this book does not have any of its own SAT practice questions. All the questions are of the previous SATs. The other thing which annoys me a lot is the fact that it has no proper elevation for reviewing a certain topic or concept. That means, if you need some quick overview, this book will eventually give you a hard time finding things in short notice. Other than that, this book is pretty good for a new entry.
The Princeton Review’s Cracking the SAT, 2020 Edition
This book is by far, my personal favorite. To start things off, this book comes with four offline, in-text, full length SAT Prep test, and one online full length SAT Prep test. This will support you with clarity in thoughts, and you will be able to navigate the questions properly. This book comes with all the accurate answers. The main selling point is that this nook comes with proper explanations for all the questions which are in the book. This is a huge benefit for the students who are in want of a good prep. Clarification of thoughts and clear concept will help to build up the confidence. Now, as we move forward, this book has some shortcomings as well. For example, sometimes you will feel that the book will give you over saturated explanations, which is not necessary for the questions. Sometimes you will find confusing word selection in the writing and reading contents. There are evident lacking in certain topics and in certain areas as well. On the other hand, the concepts are very simple and can cause the exams to be bland. This book is not made for everyone. Students who can act smart while preparing themselves are the buyers of this book. Overall, this book is very solid and has some reputation in the market. Many students and educators are also suggesting this one.
Wrapping Things Up!
So that was all for today. I hope you will pick the right prep book for you. I wish you all the best!
