Preparing for the ACT can feel overwhelming with the sheer number of study materials available. To help you navigate the sea of ACT prep books, this guide breaks down the best options to help you achieve your target score. We’ll explore essential resources, general prep books, and subject-specific guides so you can build a study plan that works for you.
Understanding the ACT Landscape
If you prefer studying with books, you can achieve your desired ACT score by using them effectively. We recommend using a combination of books, as they have different strengths and weaknesses. This way, one book can make up for any shortcomings in content, strategy, or practice questions of another.
However, having the right books is only half the battle. You also need a study plan and the discipline to stick to it. While this book list provides all the necessary material, it’s your responsibility to make the most of them.
Many students struggle with creating and following a study plan. PrepScholar’s online ACT prep program can help you design a customized study plan based on your needs, strengths, and weaknesses. This program also tracks your progress and keeps you accountable, helping you stay on track.
No matter which method you choose, we aim to provide all students with access to the resources they need for academic success. That’s why we offer detailed ACT guides and free ACT practice test PDFs.
To ensure you use the best ACT prep books available, let’s start by discussing the essential book that every student should have.
The Must-Have ACT Prep Book
This book is so crucial that every student, regardless of their level or target score, should use it to study for the ACT.
The Official ACT Prep Guide (The “Red Book”)
Amazon price: Approximately $30
The Official ACT Prep Guide is essential because it’s created by the test makers themselves. This means that the practice questions are the most accurate representation of what you’ll encounter on the actual test. These questions have appeared on past ACT administrations.
Pros
The Red Book offers the best sample questions because they are real ACT questions. The content, format, timing, and wording of the questions will match what you’ll see on the test. Using real practice questions is crucial for getting used to the test, knowing what to expect, and identifying areas where you need more practice.
The Red Book includes six full-length practice tests in the book, all of which were previously administered official tests and are also available online. There are also three bonus tests available online that you can access with a code included in the book. While this book is the best source of practice questions, it’s not the best for other aspects of your test prep.
Cons
While the Red Book is excellent for practice questions, it’s not as comprehensive when it comes to reviewing concepts or teaching strategies. It’s particularly weak in test-taking strategies, as the ACT test makers don’t want to reveal their secrets.
Another weakness lies in the answer explanations, which could be more thorough. Other books excel at walking through the steps of answering a question or solving a problem. This helps you develop a thought process for successfully approaching and answering questions.
Finally, not all practice tests are equal. Many experts believe the ACT has gradually become more challenging over the years, particularly in the Science and Reading sections. The practice tests and questions in the Red Book may not fully reflect these changes. You might find yourself scoring higher on these practice tests than on the actual ACT.
Because the Red Book is best for practice questions, you’ll need to supplement it with other ACT books that review content and teach strategies. Here’s our list of the best general ACT books, followed by our recommendations for subject-specific study guides.
Top ACT Books for Comprehensive Study
These books cover all sections of the ACT: English, Reading, Math, Science, and the optional essay. Some are better for reviewing content, while others focus on strategies like time management, question type recognition, and speed reading.
All these books can be used with the Red Book to apply what you’ve learned to real sample questions. Let’s explore the pros and cons of each.
Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide
Amazon price: Approximately $37 for the book, $23 for the digital version.
Pros:
If you’re seeking a comprehensive ACT prep book with abundant content, strategies, and practice questions, Barron’s ACT Premium Study Guide is a solid choice. It’s a traditional prep book offering a thorough review of concepts from each ACT section.
The book starts with an introduction to the ACT and a suggested study plan, followed by a diagnostic test to assess your initial level. It then delves into each test section, covering test-taking tactics, skills and concepts, question types, and practice questions. The book also includes three full-length practice tests and access to two online practice tests.
For those aiming for a perfect score, Barron’s also offers Barron’s for a 36. Additionally, Barron’s provides subject-specific workbooks like Barron’s ACT Math and Science Workbook for more practice questions.
Cons:
A common sentiment is that Barron’s practice questions are more challenging than actual ACT questions. Some questions test beyond the scope of the ACT concepts, while others are worded in an overly complex way.
While “overpreparing” can be beneficial, it might be an inefficient use of time. Furthermore, Barron’s practice tests may not provide an accurate reflection of your scoring level.
Although Barron’s is comprehensive, this thoroughness could overwhelm some students. The sheer amount of material requires students to break down their studying into smaller, more manageable goals.
Reading the book cover to cover wouldn’t be the most effective approach. Instead, you’ll need to create a study order that makes sense for you. Without a frequency guide that prioritizes certain concepts, this can feel like extra work. The thoroughness of Barron’s ACT is a strength, but it also demands a significant commitment from you.
Princeton Review’s Premium ACT Prep
Amazon price: Approximately $38 for the book, $13 for the digital version.
Pros:
Similar to Barron’s ACT, Princeton Review’s ACT Premium Prep is a comprehensive, traditional test prep book offering a full review of content, strategies, and practice questions. It focuses heavily on math and science, with shorter sections for reading and English.
This book clearly presents essential grammar rules and math concepts, while also suggesting thought processes to use during the test. It covers how to effectively use process of elimination, the optimal order for answering questions to save time, and how to approach challenging questions.
Each section includes drills and example questions. The book also provides eight full practice tests, four in the book and four online.
Cons:
This book shares similar drawbacks with Barron’s ACT. As a large, comprehensive book, it can feel overwhelming and difficult to approach. Due to its traditional prep book style, some students may find it dry and hard to stay engaged with.
Since the practice questions are not official, they aren’t the best representation of real ACT questions. Unlike Barron’s overly difficult material, Princeton Review can be too easy. If you aim to boost your scores into the top percentiles, Princeton Review might not be the best choice. Instead, books like Barron’s and the subject-specific books below are better for achieving top scores.
The ACT Black Book
Amazon price: Approximately $33 for the book, $18 for the digital version.
Pros:
While Barron’s and Princeton Review cover all aspects of ACT prep, the ACT Black Book has a more narrow focus. It’s less concerned with teaching math and English skills and more focused on teaching how the test works.
According to author Mike Barrett, the ACT is a predictable test that uses the same template year after year. By studying the question types and patterns, you can recognize exactly what each question is asking. Essentially, you can master the test by deeply understanding its mechanics.
Barrett suggests that any student can score highly on the ACT, regardless of their academic performance in school. Success depends on how you think about the questions and avoid the common pitfalls of tricky wording and distracting answer choices. As Barrett states, the ACT is only hard because “it tests the basics—but in very strange ways.”
Cons:
The major downside of The Black Book is that it contains no ACT practice questions. Because it references questions from the Red Book, it must be used in conjunction with it. The Black Book also lacks extensive lessons on concepts. The Math and Reading lessons are stronger than the English and Science lessons.
The Black Book assumes you already possess the necessary skills and focuses on how to apply them to the ACT. Therefore, it must be used with another book for content review, and preferably after you have the requisite skills.
As an in-depth look at the structure, format, and tricks of the ACT, it requires significant dedication and motivation. The Black Book will teach you a lot, but you need to invest time and energy to engage with it. The Black Book is best for students who want to deeply understand the ACT and how it works.
Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide
Amazon price: Approximately $13 for the book, $9 for the digital version.
Pros:
The Underground Guide takes a more enjoyable approach to ACT prep. It breaks down the format and concepts of the test humorously and offers test-taking strategies. It’s written by test-takers who share their experiences and understand the entire process.
Unlike other books, it delves into the stress and pressure surrounding the tests and offers advice for managing your nerves. It even includes a recipe for “GameFace Quintuple Sugar Blast Bars,” if that’s your thing.
Cons:
This book offers a lighthearted departure from more serious, traditional prep books. While it’s a fun way to introduce yourself to the ACT and gain insights from former test-takers, it’s likely insufficient as your sole source of test prep.
It might serve as a “pre-book” to start your studying, address questions and anxieties about the test, and learn about the test experience in an engaging way. For a more rigorous review of different ACT sections, check out the subject-specific books listed below.
Also, note that this book hasn’t been updated since 2017. If you want the most current resource, this isn’t the right book for you.
Best Books for ACT Math
Do you want to focus on the math section of the ACT? These books are specifically designed for ACT math, making them particularly useful if you want to improve your math score. We recommend The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT and McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math.
Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT
Amazon price: Approximately $19 for the book, $10 for the digital version.
Pros:
The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT offers clear, well-crafted lessons on each math topic that appears on the ACT, like algebra and geometry. It breaks them down into smaller subtopics, such as functions and plane geometry.
It covers everything you need to know and doesn’t go beyond the concepts tested on the ACT. It also provides high-level strategies for solving problems, saving time, and preparing effectively and efficiently.
Cons:
The answer explanations for the practice problems aren’t as thorough as they could be. Additionally, this book doesn’t walk you through the steps of solving the problem like The ACT Black Book does, potentially leading to confusion with similar problems.
Finally, this ACT prep book lacks a frequency guide that shows how often certain concepts appear or identifies difficulty levels. This means you need to determine this yourself and prioritize your studying.
McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math
Amazon price: Approximately $15 for the book.
Pros:
McGraw Hill’s Top 50 Skills for Math, unlike many other math review books, is written in an engaging style. It discusses 50 critical math skills you need for the ACT, along with sample questions illustrating each concept.
A particular strength of this ACT prep book is that it walks you through solving the problems from beginning to end, which can aid your thinking during the actual test. This book offers a diagnostic pre-test to assess your skills, a post-test to gauge your progress, and two additional tests online.
Cons:
Since this book focuses on teaching the top 50 math skills, it’s limited in terms of practice questions. It’s best used to review concepts alongside the Red Book and another source of practice questions.
While this book is helpful for students at all levels, it doesn’t offer extra strategies or tips beyond the basics. It might not be the best choice for motivated students aiming for the top percentile of scores.
Best ACT Prep Books for English and Reading
For the English and Reading sections of the ACT, our top recommendation comes from Erica Meltzer.
Erica Meltzer’s The Complete Guide to ACT English
Amazon price: Approximately $32.
Pros:
Erica Meltzer teaches about the different types of English questions and drills you on those question types. She explains the essential grammar and usage rules you need to answer these questions correctly, such as parallel structure, sentences and fragments, and even punctuation marks like apostrophes and dashes.
The practice questions are grouped by skill, allowing you to reinforce your understanding of each rule. This book is straightforward, to the point, and covers the most important skills and rules you need to know.
Cons:
One drawback is that this book is relatively expensive, considering it only covers one of the four sections on the ACT. While it’s helpful for learning and drilling grammar rules, it’s not sufficient as a source of practice questions.
Although grouping questions by skill is helpful, the actual ACT will ask these questions randomly. You’ll need to move beyond this book to ensure you can identify the skill without it being pre-labeled.
The Complete Guide to ACT Reading
Amazon price: Approximately $32.
Pros:
The reading passages and practice questions in Erica Meltzer’s The Complete Guide to ACT Reading are high quality and realistic. Meltzer effectively breaks down the skills you need to develop for this section, which can be harder to identify than in, say, the math section.
She provides activities to drill each skill and discusses strategies for reading passages and saving time. You can find more advice on her blog, The Critical Reader.
Cons:
Like her English book, this one is relatively pricey. Buying both together costs roughly $60, covering only English and Reading. Some students find her writing style a bit dry, while others appreciate its directness. While the material is high quality, the layout isn’t compelling. It also has a small font and lacks particularly creative graphics.
Best Book for ACT Science
Although many students find the Science section the most challenging part of the ACT, until recently, there were no books specifically dedicated to helping you on ACT Science. At PrepScholar, we know all the tricks for making ACT Science easier, so we decided to compile them into a book.
The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science
Amazon price: Approximately $5 for the eBook.
Pros
This book covers every topic, skill, and question type you’ll see on ACT Science, ensuring nothing on this section surprises you on test day. It includes a list of every science fact you could be tested on, so you’re only studying the science information you need to know. It also contains multiple strategies for tackling ACT Science passages so you can choose the method that works best for you.
Most importantly, this book contains all our best ACT Science test-taking tricks. Many students struggle with the Science section because it’s so different from science tests in school. However, this book shows you how to identify every trick in ACT Science and learn how to avoid getting fooled by them so you can find the correct answer quickly and easily.
Cons
While every chapter includes sample questions to help you see and understand different concepts, there is no final quiz or exam section. To fully practice everything you’ve learned, we recommend taking full-length practice test sections.
Is Studying from Books the Right Choice for You?
Studying for the ACT probably isn’t your favorite activity. Many students require self-discipline to sit down and practice the skills needed for English, Reading, Math, and Science. You don’t want to waste your time, and you should see results from your study efforts.
To ensure you’re preparing effectively and learning the necessary skills, we recommend exploring all your test prep options. For instance, you can learn a lot about the ACT for free from our various detailed study guides. These are less expensive (and lighter) than these recommended ACT preparation books, since there are no free ACT preparation books.
All of us at PrepScholar have been through the standardized testing process and understand what’s at stake. We also know it’s important to prep in a way that’s customized to you, celebrates your authentic learning style, and doesn’t feel tedious or boring.
You can try a 5-day free trial of our online ACT prep program to see if it works for you. You can learn exactly how PrepScholar customizes your study plan, tracks your progress, and helps you stay accountable to your goals.
While books offer a ton of information, their thoroughness adds an extra challenge to an already high-stakes situation. Before spending your time and money on all these books, consider how you learn best and what your goals are so you can make things easier on yourself and determine the best approach.
What’s Next?
How long should you study before the ACT? Check out our recommended study plan.
When will you take the ACT for the first time? How many times do you plan to take it? This article discusses the most important factors in choosing your test dates.
These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.
