I have been very excited about the launch of my book Write the SAT Essay Right! but I also wanted to include a multitude of resources for all you studious test takers! Please view my new book on Amazon and take a look at the resources below to supplement your test prep.
Practicing for any big event is crucial for success. When practicing for a trombone recital, you practice on the trombone, not the piccolo. When practicing for a track meet, you practice sprinting and hurdles, not back flips off a diving board. Practice only makes perfect if it’s the perfect practice! Therefore, when practicing for the SAT or ACT, you need to practice real questions from real tests.
I recommend that all of my students looking for extra study materials visit their high school guidance offices. The guidance office should have available both a free ACT and SAT sent to them by the test makers themselves. If one test isn’t enough (and it never is!), I recommend the following books:
For the SAT:
WilsonDailyPrep Exclusive Math and Verbal Workbooks
With over 500 questions each, WilsonDailyPrep math and verbal workbooks provide the comprehensive practice you need to push yourself and your SAT scores to the next level. The books are divided into question-specific sections so that you can practice and perfect each SAT strategy. Buy now at WilsonDailyPrep.com!
The Official SAT Study Guide
Brought to you by College Board, The Official SAT Study Guide is a giant, bright blue book that not only details the test, but also contains 8 real SATs. Answer keys and score charts are provided, but detailed solutions are not. Students should be sure to look over the questions they missed and realize why their answer is incorrect. By applying the tips and strategies that the WilsonDailyPrep has introduced and reinforced daily, students will engage in deliberate practice when practicing questions and reviewing mistakes.
The Official SAT On-line Course: www.CollegeBoard.com
This online program provides students with an SAT question a day, as well 6 additional tests and worksheets. The online course is very similar to the Official Study Guide but it provides plenty of extra materials.
For the ACT: The Real ACT Prep Guide. A big red book made available by ACT.org, The Real ACT Prep Guide is available at any bookstore, or online. The book details each of the four sections of the ACT, and includes practice questions throughout the various chapters. At the back of the book are three actual ACTs, answer keys, detailed solutions and score conversion charts.
Should students exhaust these resources, there are a plethora of other prep books, study guides and tests available. These tests will all be “made up” tests, modeled after the original. Although these materials aren’t real tests, they are the next best thing and do provide extra practice.
For Vocabulary:
Yo Momma Vocabulary Builder by Heimberg, Harwood, Schultz. This book makes learning vocabulary as fun as possible. Students use top SAT words to construct the ever-famous “Yo Momma” jokes.
Hot Words for the SAT by Barrons. A standard vocabulary book packed with excellent SAT vocabulary.
Rock the SAT by Michael Mosham. This book is perfect for those students who just can’t memorize flashcards. Top-ranked SAT vocabulary words are put into modern rock songs. The lyrics – easily memorized – contain both word and definition!
And of course – WilsonPrep exclusives – English in English and Write the SAT Essay Right!
For Grammar:
English in English by Laura Wilson with Amie Whigham. This book provides all the rules of grammar you need for both the SAT and ACT – without all the grammar jargon. The perfect resource to complement WilsonDailyPrep SAT and ACT practice, English in English contains in-depth explanations and analysis of all aspects of grammar.
For Essay Writing:
Write the SAT Essay Right! by Laura Wilson. This valuable resource guide is jam-packed with the secrets and strategies you need for writing a 25-minute SAT essay and a 30-minute ACT essay. Write the SAT Essay Right! provides you with virtually prewritten responses – you’ll find out what to expect, how to respond, and how to really impress graders by drawing in specific examples and using template opening sentences. With this book, you’ll be able to write it right.