<p>I'm thinking of buying a Princeton Review prep book for the ACTs, but I don't know which one to buy.
Can anyone tell me the difference between 1296 and Cracking the ACT along with which one you prefer?</p>
<p>1296, as the title suggests, is basically a thick stack of paper filled with endless practice questions that are far more difficult than the actual ACT test. You’ve probably seen other posts on CC of people complaining about the difficulty of 1296’s questions. I do NOT recommend it.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Cracking the ACT is a godsend. Honestly. BUY IT. Whereas 1296 is simply a bunch of overcomplicated practice tests, Cracking is a guide to the ACT. There are comprehensive reviews for each section, followed by practice questions. Furthermore, there are two full-length practice tests, and these questions are more on par with the actual ACT questions. I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of valuable information I received from this book. If you want any more specifics answered, either reply to this post or PM me. </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>I actually liked both books… I’m pretty sure I scored about the same, maybe even a bit higher, on the 1296 than I did on the real test. Science was a bit off, though,but the rest seemed fine to me, personally</p>
<p>1296 is better. I have taken the first test. For the math portion, they reworded and change some numbers of a passed ACT that the ACT released. Also, they changed some stuff for the science but it is practically the same.</p>
<p>Why not just get both? For $23.62, you could buy both. In my mind, the more practice, the better. 1,296 will have harder question, but if you know how to solve the easy questions, knowing how to solve the harder ones can make a significant difference in your score.</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Cracking the ACT, 2011 Edition (College Test Preparation) (9780375427985): Princeton Review: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-2011-College-Test-Preparation/dp/0375427988/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1314372279&sr=8-8]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-2011-College-Test-Preparation/dp/0375427988/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1314372279&sr=8-8) </p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> 1,296 ACT Practice Questions, 2nd Edition (College Test Preparation) (9780375429705): Princeton Review: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Questions-College-Test-Preparation/dp/0375429700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314372305&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Questions-College-Test-Preparation/dp/0375429700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314372305&sr=8-1)</p>