<p>I will be a sophomore next year and I am looking to start casually studying for the ACT. If I were to purchase books that have been published recently will they still prepare me well once I start getting really serious about studying in a couple years?</p>
<p>Of course they would! Here’s what I bought:</p>
<p>1.) The Real ACT Prep Guide, colloquially the Red Book. It has 5 real ACT tests with answers/explanations. This is the mothership of all ACT prep- real, authentic practice tests.</p>
<p>2.) Kaplan ACT Premier 2013 with CD. I don’t like the approach of this book. It’s all strategies that I think would be a waste of time. For example, for every question, they want you use their 4-6 steps approach, and it’s a waste of time doing that when you can simply just solve the dang problem.</p>
<p>3.) McGraw-Hill ACT 2014 with 6 practice tests. Don’t get this, it’s too easy. I scored a 34 in reading, but a 23 on the real thing.</p>
<p>4.) Barron’s ACT 36. Very good for scoring high. Barron’s tend to be more difficult, as its theory is to overprepare you. The questions may not be on cue, nevertheless it’s good practice.</p>
<p>5.) Barron’s Math and Science. I bought this to improve my math and science. It’s very detailed. Buy this book later on because a new edition is coming out this fall.</p>
<p>6.) Princeton Review for the ACT 2013. This is the best book for the average student. I haven’t gone through all of them. I do not like their reading approach (Skim passage, look for key words in question, skim passage again to find the word, etc.)</p>
<p>You can look for other book reviews on here, but watch out for advertisers. Happy testing!</p>
<p>Okay, may I comment as an ACT nut? I own every ACT book that has been published (yes, I’m a freak), got a 36, and now work in ACT Tutoring. Here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>-- The Real ACT Prep Guide: This book is a good confidence builder, but it’s SIGNIFICANTLY Easier than the actual ACT.</p>
<p>-- If you’re going to buy one book to help you learn the concepts, I recommend the Princeton Review for the ACT 2013. It will give you a solid basis on all the stuff you need to know.</p>
<p>-- If you’re going to buy one additional book of JUST practice tests, I STRONGLY recommend Sparknotes 5 Practice Tests For The ACT. These tests are far more similar to the actual ACT.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>