<p>People have been saying that Barron's 36 is a great book, however, they also say that the book is usually only for people who have scored in the 30's and who would like close to a perfect score. I am currently studying from my Cracking the ACT by PR and I've completed my first practice test and got a 24. Should I go with The Red Book or Barron's to achieve a 30 by September?</p>
<p>Why not both? If you can only get one though, get the Red Book. </p>
<p>Yes, Barron’s will over-prepare you so it is important that you have a good grasp on the content before you begin using it. PR could probably get you to a 30 or at least close if you’re dedicated enough, though.</p>
<p>LOL!!! It will help anyone achieve a higher score. I never heard of this and it vastly improved my score on all sections. The math review in it is insufficient for scoring in the 30s, but it provided me with the best advice and strategies for all of the sections. I would recommend that you read through all of that after becoming familiar with the test, and then applying it to your test preparation.</p>
<p>You could always just start with the red book then once you’ve exhausted that go on to Barron’s 36. (However, I have heard the suggestion to “save” the red book for closer to the actual test, so it is up to you). </p>
<p>I found great ACT practice tests for free online too, that claimed to be past tests. Unfortunately I no longer have them bookmarked, but just search around google and you should be able to find some. That is, if you do run out of resources.</p>
<p>I have 2 months until I take the ACT for the first and last time since I apply to college in the fall as well. Therefore, should I skip straight into using Barrons 36? Or the Real Act? Which one is worth reading from cover to cover? The reason why it’ll be hard to use both is because I will most likely be taking college courses at USD next month so studying for the ACT may be limited. I also plan on getting PR 1296, is it worth it? I like how there’s a ton of practice in the book.</p>