Like any other standardized test, ACT requires diligent studying, and the first and foremost step for any student is the right study material. Today, there are so many different companies, all of which claim and promise a near-perfect score; however, there is more to a good prep book than bold claims.

A good ACT prep book should contain easy to understand explanations, useful examples, a concept-based approach to learning, and authentic practice questions. Sadly, not every book will have all these qualities, which is why I always recommend students who are serious about their ACT prep to buy two or more books to take advantage of the attributes offered by various books.

I have curated a list of the 10 best ACT books in today’s article. Read the key features and get the books that best suit your needs.

10. The College Panda’s ACT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook

The college panda’s ACT Math Workbook is specially designed to teach you everything about ACT’s math section. It thoroughly reviews all the ACT math topics and explains them in detail. Moreover, there are hundreds of examples throughout the book to illustrate all the different question types better.

Key Features:

• A thorough review of all tested ACT math topics, from the simplest to the most obscure, including tough ACT-specific topics like trigonometry, logarithms, visualizations, ellipses, and matrices
• Hundreds of examples to illustrate all the question types and the different ways they can show up
• Over 400 ACT practice questions and explanations to help you master each topic
• The most common mistakes students make (so you don’t)

Get it from here.

9. The Official ACT Science Guide

All the official ACT books on this list are written by the same people who design the actual ACT. Learning from an official guide for any standardized test has many advantages, such as the use of authentic practice questions and clear answer explanations. This ACT Official science guide is no exception. It is dedicated to ACT science topics and offers a thorough understanding of graphs, charts, and data.

Key Features:

• Understand the detailed breakdown of each science reporting category
• Learn how to quickly and efficiently read graphs, charts, and data
• Review the science vocabulary section with words you should know to succeed
• Study in-depth examples of each passage type using official ACT samples
• See detailed solutions and explanations for every official ACT science question in the book

Get the book from here.

8. 5 lb. Book of ACT Practice Problems by Manhattan Prep

Manhattan Prep is the go-to company if you need 1000s of practice questions for almost any standardized test. They make this same book for SAT and GRE. Their 5 lb. books are geared towards practice as they provide a ton of practice questions for you to go through.

Key Features:

• Complete coverage of all the ACT topics.
• More than 1000 real practice questions.
• Detailed explanations for every problem.
• Diagnostic test and topical results analysis.

Get it here.

7. ACT Premium Study Guide with 6 Practice Tests by Barrons

“Barron’s” is a well-known name in the field of test prep, and their various test guides speak for themselves. Barron’s ACT premium guide comes with six full-length practice tests, 2 of which can be accessed online.

Key Features:

• Three full-length practice tests in the book
• Two full-length online practice tests
• One full-length diagnostic test in the book with guidance on how to use your results to determine the subjects you need to study more
• Easy, medium, and hard practice passages that enable you to customize your study
• Study plan recommendations based on the amount of time you have to prepare
• Detailed overview of the ACT with comprehensive answers to frequently asked questions

Get it from here.

6. The Official ACT Mathematics Guide

ACT’s official Math guide contains a comprehensive review of the entire ACT math section. It has detailed math solutions and excellent explanations for all the different question types tested in the ACT.

Key Features:

• Review the entire ACT mathematics test, so you’ll know what to expect on test day
• Familiarize yourself with the types of math questions found on the ACT and strategies for solving them
• Understand the math topics within the problems you’ll solve while taking the mathematics test
• Study detailed math solutions and read explanations for every official ACT math question in the book

Get it here.

5. Kaplan’s ACT Total Prep

Kaplan’s ACT Total Prep is one of the most comprehensive ACT prep books out there. It covers absolutely every ACT topic. It includes detailed explanations and provides six full-length practice tests. Moreover, there are more than 2000 practice questions in the book and pre-quizzes before every unit to help you figure out what you already know and what you can skip.

Key Features:

• Six full-length Kaplan practice tests: 2 in the book and four online.
• More than 2,000 practice questions with detailed explanations, including hundreds of brand-new questions.
• Pre-quizzes to help you figure out what you already know and what you can skip.
• Mixed practice quizzes after every chapter to assess how much you’ve learned.
• Longer quizzes after every unit to help you cement your understanding.

Get it here.

4. Princeton Review ACT Premium Prep

Princeton Review’s ACT Premium Prep is an excellent resource for learning time-saving strategies and other useful tips and tricks to tackle the more difficult questions in the ACT. It includes a complete review of all the different ACT topics and offers many online resources.

Key Features:

• Eight full-length practice tests.
• Great strategies and techniques.
• Comprehensive coverage of all the different ACT question types and topics.
• Online video lessons and other online tools.

Get it from here.

3. ACT Prep Black Book by Mike Berret

ACT Prep Black Book is not precisely an ACT guide as the other books are. What I mean is that this book is more concerned about how the test works rather than teaching you math and English skills. Suppose you want to learn about question types and question patterns in-depth, then this the book for you. It will teach you how to identify specific patterns and immediately know what question demands of you. It has a plethora of test-taking advice and other strategies to help you cope with stress.

Key Features:

• It covers every aspect of the test with practical advice that works.
• Contains 600+ detailed, systematic, easy-to-follow walkthroughs for real ACT questions.
• You learn how to look at ACT questions the same way ACT, Inc. does when it writes them.
• Learn The simple formula that allows you to crank out a top-scoring essay.

Get it from here.

2. The Official ACT English Guide

If you want to master ACT’s English section, then look no further. This is the most comprehensive ACT English guide available on the market, and it is an official guide which only makes things better. It contains coverage for all the basic and advanced English topics that you will encounter on ACT.

Key Features:

• The only book with real ACT English questions organized by concept
• Covers basic and advanced topics, including writing
• Offers strategies and shortcuts to save you time
• Includes a glossary of grammar terminology
• Detailed explanations for every official ACT English question in the book

Get it from here.

1. The Official ACT Prep Guide

This official ACT prep guide is the best ACT guide. It features over 400 online questions that can be organized into custom practice sets, and it features real ACT questions that were once used in the actual ACT. It has detailed answer explanations for every type of ACT question and many tips throughout the book.

Key Features:

• A NEW never-before-seen, full-length practice test with optional writing test (215 questions)
• 400 online questions that can be filtered and organized into custom practice sets
• Updated writing prompts and directions
• Real ACT forms used in previous years

Get it here.