The Official ACT Prep Guide 2023-2024: Book + 8 Practice Tests + 400 Digital Flashcards + Online Course

I got this book for my daughter to help her prepare for the ACT, and it turned out to be a great find. It covers all the main sections with clear explanations.. What really made a difference were the 8 full-length practice tests, each with well-explained answers. She was able to review her mistakes, understand where she had gone wrong, and improve for the next test. The practice tests gave her a good sense of the real exam and helped her improve her timing. She practiced regularly and ultimately achieved her target score. I recommend this to any student preparing for the ACT.

My daughter initially scored a 22 on her first ACT in 2023. While taking ACT prep class and studying this book for almost a year, she raised her score to a 28!!! A freakin’ 28!!! She qualifies for the highest state awards as well as honors colleges to any of the universities she has on her wish list. Get the book. Study it weekly. Be serious. Take advantage of the ACT website tools offered. Reach out to teachers who can make time to help work on questions you have problems with. Search online for more practice tests. This book was an amazing resource and we owe every bit of gratitude to it!

I have to say the SIZE of this is a bit intimidating… it’s almost 4 inches thick! But, it is useful. I got it for my son to study for the ACT in the summer between his sophomore and junior years. It has a lot of detail, so you may need to skim through to begin with and familiarize yourself with the format and how this will be most useful to you and/or your child. Near the beginning there is a practice test which I think will be the best for us to begin with, it has each section just like an actual ACT and tells you how long to time yourself. Then you can go in and score your test and go from there to decide how best to study. I’m sure if I can get him to use this that it will help my son a lot come his first ACT actual test.

First, this is an updated version of a previously published book; if you already purchased the 2022-2023 or an earlier edition STOP— you likely have already seen 7/8 tests included and buying this may not be worth it! This is not a wholly new book! However, it does include access to a newer test in the book (for a total of 6 tests, swapping out one test), and offers these six in book tests plus an additional 2 tests through its online access.* *NOTE: As of now I've tried logging into the online platform and it's janky (forces you to make a study calendar... I just want to take a practice test!), broken (you build a syllabus then half the items i.e. practice tests disappear entirely) and not user friendly. I've tried for 20 minutes and can't seem to get any practice tests going online. Last year the system was bugging on book release day also so I'll give Wiley a week to fix this. But if you need online test practice today, buy LAST YEAR'S GUIDE. I’ve been tutoring the ACT for over a decade, have scored perfectly on it as an adult, and have coached students to perfect scores on the test. I run a YouTube channel offering free ACT / SAT prep and college advice (SupertutorTV), have created an online video-based prep course for the ACT, and have written two books on the math section of the ACT (The Best ACT Math Books Ever Vol 1 & 2). In short, I spend an inordinate amount of brain space on this test. When it comes to ACT prep, the number one advice I have for my students is to USE AUTHENTIC MATERIALS from the test maker. That means if you’re taking the ACT, and can afford nothing but one book, this is the number one resource I would recommend. Still there are some caveats. My 4 stars is really because of the issues with ease of online access (keep reading), the apparently helpful review material that isn't actually that helpful (just give us tests :)), and cost. SAT offers a book of 8 tests for less money, not to mention free pdfs of 8 tests. This book has only has 6 print tests (8 including the online one) and costs over 50% more. I would rather have 8 straight up printed tests without the "advice" sections that don't actually help so much. The Upside: if you’re planning to take the ACT on a computer (ALL international students, any students electing to take the test on a computer, any students in a school district offering the "online ACT" at school), for you, I would rate this FIVE STARS. This book offers access to the computerized versions of all 6 printed tests, plus an additional two computerized tests. Note this feature is ALSO available in the now cheaper 2020-2021 guide, but with only 5 tests instead of 6, and with 6 tests (the same 6 online tests as this edition) from the 2021-2022 guide, and with 7 in the 2022-2023. If you've only got a month to prep and an older edition is on sale I wouldn't rule it out. But beware of buying *used* older guides - your PIN for online access may not work. With SAT shifting to a new test this year internationally, and few and far between SAT resources, I'm recommending any International students this year shift to the ACT-- for those students this book and more importantly its online test bank is a must! Who doesn’t need this book: If you’re taking the test on paper, only want a couple practice tests, and can get a hold of an older edition for $10-20 less, you might want to do so. You also might note that several tests are available free online in pdf (Google supertutortv resources) and one in an online format on ACT's website, so if you only have time for a test or two in the book, it might not be worth it. What’s inside: 1) Six “real” printed ACT tests. Plus all six of these and two more available online. Five exams in the book are identical to those in previous editions of this guide, and both online tests are also previously included in older guides/online access— but they're in a different order. Test 1: (NEW!) (diagnostic): Dec 2021 E23 (Code 23MC1) all sections (previously not in online module or books) Test 2: June 2017 Code 74C (Code 18MC4), all sections (Test 3 in 2022-2023 book) Test 3: Dec 2017 Code A10 (Code 19MC5), all sections (Test 4 in 2022-2023 book) Test 4: June 2018 Code A11 (Code 20MC6) (test 5 in 2022-2023 book) Test 5: July 2020 Code C01 (Code 20MC8), all sections (test 6 in 2022-2023 book) Test 6: Dec 2019 Code C03 (Code 22MC9) - (Test #1 in 2022-2023 book) Likely accessible online (again the platform is impossible for me to use right now assuming they'll sort it soon) but NOT in print edition: 16MC1 English, Reading, Science: Jun 2015 73C, + Math (73C+10 random questions from The Real ACT Prep Guide exams, mix of exams, and a few originals), (Code 16MC1) 16MC2 (test 2 in 2022-2023 print book) English, Reading, Science: Apr 2015 73G, Math: random questions from The Real ACT Prep Guide exams, mostly from Exam #2, and a few originals (Code 16MC2) Tests also include explanatory answers. Some explanations are better than others. For instance, many of the math questions break down why you missed the question nicely (you gave the mean; it asked for median), while the English explanations often simply say the other answers have "unnecessary commas" but don't explain the rule that dictates why those commas aren't needed. If you don't know why you need some commas but don't need others, you're not going to learn what you need to get it right the next time. 2) Essay prompts All six (eight I assume including online) tests include a complete essay prompt; an additional prompt is in the chapter on the essay. Given that the SAT retired its essay, the ACT essay is increasingly becoming truly optional. 3) Chapters that review the basic content of each section and have some example questions-- and give an overview of the test. Note this material is also awkwardly built into the online access and you'll be auto-fed this not so helpful information first -- so be very careful not to waste a bunch of time on it. Though this might seem to be a great resource, advice from the test makers is rarely as good as advice from private tutors and outside voices. I’m probably biased (I’m a private tutor and develop ACT prep curriculum), but even before I wrote materials, I knew the best tips I found for my students weren’t from the test makers. Ideas like “read carefully and thoroughly," are terrible advice for some students who when doing so can’t even finish half of a section. The voice of the book feels more objective than insightful in its advice. The biggest value of this book is the real tests, not the section advice. If you want test prep advice, get another book or two from an independent tutor. Still, answer explanations may be useful for those skilled at self-assessment to make progress. ALSO: Many of the “real” examples from these topic-based chapters are part of fully released exams from prior years, such as 61C (the packet released free of charge in 2008-2009). As a result, the example material is not a huge boon for students, but actual a bit of a "spoiler" for anyone who digs up these old, free, released pdf tests online and wants to use them to practice full exams. 4) General information about the test that details registering, planning and packing for test day. Can you get most of this for free from the ACT website? Yep! BOTTOM LINE: Why I'm not giving this 5 stars -- The online portal is janky and broken on launch day as it was last year. It feeds students into an unending cycle of rubric that explains the test in broad, technical strokes that don't help students prepare. Students don't need to read a table of college and career readiness standards that the ACT is testing "Draw simple logical conclusions about the main characters in somewhat challenging literary narratives" etc. This "overview" kind of information also fluffs out the beginning of the printed book and for most students is not an efficient use of time when studying. Get to the tests, learn skills, move forward. Many students who don't have the oversight of a tutor or teacher may waste time given how the book and in particular the online resources are designed.

Helpful

My son decided, at the last minute, that he wanted to go to college next year. We hadn't really prepped at all for that. I got this book and he took many, many of the practice tests. It helped him review material and get used to the format of the test. I am happy to report that he did well enough on the test to get into the college he wanted to go to in the fall. I don't recommend waiting until the last minute, of course, but, I was thankful for this resource.

I am the test prep director at Carmel Valley Test Prep and for ACT, we exclusively use the Official ACT Prep Guide to prepare our students. This is an excellent book because it is the ONLY book that contains official previously administered exams. The 2023-2024 version of this book contains the following exams: Test #1: E23, December 2021 Test #2: 74C, June 2017 Test #3: A10, December 2017 Test #4: A11, June 2018 Test #5: C01, July 2020 Test #6: C03, December 2019 The best way to prepare for the real thing is to practice from the real thing!

I bought this official ACT preparation book for my daughter, and it has been very helpful in her study process. The content is well-structured and provides a good variety of practice questions to improve test-taking skills.

We used this for diagnostic and practice purposes. Super helpful. Helped her identify exactly what information to target so she was as prepared as possible. Highly recommend.

My son likes this book. He said he can learn from answer sheet if he did not know how to figuar out

The book indicates “6 full-length tests in the book and 8 online”. It isn’t 8 additional tests online. It’s the same 6 as in the book plus two additional. So it’s 8 total, not 14 as they imply. Other than that, it’s a useful book.