7+ Best SAT Prep Courses For Students To Try In 2024

In today’s competitive world, getting placed in one of the most reputed top colleges seems difficult to students these days. Despite having top-tier scores and well-disciplined conduct, students miss out on bigger opportunities and are forced to turn down their dreams. 

The one thing holding them back is their poor SAT exam performance, but that is not a problem anymore because I have got the best SAT prep courses for you.

After thoroughly researching every best SAT prep course article, I took them personally and attended several coaching sessions, and I was mind blown by the results.

All the best SAT prep courses had a few things in common like personalized tutoring, effective study materials, and a plethora of practice questions to keep up with the preparation.

Hence, I decided to compile my reviews of the best SAT prep courses into a full-fledged article so that you get a transparent comparison between all the best SAT prep courses easily. 

In this article, you will learn about the best SAT prep courses, how to choose from the SAT prep courses, an exclusive list of the best SAT prep courses, and the best SAT prep courses pros & cons, and how you can benefit from the best SAT prep courses.

Towards the end, I also answer the ultimate verdict – “Which one of the best SAT prep courses is the right one for you?” Watch out!

What is an SAT Prep Course? (An Overview)

SAT exams are not just another monthly test that students can simply skim through the night before the exam. The preparation for SAT exams requires complete dedication with a focused vision towards grabbing that seat in your dream college. That’s where SAT prep courses rise.

The primary job of SAT prep courses, in general, is to ensure that you are getting the best score with efficient training and practical testing. 

Most SAT prep courses provide study materials but all SAT prep courses will level their best to smoothly balance school activities and extracurricular so that the SAT preparation does not feel like a burden but a brainstormer. 

Additionally, some SAT prep courses will tailor SAT training sessions according to the student’s strengths and weaknesses. 

In some SAT prep courses, you can find one-on-one tutoring too.

The best part about taking SAT prep courses is that it fastens your SAT preparation while also actively providing education on building relevant skills for the college you are applying to.

What is all covered in an SAT prep course?

SAT prep courses are curated by experts and educationists who decided to lessen the complexity of preparing for SAT exams by simplifying and breaking down various components. 

An SAT exam comprises multiple sections and test factors which means a student has to be skilled enough to attend and answer all the areas of an SAT question paper.

Similarly, the SAT prep courses follow the question pattern that is layered for the students to learn, which means the SAT prep courses will cover the areas of maths, reading, and writing. 

It is said that the SAT simply covers everything that you have studied since elementary school. That is why most students may find SAT exams overwhelming to see the things that you studied a couple of years back compiled altogether to appear in front of you. Not so nostalgic.

Although the topics from which the questions are curated for SAT are essential, the concepts and type of question delivery integrated into the paper differ and require proper training.

SAT prep courses ensure that it guides a student through complex mathematics, reading comprehension, and practical writing concepts. You are getting overall teaching, how cool is that?

Hence, SAT prep courses focus on bettering your preparation for the ultimate exam that decides the fate of your college choices.

Who Should Take SAT prep Courses?

Although it is evident that SAT prep courses are recommended to everyone who wishes to prepare exceptionally well for their SAT exam, some bright students may deny choosing SAT prep courses, thinking they can figure out their study schedule by themselves.

Few students can, but it might take a toll on them due to the length of portions and insufficient time for preparation, so choosing an SAT prep course would be a great option if you are:

• Someone who cannot prepare a study schedule
• A student who is struggling with core maths
• A person who wants to study with guidance
• Someone who wants practical tips on learning

All SAT prep courses will ensure the best training, so even if you are doubtful about preparing for the SAT after delaying it for months, an appropriate SAT prep course would help.

How to Choose the Right SAT prep Course? (Guide)

If you are choosing a product, it should be valuable. I mean, the chosen product should have a purpose in making your life better and lessening the pressure. 

Similarly, you are entitled to consider a few factors when choosing the right SAT prep course for your SAT exam preparations. SAT prep courses are offered in different ways, methods, and formats. 

To top it all, many SAT prep courses are surfacing the internet, and it can be hard to find the right SAT prep course after going through each SAT prep course.

Hence, I took the assignment and curated an exclusive guide that can help you choose the right SAT prep course in no time. The following are the things to look for in an SAT prep course:

• Fewer students

Although you might wonder why the population in a course matters when everybody is going to be taught the same in the course, that’s the catch. 

In a course with the maximum strength, every student will be taught the same in a primary teaching format which each student in the course may not comprehend. Even if a student had a doubt, it might be overlooked by the instructors or the educators.

Joining SAT prep courses where there are fewer students is essential to get personalized training and get tips tailored to your strengths and weaknesses.

• Helpful resources

It is natural to expect effective study materials from an SAT prep coursing program for which you are paying, so you should be entitled to receive helpful and practical resources to keep up with the SAT preparation. 

Additionally, the assignments and homework given by the SAT prep course should be of quality and not some papers with 8 random questions about the subject.

• Instructors’ quality

Usually, in an SAT prep course, the instructors are high SAT scorers with almost 99 percentile. Still, you have to fact-check the quality of the instructors before joining the SAT prep course to ensure the authenticity of the instructor who is teaching in the SAT prep course.

• Extra benefits

Since you are shifting your regular studying rules and complying with an SAT prep course, you have to expect some standout features and benefits that you can get from the program.

For example, live tutoring can be beneficial when you are finding trouble in a particular section, the availability of practice tests can help speed up your test-taking skills, and a money-back guarantee policy where you can go back to your studying preparation if you are not satisfied. 

List Of The 7+ Best SAT prep Courses

After going through some of the best SAT prep courses on the internet, I came up with 7 great SAT prep courses that can scale up your preparation for the SAT exam easily.

The SAT prep courses that I picked have excelled in various factors and are well-structured for most students finding difficulty in preparing for the SAT exam. 

With the help of the following SAT prep course, your idea of preparing for a competitive exam will ultimately be changed because all the below-listed SAT prep courses offer exciting benefits:

1. Princeton Review

Price: $849 

Duration: 10 days to 9 weeks

Session: Both (online and in-person)

Overview: Princeton Review is one of the most recommended and top SAT prep courses out there that can help in bettering your SAT preparation. The test-prep company focuses on lending a hand to a student and giving them a solution to everything they need in scoring the highest grade by offering private tutoring sessions and more. The best part about Princeton Review is that they also guarantee a 99 percentile SAT score if you enroll in their SAT tutoring.

Pros: 

• Free 14-day trial.
• Live online classes.
• Money-back guarantee.
• Personalised assignments.
• Guarantee for minimum SAT score.

Cons:

• Expensive tutoring in Princeton Review.
• Not all programs are guaranteed with minimum scores.

2. Kaplan Test Prep

Price: $899-$1299 

Duration: 10 days to 8 weeks

Session: In-person (provided with online resources)

Overview: Kaplan is a good choice with well-designed video-based lessons that can help better understand the concepts taught by the instructors in the SAT prep course. Each student is guided through different chapters, sections, and practice tests in Kaplan. Although there are limited practice questions in Kaplan, it has ensured to place quality over quantity.

Pros: 

• Excellent instructor quality.
• Guaranteed minimum score. 
• Different learning styles are used.
• Additional resources are provided.

Cons:

• Teaching is not tailored according to a student’s level.
• Limited practice questions and tests.

3. Magoosh

Price: $129-$399

Duration: 10 days to 8 weeks

Session: In-person, online, and on-demand live classes

Overview: Magoosh has quite a different approach to preparing the students who are enrolling in their exclusive presentation-based teaching format, which instantly delivers value and knowledge about the subject better. With 1750+ practice questions and only 20 minutes to spare a day to focus on your SAT preparation, Magoosh ensures to maintain a well-balanced study schedule for all its students by providing flexible tutoring. Additionally, students can review their progress in Magoosh, which is a great feature to look back at how far they have come. 

Pros: 

• A 7-day free trial is available.
• Availability of mobile application.
• Flexible studying schedules.
• Helpful on-demand courses.
• Effective personalised tutoring.
• Affordable pricing for students.

Cons:

• Practice tests are limited.

4. Testive 

Price: $399-$799

Duration: One-month Bootcamp

Session: Live classes, On-demand online, and In-person classes

Overview: Testive takes personalized learning to the next level. For instance, after signing up on Testive, the desired student is advised to take a practice test to determine the ultimate studying schedule for themselves. Similarly, the same approach is made for other students to get well-structured and personally tailored preparation goals. The best part about Testive is that all their plans have one-on-one sessions, which is incredibly beneficial for students who require specific guidelines to keep up with their study flow. Unlike other competitors, Testive has 3000 practice tests which means there are no limitations to a student’s practice sessions.

Pros: 

• A free trial of 14 days is available.
• Availability of customised plans
• Additional practice questions.
• Detailed text-based explanation.
• Next-level personalised tutoring.

Cons:

• Self-study with materials is challenging.
• Video lessons are decent.

5. PrepScholar

Price: $397-$995

Duration: 2 weeks to 5 weeks (depending on the chosen plan)

Session: On-demand online and live classes only

Overview: PrepScholar has topped the preparation charts by offering a whopping 7000+ questions with efficient training and a detailed curriculum. The coaching in PrepScholar is quite impressive. A student is allowed to review a given content, with which an effective studying strategy is taught, resulting in a greater way to score good grades in practice tests. PrepScholar might be the best option if students like to learn and review their progress with guidance. By far, PrepScholar ensures to build the complete study plan for a student preparing for SAT.

Pros: 

• Limited class size.
• Brilliant instructor quality.
• Customisable curriculum.
• The option of full refund is available.
• Personalised homework is provided.

Cons:

• No in-person classes.
• Video lessons are not available in all modules.

6. Prep Expert

Price: $49-$1299

Duration: 6-8 Weeks

Session: Self-Paced, Online, On-demand live classes

Overview: Prep Expert is considered a new company that is offering multiple options to prepare for the SATs. The founder of Prep Expert is Dr. Shaan Patel, who designed the complete course pattern. They offer options for students who have weeks to prepare and those who only have days to prepare for the actual exam. In their six weeks and eight weeks programs, they offer at least 200 points increase guarantee than your previous SAT score, and if you do not get the increase, then you will get your money back. They also offer a self-paced monthly option where you will get access to complete online material, and for it, you will have to pay $49 every month.

Pros:

• Personalized Tutoring Option Is Available
• They have top-tier instructors
• You can access the course through their mobile app
• Points increase guarantee
• Weekend Review course from Dr. Shaan Patel himself

Cons:

• There is no free trial option available.
• It is expensive.

7. Khan Academy

Price: Free

Duration: 7-8 Weeks

Session: Self Paced

Overview: Khan Academy is a non-profit organization which provides exceptional SAT prep courses. the SAT Pre courses are completely self-guided that allow students to work at their own pace through the material. The courses on this platform offer official SAT practice tests and various quiz questions with detailed answer explanations.

Pros:

• Practice questions adapt to the student’s skill level.
• Text-based answer explanations.
• Completely free lifetime.

Cons:

• No live classes.
• Fewer video libraries.

SAT prep Courses: Pros & Cons

Although you might have seen personal reviews of all the best SAT courses, a few valid points can be considered beneficial overall. Of course, there are some downsides too:

SAT Prep Courses Pros

How to Benefit from SAT prep courses?

SAT prep courses are majorly aimed at successfully preparing a student’s ability to score their best at the SAT exam. Most students who take SAT prep courses are pretty unclear on precisely applying their learning from the desired SAT prep courses. The following points may help you get the most out of your SAT prep course:

1. Additional study resources

If you are self-studying without any SAT prep courses, you are entitled to do the research and get yourself on the track of serious learning but SAT prep courses have already passed the test in collecting all the efficient and informative data needed for your SAT preparation. 

Hence, the only role you have to play is by taking all the study resources and materials provided to your advantage because, at the end of the day, you are paying for it.

2. Religiously practising

A study plan created by SAT prep courses ensures that you can prepare for the SAT exams in a consistent manner. Practice makes a man perfect, right?

This is not limited to the content they provide in their SAT prep courses because most SAT prep courses include extra practice tests and exams that a student can benefit from.

3. Asking doubts

It is common and normal for students to get stuck in a particular chapter when efficiently preparing for the desired exam. 

In that case, SAT prep courses step ahead by providing adequate student support and clearing all the doubts that a student may get while studying. 

All SAT prep courses are designed to break down the complexity of large and competitive sections into simple and easier-to-understand modules.

Final Verdict – Which is the Best SAT prep Course?

As a person who gets distracted or finds trouble focusing on a specific chapter, the SAT prep courses have quickly helped through efficient coaching, excellent instructor quality, and a plethora of practice questions to keep up with my SAT exam preparations.

To answer the final verdict, I can instantly say that Princeton Review is the best SAT prep course without a doubt for its incredible teaching, personalized assignments, and guaranteed minimum score for the SAT exam. 

Unlike other SAT prep courses, Princeton Review was different in terms of video formatting, provision of resources, and a versatile learning style. 

Although Princeton Review was quite expensive, it was worth buying for various reasons, including problem-solving strategies.

Kaplan and Magoosh are equally competitive and offer similar features, but Magoosh stepped ahead by giving personalized training sessions with a 7-day free trial.

In the list of best SAT prep courses, Testive and PrepScholar are two practical SAT prep courses that drastically improve a student’s capability to score more by offering detailed text-based explanations with limited class size, which is incredible. 

In conclusion, most SAT prep courses have free trials and consultations, so if you wish to opt for the best SAT prep courses, the above-mentioned SAT prep courses are some of the best choices to make since SAT preparation plays a vital role in scoring better!