These are the best ACT prep books for the Enhanced ACT in 2026. The first three are all-in-one guides with content review and full-length practice tests, and the rest each target one section, from Math and English to the optional Science and Writing tests. Every pick is the current edition, and we flag the two older books that are still worth using.
The 8 Best ACT Prep Books for 2026
| 1. Princeton Review Enhanced ACT Premium Prep – Best Overall 2. Kaplan ACT Total Prep – Most Practice Questions 3. The Official ACT Prep Guide – Best Official Practice 4. Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT – Best for Math 5. The Complete Guide to ACT English – Best for English 6. The Complete Guide to ACT Reading – Best for Reading 7. For the Love of ACT Science – Best for Science 8. The College Panda’s ACT Essay – Best for Writing |
Check the edition before you buy. The Enhanced ACT cut the core test to 131 questions in about two hours, made Science optional, and moved Math to four answer choices. Anything published before 2025 practices a different test. Our free ACT practice tests guide has free official practice, and if you’d rather have a teacher, compare the best ACT prep courses.
Princeton Review Enhanced ACT Premium Prep, 2026
6 full-length practice tests (2 in the book, 4 online) plus full content review for the Enhanced ACT.
Princeton Review rebuilt its Premium guide for the Enhanced ACT, and it’s the best all-round book for most students. You get six full-length practice tests (two in the book and four online, with instant score reports), complete content review for every section, and coverage of the changes themselves: the online testing option, the STEM score, and how to pace and guess on the shorter test.
This is the 2026 edition, published December 2025. Princeton Review has a 2027 edition due on December 1, 2026, so if you’re buying after that, get the newer one.
Highlights
- 6 full-length practice tests (2 in the book, 4 online)
- Full content review for every section
- Pacing and guessing strategy for the shorter Enhanced ACT
Drawbacks
- Its practice tests are Princeton Review’s own, not official ones
Buy it if you want one book that covers everything with plenty of practice. Skip it if you only need help with one section; the section books below are more focused.
Kaplan ACT Total Prep, Second Edition (2026–2027)
Kaplan's biggest ACT book: 2,000+ practice questions, 6 full-length tests and a year of online access.
Kaplan’s ACT Total Prep is its biggest ACT book at over 1,000 pages: six full-length tests (two printed, four online), more than 2,000 practice questions including a 500-question customizable online Qbank, and a year of access to Kaplan’s online center. Kaplan is an official ACT teaching partner, and the book comes with its Higher Score Guarantee: score higher after using the book and online resources, or get your money back.
Highlights
- 2,000+ practice questions, the most of any book here
- 6 full-length tests (2 printed, 4 online)
- Customizable 500-question online Qbank
- Higher Score Guarantee
Drawbacks
- At over 1,000 pages, it’s more than most students will get through
Buy it if you want the most practice questions you can get. Skip it if you’re short on time; Princeton Review is easier to finish.
The Official ACT Prep Guide 2026–2027
4 official full-length practice tests built for the Enhanced ACT, each with the optional Writing test.
The 2026–2027 Official ACT Prep Guide comes from the people who write the test. It has four genuine full-length practice tests that reflect the Enhanced ACT, each including the optional Writing test, with explanations for every answer and tips for every section.
It’s a practice book, not a teaching book: it won’t walk you through the algebra or grammar rules behind the questions. Pair it with Princeton Review, Kaplan or one of the section books below.
Highlights
- 4 official full-length tests built for the Enhanced ACT
- Writing prompts and sample essays
- Explanations for every answer
Drawbacks
- Little content review; you’ll need another book to learn the material
Buy it if you want the most realistic practice there is. Skip it if you need topics taught from scratch.
Related: How to build an ACT study plan
Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT
Updated for the Enhanced ACT: lessons on 38 math topics with Desmos and TI-84 walkthroughs.
Richard Corn’s guide was updated for the Enhanced ACT in September 2025. It has lessons on 38 topics from algebra, geometry, pre-calculus and statistics, with the formulas you need, and screenshots showing how to solve problems on Desmos or a TI-84. It works on its own or alongside the official practice tests.
Highlights
- Updated for the Enhanced ACT (2025)
- 38 math topics covered
- Calculator walkthroughs for Desmos and the TI-84
Buy it if math is where you’re losing the most points. Skip it if your math is already strong.
Related: Calculators allowed on the ACT
The Complete Guide to ACT English, Fifth Edition
Every grammar and rhetoric topic tested on the Enhanced ACT English section, with ACT-style exercises.
Erica Meltzer’s fifth edition (October 2025) covers every grammar and rhetoric topic tested on the Enhanced ACT English section, with step-by-step explanations of each error type and dozens of ACT-style exercises.
Highlights
- Every grammar and rhetoric topic on the Enhanced ACT
- Fifth edition, October 2025
- ACT-style exercises with explanations
Buy it if English questions keep costing you points. Skip it if your grammar is already solid.
The Complete Guide to ACT Reading, Third Edition
Revised for the 2025 Reading changes, with a chapter for each question type.
Meltzer’s Reading guide was revised for the Enhanced ACT in its third edition (October 2025) to reflect the 2025 changes to the Reading test. It has a chapter for each major question type plus an overview of the passage topics you’re likely to see.
Highlights
- Revised for the 2025 Reading changes
- A chapter for each question type
- Overview of common passage topics
Buy it if Reading is your weakest section. Skip it if you need English help more; start with Meltzer’s English guide.
For the Love of ACT Science
Teaches ACT Science as reading graphs, tables and experiments. For students taking the optional Science test.
Science is optional on the Enhanced ACT and no longer counts toward your composite, so only buy a Science book if you’re taking it. If you are, Michael Cerro’s book is still the most focused option: it teaches the section as a test of reading graphs, tables and experiments rather than of science knowledge.
Be aware it was published in 2015 and hasn’t been updated for the Enhanced ACT. Use it for the skills, and take your timing from the official practice tests.
Highlights
- Treats Science as data interpretation, not memorization
- Short and focused at 144 pages
Drawbacks
- Published in 2015, before the Enhanced ACT
- Only useful if you’re taking the optional Science test
Buy it if you’re taking Science and want a STEM score. Skip it if you’re skipping the Science test.
Related: Student planners to keep your prep on track
The College Panda’s ACT Essay
A short guide with a reusable template for the optional ACT Writing test.
The ACT Writing test is still optional, and it still asks you to develop your own perspective on an issue and analyze how it relates to others. That’s the format the College Panda’s short guide was written for: it breaks down the scoring, then gives you a template you can apply to any prompt, so you walk in with a plan.
Highlights
- A reusable essay template for any prompt
- Explains how the essay is scored
- Quick to get through at 58 pages
Drawbacks
- Published in 2016; the format still matches, but the sample prompts are older
Buy it if a college you’re applying to wants the Writing test. Skip it if none of your colleges require it.
Books We Dropped from This List
Two books from earlier versions of this list are gone. The ACT Prep Black Book (2018) is built around walkthroughs of older official tests, and Manhattan Prep’s 5 lb. Book of ACT Practice Problems (2015) drills the longer, pre-2025 test with five-choice math. Neither has an edition for the Enhanced ACT.
Best ACT Prep Books FAQ
Which ACT prep book is best for Math?
Richard Corn’s Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT. Its September 2025 edition is updated for the Enhanced ACT, covers 38 tested topics, and shows how to solve problems on Desmos and TI-84 calculators.
Are older ACT prep books still useful?
Mostly not for Math, English and Reading. The Enhanced ACT (2025) cut the test to 131 questions and moved Math to four answer choices, so pre-2025 books practice a longer test with different odds. Look for a 2025 edition or later, or a title that says “Enhanced ACT.”
Is Kaplan good for ACT prep?
Yes. Kaplan’s ACT Total Prep has the most practice of any book here: 6 full-length tests and more than 2,000 questions, with a Higher Score Guarantee. We compare Kaplan’s courses in our guide to the best ACT prep courses.
Do I need to study for ACT Science?
Only if you’re taking it. Science is optional on the Enhanced ACT and no longer counts toward your composite; if you take it, you get a separate STEM score. Check whether the colleges you’re applying to want it.
ACT Books Wrap-Up
If you buy one book, make it Princeton Review’s Enhanced ACT Premium Prep, or Kaplan’s ACT Total Prep if you want the most questions. Add the Official ACT Prep Guide for real tests, and a section book where you’re weakest.