Kaplan SAT Prep Books

There certainly are plenty of options:

•The College Board, which administers the SAT college admissions test, offers a free sample test online, as well as a test prep book retailing at $22 and an online course that costs $70.

•Other test prep books can set you back less than $20 at your local bookstore, including books by test prep heavyweights Kaplan and Princeton Reviews and smaller publishers, like The American Book Company, a textbook and software company.

•You can invest $40 in a test prep board game from the folks that bring you the “For Dummies” series: SAT Game For Dummies. The box asserts that “studying doesn’t have to be boring!” and includes 500 question cards, a one-minute timer to simulate test pressure, and even a mini diploma.

•Nearly 70 percent of public highs schools across the country also offer some kind of SAT test prep, including online study-guides and classroom programs, according to a 2008 survey of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). About half of those programs charge some fee.

•Then there are the two powerhouses in SAT test prep courses, which promise big results and hefty price tags.

The Princeton Review, which also offers test prep for medical and law admissions tests, offers it’s summer Ultimate Classroom prep package, which includes 14 sessions, 30 hours of instruction, and four sample tests. In Boston, it costs $1, 099.

If that’s too rich for your blood, you can opt for the Princeton Review’s summer classroom package, which includes 18 hours of instruction divided into 10 sessions and four practice tests at a cost of $599.

Kaplan offers a similar package at a slightly lower price. Its Complete SAT prep course – its most popular course – includes 10 sessions and four practice tests for $499, either in-classroom or online. The company’s College Prep Advantage course runs about $1, 000, and includes the SAT prep course as well as PSAT prep and college admissions counseling.