I think just about everyone can agree with me when I say:
It is really hard trying to find which SAT prep course is best for you.
With so many options, features, prices, and guarantees it becomes very hard to choose between all of the different classes offered. It also becomes difficult finding the review class that will suit your needs without breaking the bank. The new SAT, by the College Board, is a difficult exam, and has a big say on your future and your college admissions process.
That is why I have created this post of the best SAT prep courses in 2019. After spending countless hours researching these review courses and companies, I have shortlisted the top review classes that can help you score higher on your exam.
The prices listed in our comparison table below reflect the most popular choices from each test review company.
TestPrepHQ may be compensated through the links in the post below, but the opinions are our own.
Ready to roll?
SAT Prep Course Comparison Table
| Ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep Course |  |  |  |  |  |
| Award |   |  On-demand Online |  | ||
| Price | $799 | $399/month | $899 | $899 | $99 |
| Course Hours | 60 | N/A | 25 | 18 | N/A |
| Course Types Offered | Live in-person Live online On-demand online | On-demand online | Live in-person Live online On-demand online | Live in-person Live online On-demand online | On-demand online |
| Trial | N/A | 2-week risk free trial | 90 minute trial class | N/A | 7 day trial |
| More Details | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > |
Best Overall and Best Value SAT Prep Course
Prep Expert SAT Prep Course Review
CLICK THROUGH TO PREP EXPERT
The SAT prep courses offered by Prep Expert are, bar none, the best offered in the business, and the best value.
Prep Expert was recently featured on the hit TV show Shark Tank and was picked by investment by Mark Cuban. This really showcases this review course company quality since Mark Cuban only invests in the highest quality companies.
Click here to see their segment on Shark Tank.
They offer courses in 3 distinct types: live in-person, live online, and on-demand online course. The most popular option is live online, where the student will take live in-classroom courses on their computer.
These review courses are taught by 99th percentile instructors, the best in the business. The company founder is even a perfect SAT scorer and has designed this course to be the highest of quality. Most test preparation companies only offer teachers that are 90th percentile or above, but they go above and beyond the call. These teachers really are there for each and every student, and the live classroom sessions allow you to ask them questions and clarifications about the standardized exam.
The live classroom classes include 60 classroom hours. Most other review classes offered by other companies are 18-25 hours, making the courses offered by Prep Expert 2 to 3 times as long. A lot more bang for your buck. These extra hours really allow the instructors to go more in depth on the problems, thus increasing your score. In the course, you will also have 4 proctored exams. This is very useful to gauge the correct speed to go through the exam.
One special extra included with the review course is the 100 strategies by a perfect score student. There have been less than 5000 total people that have scored a perfect score on the actual exam, so insights from this select group can be very useful.
Also, with the course you will receive 5 review books written by the company founder, who is a perfect scorer. These become very useful to go over in your free time and are yours, free to use once you are done with the course.
With Prep Expert’s high quality review course comes the best guarantee in the business. Prep Expert offers a 200-point score improvement guarantee, better than any other test preparation company. This really shows that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
We really cannot find any flaws with this company's review course offerings. Because of their highest quality and flawless classes, we rank Prep Expert’s SAT review course as our best overall and best value SAT review course.
Pros
- 200-point score improvement guarantee
- 99th percentile class instructors
- 60 course hours in 6 weeks
- 100 strategies by a perfect score student
- Shark Tank winning company
Cons
- None!
Top Pick On-Demand SAT Prep Course
Testive SAT Prep Course Review
Testive SAT test prep is our top pick for the best on-demand online SAT prep course (They also offer ACT prep courses, FYI.).
Unlike other test preparation companies, Testive only specializes in one type of course format: on-demand online. This allows them to hone and refined their product. And it shows because their on-demand online preparation course is the best of its kind.
Their on-demand online review course is unique in that it also offers a weekly meeting with a test preparation coach that will guide the student on their way to test success.
Most non-live courses do not get as good of results as live courses because the student is motivated a lot more when they receive instant live feedback and know that there is someone constantly looking over them (their teacher or tutor). This is normally lost in most on-demand courses since the student is working by themselves and there is no outside motivation to push themselves harder. The test preparation coaches help to counteract this. It is pretty much the same thing as having your own private tutor!
The coaches, like the test preparation instructors from the top two choices on our list, are 99th percentile scorers. This means that they will be able to answer all of the student’s questions and concerns about the exam and have most likely been there before.
The technology that Testive includes in their course is also second-to-none. Testive’s course includes 2 features developed at MIT called “smart questions” and “score prediction”. These features help students to gauge progress and stop wasting time answering questions that are too simple and too difficult. This adaptive technology creates more valuable learning moments and saves the students time to increase their score faster.
The study plan given to you by Testive will help you raise your score faster and in less time. Since one on one tutoring is geared towards your strengths and weaknesses; whether they be in math subjects like algebra and geometry, or in the critical reading or writing portions, you can be certain that your time is not wasted.
The on-demand online course format is also perfect for those students that do not have time in their schedule to fit in weekly classes. Colleges these days require so much more for entry like varsity athletics and other extracurriculars that can take up time when classes would normally be offered. Testive understands this and made this course so that each student can fit it around each of their busy schedules.
The review class also comes with:
1) Unlimited access to +3,000 "Smart Questions"
2) Over 50 hours of instructional videos
Like most other exam preparation classes, Testive also offers a score increase guarantee.
Obviously, the one main drawback of this review course is that there are no live options. Sometimes it can be hard for a student to motivate themselves without outside sources. But, Testive helps to remediate that with their weekly coaching sessions.
Because of their advanced technology and unique weekly coaching sessions, we rank Testive SAT test prep as the best on-demand online SAT review course.
Pros
- Adaptive technology developed at MIT that saves you time and frustration
- Weekly coaching sessions that keeps the student on track
- Great for time-strapped students with busy schedules
-Score increase guarantee
Cons
- No live in-person or online options
#3 Best Overall SAT Prep Course
Veritas SAT Prep Course Review
The Veritas SAT prep courses are our third best overall review classes for the SAT.
Although this group of preparation courses is our 3rd best on our list, they are still of very high quality.
Like other major test preparation companies, Veritas offers its classes in live in-person, live online, and on-demand online varieties. The live online option is their most popular.
Just like with the top choice on our list, Veritas offers class instructors that have only scored 99th percentile or higher on the actual exam. These teachers are literally in the top 1% of everyone that has taken the exam, meaning that they are of very high quality. They will be able to answer any question that you have about the test or any problems located within.
Along with the high-quality class instructors, you also get unlimited instructor access. You can email your instructor at any time to get help while practicing on your own for the test. The classes also offer online live office hours so that you can ask questions to your teacher directly outside of normal class hours, a feature exclusive to Veritas.
With 25 classroom hours instead of the industry standard 18, Veritas uses this extra time to go over more advanced questions to help increase the students’ scores. Some other test preparation companies stick to just the basics, but Veritas makes sure that advanced students are not left waiting to get to the harder questions. Throughout the classes, the students are encouraged to learn by doing. This technique really ingrains the different concepts so that they are easier to use on test day.
The review class also includes:
1) 4 official College Board practice exams
2) Unlimited access to online homework help
3) 8 Veritas Prep lesson books
4) A free repeat of your course free of charge
Like most other test preparation companies, Veritas offers a score increase guarantee. They ensure that the students score will increase from a prior exam taken. This is not as good as Prep Expert’s 200-point guarantee, but it is still adequate, nonetheless.
One flaw that the Veritas review courses have against the top pick on our list is that they only offer 25 course hours. Although this is higher than the industry standard of 18, it is still small in comparison to that of Prep Expert’s 60 hours.
Because of its many strengths and very few flaws, we rank Veritas’ SAT preparation courses as the 2nd best overall on our list of the top rated SAT review classes.
Pros
- 99th percentile teachers
- Designed for more advanced students in mind
- Live online office hours
- Score increase guarantee
Cons
- Less classroom hours than Prep Expert
#4 Best Overall SAT Prep Course
Kaplan Test Prep SAT Prep Course Review
The Kaplan Test Prep SAT review courses are the 4th best overall preparation classes on our list.
Kaplan is one of the market leaders when it comes to test preparation, and it is no doubt that their review classes are top notch.
Similar to the top 2 choices on our list, Kaplan offers preparation classes for the test in live in-person, live online, and on-demand online formats. The most popular option is live online classes, where the student attends a live classroom online at a regularly scheduled time.
Since Kaplan is one of the largest test preparation companies in the world, they offer many more locations for in-person classes than our top 2 choices. For example, the top pick on our list only has live in-person classes in 10 cities, while Kaplan offers them in almost every major city in the United States. This makes attending live in-person classes a lot cheaper and easier.
The instructors that Kaplan offers are judged by their merit and, uniquely, on their ability to individually care for each student. Most test preparation companies focus on the very top exam scorers for instructors, but Kaplan makes sure to include helpfulness and caring as criteria into choosing their teachers. This can make their classes more personal, hopefully motivating each student that much more.
Kaplan will also customize your preparation plan based on your strengths and weaknesses. No longer waste time doing things that you are already good at, and focus on things that can increase your score more efficiently.
Kaplan review courses also include:
1) The SAT Channel, including 30+ hours of interactive live teaching, a Kaplan exclusive
2) 8 practice tests, with score analysis integrated into your course
Unlike the top 2 choices on our list, the exam instructors are not 99th percentile scorers. Although their merit is not quite as high, Kaplan does like to focus on other criteria like instructor helpfulness to make up for this supposed lack in merit.
Also, at only 18 hours, the course time in Kaplan’s preparation course offerings is much shorter than the top 2 choices on our list. Although this is an industry standard, it is not quite up to snuff when compared to the best.
Because of its many strong points, but couple flaws, we rank Kaplan’s SAT preparation class offerings as the 3rd best overall on our list of the top SAT prep courses.
Pros
- Instructors uniquely rated based on helpfulness and caring
- Your preparation plan is customized based on your strengths and weaknesses
- Many location options for live in-person classes
- Score increase guarantee
Cons
- Small number of course hours compared to the others on our list
- Instructors are not 99th percentile scorers like other companies offer
Budget Pick SAT Prep Course
Magoosh SAT Prep Course Review
The Magoosh SAT test prep course is our budget pick review class on our list of the top SAT prep courses.
Magoosh, like Testive, only offers their course in an on-demand online format. This type of format allows the student to practice whenever they have time because they are not constrained from having to attend classes at certain times during the day.
Magoosh specializes in having a simple design and plenty of content. Right when they sit down, the student should be able to get to study and stay focused throughout the session. With plenty of content, they should not run out of questions or problems to practice with.
And, of course, the one thing that Magoosh specializes in is its very low price. You get access to all of their content for 6 months for only $99. This is less than 20% of the cost of most major test review companies, saving you a lot of money. Although, at that cheap of a price, you do have to give up some extra benefits.
Magoosh also includes:
1) Over 140 video lessons
2) Over 400 practice questions
3) Study schedules to use to map out your study time
Like the other test preparation companies on our list, Magoosh offers a score increase guarantee.
Obviously, the one major downside of Magoosh is the fact that you do not receive any personal, live interactive guidance from any coach or instructor. This guidance can really help to motivate students since we know it can be sometimes hard to motivate yourself to study for long periods of time.
Also, since Magoosh is only offered on-demand, there are no live class options.
Because of its ultra-low price and frugal product, we have selected Magoosh SAT test prep as our budget pick on our list of the best review classes to prepare for the SAT.
Pros
- Ultra-low price
- Simple design and plenty of content
- Score increase guarantee
Cons
- No live, in-person or online, option
- No live interaction with teachers or coaches
Our Suggestions
Our suggestions help offer the most cost effective way for you to choose the perfect SAT course for your college application. There are many different options and formats to pick from, and it can be somewhat difficult to decide. Because of this, we suggest to:
Take the Prep Expert SAT prep course if you are looking for the best overall or best value live online course.
If you are looking for a live in-person course and Prep Expert classes are not offered in your area, then pick either Veritas or Kaplan, as their in-person offerings are more expansive.
Time-strapped students may find it difficult to find time for a live course with required time slots. In this case an on-demand style prep course would be the best choice. Testive offers the best on-demand prep course around.
And, if you are looking for a budget option, Magoosh would be your best choice.
Best SAT Prep Courses: Reviewed
| SAT Prep Course | Award | |
| 1 | Prep Expert | Best Overall and Best Value |
| 2 | Testive | Top Pick for On-Demand |
| 3 | Magoosh | Budget Pick |
