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Princeton Review Digital SAT Prep Course Review (2025) 

 December 8, 2024

By  Chuky Ofoegbu

Student studying with the help of a tutor

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4.79 OVERALL SCORE

What we liked

  • Provides 4 full-length practice tests that fully mimics the real Digital SAT test-taking experience
  • Digital SAT live classes are taught in small groups and are very interactive
  • Offers a bold +180 point score increase guarantee
  • Has the best-in-class Digital SAT practice test performance analytics tool

Complaints

  • No video answer explanations on the platform
  • No on-demand student support provided on self-paced course 
  • Bold score increase guarantees are reserved for their premium Digital SAT prep packages
  • Profiles of instructors are not displayed on some of their live class packages

Lesson Quality

Student Support

Practice Material

Customer Policies

In this article, we'll dive deep into the details of the Princeton Review's new line of Digital SAT Prep courses, exploring what they offer and the pros and cons of each course.

After reading this review, you will be confident in deciding if the Princeton Review is your student's best Digital SAT prep course.

Keep in mind that this review was done based on our first-hand experience using both the Princeton Review 1400+ Digital SAT course and the Self-Paced SAT course over several weeks. 

This way, we can provide you with our best recommendation.
 

Outline

Use the helpful jump links below to skip to any section of this detailed review article on The Princeton Review's Digital SAT course.

Video Review of The Princeton Review SAT Prep Course

Watch our complete video review for a behind the scenes peek into The Princeton Review SAT prep course platform.

Here, we dive deeper into the performance of the Princeton Review SAT course from our first-hand experience using the course. 

Princeton Review Digital SAT Prep Course Options

One of The Princeton Review's edges in the Digital SAT prep market is its numerous prep courses, catering to different learning styles and family budgets.

We'll break down each option so you can determine the best course offering that suits your student's needs.

Digital SAT 1500+ Tutoring Prep Course 

The Digital SAT 1500+ Tutoring is the Princeton Review’s most customized test-prep option for families seeking a 99th percentile Digital SAT score.

Here, your student will receive one-on-one tutoring from the best tutors that The Princeton Review offers. These tutors have helped several students achieve an SAT score in this range, landing them in prestigious universities.

This elite tutoring service is provided online as well as in person. Your student will also get access to a tutoring manager to support their test prep journey. 

In addition, students can access all of The Princeton Review’s online practice material. The course includes Digital SAT prep books from Princeton Review and unlimited on-demand access to a live expert tutor.

TPR Digital SAT Diagnostic Report

Our Princeton Review full-length Digital SAT practice test diagnostic report

The 1500+ Tutoring is the Princeton Review’s most expensive course, backed by a 1500+ score improvement guarantee or a score increase of +180 points.

Access to the online resources accompanying the Digital SAT 1500+ course is extended for one year from the day your 1-on-1 tutoring begins.

Digital SAT 1400+ Prep Course

The SAT 1400+ is The Princeton Review’s most popular instructor-led live SAT course. Its primary offering is access to 36 hours of live classroom instruction (both online and in person) and 4 hours of optional office hours.

TPR Digital SAT 1400+ Course Dashboard

Digital SAT 1400+ Course Dashboard

As the name implies, the course promises to give your student a Digital SAT score of 1400+ or a score increase of +150 points.

While enrolled in this course, your student gets unlimited access to 24/7 tutoring on-demand with real expert tutors and not a bot instructor.

We threw some curveball questions at these tutors and found their responses to be very comprehensive.

TPR Digital SAT 1400+ Course On-Demand Tutor Support

So, you can rest assured that these tutors can quickly help your student with the practical assistance they need on any SAT questions.

In addition to the 24/7 on-demand tutoring support, students can access the Digital SAT Advantage Sessions.

These are hourly-long virtual classes held three times a week, where students can work with expert instructors to hone their skills in different Digital SAT areas.

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions syllabus

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions syllabus

This course includes additional resources such as a physical and electronic copy of the Princeton Reviews Digital SAT Manual book.

In addition, many class dates and times are offered over the SAT testing year, so you can always find one that best fits your family's schedule.

The Princeton Review Digital SAT 1400+ syllabus snippet

The Princeton Review Digital SAT 1400+ syllabus snippet

The SAT 1400+ also includes an ACT self-paced prep course, a good starting option for students preparing for the ACT.

Access to the additional online resources - such as live class recordings and online practice questions and tests - that accompany this course is extended for 365 days from the day the live classroom instruction begins.

Digital SAT Essentials 

If you want a cheaper course with live classroom instruction, the Digital SAT Essentials course is a good bet. This course offers 18 hours of classroom instruction.

It also comes with access to The Princeton Review's self-paced ACT prep course, just like the Digital SAT 1400+ and the Digital SAT 1500+ packages.

Sample ACT Self Paced Course Access with TPR Digital SAT 1400+ Course

Sample video lesson from the ACT Self Paced course that comes with the Digital SAT 1400+ course

The Princeton Review offers the Digital SAT Essentials courses online and in person. Similar to the Digital SAT 1400+ live course, several dates and time options are available to choose from.

The Digital SAT Essentials course does not include 24/7 on-demand access to a live tutor. And it lacks the optional office hours that the Digital SAT 1400+ has.

However, students on the Essentials course can attend the live Digital SAT Advantage Sessions, or watch recordings of past live sessions on the platform.

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions class

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions class

Unlike the Digital SAT 1400+ and 1500+ packages, The Princeton Review does not promise a quantifiable score increase guarantee on the Digital SAT Essential course.

The course comes with 365 days of extended access to additional learning resources, starting from the date when your 18 hours of classroom time begins.

Digital SAT & ACT Self-Paced

The Princeton Review’s cheapest option is their SAT & ACT Self-Paced course series. The solo Digital SAT self-paced prep course offering starts at $299, while the combined Digital SAT & ACT self-paced course starts at $499.

Math video lesson on The Princeton Review SAT prep course

Math video lesson on The Princeton Review SAT prep course

You can also supplement either of the Princeton Review's self-paced courses with 10 hours of on-demand 1-on-1 tutoring for an additional $200. 

This price point of $200 for 10 hours of on-demand tutoring is a steal compared to other competing SAT prep providers like Kaplan and PrepScholar.

Suppose your student is a someone who can study effectively unsupervised and doesn't need live classes. In that case, the self-paced courses will be ideal. 

The Digital SAT & ACT self-paced course series includes over 280 online video lessons and access to The Princeton Review's online practice bank.

The Digital SAT practice bank alone contains over 800 practice questions and four full-length Digital SAT practice tests that do a great job of mimicking the real Digital SAT test-taking experience. 

The Digital SAT & ACT self-paced course has an access period of one year from the date of purchase.

Private Tutoring

While the Princeton Review's Private Tutoring is an add-on to some of their Digital SAT courses, they offer it separately.

The Princeton Review's standalone 1-on-1 private tutoring starts at $540 for 3 hours and goes up to $2,700 for 18 hours. Tutoring can be done both online and in person.

The Princeton Review's tutoring packages include access to their digital library of SAT resources. So, your student can review topics with video lessons and use their vast practice question library anytime.

The Princeton Review Digital SAT Course Math Question Answer Explanation

The Princeton Review Digital SAT Course Math Question Answer Explanation

Moreover, you'll get access to these materials 365 days from the day you enroll in private tutoring. 

Unlike the 1-on-1 private tutoring you get with the SAT 1500+ course, the standalone tutoring provided here may not come from the pool of The Princeton Review's elite tutors.

The Princeton Review's standalone private tutoring will be best for families who desire the most personalized SAT prep on a budget.

Pros of The Princeton Review's Digital SAT Courses

Top-notch self-paced lesson quality

We were thoroughly impressed by the engaging teaching methods in the self-paced Digital SAT course offered by The Princeton Review.

The instructors effectively used a reversed glass board for annotations, significantly enhancing our learning experience.

Furthermore, each video lesson, tailored to the specific sections of the Digital SAT, incorporated problems resembling those on the exam.

Reading video lesson on The Princeton Review SAT self-paced course

Reading video lesson on The Princeton Review SAT prep course

Another highlight of their self-paced curriculum is the strategic focus on solution strategies, incorporating both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

These were consistently emphasized across all sections of the SAT self-paced course and align perfectly with what is essential in a high-quality Digital SAT prep course.

Engaging live classes

In our experience, the Digital SAT 1400+ live classes offered by The Princeton Review stood out for their engaging and interactive nature.

We appreciated the limited class size, with 24 students per session. This small group setting, led by a particularly captivating online instructor named Malika Sandy, fostered a focused and personalized learning environment.

Digital SAT 1400+ Course Live Class with participant size

A Digital SAT 1400+ live class with participant size

The classes were made lively with various engagement tools employed by the online instructor.

We often used reactions like thumbs-up, participated in polls, and responded to prompt from the instructor via text. 

This interactive approach kept us involved and motivated throughout the 3 hour live sessions.

Realistic Digital SAT practice tests and questions

We were thoroughly impressed with the realistic Digital SAT practice resources provided on The Princeton Review's online platform, accessible with any Digital SAT course purchase.

The platform boasts over 120 online practice drills, totaling over 800 new practice questions designed for the Digital SAT.

Princeton Review Digital SAT Practice question environment

Princeton Review Digital SAT practice question environment

Although these questions are unofficial – not crafted by the College Board, the creators of the Digital SAT – we found their structure strikingly similar to the official Digital SAT questions.

Another standout feature of The Princeton Review's platform is the provision of 4 full-length, self-proctored Digital SAT practice tests.

The Princeton Review Digital SAT Practice Test Dashboard

The Princeton Review Digital SAT Practice Test Dashboard

The design of these practice tests is particularly noteworthy. They are two-stage adaptive, closely mimicking the Digital SAT test-taking environment.

This includes providing on-screen tools identical to those on the actual Digital SAT, such as the Desmos graphing calculator, highlighters, and reference formula sheets, along with features like the ability to mark questions and eliminate answer choices.

Built-in desmos calculator on princeton review SAT platform

Built-in Desmos calculator on Princeton Review SAT platform

These comprehensive and well-structured practice tests offer a test-taking experience that is remarkably similar to what one would encounter using the official Bluebook app.

Score guarantees on all courses

Every Digital SAT course from The Princeton Review is backed by a score increase guarantee. For their low-priced courses, such as the Digital SAT Essentials and the Digital SAT Self-Paced programs, they offer their Better Score Improvement guarantee.

This Better Score Improvement guarantee promises a higher SAT score after completing the program bit does not specify an amount. 

While their premium Digital SAT 1400+ and Digital SAT 1500+ courses are backed by a clear +150 point and +180 point total score increase guarantee respectively. 

Students and parents can receive a full refund or repeat their test prep course if they meet eligibility requirements and their scores do not improve. 

Cons of The Princeton Review's Digital SAT Courses

Higher score guarantee courses are costly

The Princeton Review’s premium SAT courses - such as the Digital SAT 1400+ and the Digital SAT 1500+ - that are backed by a clear score increase guarantee are quite costly.

Thus, these packages may not be ideal for those family's looking for budget Digital SAT prep options. 

Not enough risk-free trials on most courses

If you’re on the fence about purchasing a course, the Princeton Review does not give you risk-free options to sample their courses. For most of their SAT prep courses you don't get a 100% refund if you cancel after your course begins.

The only slight exception are the Self-Paced courses that offer a 7 day refund policy after enrollment. Unfortunately, with this self-paced courses, you won’t have access to private tutors or live online classes. 

Limited student support on self-paced courses

An area that we felt needed improvement was the level of instructor support in their low-priced Digital SAT self-paced course series and the Digital SAT Essentials course.

Students enrolled in these specific courses do not receive on-demand instructor support. This was a significant limitation, especially for those who might require additional guidance or have specific queries during their course of study.

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions

TPR Digital SAT Live Advantage Sessions offered on higher priced packages 

It's important to highlight that instructor support is available, but only as an additional paid feature. This comes in the form of a 10-hour tutoring add-on, which can be integrated with the self-paced course.

While this add-on can be beneficial, it might not be a viable option for everyone, either due to the additional costs.

For students who thrive with more independent study or who may not require as much one-on-one interaction, this might not be a significant issue.

However, for those who often find themselves seeking a bit of personalized guidance or immediate feedback, the lack of readily available instructor support could pose a challenge in the self-paced format of the course.

Lack of instructor profiles on some live class offers

No detailed information about the instructors' credentials is provided in their Digital SAT 1400+ and Digital SAT Essentials courses.

This omission was particularly apparent when we tried to learn more about the educational background and expertise of those leading the courses.

While some profiles of tutors for the Digital SAT 1500+ course are showcased, these profiles fall short of providing comprehensive information, such as details about the SAT scores these instructors have achieved in recent years and the universities they graduated from.

Such information can be crucial in establishing the credibility and effectiveness of the tutors, especially for a new standardized test preparation course like the Digital SAT.

This lack of detailed instructor profiles contrasts some of The Princeton Review's competitors, like PrepScholar SAT, which prominently display their instructors' SAT scores and educational backgrounds.

This transparency not only bolsters confidence in the quality of the instruction but also helps students and parents make more informed decisions when selecting a live class test prep provider.

What Other Buyers Are Saying

At the time of this review, the Princeton Review brand has over 1,900 reviews on Trustpilot with an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, where 404 of these are verified reviews.

But more important is the number of reviews relating to their SAT product, which was 280. Out of those 280 SAT-focused reviews, the number of verified reviews present was 44, with an average rating of 4.64 out of 5 stars.

Should You Buy a Princeton Review Digital SAT Prep Course? 

As one of the most reputable test prep companies, you can count on reliable Digital SAT prep resources from the Princeton Review.

While some of their premium prep courses, like the Digital SAT 1400+ and the Digital SAT 1500+, come with a high price tag, the amount of student support and score increase guarantee behind these courses are not matched by many other competing Digital SAT prep providers. 

For students who benefit more from group learning but don’t have the budget for the premium courses, I'd recommend the Digital SAT Essential course, as it strikes a good balance.

For those students who need some 1-on-1 attention beyond what’s in a self-study package, I'd recommend getting the 10-hour tutoring add-on as a good alternative.

Review Methodology

At Sojourning Scholar, we've performed first-hand reviews of over 70 test prep products - such as books and courses - with an eye toward the test prep product's quantitative and qualitative features.

The quantitative factors we assess include the product price, duration of access periods, and quantity of practice material.

Qualitative factors affect how much value a student can get from the product.

They include the qualifications and experience of teachers or authors, the effectiveness of the self-paced or live course curriculum, student support quality, and customer policies.

To perform this review, we tested the Princeton Review's Digital SAT 1400+ course and their self-paced SAT prep program.

We spent over 60 hours watching on-demand video lessons, attending live classes, and completing the on-demand Digital SAT practice questions and practice tests on their online platform.

This allowed us to holistically assess the quality of the self-paced and live course curriculum.

FAQs

Is Princeton Review good for the Digital SAT prep?

The Princeton Review is undoubtedly one of the best Digital SAT prep courses available. If you’re looking for customizable, comprehensive courses with personalized support and bold score improvement guarantees, this is a great option for you.

But if you’re strictly looking for a budget SAT test prep program, then you might want to consider other Digital SAT courses.

However, we can say that their prices are justifiably steep because they offer incredibly high-quality classes and resources. 

Is the Princeton Review 1500+ worth it?

The Princeton Review’s Digital SAT 1500+ class is their most extensive tutoring plan from elite SAT tutors. This package guarantees a score of 1500 or above on the SAT or a +180 point score improvement. 

This score places one in the 99th percentile of SAT scores. They do this by offering you a team that consists of a high-quality tutor, a tutoring manager, and the Princeton Review’s entire library of materials curated by the best mind in test prep. 

How does Princeton Review guarantee work?

The Princeton Review has a "better score" guarantee on their lower-priced Digital SAT Self-Paced and the Digital SAT Essentials courses.

This "better score" guarantee offers a full refund if you meet their eligibility requirements and your score does not improve.

With the "better score" guarantee, The Princeton Review does not promise you a clearly defined score improvement amount. So, even if your scores increase by just a point, that will be considered a better score.

In contrast on their high-priced Digital SAT 1400+ and Digital SAT 1500+ courses, they clearly define score improvement amounts of at least +150 points and +180 points respectively.

Does Princeton Review improve SAT scores?

While many SAT prep courses offer score improvements, no test prep company offers a bolder SAT score improvement guarantee promise like that of the Princeton Review. So, you can be confident that your student will see an increase in their SAT score. 

Chuky Ofoegbu


Chuky Ofoegbu is a thought leader and founder of Sojourning Scholar, a platform that empowers international students with the tools and knowledge for success in U.S. higher education.


With extensive experience and a profound understanding of the academic landscape, his insights shape the future of student advising. He has been quoted in major publications including Forbes, US News & World Report, CNN, Yahoo, and MSN.


He holds degrees in Engineering from The Ohio State University and The University of Texas at Austin. For a deeper dive into his influential work and strategies, visit the About Page.

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