2015 MCAT Material VS. 2014 Material

[squash_fan]

Hey guys!

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on which books to purchase for the 2015 mcat? In addition to the 2015 books, can I use the 2014 material as well? (EK Verbal, Bio, Chem, Phys)?

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[655703]

If you peruse the other threads on this topic, the general opinion is that you should not use old material if you can help it, as you want to maximize your studying by only studying topics that are covered on the new MCAT, which are listed in the Official Guide. Some of the old review books go too far in-depth into topics that are either being omitted or significantly de-emphasized on the new exam. With that said, some people have been using the old books from TBR. This seems like it could be okay because TBR has not released a new edition of books for the 2015MCAT; they are keeping their old books and are basically telling people that their Biology I book covers Biochem as well. However if you decide to use TBR (or any other old edition book, for that matter), you will definitely need to be wise when studying the Physics and Ochem in these books, as they are likely to be too detailed.

Regarding new books, I have been using EK 9th edition and really like it. True, they are VERY concise (sometimes so much so that they don't really go into too much detail on some topics), but they do cover everything in a reader-friendly, engaging, and strategic way. Can't give you any stats or anything, as I've just completed content review and have yet to take any practice exams.

I'm also supplementing with some of the old TBR books for more practice and in-depth knowledge.

 

[umgoblue2008]

The new Kaplan 2015 books are good for content. Khan Academy is a good supplement source imo with content review as well as passages in the new 2015 exam style. Khan's materials are also officially reviewed by the AAMC. Just use the official AAMC outline with your studies.

 

[Abraxas305]

If you peruse the other threads on this topic, the general opinion is that you should not use old material if you can help it, as you want to maximize your studying by only studying topics that are covered on the new MCAT, which are listed in the Official Guide. Some of the old review books go too far in-depth into topics that are either being omitted or significantly de-emphasized on the new exam. With that said, some people have been using the old books from TBR. This seems like it could be okay because TBR has not released a new edition of books for the 2015MCAT; they are keeping their old books and are basically telling people that their Biology I book covers Biochem as well. However if you decide to use TBR (or any other old edition book, for that matter), you will definitely need to be wise when studying the Physics and Ochem in these books, as they are likely to be too detailed.

Regarding new books, I have been using EK 9th edition and really like it. True, they are VERY concise (sometimes so much so that they don't really go into too much detail on some topics), but they do cover everything in a reader-friendly, engaging, and strategic way. Can't give you any stats or anything, as I've just completed content review and have yet to take any practice exams.

I'm also supplementing with some of the old TBR books for more practice and in-depth knowledge.

I'd like to counter this statement by saying the TBR's books are still very useful in solidifying content knowledge through passage practice. There are no passages in Kaplan's 2015 books (although their content review is actually really good this time around) and TPR's books have minimal practice. Honestly, just print out the 2015 MCAT guide and as you are going through your content review, omit the stuff that is not pertinent to the 2015 MCAT, including the passages/questions you encounter.