2015 MCAT materials?

[bluesparkles]

Does anyone have an idea on how they're going to go about studying for the 2015 MCAT since there so few materials on the market?

I know Kaplan and Princeton Review has some stuff.

Also which books have practice tests out already?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gauss44]

You ask the #1 most popular question of January 2015!

Personally, I wish that SDN would make a sticky with a simple objective list of all of the 2015 MCAT prep materials available (nothing subjective on that list*, just a plain ol objective list). In addition to that, maybe allow everyone ONE reply to state their opinion of the pros and cons of the stuff on the list.

Once, the 2015 test takers start getting their scores back, check this list, http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/30-mcat-study-habits-the-cbt-version.503250/ I suspect that the best 2015 books will pretty much be from the same publishers** as the best 2014 books, and you can get a sense of which publishers those are on that thread as well. If there is a change, it will become apparent once people start testing and reporting back on that thread.

An old standby way of successfully going about the MCAT is to pick one set of reliable material and stick with it from beginning to end. This way you don't miss anything.

The books you mention and their counterparts (from different brands), are different in many ways. One of the most obvious ways is the level of detail versus how concise, quality of illustrations, author's style, and layout. Since you will spend so much time with which ever brand of prep material you choose, try to find a preview of that material online, check a bookstore, or check with study partners or your pre-med club. Find a book that is good for your style. Me: I bought 2 sets of prep books, a concise book set so that I could breeze through stuff I already knew, and a very detailed book set so that I could brush up on anything I felt was lacking. I read every last word in the concise set, but only read the parts of the detailed books that I specifically had questions about. If I still had trouble with a topic, I would do an online search for websites and videos or hire a tutor. Remember that if your book doesn't a question you have, you you can find ways to supplement that particular topic.

Personally, if I were in your position, I would check the reputation of the company publishing the prep books.

PS - I don't mean to be cryptic. I'm trying to obey the TOS policy of not recommending MCAT prep material. I acknowledge that some people may be getting away with it, but that's not a reason to join in.

*I am intentionally recommending a "list" and not a "poll" because there is at least one major MCAT prep publisher that has yet to release their 2015 material. I believe a poll would put them and other late arrivals at a disadvantage number-wise. A simple list with or without replies stating pros and cons would not have that disadvantage, IMO.
**If I were in your position, I would call the most popular 2014 publishers and ask if and when they will have 2015 practice tests out.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

Does anyone have an idea on how they're going to go about studying for the 2015 MCAT since there so few materials on the market?

I know Kaplan and Princeton Review has some stuff.

Also which books have practice tests out already?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/mcat-2015-resources-and-reviews.1109929/

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

The problem as is stands right now is the small amount of sample material available from AAMC. They have about 350 total sample questions in the way of ONE full length exam and their official guide. That is not much information to go by. Add in the fact that most companies were releasing books before the AAMC people released their full-length exam, so most materials on the market are based on a survey of 120 or so sample questions. Putting out books with 500 or more practice questions based on 120 sample questions is going to have some uncertainty. For this first round of exams, many people will be shooting in the dark. You are going to have to use common sense to figure out which materials will be best for you. By all means get the AAMC Official Guide.

At BR we chose a different development path than seemingly everyone. We too have been developing materials gradually over the last three years, but we opted not to release a book with a new cover at this time. Instead, we have committed to a gradual evolution where the books will be changing every six months or so until we are happy where they are, although the truth is that it's impossible to ever be perfectly happy. There's always an improvement you can make. Right now we feel confident our current science books (biology, chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry) are the best you'll find for the new exam, but that they'll be evolving over the next two years.

The BR perspective is built from our highly active owners being around during the last major change to the MCAT in 1991. Basically, we have been there and done that once before, so we are well aware that this will be a work-in-progress for a few years. AAMC will need to get feedback from each exam and adjust what they are doing, so you can bet much of what they developed over the last few years will be modified over the next few years. The MCAT changed greatly from 1991 through 1993, so you know it will change starting in 2015 and lasting at least until 2017.

My recommendation for anyone choosing materials would be to look at the answer explanations for the questions in the materials you are considering and see if they (1) teach you how to think your way through problems and (2) they mix different subjects smoothly. More than anything else, you will need to be able to think and apply knowledge in one area to a question in a different field.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

but we opted not to release a book with a new cover at this time.

I'll just also add the the TBR books have the benefit of being really thorough, so the new biochem content is very well covered by their Biology Volume II.

As you note, the Bio/Biochem/Chem/Orgo/Physics on the new test absolutely gets excellent coverage in the current format of the TBR books.

I've had some our tutoring students asking about your books (specifically Psych/Soc). Given the reputation TBR has for really in-depth, thorough discussion, we're getting some kids who want that level of Psych/Soc review, since they never took Psych/Soc in college. Do you guys have a Psych book in the cooker that we can recommend some time soon?

b.

 

[novak123]

The problem as is stands right now is the small amount of sample material available from AAMC. They have about 350 total sample questions in the way of ONE full length exam and their official guide. That is not much information to go by. Add in the fact that most companies were releasing books before the AAMC people released their full-length exam, so most materials on the market are based on a survey of 120 or so sample questions. Putting out books with 500 or more practice questions based on 120 sample questions is going to have some uncertainty. For this first round of exams, many people will be shooting in the dark. You are going to have to use common sense to figure out which materials will be best for you. By all means get the AAMC Official Guide.

At BR we chose a different development path than seemingly everyone. We too have been developing materials gradually over the last three years, but we opted not to release a book with a new cover at this time. Instead, we have committed to a gradual evolution where the books will be changing every six months or so until we are happy where they are, although the truth is that it's impossible to ever be perfectly happy. There's always an improvement you can make. Right now we feel confident our current science books (biology, chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry) are the best you'll find for the new exam, but that they'll be evolving over the next two years.

The BR perspective is built from our highly active owners being around during the last major change to the MCAT in 1991. Basically, we have been there and done that once before, so we are well aware that this will be a work-in-progress for a few years. AAMC will need to get feedback from each exam and adjust what they are doing, so you can bet much of what they developed over the last few years will be modified over the next few years. The MCAT changed greatly from 1991 through 1993, so you know it will change starting in 2015 and lasting at least until 2017.

My recommendation for anyone choosing materials would be to look at the answer explanations for the questions in the materials you are considering and see if they (1) teach you how to think your way through problems and (2) they mix different subjects smoothly. More than anything else, you will need to be able to think and apply knowledge in one area to a question in a different field.

In one of your previous posts you mentioned that you guys are going to be releasing updated versions of your books in february - is this not happening anymore?

I understand that you guys think your books are the best, but the current versions have topics that are no longer going to be tested in both the content review and passage sections of your books. Are you guys going to be removing the passages that are no longer going to be tested at the least?

 

[Shreyasthegreat]

I had emailed a Berkeley Review rep and this was the response:

Thank you for your interest in The Berkeley Review's (TBR's) MCAT review program and Home Study materials. Based on what the AAMC has outlined in their current MCAT Student Manual (i.e., The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam (MCAT2015)), the changes to the new exam are as follows:


NEW MCAT versus OLD MCAT
Section 1
NEW: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
OLD: The Physical Sciences

Section 2
NEW: Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
OLD: Verbal Reasoning

Section 3
NEW: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
OLD: The Biological Sciences

Section 4
NEW: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
OLD: Nothing as this is a new section on the exam


COMPARISON of MCAT STUDENT MANUALS
If you were to compare the MCAT student manuals from the 1990s, the 2000s, and the current one released in 2014 (i.e., the one mentioned above), you will see that the vast majority of the materials for the first three sections of the new exam has not changed. For example, one still needs to know physics and general chemistry in Section I. The equations F = ma in physics and pH = pKa + log [A-]/[HA] in general chemistry have not changed. In Section 2, the "old" Verbal Reasoning section will sill be applicable to the new section of the exam. In Section 3 they are supposed to remove a little Organic Chemistry, but not much. (When the exam changed from a paper-and-pencil exam to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) in 2006/2007, they said they would eliminate Alkenes, Benzenes, and Phenols. However, they still showed up on the exam!) The only noticeable change in Section 3 is that the AAMC has now said that one needs to have a minimum of a semester of biochemistry at the college/university level. We anticipated this change many (many) years ago and incorporated the necessary biochemistry into Book II of the Biology series.


BIOCHEMISTRY
The Biochemistry topics listed below are incorporated into our books and lectures.

Biology: Cell Structure & Function
Biology: Metabolic Components
Biology: Metabolism
Biology Genetic Information
Biology: Genetic Expression
Biology: Molecular Genetics
Organic Chemistry: Amino Acids & Proteins

All of the lecture topics listed above are Biochemistry topics. If you've completed at least a minimum of a semester of Biochemistry, and you have used a Biochemistry book by either Zubay, Rawn, Stryer, Voet & Voet, Garrett & Grisham, Mathews & van Holde, or Lehninger, Nelson, & Cox, you will see that this material is covered in those books.

The remaining Biology topics you see on the schedule are all Human Physiology topics.

What this means is that the only real (extensive) change in topics comes down to the addition of the new Psychology / Sociology section on the exam.


RECENTLY RELEASED PRACTICE EXAM and NEW FORMAT
The AAMC has recently released a new practice exam for the MCAT that is scheduled to begin in April of 2015. They said that this is the only practice exam they will release for the 2015 exam dates. I think they know that one exam is not enough to practice with, so hopefully they will release a few more practice exams as the year progresses. However, we are not expecting that as this is the same transitional pattern that they used when the exam radically changed in 1991. Back then it took years for them to release new material.

We have seen the newly released practice exam and the only thing that sticks out is the format change to the exam (e.g., the sciences are now 95 minutes and 9-10 passages instead of 70 minutes and 7 passages) and the addition of the new Psychology / Sociology component. The materials in the first three sections of the exam are pretty much the same as it has always been. The new section will require one to be familiar with Psychology and Sociology.

Because there were no radical announcements after the AAMC's annual meeting in Chicago this past November, we think the exam format is pretty much set at this time. However, they have said that their evaluation of the new exam will be ongoing and that if they need to make adjustments, they will. And as an interesting aside, at their San Francisco conference they even said that they would consider reintroducing the Writing Sample in a few years if they felt it was necessary.

Since the first three sections of the exam are almost identical in content to the current exam, we have decided to use the same materials we currently have for our lecture-based review program and for the current set of Home Study books. The content and the passages in the current books will be fine for the new exam. As updated information about the transition into the new exam format is made available, we will adjust our materials accordingly. At the moment, the only new addition will be the Psychology / Sociology component, which should be out by late April or early May of 2015. And, we are also going to release three (3) practice CBTs (in the new format) as well. The practice exams should be available by early March.

One item of interest here: The AAMC has said that once the current version of this exam ends on January 23, 2015, they will be removing from circulation the practice CBTs they currently offer. One needs to ask: "What are they going to do with those practice passages?" It is not likely that they are going to throw them away. Maybe they will be recycled? The AAMC has invested too much time and money into their development. If they were good enough to study with for the old exam, they will be good enough to study with for the new exam as the core content has not changed. What a number of students who are taking the new MCAT in April of 2015 have been doing is purchasing the current practice exams before they are removed and saving them to study with (so at least the have a little more material from the AAMC), and they are purchasing our current books so they can get a jump on their studying and passage-taking skills. They are also going to purchase the one newly released AAMC exam as well. To put this a different way, we find that students are now starting their studying for the upcoming spring 2015 exams a lot earlier than they have in past years.

I hope all of this helps.

 

[Prettywoman0172]

Wow,,thank you for sharing that!