BEST MCAT Prep Book for Practice Passages and Discrete Questions? LOTS OF THEM!

[sshidid]

Hi again,

So I'm restudying for the MCAT. My main issue was that I didn't do enough practice passages.... so when I saw the passages on the MCAT, I would freak out and have NO idea what to do.

I think this is a serious issue amongst a lot of other students I know who took the MCAT, but I realize.... it might not be a fault in the student as much as it is a fault in the sources out there. All books that I have come across spend 20-30 pages discussing content, followed by ~2-5 pages of passage/discrete questions and 2-3 FLs.... I hate it. Simply, the outline of these books makes you think that you SHOULD spend more time on content than passage-based questions.

I think this time when I study, I want to spend 1-3 hours just doing practice questions WITHOUT fearing I'm going to run out of them. I just want an abundant source of prep questions.

Are there books out there that only have passage based/discrete questions that you would highly recommend?

Thanks again!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GCSDOC]

Hi again,

So I'm restudying for the MCAT. My main issue was that I didn't do enough practice passages.... so when I saw the passages on the MCAT, I would freak out and have NO idea what to do.

I think this is a serious issue amongst a lot of other students I know who took the MCAT, but I realize.... it might not be a fault in the student as much as it is a fault in the sources out there. All books that I have come across spend 20-30 pages discussing content, followed by ~2-5 pages of passage/discrete questions and 2-3 FLs.... I hate it. Simply, the outline of these books makes you think that you SHOULD spend more time on content than passage-based questions.

I think this time when I study, I want to spend 1-3 hours just doing practice questions WITHOUT fearing I'm going to run out of them. I just want an abundant source of prep questions.

Are there books out there that only have passage based/discrete questions that you would highly recommend?

Thanks again!

I am doing the same and in the same situation as you. TPR Science Workbook has a ridiculous amount of passages and discretes.

 

[TraumaBlonde]

So I could totally give you a guide to studying for the mcat (which I nailed ✊) but I don't know what you've taken as courses and what you'd want to just refresh or even what you don't know at all. So if you fill me in on that info and your time frame (like how many hours you can study a week until then) I'd be happy to give you the outline of what to do and what resources to do it with (bc someone did it for me)

 

[sshidid]

Hi,

In terms of courses(I'm a Biology major), I've taken the prereqs(including psychology and sociology), Genetics, Cell and Molec, Evolution, Bioinformatics, Immunology, and Calc. I took physics but it is my weak spot!

The review books I have are TBR Gen Chem, Orgo, Physics, and Biology, Kaplan(all subjects), and Examkrackers(all subjects).

Here's my issue: Kaplan is WAYYY Too focused on content and not application. It's great to see which subjects you are lacking in as true mastery of the questions really forces you to make sure you are reading the pages in the book word for word.
Examkrackers is WAYYYYY too brief on content. The 30 minute exams are good if you're already SOLID on your prereqs and need a few questions to refresh you and help you focused..... but if you're weak in a section, it feels like there is simply not enough prep material, questions!! I mean come on, one 30 minute exam after 25 pages of content is simply NOT enough. Examkrackers responds to this by saying they are only testing high yield topics, which I think is complete bs as what really throws students off are the topics that Examkrackers says not to worry about come MCAT.
TBR is great, but I want to use it after I throughly review the material and oftentimes, the questions are localized to the section, meaning they don't really combine multiple MCAT topics, but they are great questions.

I'm really looking for something that I can do in my free time that is still effective, like on a train ride, lunch break at work, etc, or even the first hour of every study prep session so that I can GROW COMFORTABLE AROUND SEEING PASSAGE BASED QUESTIONS. I just feel like there is such a lack of them on the market and I don't want to spend $50 on a book, just so I can have 1-2 extra FLs...

So I could totally give you a guide to studying for the mcat (which I nailed ✊) but I don't know what you've taken as courses and what you'd want to just refresh or even what you don't know at all. So if you fill me in on that info and your time frame (like how many hours you can study a week until then) I'd be happy to give you the outline of what to do and what resources to do it with (bc someone did it for me)

 

[mcatjelly]

I mean, there just isn't that much out there for the new exam. :/ My go-to has either been TBR or TPR's science workbook.

 

[655703]

What is the TPR science workbook? is it this? Amazon product

if so, is there a newer version out?

 

[mcatjelly]

What is the TPR science workbook? is it this? Amazon product

if so, is there a newer version out?

There is, but right now you can only get it a) by taking a TPR course, or b) buying it for an obscene price on ebay.

(or c which is finding a pdf online)

 

[655703]

There is, but right now you can only get it a) by taking a TPR course, or b) buying it for an obscene price on ebay.

(or c which is finding a pdf online)

Thanks for the input! You mentioned that you are using the TPR science workbook... may I ask which version you're using and how you got it?

 

[mcatjelly]

Thanks for the input! You mentioned that you are using the TPR science workbook... may I ask which version you're using and how you got it?

I haven't used it all that much because I'm still working through TBR. I'm using an older version--not sure which one--and I have it in pdf form.

 

[squash_fan]

I haven't used it all that much because I'm still working through TBR. I'm using an older version--not sure which one--and I have it in pdf form.

Do you think you can send the pdf to me please? Thanks ^^

 

[WSU_BMS]

Do you think the 2014 princeton workbooks are similar to the current 2015 ones? I really don't want to spend 600 bucks on workbooks....

 

[DesitnationMD]

I'm using mostly my nextstep books, supplementing with AAMC material and old EK 1001 books. The 1001 books are great for content and my NS books are good with passages. They are a lot like the EK passages in that each chapter ends with an MCAT passage. That passage doesn't test everything in the chapter but, for the Bio book for example, I have 34 passage and Q sets in the entire book, not including the content-only questions. The strategy and practice books have 4 full length sections for each science section. If you don't want to be overloaded with materials, I would just get their s&p books as its more of what you want.

The Khan academy too has over 100 passages, all for FREE!!!!

 

[sshidid]

I'm using mostly my nextstep books, supplementing with AAMC material and old EK 1001 books. The 1001 books are great for content and my NS books are good with passages.

How good are Next Step's Book and their practice questions? I feel like they popped on the market out of nowhere.... Their tutoring rates are exorbitant and I felt like customer service was awful(When I requested to speak to another tutor, they blew me off. I think they assumed I was a tough customer to fool). Idk, to me they seemed like a knock off.....

In terms of what worked for me, The Berkely Review HANDS DOWN! Their practice questions and explanations to each questions are gold. Thorough when they need to be. Repetitively emphasize the high yield MCAT topics in different question stems. TBR chem had me confidently scoring a 9/10 on each PS section on practice MCAT(I know by SDN standards, I'm someone with a low IQ lol). I'm looking to do more questions so that I can go up another point or two(or whatever a 11-12 means on the new MCAT), but ones that mirror AAMC standards. TBR is the closest that I have come, NOT KAPLAN, NOT EXAMKRACKERS!

I'm looking for something similar because I used tbr in a not so serious manner the first time studying and I am just looking for a fresh set of practice questions.

 

[DesitnationMD]

How good are Next Step's Book and their practice questions? I feel like they popped on the market out of nowhere.... Their tutoring rates are exorbitant and I felt like customer service was awful(When I requested to speak to another tutor, they blew me off. I think they assumed I was a tough customer to fool). Idk, to me they seemed like a knock off.....

In terms of what worked for me, The Berkely Review HANDS DOWN! Their practice questions and explanations to each questions are gold. Thorough when they need to be. Repetitively emphasize the high yield MCAT topics in different question stems. TBR chem had me confidently scoring a 9/10 on each PS section on practice MCAT(I know by SDN standards, I'm someone with a low IQ lol). I'm looking to do more questions so that I can go up another point or two(or whatever a 11-12 means on the new MCAT), but ones that mirror AAMC standards. TBR is the closest that I have come, NOT KAPLAN, NOT EXAMKRACKERS!

I'm looking for something similar because I used tbr in a not so serious manner the first time studying and I am just looking for a fresh set of practice questions.

I would say the NS strategy and practice books are better than their content review books. The content books are like the Gold standard books. Not pretty with lots of information. They definitely put money into the writing cause there was no money put into printing (no hi-res images, all black and white). For me that's fine b/c I have Khan. If you are a more visual learner I would opt for TBR, EK for content books, if only because the books are more appealing and can help you stay focused.

Their strategy books are good. I can't say for sure how MCAT like they are because I haven't taken it yet but the books each have 4 full length sections and they seem to match the tone/style of the AAMC material I have gone through (OGuide Qs, SAP question sets) ok.

If you're looking for more MCAT style passages, then get the S&P, but if you already have content your comfy with, I would not switch to the NS content books unless you really wanted more content questions (of which there are hundreds in each book).

All the FREE practice tests I have taken so far (Princeton, EK, NS, Kaplan), were all over the place so if ANY company tries to claim they are more accurate/true to the MCAT in scoring, run away. They can at best follow the style of the little aamc material there is but even that may change as the aamc finds its footing with the new exam.

Good luck to all of us!!!

 

[tzehra_]

So I could totally give you a guide to studying for the mcat (which I nailed ✊) but I don't know what you've taken as courses and what you'd want to just refresh or even what you don't know at all. So if you fill me in on that info and your time frame (like how many hours you can study a week until then) I'd be happy to give you the outline of what to do and what resources to do it with (bc someone did it for me)

COULD YOU DO THAT FOR ME PLEASE

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

TBR is great, but I want to use it after I throughly review the material and oftentimes, the questions are localized to the section, meaning they don't really combine multiple MCAT topics, but they are great questions.

Do the content sample questions and Phase I for each chapter!!! That amounts to about 45 questions (based on that material). You can save Phase II and Phase III for later, which is typically about 85 questions (with about two-thirds being passages based on mixed-topics). There are plenty of passage-based questions to last.

The important thing about Phase I is that it's meant to be purely review, so you take your time and relearn content from the answer explanations. The passages were intended to be used this way.

You are actually supposed to wait a few weeks to do Phase III, so you are forced to think (more than recall) on questions and you have covered other topics, which helps deal with passages that mix multiple subjects.

 

[kizzy94]

QUOTE="TraumaBlonde, post: 16426926, member: 681137"]So I could totally give you a guide to studying for the mcat (which I nailed ✊) but I don't know what you've taken as courses and what you'd want to just refresh or even what you don't know at all. So if you fill me in on that info and your time frame (like how many hours you can study a week until then) I'd be happy to give you the outline of what to do and what resources to do it with (bc someone did it for me)[/QUOTE]
Could I please hear your opinion on a schedule too?