How to adequately prepare for Biology? Aiming for a 13

[ambitiousMED]

I am taking a Kaplan course right now. I have heard that the AAMC tests are geared more toward experimental than the way Kaplan does it. From other Kaplan students I have heard that Kaplan Biology will not prepare you well for the AAMC tests. Also, I heard EK 1001 questions (passages) are too easy. Is there a practice book I can buy? (BR? TPR?) I have 8 weeks until my exam.

I also heard that the Verbal Reasoning is an easy read compared to Kaplan but tougher questions. Is there a good preparation book for Verbal Reasoning as well?

The only positive I have heard about Kaplan was for the Physical Sciences. They make it so hard that their students actually feel prepared on the Test Day. If you guys have any suggestions for best preparation for any of the sections, not content review but for practice, I would greatly appreciate it. I am about to get all the content review done by the end of next week, and will be practicing for a month and a half straight until my exam.

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[inasensegone]

I felt under-prepared for bio from my biology course (except for physiology), so I scoured the boards for advice and it seems like TPR's Biology book has pretty solid recommendations. I originally started my content review with EK's Bio book and felt like it was lacking (I finished EK's Bio because it took so little time). Since then I've been trying to play catch up with TPR's bio book. I feel like it is much more in-depth, but this also makes it pretty dense. It'll be tough to cover the whole book in one week, but it seems like you have more time than that if you need it for content review. Anyway, that's my recommendation. It's a solid read, just be prepared to put some time in.

 

[mrh125]

bio - do a ton of problems, make flashcards to reinforce what you dont know, read an anatomy and physiology book, keep drilling. use all the resources you can find. there is always little cheap stuff they can put on the mcat bio section that will blindside you, so be aware of that. it's all about little details.

 

[RC4L]

There were two things that really helped me. I approached bio a lot like verbal because I found that much of it was being able to read critically through all the messy terminology. Also, there are so many clues and giveaways in the questions/answers. For instance a question may be asking something you don't understand about an antibody mentioned in the passage and if the answers are a)carb b) fatty acid c) virus d) protein, you know it has to be protein because antibodies are proteins. Excuse the example and it may seem obvious but if you look for stuff like this you will be amazed at what it will do for you. I encountered many problems that I couldn't figure out but I manage to answer correctly looking for such clues.

 

[ipmed]

TPR is good, but I doubt it will take you to a 13. I am using it, but I cant get to a 13, and I have read it like three times w/ doing all problems. Any suggestions on how to learn those facts that I keep missing? At least there always fromt he same topics.

 

[Sean Lee]

The AAMC loves to hit below the belt, especially with the BS section.

 

[inasensegone]

TPR is good, but I doubt it will take you to a 13. I am using it, but I cant get to a 13, and I have read it like three times w/ doing all problems. Any suggestions on how to learn those facts that I keep missing? At least there always fromt he same topics.

Just because you read something doesn't mean that you understand it (I think some verbal reasoning passages are a testament to that). I was just suggesting TPR for its completeness of content. No one can guarantee "ambitiousMED" a 13 on bio just because he/she studied X material. If he/she isn't competent enough to get a 13, then he/she isn't competent enough to get a 13 no matter what prep materials were used... however if you do want to do well on the test... you should make sure to cover every topic on the AAMC outline, which so far it seems like TPR does.

 

[ipmed]

I can get a 13 with the right materials, trust me I am competent enough to do it. However, the materials (TPR) that I used have not gotten me there, personally, as I am consistently missing the same topics every time. I always miss easy/moderate questions on the same topics, any solutions for this?

 

[inasensegone]

I can get a 13 with the right materials, trust me I am competent enough to do it. However, the materials (TPR) that I used have not gotten me there, personally, as I am consistently missing the same topics every time. I always miss easy/moderate questions on the same topics, any solutions for this?

Really? I'm surprised that you feel that way. I feel like even when I just used EK bio that I had a decent understanding of MCAT-style biology. Now that I've been digging more into TPR during my free time (not much these days), I feel even more prepared for Bio.

Which easy/moderate questions are you talking about? AAMC self assessment or the practice full-lengths? Or TPRH science workbook?

 

[ambitiousMED]

Thank you for all the replies. I was wanting more practice for the Biology section that is more similar to the MCAT. @RC4L is there a practice book that can help me approach Biology section a lot like Verbal?

So from what I am getting is TPR Science Workbook is the best way to practice Biology passages? I will order one this week, if you guys confirm.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Thank you for all the replies. I was wanting more practice for the Biology section that is more similar to the MCAT. @RC4L is there a practice book that can help me approach Biology section a lot like Verbal?

So from what I am getting is TPR Science Workbook is the best way to practice Biology passages? I will order one this week, if you guys confirm.

Confirmed. I'm using the workbook and it's good so
Far. Good experimental passages.

 

[mrh125]

TPR is good, but I doubt it will take you to a 13. I am using it, but I cant get to a 13, and I have read it like three times w/ doing all problems. Any suggestions on how to learn those facts that I keep missing? At least there always fromt he same topics.

examcrackers 1001 bio, kaplan questions, tpr questions, tbr FLs, gold standard, and lots of flashcards to reinforce everything you've done. if you want to do well on the bio section you need to know as many random facts as you can about the listed materials on the aamcs official outline. you have to keep drilling too because it's so easy for the aamc to blindside you.

 

[ambitiousMED]

Thank you!

 

[RC4L]

I can get a 13 with the right materials, trust me I am competent enough to do it. However, the materials (TPR) that I used have not gotten me there, personally, as I am consistently missing the same topics every time. I always miss easy/moderate questions on the same topics, any solutions for this?

Eliminate your options. If it is content you are missing, take those subjects and learn them from every angle and source possible. Do problems until you've exhausted your resources. I don't know exactly how you studied those topics but I know for me there were certain things that I read over and over yet I couldn't understand them. With those subjects I did practice problems until I could do them in my sleep and it always turned those subjects into strengths. Also, there are some topics like genetics in which you really have to have your math abilities in control. If you have done all this, you have to start paying attention to where your misinterpretation was in answering the problems. Studying errors and keeping note of them was one of the biggest things for me when it came to improvement. Eliminating your way to answer is always a pretty trusty last resort. This may all seem obvious.