2015 mcat practice passage materials

[FutureD.O]

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Hey everyone, does anyone have any recommendations for practice materials for CARS, psych & soc., and biochem? I have plenty of material for the other subjects but do not know what would be good practice for the new subjects. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[mcatjelly]

For both Psych/Socio and Biochemistry, I recommend Khan Academy, online passages that come with the Kaplan books, and EK 30 minute exams. For biochem in particular, TBR has really good passages.

For CARS, your best bet is to get your hands on old AAMC practice exams or purchase the two AAMC CARS question packs. Aside from that, EK's 101 passages book is good as is TPR's Verbal Workbook.

 

[FutureD.O]

Thank you for the reply, didn't realize I recieved one until now!

For the BR biochem passages, do you mean straight from 2 BR biology books?

Also, khan academy's passage setup is strange. They have one passage for one question from what I have seen. Do KA have any passages where there are several questions per passage so it mimics the mcat? Also, how far along are you in your mcat studying if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mcatjelly]

For the BR biochem passages, do you mean straight from 2 BR biology books?

Yup!

Also, khan academy's passage setup is strange. They have one passage for one question from what I have seen. Do KA have any passages where there are several questions per passage so it mimics the mcat?

Actually, each passage has around 5 questions. They've set it up such that you have to answer one before you can see the next, almost like how it is on the real thing. (Except on the real thing you don't have to answer the question to move on.)

Also, how far along are you in your mcat studying if you don't mind me asking?

Woefully behind. Too embarrassed to say, haha. But this is in part because I've been doing every TBR passage possible... and there are a lot of TBR passages. Like, if I'm doing 1.5 chapters' worth of questions, that's 150+ questions which is more than half a FL exam's worth. I go through them as quickly as possible to try and replicate testing conditions. So I'm hoping that that is a good strategy, but we'll see. I'm taking my first FL a week from today, but I'm taking a half-length tomorrow (the 120 questions).

 

[jaf208]

I agree, Khan passages for psych/soc are some of the best. And there's a lot of them. Same for biochem. If you supplement these passages w whatever reference books you find most helpful it'll help you a ton. It's what I've been doing and my Kaplan FL score I took yesterday shot from 499 to 508 (not a huge fan of these new kap FLs but whatever). As for chem/phys, khan isn't quite as great w the passages, but there are still plenty of great ones . And a lot of decent discrete questions are in their video sections, too.

EK 30 min exams have been good too. Especially in bio

 

[daftypatty]

Can you buy the Kaplan practice materials separately from their textbooks? (and their FLs)

 

[Abraxas305]

Khans passages are a mixed bag. Some will have short passages that are relatively easy, others are these long convoluted passages with like 4 figures and charts accompanied with some really specific questions.

 

[mcatjelly]

Can you buy the Kaplan practice materials separately from their textbooks? (and their FLs)

Nope. :/

 

[daftypatty]

Lol gg

 

[Abraxas305]

Yup!



Actually, each passage has around 5 questions. They've set it up such that you have to answer one before you can see the next, almost like how it is on the real thing. (Except on the real thing you don't have to answer the question to move on.)



Woefully behind. Too embarrassed to say, haha. But this is in part because I've been doing every TBR passage possible... and there are a lot of TBR passages. Like, if I'm doing 1.5 chapters' worth of questions, that's 150+ questions which is more than half a FL exam's worth. I go through them as quickly as possible to try and replicate testing conditions. So I'm hoping that that is a good strategy, but we'll see. I'm taking my first FL a week from today, but I'm taking a half-length tomorrow (the 120 questions).

I've been doing the same thing with TBR, but in light of the April MCAT, I was thinking about restructuring my studying. I mean, TBR has been an immense help to nail the foundations and concepts on the outline but I'm not sure how good it will be now.

 

[mcatjelly]

I've been doing the same thing with TBR, but in light of the April MCAT, I was thinking about restructuring my studying. I mean, TBR has been an immense help to nail the foundations and concepts on the outline but I'm not sure how good it will be now.

What other good options do we have, though? :/

 

[jaf208]

After I do all the Kaplan/Khan stuff (and I have a 1 PR FL, which I've not heard great things about) , I guess I'll be buying an EK FL? I feel like they'd be the best. I haven't taken the AAMC practice test yet, either, and I was planning on waiting until like the week before exam but after hearing everything I'm definitely going to take it sooner

 

[FutureD.O]

Does anyone know of any practice based passages similar to BR's style of having specific questions to whatever point they trying to instill for psych, biochem, and sociology? (For example, passages on only lenses to get familiar with those type of questions for physics)

 

[squash_fan]

Yup!



Actually, each passage has around 5 questions. They've set it up such that you have to answer one before you can see the next, almost like how it is on the real thing. (Except on the real thing you don't have to answer the question to move on.)



Woefully behind. Too embarrassed to say, haha. But this is in part because I've been doing every TBR passage possible... and there are a lot of TBR passages. Like, if I'm doing 1.5 chapters' worth of questions, that's 150+ questions which is more than half a FL exam's worth. I go through them as quickly as possible to try and replicate testing conditions. So I'm hoping that that is a good strategy, but we'll see. I'm taking my first FL a week from today, but I'm taking a half-length tomorrow (the 120 questions).

If I have EK biochem, TPR science workbook, and TPR biology II, do you think I should still buy the 2015 TPR biochem book?

 

[mcatjelly]

Does anyone know of any practice based passages similar to BR's style of having specific questions to whatever point they trying to instill for psych, biochem, and sociology? (For example, passages on only lenses to get familiar with those type of questions for physics)

The only ones I can think of are EK's 30 minute exams or KA passages.

 

[mcatjelly]

If I have EK biochem, TPR science workbook, and TPR biology II, do you think I should still buy the 2015 TPR biochem book?

I don't know anything firsthand about Princeton Review's materials so I don't have an opinion to offer there, sorry.

 

[squash_fan]

I don't know anything firsthand about Princeton Review's materials so I don't have an opinion to offer there, sorry.

Would you recommend TBR 2015 biochem? And can we buy this separately?

 

[trimethylpurine]

Would you recommend TBR 2015 biochem? And can we buy this separately?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think TBR is coming out with new material except for psych section.

 

[nomdeplume1234]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think TBR is coming out with new material except for psych section.

would be nice to know, especially as they have their actual in-person courses starting up soon.

 

[squash_fan]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think TBR is coming out with new material except for psych section.

So TPR

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think TBR is coming out with new material except for psych section.

so TBR biology II is our only option for TBR?

 

[mcatjelly]

so TBR biology II is our only option for TBR?

Correct.