Are the TPR videos sufficient for content review?

[Future_Bone_Docta]

I got The Princeton Review course and I did as the course says where you read the chapters before, and then watch the videos after, with post subject tests... etc. However after doing this for half of the biology portion, it seems as though the videos are just regurgitation of the textbook, and if thats the case I might as well just watch the videos a couple times (because I definitely am a visual learning more so then textbook reading) and then just skip the chapters for time sake. I was just curious what peoples input is on this? If you also saw the videos as a thorough enough option and basically the same as the books, and if that seems like a reasonable option?

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[TheRealCookieMonster]

I love this question. Same answer every time.

CANDY IS A WASTE OF TIME!!!
....erg I mean content review.

Content review is absolutely a waste of your life and scoring potential unless you got D/Cs in undergrad.

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

I love this question. Same answer every time.

CANDY IS A WASTE OF TIME!!!
....erg I mean content review.

Content review is absolutely a waste of your life and scoring potential unless you got D/Cs in undergrad.

What about if you had a major where you did not take the microbiologies, genetics, biochemistries as well as GENERIC psych, and sociology courses?

 

[Lawpy]

You could do the videos alone. Khan Academy is even more thorough for content and is free.

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

You could do the videos alone. Khan Academy is even more thorough for content and is free.

Everything you need OP, is bolded.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

What I learned from SDN that proved to be 100% true during my time studying for the MCAT. First, you don't need to waste time and money paying for a video series or live online class, Second, books with plenty of passages beat books with mostly review. Third, AAMC material is the best and should be saved until you are completely ready to take it.

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

Alright well high key wish I would not have dropped 1200 dollars on a prep course hahaha. So basically get the content review done quickly, and then just pound out passage examples and practice tests as much as possible? So I am not sure how familiar you guys are with TPR. Are the passage examples and practice tests I got through my course beneficial? Because I have heard they are a lot more "strict knowledge base" when the actual MCAT is a lot more "critical analysis" based.

 

[Lawpy]

Alright well high key wish I would not have dropped 1200 dollars on a prep course hahaha. So basically get the content review done quickly, and then just pound out passage examples and practice tests as much as possible? So I am not sure how familiar you guys are with TPR. Are the passage examples and practice tests I got through my course beneficial? Because I have heard they are a lot more "strict knowledge base" when the actual MCAT is a lot more "critical analysis" based.

Definitely practice a lot from practice passages/practice tests and review your answers thoroughly. And you're generally right about the bolded but TPR tests are still worth practicing from before going for more realistic full lengths (e.g. EK, NS) and AAMC practice tests. Just don't get too down if your TPR scores aren't good because they deflate their scores sharply (so it's pretty common to score ~505 range and get 515+ on AAMC practice and on real deal).

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

Definitely practice a lot from practice passages/practice tests and review your answers thoroughly. And you're generally right about the bolded but TPR tests are still worth practicing from before going for more realistic full lengths (e.g. EK, NS) and AAMC practice tests. Just don't get too down if your TPR scores aren't good because they deflate their scores sharply (so it's pretty common to score ~505 range and get 515+ on AAMC practice and on real deal).

Awesome! I guess that makes me feel better about getting a 495 on my first FL TPR test. So I should definitely go out and buy the EK and NS tests? Should I just avoid getting the KA FL practice tests since I heard they are deflated as well?

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

Alright well high key wish I would not have dropped 1200 dollars on a prep course hahaha. So basically get the content review done quickly, and then just pound out passage examples and practice tests as much as possible? So I am not sure how familiar you guys are with TPR. Are the passage examples and practice tests I got through my course beneficial? Because I have heard they are a lot more "strict knowledge base" when the actual MCAT is a lot more "critical analysis" based.

Most practice is good practice, but the only true evaluator of your score will be the AAMC material. So just be sure to use some AAMC stuff before you get to close to your test. This gives you an idea where you’re at and will allow you to modify your practice and pace accordingly.

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

Most practice is good practice, but the only true evaluator of your score will be the AAMC material. So just be sure to use some AAMC stuff before you get to close to your test. This gives you an idea where you’re at and will allow you to modify your practice and pace accordingly.

Alright! Yeah my course gave me a lot of TPR Material, AS WELL AS a lot of AAMC material. So I will make sure to focus on the AAMC material!

 

[Lawpy]

Awesome! I guess that makes me feel better about getting a 495 on my first FL TPR test. So I should definitely go out and buy the EK and NS tests? Should I just avoid getting the KA FL practice tests since I heard they are deflated as well?

EK and NS tests are worth getting. Also get everything AAMC but only use them near the end/closer to test day since they're the best possible practice.

KA = Kaplan? Kaplan tests are okay but they're also deflated (although not as severely as TPR FLs imo).

Also from your prep course, did you also get TPR CARS and Science Workbooks? You should practice everything from there and review your answers thoroughly.

UWorld MCAT is also worth getting for more practice.

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

EK and NS tests are worth getting. Also get everything AAMC but only use them near the end/closer to test day since they're the best possible practice.

KA = Kaplan? Kaplan tests are okay but they're also deflated (although not as severely as TPR FLs imo).

Also from your prep course, did you also get TPR CARS and Science Workbooks? You should practice everything from there and review your answers thoroughly.

UWorld MCAT is also worth getting for more practice.

Yeah I did! I got the full like 8 book set. I got a bunch of videos as a part of the course with strategies to approach the CARS, and I got a CARS workbook too! I plan on going through those very thoroughly since I scored lowest of CARS due to running out of time on my diagnostic exam!

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

focus on the AAMC material!

Like Lawper said don’t use all of it at once or too early. Just make sure you aren’t 2weeks out from the test and taking your first full length. And then realize you got a 500 on the AAMC FL.
I took 1 AAMC FL at half way and about 1month out and used the other AAMC material to improve my score between the two tests.

Best of luck!

 

[Future_Bone_Docta]

Like Lawper said don’t use all of it at once or too early. Just make sure you aren’t 2weeks out from the test and taking your first full length. And then realize you got a 500 on the AAMC FL.
I took 1 AAMC FL at half way and about 1month out and used the other AAMC material to improve my score between the two tests.

Best of luck!

For the Section banks do you only get 3 attempts using them? I heard the FL AAMC exams were three attempts each.

 

[TheRealCookieMonster]

For the Section banks do you only get 3 attempts using them? I heard the FL AAMC exams were three attempts each.

Not sure on that. I got all my stuff directly from the AAMC. So I used their instructions.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

Most practice is good practice, but the only true evaluator of your score will be the AAMC material. So just be sure to use some AAMC stuff before you get to close to your test. This gives you an idea where you’re at and will allow you to modify your practice and pace accordingly.

This is so true! I used FLs from EK, TBR and the company that shall not be named. Each had their strengths, and I would recommend the first two, but nothing is quite like AAMC. The little I saw of NS was not as impressive, but everyone has their different tastes.