Berkeley Review Practice Tests

[buglady]

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Hey kids,

Just wondering how many of you took or are currently taking the Berkeley Review? (I guess this question only applies to people in CA, since this is the only place it's offered.)

I took my 1st practice test this weekend and I did alright. It didn't seem very difficult, or that's what I thought when I was sitting for it. The verbal was too easy and had really weird passages, I thought.

I took the MCAT last year and these passages don't seem as hard....I know this topic has been re-lived when talking about other review courses, but I'm just curious how everyone else feels.

Thanks!! 😳

 

[Jedi In Training]

Generally speaking, I found Berkeley Review exams helpful but not representative of the MCAT. If you score high, great! But if you score low, I wouldn't worry about it. The best materials I used for MCAT prep were from KAPLAN. Try and get your hands on that stuff.

 

[thm]

I took Berkeley Review last year and my scores on the practice tests varied wildly. One time physics was high, next time it was low. I usually did well in Verbal, but there was one practice test verbal section where everyone bombed. I found them all to be very good practice, but it was hard to use any one test result as a predictor. Maybe all test scores averaged together can be a good indicator. I tried to use them as a tool to show me the areas I still needed to study, and I think that worked well. Good luck!

 

[Jalby]

I took them 2 years ago and I couldn't tell any difference between the sciences in those and Kaplan tests. The verbal sections are absolutely terrible and I think they are a waste of time, so I would skip them.

 

[penelope]

The bio and physical sci sections of the April 2000 MCAT were a breeze compared to BR's practice exams, on which I consistently scored terribly. The verbal prep, on the other hand, was a little anemic. I found the MCAT verbal much harder. On the whole though, I think the BR materials are great (minus all the typos of course).

 

[buglady]

Yes, so far the BR has been very complete and thorough, as far as review. It's been good for someone like me who hasn't had gen chem and physics in over 3 or 4 years. Concepts that I've forgotten or never really understood have been clarified.

Thanks for the feedback, though, it's always appreciated! 😛