Berkeley Review VERBAL Book (need opinion on it)

[wizenedone]

I was looking for some feedback on this Berk Review VERBAL (the thick one) I heard its new.. anyone used it? is it any good?

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[00945584]

i would also like to know if this new berkley review book is any good. please anyone let us know.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I was looking for some feedback on this Berk Review VERBAL (the thick one) I heard its new.. anyone used it? is it any good?

i would also like to know if this new berkley review book is any good. please anyone let us know.

I know I'm the most likely candidate at SDN to respond to this, but I don't teach or tutor verbal reasoning. So I asked the verbal teacher what he thought and I think his response might be pretty useful. I'm not sure this answers your questions exactly, but it answered mine about how the new book is different than the older book. I will say that students seem happier with the verbal reasoning part of our class now than I can remember during my years.

"It is different because the answer explanations are aptly improved. It addresses each answer choice one by one, right and wrong, and explains the reasoning behind selecting or eliminating each one. My office hours are significantly easier now, because there are in minimal questions from the book materials. I talk about strategies and skills we discussed in class and improving comprehension, rather than the reasoning behind certain questions. I spend my time diagnosing my student's needs.

Additionally, the passages are sequenced better than before and come in 40-question tests. They used to be 70-question sets. My one suggestion would be to add the extra classroom passages to the book the next time you print it and include my 8-week study schedule for verbal reasoning. My students love that schedule and they cling to it like a security blanket. Students need that validation as they go through verbal reasoning, because it is easy for some of them to lose hope at points along the way."

 

[ManimalJax]

And pray do tell! Where shall a lonesome MCAT student obtain such an 8-week verbal schedule?

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

And pray do tell! Where shall a lonesome MCAT student obtain such an 8-week verbal schedule?

I'm not sure what he means with that, but I will ask him. If it's something that is easy to post, I'll make it part of my signature. I suspect it's a reading and homework schedule for the books.

 

[00945584]

Thanks for reply on the Berkley Review Verbal Book post but I still have more questions.

Are the passages as long, topics, and structure very similar to AAMC?

Is the verbal workbook similar to difficulty of AAMC that it can be a good predictor?

Also are the question types similar to AAMC such as strengthen and weaken, main idea, and etc.

I would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

 

[drwham]

bump

 

[J ROD]

The book is not that bad, not that great.


EK verbal 101 and practice AAMCs are best. If you run out of practice materials, then use BR. BR has a ton of passages!

Did not match the real one but is much better than Kaplan. Never used PR.