best book for PCAT prep??

[Alanine]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

What is the best book to use when studying for the PCATs?
I heard that Kaplan is too hard compared to the PCATs and that Barrons is wayyy too easy...so what do you think is closest in resembling the PCATs??
I need to start studying soon, and I want to buy a book but I don't want to pay for more than one, especially if it is not going to help me all that much.

 

[delano2000]

What is the best book to use when studying for the PCATs?
I heard that Kaplan is too hard compared to the PCATs and that Barrons is wayyy too easy...so what do you think is closest in resembling the PCATs??
I need to start studying soon, and I want to buy a book but I don't want to pay for more than one, especially if it is not going to help me all that much.

I heard Dr. Collins study guide is really good. It's pricey though.

 

[roziak]

I think the big purple PCAT Kaplan book is pretty good. It includes every section of the PCAT and goes in pretty good depth, in my opinion. Some people say it goes in too far depth with organic chemistry (which I agree) and not enough info on math (which I disagree). They also think that the book is a little too tough, but that's a good thing! You'll go take the PCAT expecting something harder and be surprised when it is relatively easier compared to what your used to.

And it comes with practice tests included in it. It is probably available at your school library as well. Can't beat that!

 

[hckyplyr]

I think Roziak meant to say the kaplan book goes too far in depth in the biology section,considering there are around 200pages (rough estimate)....and the organic portion does not go enough into depth,around 20 pages...Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[roziak]

Nope. There is not a lot of organic chemistry on the PCAT. There really is only nomenclature, functional group identification, and certain reactions (SN1/2, E1/2). But the book goes in far too much detail.

As for the bio, I thought it adequate. There were a ton of pages of the book set aside for biology, but that science is so broad and I think they did a good job of confining it to ~200pgs.