Best New MCAT Prep Books

[narutoverse13]

Hello Everyone!

I'm a Junior at Uni, and I was planning on studying for the MCAT during both the fall semester. Since the new MCAT has been out for a while now, and many people on this lovely forum have been able to take the exam, would you guys care to write below what MCAT prep books you used (and found to be very good) and what your study schedule was like? Also, could you mention if you found a combination of different prep books were helpful for different parts of the MCAT or just one certain company was best for all sections. I've looked at a bunch of older threads already, but there wasn't really every a clear answer as to why a certain prep book was better than the other. Thank you so much for all of your help!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Different people need different things, which is likely why you found multiple answers to your question. Also, you will find that many people at SDN blindly follow a suggested study plan and then promote it without knowing much about all of the materials that are out there, perhaps to make themselves feel more confident about their study plan.

Here are few tips I would suggest when deciding which posts to consider.

(1) Look at study plans from people who have already taken the MCAT and know what helped and didn't help for their actual MCAT. Too many times you'll find people who have never actually taken an MCAT talking about what works best and then they go on to get a 499 or so.

(2) Look at the Q and A section to get an idea of which posters know their material and the way to think about questions. Based on the questions that get posted in the Q and A section, you can get an idea of how people are doing and who knows their stuff. When you see a great explanation, make note of what materials that person used.

(3) Look at the answer explanations and not the text. Most learning happens when you review questions you missed, so the most important part of any materials are the answer explanations. Make sure they are thorough and helpful.

(4) Don't be afraid to work hard. Too many people are looking for the fun and easy study plan, and they shy away from what will help them most. Working through difficult questions that mix multiple concepts will pay dividends in the long run.

(5) Know what you need. One size does not fit all and the materials out there are very different in terms of strategies, the number of errors in the books, the quality of the passages and questions, and the caliber of the writing. Find one that matches what you need.

Best of luck in your studies.