Breaking Down the MCAT: A 3 Month MCAT Study Schedule

[SN2ed]

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Written by SN2ed.

Downloadable MCAT Calendar iCAL and XML versions: http://www.studentdoctor.net/3-month-mcat-study-schedule/
(Click the events for more details)

Everyone please keep the questions to this strategy AND READ ALL OF THE FIRST FOUR POSTS.
Do NOT start this schedule late. You will burnout. There have already been numerous posts & threads on people starting late, trying to rush through the material, and burning out quickly.
Check the Update log in the last post for any changes.

I noticed that some people are claiming they wrote this guide to scam people out of money. Let me make this clear, I have not and will not be selling anything related to this guide. If you see a poster trying to sell books saying they wrote this schedule, do NOT buy from them. They are attempting to take your money away on false pretenses. Additionally, this guide has only been and should only be posted on SDN. I have not posted this guide anywhere else. Furthermore, SDN is the sole MCAT/medical forum I visit and the only forum where I use the screen name SN2ed. I never imagined this thread would be popular enough to warrant this kind of attention. The contents of this thread (and any other on SDN) cannot be replicated and re-hosted on any other forum, blog, or website without prior consent of both the author and SDN.
Make sure you read ALL of the opening posts, including the FAQ, before posting questions.

To begin with, check out these two threads:

Why Diagnostics are Worthless: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=557231

MCAT and a Heavy School Workload Don't Mix: Stop rushing to take the MCAT:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602186

Can I accomplish this schedule with a part-time job or school?

Very unlikely. I highly recommend you devote 3 months to the MCAT. There may be a few that could follow this schedule and work part-time, but chances are it would not end well. You are FAR more likely to burn out if you try to study for the MCAT using this schedule and go to school or take a part/full-time job.

Furthermore, I've yet to see a valid reason for students (ie. not non-trads) to not take the MCAT in the summer.

Will following this guide guarantee me a +30?

Sadly, there are no guarantees on the MCAT. I certainly hope it helps you, but I can't say whether or not you'll hit your target score.

Should I take the MCAT before finishing my pre-reqs?

There's no point in doing so. You have to take them anyway. Hence, you might as well go into the test with your pre-reqs completed. Yes, this includes the English pre-req.

Any tips for retakers?

Check out the thread I made on the subject: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=754682

Remember to check out the third and fourth post FAQ.

Anything else before I start?

CONFIDENCE. Through all of the troubles and hardships you'll face, approach everything with confidence. You must constantly attack this test. The MCAT is merely a stepping stone on your journey.

Also, this is just a guide I made up. It is my opinion on what a study schedule should resemble. I'm sure there will be people that disagree with parts of this schedule or the whole thing. This schedule can easily be adjusted for 4 months instead of 3. I don't suggest starting heavy studying 5 months+ from your test date. Keep it to 3-4 months. If you start too soon, it will be a waste of time and resources.

Remember to use the search function on these forums. Tons of questions have already been asked and answered.
Lastly, please give credit to me, SN2ed, if you post this elsewhere. I put a ton of work into it.

Materials:

- Berkeley Review (BR) General Chemistry
- BR Organic Chemistry
- Examkrackers (EK) Biology for non-detailed approach OR The Princeton Review Hyperlearning (TPR) Biology/BR Biology for a detailed approach (In the schedule, I will use EK Bio because most prefer a non-detailed approach)
- BR Bio
- BR Physics
- EK 1001 series, excluding EK 1001 Bio (i.e. do NOT buy EK 1001 Bio)
- EK Verbal 101
- TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook or Berkeley Review Verbal
- AAMC Full Length (FL) #3-5 and 7-11 (AAMC #6 is not available at the moment)

You're using EK Bio for content review and BR Bio for passages. If you need more detail during in your content review, refer to BR Bio.

You can pick up the BR books from their website: http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html
Also, check out the For Sale section on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230 All of the above, except for the AAMC FLs show up from time to time. I've regularly seen a complete BR set go for under $100 on there. Whenever you buy used, MAKE SURE THE PASSAGES ARE UNMARKED.

To buy the AAMC FLs: http://www.e-mcat.com/

Bare Minimum Set-up:

$245 for AAMC FLs (http://www.e-mcat.com/)

$240 for BR Physics, O-chem, Gen Chem, Biology (http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html)

$26 for EK Verbal 101 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT101-Passages-Verbal-Reasoning/dp/1893858553)

$30 EK Bio (Amazon product ASIN 1893858626)


Prices vary on TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, search the For Sale forum on here for copies. They regularly show up. You should be able to get one for under $50.

Total = $541 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Set-up with EK 1001:

$18 EK Physics 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Physics/dp/1893858189)

$20 EK O-Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-Organic-Chemistry/dp/1893858197)

$19 EK Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Chemistry/dp/1893858227)

Total = $598 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Possible Book Replacements:

If you're having a hard time finding the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, BR is an okay replacement. Well, there's not much of a choice left. Again, I HIGHLY recommend you hunt down the TPRH Verbal Workbook.

TPRH is a great choice for content review in all subjects, however, you still need the BR books and EK 101 Verbal for their practice passages. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

A Little Bit more about TPRH books:

If you're looking for the Science or Verbal Workbooks, your best bet is through the For Sale forum on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230

You can also find the full TPRH set in the For Sale. People usually sell the whole set together.

If you want the content books, they're available on Amazon.

Yes, these books are the same as the TPRH content review books. The only difference is that these books, unlike the class content review books, contain some practice passages. I believe it's 3-4 passages per chapter. It's not enough to just stick with these books and some FLs, but it's nice to have a few passages thrown in.

About the EK 1001 series:

It is a good idea to get the complete EK 1001 series. I thought they really helped me nail down my understanding of the various topics. Through using the physics especially, I found that I didn't understand some things as well as I would like. Furthermore, for whatever reason, they helped me visualize the problem in my head and made the equations intuitive to use. Too many people neglect their basic understanding which could be bolstered by EK 1001. They think they have a strong grasp, yet when those fundumentals are tested, one's weaknesses become more apparent. Plus, doing more timed practice problems is always a good thing.

The only negative for the non-bio and VR practice books is that they aren't in the right format (unless you think of them as tons of discretes). However, it is significantly easier to spot your content weaknesses with EK 1001 because they aren't passages. You don't have to worry about if you messed up due to a failure to synthesize multiple ideas or the passage was worded strangely. When you mess up on EK 1001, you know it's due to a content weakness. Lastly, this problem would be alleviated by the BR books and EK content books containing practice passages. There are also the practice tests that you will be taking.
I suggest you get the above materials 1-2 months in advance! It takes awhile to get your BR books! You don't want to be missing your materials when you're about to start this schedule. Also, older content review books are usually okay, just don't go too far back (past 5 years old).
Lastly, sign up for your MCAT as soon as possible. Seats fill up months in advance.

Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing


Notes:

- Do NOT retake old practice material
- Thoroughly review ALL of your practice problems. Review your problems the day AFTER you take them. Don't even look at the answers until then. If there's a break day, review your problems on the day after your break.
- Remember to round like crazy for any math problem
- Always use process of elimination with your answer choices
- Before you begin this schedule, count the number of verbal practice passages (101 from EK + however many in the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook). Divide the number of passages by 70 (total days - the number of break days AND FL days). That number is the number of verbal passages you should be taking per day. I'm hoping that number breaks down to at least 3 passages per day. Ideally, you should take 4-5 verbal passages per assigned day. You do NOT take verbal passages on break days OR FL days.
- If you don't want to get the EK 1001 series, spread out the second 1/3 of BR practice passages over 2 days. Again, I recommend you get the EK 1001 books that are listed.
- If your practice test score is not within your target range after 2-3 tests, you should consider delaying. If you delay, go over your weaknesses again and complete an in-depth analysis of what went wrong.
- If you have enough money, you could adjust the schedule to fit in more practice tests. I didn't include that many to keep the cost down.
- If your test is in the morning and you're not a morning person, start getting used to waking up early when you start taking practice tests.
- Try to practice under as realistic as possible conditions when you take your practice tests. In other words: wake up early enough to be able to drive to your center; eat a meal you would eat before a test; follow the proper timing; and if you're really into it, you could even drive around for about the same time it would take you to get to your test center.

General Guidelines for Reviewing:

- Go over EVERY question. Both the ones you got right and the ones you got wrong.
- Reviewing should take 2-3 times longer than taking the timed practice problems.
- If your tests are fluctuating, it is due to the different topics on the various tests. In other words, you have some glaring weaknesses that when targeted, nail you, badly. You have to find out what those weaknesses are because they are evident by your scores. Do NOT dismiss any wrong answer as a "stupid mistake." You made that error for a reason. Go over your tests again.
- You might want to consider making a log for all of your post test results where you work through the questions below. Doing so, you'll be able to easily notice trends.

Some things to go over when reviewing:

1. Why did you get the question wrong? Why did you get the question right?
2. What question and passage types get you?
3. How is your mindset when facing a particular passage?
4. Are you stressed for time?
5. Where are your mistakes happening the most? Are they front loaded? Are they at the end? All over?
6. What was your thought process for both the questions you got right and the ones you got wrong?
7. For verbal, what was the author's mindset and main idea?
8. Did you eliminate all of the answer choices you could from first glance?
ex. You know an answer should be a positive number so you cross out all of the negative number answer choices.
9. What content areas are you weak in?
10. Why are the wrong answers wrong and the right answer right?
11. How can you improve so you don't make the same mistake again?

Hat Trick:

Get a hat and write every single MCAT PS and BS topic onto a piece of paper. Then, when you're ready to practice PS, put all the PS topics into the hat. Draw two or three pieces of paper and connect the topics together. In addition to connecting them, come up with what a passage might look like and what kind of questions you might get. If you can't do this, go back and review each of the three sections. Rinse and repeat.

The hat trick days are important because they aid you in synthesizing the various topics together. On the MCAT, you utilize this skill for every passage because MCAT passages combine topics. Furthermore, you may also discover content weaknesses that you will need to go over.

PS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85562/data/ps_topics.pdf
BS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85566/data/bstopics.pdf
Page to get topic lists if you don't want to directly download the pdf: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing

Here's a rough example using Distillation, Mendelian Genetics, and Lipids:

You are studying a Mendelian inherited recessive genetic defect of a lipid receptor. A defect in this receptor prevents the uptake lipids in the body and can cause several negative effects, such as, atherosclerosis due to fat build-up in arterial walls.

To test for the concentration of lipids in a patient's blood, you design a distillation experiment.

1. Given a couple where the male is Ll and the female is ll, what is the chance the child will have the defect?

2. What kind of solvent should you use to test the concentration of lipids?

3. What type patient would have the highest boiling point elevation?

4. If the trait exhibited incomplete dominance, which patient is likely to be Ll? Boiling point information here.

5. Which cell component requires lipids?

Verbal Help:

Check out Vihsadas's verbal guide and the other guides found in the MCAT Guide sticky
Vihsadas's Guide: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6022602&postcount=96
MCAT Guide Sticky: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602154

Arithmetic Tricks:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528674&highlight=Arithmetic Tips Tricks

 

[ej2185]

*

 

[Kalyx]

Thank you for working out and sharing this schedule, it's really great. I have a question in regards to re-reading chapters on the 6th day: so does it mean that you have to read the chapters that you read on the 5 previous days and in addition do the questions? For example on the first week, you read a chapter in each, genchem, orgo, bio and physics and do the corresponding passages, and then on the 6th day you re-read those 4 chapters? Seems like a lot in one day.
Thank you

I was wondering the same thing. If we digested the chapter well the first time, might it be more productive to merely "review" the chapters (rather than re-read) and complete additional problems from EK 1001 or the PR Science Workbook?

~Kalyx

 

[SN2ed]

I was wondering the same thing. If we digested the chapter well the first time, might it be more productive to merely "review" the chapters (rather than re-read) and complete additional problems from EK 1001 or the PR Science Workbook?

~Kalyx

You should still re-read the chapter, however, it shouldn't take as long as your first read through. For the first read, you should take awhile and make sure you grasp the material. On your second run, the material should be familiar and you'll probably read at your normal pace.

 

[DreamingPremed]

This is not specific to the schedule...but has anyone noted how long it took before you started to see improvements in verbal reasoning following the suggestions of this guide?

 

[stressed1005]

Okie so I have recently started the schedule with few tweaks. I just wanted to know if there was any specific reason why the first two weeks you have the review days after five chapters (Physic chp1-2, Chem chp 1, O.chem chp1 and bio chp1). I like to start my week with new material so I changed it to: doing 4 chapters, two review days (Ek 1001 and BR second 1/3) and sunday as a break day. Does this pattern really make a difference? in negative way per say?
Secondly how is BR verbal passage difficulty compared to the actual ones? I have all three verbal books but started with BR thinking that I would start the recommended book once I have gotten a hang on completing the passages on time (yes! I am awfully slow at reading 🙁 and want as much practice as I can get). Right now I am giving myself 9 mins/passage and cutting back on time every week but that is not the point. Daily out of the 28 questions (4 passages) I only get about 4-5 wrong. Now this surprises me...so just wondering if these are too easy 😕
Now on to physics. Like few people from the recent posts I am not doing so well on physics...I am starting to feel like I slept through my physics courses or something . For the first few chapters I found PR hyperlearning books more helpful than BR. Is studying PR books instead of BR not a good idea? Or is it better to use BR as the primary source and just reinforce the topics that I am weak at with PR?
I do like the idea of practicing EK 1/3 the same day as the reading the chapter. I will try that for the next chapter to see if that helps.
So those were my few concerns. If any of these questions have been asked before you may ignore it; I am not done going through all the posts (there are like a million). Thank you for a wonderful schedule and all the other tips- organized studying is just what I needed!!

 

[RevMD]

Okie so I have recently started the schedule with few tweaks. I just wanted to know if there was any specific reason why the first two weeks you have the review days after five chapters (Physic chp1-2, Chem chp 1, O.chem chp1 and bio chp1). I like to start my week with new material so I changed it to: doing 4 chapters, two review days (Ek 1001 and BR second 1/3) and sunday as a break day. Does this pattern really make a difference? in negative way per say?
Secondly how is BR verbal passage difficulty compared to the actual ones? I have all three verbal books but started with BR thinking that I would start the recommended book once I have gotten a hang on completing the passages on time (yes! I am awfully slow at reading 🙁 and want as much practice as I can get). Right now I am giving myself 9 mins/passage and cutting back on time every week but that is not the point. Daily out of the 28 questions (4 passages) I only get about 4-5 wrong. Now this surprises me...so just wondering if these are too easy 😕
Now on to physics. Like few people from the recent posts I am not doing so well on physics...I am starting to feel like I slept through my physics courses or something . For the first few chapters I found PR hyperlearning books more helpful than BR. Is studying PR books instead of BR not a good idea? Or is it better to use BR as the primary source and just reinforce the topics that I am weak at with PR?
I do like the idea of practicing EK 1/3 the same day as the reading the chapter. I will try that for the next chapter to see if that helps.
So those were my few concerns. If any of these questions have been asked before you may ignore it; I am not done going through all the posts (there are like a million). Thank you for a wonderful schedule and all the other tips- organized studying is just what I needed!!

Interesting schedule modification. The only downside I can see is you might be wasting practice passages early on. The whole point of having review days later on is to stay fresh on the material learned during the first couple of weeks. Also, keep in mind that some passages will often little bits of material that you have not learned yet, which will likely lower your scores for those types of questions. So to use up 2/3 of the EK1001 and BR passages early on would not be as beneficial as saving them for later when you have improved your exam skills and learned more material to accurately answer the questions. Repetition over time is better than having condensed sessions on a particular topic.

I suggest using the physics book you feel most comfortable with to do the initial review and identify the weak spots along the way. I just went through my first week with BR as well and found it very thorough. The way they cover a topic and then immediately do a practice problem helps understand the major concepts and problem-solving strategies that can be used. After using TPR or BR (whichever you prefer), you can then consider referring to the other book if think it might help improve the identified weak spots.

 

[Kalyx]

For the first few chapters I found PR hyperlearning books more helpful than BR. Is studying PR books instead of BR not a good idea? Or is it better to use BR as the primary source and just reinforce the topics that I am weak at with PR?

I am wondering the same thing! I've found BR to be VERY dense thus far. That's not necessarily a bad thing in terms of understanding the concepts, it's just time-consuming and a little demoralizing. I find the PR Physical Sciences Review to have a more "uplifting" layout and I feel like I move through it faster.

Would it be effective to do review with TPR and then use BR's passages?

Or is it best to stick with BR and only use TPR for reinforcing poorly-understood concepts?

~Kalyx

 

[RevMD]

This is not specific to the schedule...but has anyone noted how long it took before you started to see improvements in verbal reasoning following the suggestions of this guide?

I would say it takes at least 10-15 passages just to get comfortable with reading fast and the question types they ask. After this phase, you can slowly start working on 8min, then 7min, and finally 6min mark for each passage. I can't really say I started seeing improvement yet since I just got past the first phase.

One strong suggestion: do not force improvement in timing. This applies to the reviewing other subjects as well. It will only cause you to panic and becomes counterproductive. Focus on accuracy during the initial "getting comfortable" phase. After you are consistently getting only 0-2 questions wrong per section, then try for a shorter time target.

 

[mipp0]

Dear S2Ned,

I was just wondering how good the EK Bio material is. Having gone over the first 2 chapters, it seems very basic and doesn't go into detail in the slightest. Also, there seems to be issue of errata that I can't access on their homepage--are there many mistakes?

Did it help you do well on the Bio passages? Are the PR and BR texts too thorough and a waste of time? I know a PR representative admitted to me that there was more information than needed, because the writer was paid based on word count.

 

[SN2ed]

stressed1005: Changing the order slightly from 5 chapter days to 4 chapter days shouldn't have too big an impact if any.

Kalyx and mipp0: This should answer your questions.

Possible Book Replacements:

EK Bio + EK Bio 1001 may be swapped for BR Bio. The reason behind is that recent MCAT test takers have noted that BR's bio passages are closer to the real thing than EK Bio 1001. In fact, if more and more people post similar responses, I may end up switching the two anyway.

A more expensive choice would be to get EK Bio for content review AND BR Bio for the practice passages. This combo is a great way to go.

If you're having a hard time finding the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, BR is an okay replacement. Well, there's not much of a choice left.

TPRH is a great choice for content review in all subejcts, however, you still need the BR books, EK 101 Verbal, and either EK Bio 1001 or BR Bio. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

 

[mipp0]

Thank you so much S2Ned.

S2Ned's personal statement in one sentence: I led hordes of pre-meds to victory through my study guide.

 

[Mister T]

Hey SN2ed, thanks for the schedule. It sounds reasonable and
well-thought to make you cover the material holistically.

I'm going to study according to it, and just thought
it'd be awesome to put the schedule into Google Calendar, to track myself.
Because you know, once you put the data into Google Calendar you can
move it around to your phone, mail, etc..

And then what struck me is if there could be a way to
set the start date of when you'll start the schedule
and generate the .csv file that Google Calendar understands
and imports.

Me being a computer science major before going pre-med,
I was able to create a very simple webpage that would do it.

It's here: http://mcatschedule.webs.com/mcatschedular.htm

Click the calendar icon, select your start date, then click the link right
next to the icon. At the bottom of the page you'll see a textbox
with the contents that Google will understand. Open up
Notepad and save as a .csv file, then import that into Google Calendar.

I don't know if this'll help any one of you guys, but it fits my way
of keeping track of things, because I set the Calendar to constantly
remind me of events by mail.

Thanks again for the schedule SN2ed, you've took a lot of planning
off my shoulders.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a good writeup after the application process.

Best,
Seungjin Kim

This should be stickied in the first post Sn2ed.

It was very useful to print this out in calendar format.

One word of advice for anyone who uses this and wants to print it. GCal does not "text wrap/word wrap" the days of the month, so that it ends up cut off.

If you want to have word wrapping, a solution that I found for people who use OS X (you'll have to figure this out on your own if you use a PC), is to import the GCal calendar into ical (os x application), through the gcal settings (click export calendar into ical and it'll do the rest).

Then you need to change every day on the calendar so that it's not an "all-day event" but rather a "regular event." To do this you have to right click on the event and make it a "regular" event. By doing this, ical will show all the text for each day and you can then print it.

 

[jkhanh]

When should I start studying/When should I take the MCAT?

You can choose your 3-4 month window to study after you've completed your pre-reqs. In your pre-reqs, gain mastery of the material; don't aim merely for an A. Spending the time to master the material in your pre-reqs will pay off when you study for the MCAT.

Most people take the MCAT in either the summer of their junior year in college or the summer after they graduate. I don't suggest you take the MCAT earlier then your junior year because you run the risk of having your MCAT expire. Furthermore, the additional classes you have in the meantime may aid you on the MCAT. That said, the bottom line is to take the MCAT when you're ready.

When you say to take it the summer of your junior year, is that the summer right before you start your junior year, or summer right after you complete your junior year? Sorry for the dumb question.

Thanks,
Jamie

 

[TurkSurg]

SN2ed
where can I find extra genetics and electricity information besides EK and TBR? I know there will be a lot on the MCAT.I found a bunch but I don't know which ones are the best out there. Could you please tell me some good websites or videos? Thanks 🙂

 

[watchntv]

No, I don't work for them. For now, BR are just the best in Physics, O-chem, and Gen Chem. They're also good in Bio if you want a detailed approach which many do not. Also, if you search around this forum, there are many people recommending BR besides me. Still, if you don't like/want to get BR, TPR Hyperlearning are also very good across all subjects. Like I said before, just avoid the TPR books found in bookstores. They aren't even close to as good as their Hyperlearning series.

please advise where to get more VR passages
do 1-2 passages a day, right?

I have kaplan online access+cracking MCAT(tpr book from book store)+EK 101 verbal+I need to get BR verbal or where do I get enough passages?
Also, I only am scoring a 8 on VR, do you recommend Bloodysurgeons VR stategy? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=9098285
thanks

 

[Kalyx]

please advise where to get more VR passages
do 1-2 passages a day, right?

I have kaplan online access+cracking MCAT(tpr book from book store)+EK 101 verbal+I need to get BR verbal or where do I get enough passages?
Also, I only am scoring a 8 on VR, do you recommend Bloodysurgeons VR stategy? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=9098285
thanks

Try to find The Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook (this is the book that's given out during the course. It is NOT sold in bookstores). You can look for it on Amazon.com, eBay, half.com, Craig's List, etc. It's worth getting.

Also of note is that The Princeton Review's Hyperlearning In-Class Compendium contains about 30 passages in verbal reasoning. So if you can buy that too, then get it!

BloodySurgeon's guide is very good. I also like ExamKrackers' verbal strategy.


~Kalyx

 

[SN2ed]

jkhanh: That would be the summer after you complete you junior year. However, don't set yourself for this time-frame unless you want to take it that early.

Kalyx: Good to know the in-class verbal book contains ~30 passages. I'll add that to my guide. With 30 more passages, that would bring the verbal passages per day to 3.

 

[loveoforganic]

Another verbal passage source is the book released by the aamc, unless my memory is horribly distorted.

 

[Mister T]

Try to find The Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook (this is the book that's given out during the course. It is NOT sold in bookstores). You can look for it on Amazon.com, eBay, half.com, Craig's List, etc. It's worth getting.

Also of note is that The Princeton Review's Hyperlearning In-Class Compendium contains about 30 passages in verbal reasoning. So if you can buy that too, then get it!

BloodySurgeon's guide is very good. I also like ExamKrackers' verbal strategy.


~Kalyx

Problem with the in-class compendium is that there are no answer solutions, just answers, which makes the passages only good for reading and doing practice problems and *hoping* you get the right answer.

Unless it has changed drastically from 2005 to 2009 then **** me then.

 

[Kalyx]

Problem with the in-class compendium is that there are no answer solutions, just answers, which makes the passages only good for reading and doing practice problems and *hoping* you get the right answer.

Unless it has changed drastically from 2005 to 2009 then **** me then.

Hey Mister T,

I have a copy of the 2009 edition and there are definitely answers to the Verbal Reasoning passages, along with all of the passages from the other sections (Biology, Physics, etc.). However, there are no explanations, only an indication of the correct answer choice for each question.


In total, there are 31 verbal passages in The Princeton Review Hyperlearning In-Class Compendium 2009 edition, along with answers (though without explanations).


~Kalyx

 

[Mister T]

Yeah,
The reason why is because they go over the problems in class obviously (hence, in-class compendium). I probably won't bother with them until I run out of passages from TPR Verbal workbook, TBR verbal workbook, and EK 101 workbook which will last me a good 3-4 passages/day (kind of like half verbal tests). Prices are pretty fair on amazon.com for them too compared to their verbal workbooks which sell for $100.

 

[Cale]

Hello Everyone!

I started this schedule on Sunday, 1-24 and wanted to tell everyone what its been like so far. I would also like others to compare their experience with mine. Today is my break day and man did I need it. I've been spending roughly 6 hours of time studying each day. The physical science section was rather hard for me and was a confusing read at first. The second section of PS was way easier and I found the first chapter easier to understand after reading the second. I must say that the passages seem to be more about common sense than actually knowing every equation.

I've noticed that I'm getting better and better at the VR passages. I did the warm-up passages and converted my score to a 6 (yikes). I have now completed test one and got an 8 so I'm slowly improving. I'm consistently getting about 60-70% of questions right for each passage. I feel like more practice will show higher scores down the road. VR is a tough section for me so I've tried using different methods to tackle a passage. I was reading very closely and then diong the questions without referring back to the passage. I found that this hurt my scores. I then started reading the passages faster and getting the main idea and then referring back to the passage for some answers. My scores went up for each section.

Chemistry and Organic Chemistry are my best subjects and I found the review to be great. Once I got past the idea of getting an exact answer I did great. The MCAT seems to be all about rounding in order to find the best answer quickly.

The biology section isn't deep into detail, but it does cover everything well. I find myself reading section one very slowly as I'm trying to retain all the information that's stored in each paragraph. I haven't done the 30 minute exam and plan to take it Sunday.

At the end of week one I am rather drained. I'm putting a lot of stress on myself to do well on the exam and want to make sure I understand everything. I've noticed that my brain is struggling to think and this break was well timed.

I would like to hear how others are doing. I was very intimidated after reading the first physical science section but have now found a comfort zone with the material. Here's to week two!

-Cale

 

[loveoforganic]

Sounds like you're off to a really good start cale 🙂 The improvements in verbal will slow dramatically soon, but don't be disheartened - just keep doing passages.

 

[Kalyx]

Hello Everyone!



I would like to hear how others are doing. I was very intimidated after reading the first physical science section but have now found a comfort zone with the material. Here's to week two!

-Cale

Hi Cale,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

I'd like to share my own, although mine is somewhat different given that I'm currently taking classes and involved in a few extra-curricular activities (mind you, my classes are easy, so I only have to study about 2 hours a day to cover all 3, with just a couple of extra hours on the weekend).

I have modified the schedule to accommodate my non-MCAT workload and I think it's gone pretty well thus far. Biology and verbal are my strongest subjects so I'm spending proportionately less time covering those (i.e. I'm reviewing two chapters/sections of Biology in one day. I'm still doing 3-5 verbal passages a day and am scoring 12, 13+ so I feel pretty good about that).

Two changes I've made are to give myself TWO days of review + do EK 1001s. *** I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ***.

I end up doing far more practice problems altogether, since I supplement the EK 1001s with problems from TPR Science Workbook. I also think that having two days to review allows me to digest the material better.

In addition, I've allowed myself two days to review a single section in a subject I'm weak in if I feel I need it, such as Organic Chemistry. This means that I'll break up what would probably be 6 hours of reading one particular section into two 3-hour days. But when I break up a section over two days, I make sure to do a little bit of "extra work" on each day. For instance, if I break up Organic Chemistry Section #1 into two days, I'll work on math skills or do extra verbal passages on day 1, then on day 2 I'll complete the BR passages 1, 4 and 7 for that Ochem section ALONG with problems from EK 1001 and TPR SW.

I've noticed that I enjoy doing problems WAY more than content review! And, as posted in a different thread, I've been surprised by how hard it's been for me to read some of the BR chapters (the text is sooooo small! And I agree that the reading can at times be quite intimidating).

So I'm now using TPR Hyperlearning Physical Sciences for content review for Physics. BUT, I still look over all of the tips and problems in the BR chapter. Then of course I do BR passages 1, 4, and 7. I might also do some EK 1001 problems on the same day that I review one section.

For Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, I'm going to try giving EK a quick read before tackling BR. I think that jogging my memory before reading the dense BR sections will help me get through them much faster and with more confidence.


I am surprised by how "good" it feels to do problems and passages. I find that those are most helpful for boosting my MCAT self-esteem, in that they reveal to me that I actually know more about a subject and have quicker reflexes than I initially believe!


The schedule has definitely been mentally exhausting, but I knew it was going to be so and have tried my best not to despair. I have found myself getting more "psyched" about the MCAT each day, which is good because I want to protect myself mentally from burnout as much as possible.

~Kalyx

 

[jkhanh]

jkhanh: That would be the summer after you complete you junior year. However, don't set yourself for this time-frame unless you want to take it that early.

Thank you. I was just wondering, because I was planning on taking it this upcoming summer, after I finished my sophomore classes. That is what my pre-health adviser told me to do, but now, I'll have to rethink about whether I want to take it this soon.

 

[SN2ed]

jkhanh: I don't suggest you take it that early even if you have all of your pre-reqs completed.

 

[loveoforganic]

Why do you recommend that?

 

[SN2ed]

Opps, I did the math wrong. I thought taking the MCAT in one's sophomore year would eliminate the chance for a reapplication. However, taking the MCAT that early basically forces someone into applying during their senior year which I don't think is a good idea. That's not to say plenty of people don't apply while in school. They're called traditional applicants for a reason. Also, keep in mind that you will have to build a solid application by the end of your junior year. Do not underestimate the importance of ECs.

I'm more of a fan of taking the MCAT after one's senior year. This gives more than enough time to both devote 3 months to the MCAT and build up a strong application through ECs. It also makes college a more enjoyable experience because you aren't compacting everything in those 4 years. College, to me, is one of the best times in one's life due to the nice balance of responsibility and freedom. I don't see any reason to waste that chance just to go to medical school early.

 

[MT2MD]

Hi SN2ed, what is your opinion with switching form TBR Orgo to TPR Orgo, I am still going to do that passage in TBR Orgo but use TPR for the content. The content review in TBR is too tedious and complicated. Do you think it's a bad idea?

 

[SN2ed]

Everyone, please read the entire first four posts.

From the first post:

Possible Book Replacements:

EK Bio + EK Bio 1001 may be swapped for BR Bio. The reason behind is that recent MCAT test takers have noted that BR's bio passages are closer to the real thing than EK Bio 1001. In fact, if more and more people post similar responses, I may end up switching the two anyway.

A more expensive choice would be to get EK Bio for content review AND BR Bio for the practice passages. This combo is a great way to go.

If you're having a hard time finding the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, BR is an okay replacement. Well, there's not much of a choice left.

TPRH is a great choice for content review in all subjects, however, you still need the BR books, EK 101 Verbal, and either EK Bio 1001 or BR Bio for their practice passages. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

 

[chitown22]

Hey sorry if this question was already answered. I tried searching for it but could not find anything. I was looking around for the TPRH verbal workbook and was just wondering if there is a big difference between editions. Are there certain years that I should be looking for or will any of them do?

 

[RevMD]

Currently in week 2 of content review plus practice and I find myself consistently getting 5/7, occasionally better, on the BR passages. In terms of the actual MCAT, is getting 5/7 for most of the passages get you a 11+ score? Obviously, it pretty early in the schedule and there is room for improvement. It would be nice to know where I stand currently.

@Kalyx: With regards to the two days of content review, I currently have time to do this. Like you mentioned, the readings are incredibly boring and I find more excitement from doing the passages under the clock. So, I somehow want to get the content review overwith as fast I can. With all the things I have going on this semester, I have greater fears of burnout towards the end of the semester once midterms start taking up time. Getting the readings out of the way first will give me a more flexible schedule since each passage takes only 6-8min. The plan for me is do a brute force practice after reading all the content review chapters are done by taking random 3-4 practice passages from any of the chapters from each section and do those each day. This will expose myself to the randomness of the mcat rather than focusing on one subject at a time.

@SN2: Ugh...I when I first read the comment in the OP about bio replacement, I thought you meant EK Bio was the better replacement that you were considering over BR. Otherwise I would have ordered the BR Bio along with the other three subjects. For now, I think I will stick to the EK, and then buy the BR for extra practice later on that way I will have the most accurate MCAT practice passages for last.

 

[joshto]

SN2ed,

I wanted to get your thoughts on VR.

As it stands, I am doing 3 days of TPR Passages (3 passages/day) and then, for the next 3 days, using EK VR (3passages/day).

What I would like to do is stick with TPR, finish all the passages, and then move to EK, rather than do 3 days TPR, followed by 3 days EK. I find that TPR and EK use different passages/questions to mold to their company philosophy, and, as a result, I seem to be struggling by going back and forth. In particular, I seem to be doing better, on average, with TPR, though I don't know if done enough of each to actually pass judgment.

Let me know your thoughts, and how much of a detriment it would be finish TPR and then move to EK.

 

[RevMD]

SN2ed,

I wanted to get your thoughts on VR.

As it stands, I am doing 3 days of TPR Passages (3 passages/day) and then, for the next 3 days, using EK VR (3passages/day).

What I would like to do is stick with TPR, finish all the passages, and then move to EK, rather than do 3 days TPR, followed by 3 days EK. I find that TPR and EK use different passages/questions to mold to their company philosophy, and, as a result, I seem to be struggling by going back and forth. In particular, I seem to be doing better, on average, with TPR, though I don't know if done enough of each to actually pass judgment.

Let me know your thoughts, and how much of a detriment it would be finish TPR and then move to EK.

I don't think sn2ed ever advised switching back and forth. The consensus seemed to be finish TPRH first, then do EK as they are more closer to the real mcat.

 

[assturtle]

really solid plan here 👍 I did something very similar to this. Lots of EK books, but I found gen chem and physics were not so great, so I got the BR books as well. definitely key to rotate between topics. I have many friends who would spend a month on bio, month on chem, etc. By the time you hit physics, you're forgetting bio. hat trick is also an interesting idea, wish I had thought of that..

 

[cbs21]

Two changes I've made are to give myself TWO days of review + do EK 1001s. *** I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ***.

I end up doing far more practice problems altogether, since I supplement the EK 1001s with problems from TPR Science Workbook. I also think that having two days to review allows me to digest the material better.

Hey, so are you saying you review all five chapters one day then do all corresponding EK questions and then the BR passages on the third day? Or something else..

I'm definitely having trouble reviewing all the chapters and doing EK questions on the same day. It literally takes 10 hours or so. And the next day I would have to review all those questions, which takes forever, and then do BR passages. So I can only do that on weekends.

 

[SN2ed]

joshto: Go through 3 passages in a row from one source. On the next day, use the other source. You want to get used to switching between different authors since that's what you'll do on test day.

 

[Kalyx]

Hey, so are you saying you review all five chapters one day then do all corresponding EK questions and then the BR passages on the third day? Or something else..

I'm definitely having trouble reviewing all the chapters and doing EK questions on the same day. It literally takes 10 hours or so. And the next day I would have to review all those questions, which takes forever, and then do BR passages. So I can only do that on weekends.

Good question. I actually review after doing *four* chapters, rather than five. Just a personal preference.

So what I'll do is re-read the corresponding Physics and Gen Chem chapters on day 1, then do all 1/3 to 2/3 of the corresponding problems from EK 1001 books (along with some problems from TPR Science Workbook).

On day 2, I'll re-read Bio and O-chem, then do the corresponding EK 1001 questions and TPR Science Workbook problems. On day 3, I'll do the second third of the corresponding BR chapters for Physics, Gen Chem, Bio and O-Chem. If you're giving no more than 7 minutes per passage, this should take less than 2 hours!

When I re-read the chapters, I read them *quickly*. My objective for review days is to do as many problems as possible as quickly as possible!

Sometimes, it doesn't work out with your schedule to correct problems the next day. For instance, sometimes I have two hours free in my evening after I've done my MCAT study and problem work for the day. The next day, my schedule is packed. So I'll go ahead and correct the problems I've done that same evening. It's a good idea to try to correct as many problems "the next day" as possible, but you're not screwed if you have to make adjustments here and there! As long as you understand why you got something wrong or right, you're good.

I would also urge you to push yourself to move through material as quickly. I find that it's easy to get "stuck" reading a section, thinking "Oh my God, this is so hard... I just dooooon't get it," and then when I do problems later my brain has this reflexive reaction and gets them right! Of course, if you're getting tons of problems wrong, definitely take some time to review the content and tackle your weaknesses.


~Kalyx

 

[SN2ed]

I made a major update to the 4 month variation. More people were having problems completing the re-read chapters, EK 1001, and second 1/3 BR passages combo than with the final studying phase with the FLs.

For you non-trads (ie. people DONE with school, but working a job), I think the 4 month variation is better suited to you now.

The 4 month variation is still a bad idea for full-time students due to the high risk of burnout from studying for both school and the MCAT.

 

[Kalyx]

For you non-trads (ie. people DONE with school, but working a job), I think the 4 month variation is better suited to you now.

The 4 month variation is still a bad idea for full-time students due to the high risk of burnout from studying for both school and the MCAT.

Well, I think it depends on the classes! I'm doing this schedule while going to school full-time, but my classes this quarter are easy and honestly they are helping to *prevent* burnout by providing my mind with intellectual stimulation in categories other than "MCAT."

With that said, this schedule would be impossible to do while taking demanding courses (particularly demanding courses with labs! 😱 )

~Kalyx

 

[SN2ed]

Well, I think it depends on the classes! I'm doing this schedule while going to school full-time, but my classes this quarter are easy and honestly they are helping to *prevent* burnout by providing my mind with intellectual stimulation in categories other than "MCAT."

With that said, this schedule would be impossible to do while taking demanding courses (particularly demanding courses with labs! 😱 )

~Kalyx

I realize there are people that try to take the MCAT with easy classes, but it's much safer to not recommend it. Some people think classes like p-chem will be easy only to find out they were completely wrong. As a result, their GPA goes down and they get a bad MCAT score. I can still remember a poster who was adamant that his schedule of biochem w/lab, molecular genetics w/lab, some other upper division science course w/lab, and 3 other courses was light. Of course that doesn't count that he was working part-time and doing research as well. Yes, the MCAT was not kind of him.

 

[Kalyx]

I realize there are people that try to take the MCAT with easy classes, but it's much safer to not recommend it. Some people think classes like p-chem will be easy only to find out they were completely wrong. As a result, their GPA goes down and they get a bad MCAT score. I can still remember a poster who was adamant that his schedule of biochem w/lab, molecular genetics w/lab, some other upper division science course w/lab, and 3 other courses was light. Of course that doesn't count that he was working part-time and doing research as well. Yes, the MCAT was not kind of him.

Ah.

Well, my definition of "easy" excludes courses that will be part of my BCPM on AMCAS. I think classes that are okay to take while studying for the MCAT are courses like intro to stats, a foreign language (if you're good at it), a laid-back humanities class, etc.

But yes I completely agree that science courses, particularly those that will directly affect your BCPM GPA, should NOT be taken while studying for the MCAT! (at least try to avoid if possible!)

~Kalyx

 

[cbs21]

Good question. I actually review after doing *four* chapters, rather than five. Just a personal preference.

So what I'll do is re-read the corresponding Physics and Gen Chem chapters on day 1, then do all 1/3 to 2/3 of the corresponding problems from EK 1001 books (along with some problems from TPR Science Workbook).

On day 2, I'll re-read Bio and O-chem, then do the corresponding EK 1001 questions and TPR Science Workbook problems. On day 3, I'll do the second third of the corresponding BR chapters for Physics, Gen Chem, Bio and O-Chem. If you're giving no more than 7 minutes per passage, this should take less than 2 hours!

When I re-read the chapters, I read them *quickly*. My objective for review days is to do as many problems as possible as quickly as possible!

Sometimes, it doesn't work out with your schedule to correct problems the next day. For instance, sometimes I have two hours free in my evening after I've done my MCAT study and problem work for the day. The next day, my schedule is packed. So I'll go ahead and correct the problems I've done that same evening. It's a good idea to try to correct as many problems "the next day" as possible, but you're not screwed if you have to make adjustments here and there! As long as you understand why you got something wrong or right, you're good.

I would also urge you to push yourself to move through material as quickly. I find that it's easy to get "stuck" reading a section, thinking "Oh my God, this is so hard... I just dooooon't get it," and then when I do problems later my brain has this reflexive reaction and gets them right! Of course, if you're getting tons of problems wrong, definitely take some time to review the content and tackle your weaknesses.


~Kalyx

THanks for the clarification. So appx how long many days is your total schedule then? I'm about half way through the original sn2ed method but I think I'm going to have to adjust it since I have so much non-mcat work to do.

 

[skyhook]

SN2ed, when you say to review the questions the following day, do you not even look over the correct answers on the day you do the practice passages? Or are you recommending to go over them right after you take them, and then review them *again* the next day? If you could clear that up for me I'd appreciate it.

 

[Kalyx]

THanks for the clarification. So appx how long many days is your total schedule then? I'm about half way through the original sn2ed method but I think I'm going to have to adjust it since I have so much non-mcat work to do.

My total schedule is four months, including practice tests. I am able to condense my biology study time, however, because I'm very strong in biology (i.e. I can study two sections/chapters of biology and do the corresponding BR passages + EK 1001 questions on the same day). I still have it arranged so that I take a break day after every six days.

~Kalyx

 

[SN2ed]

SN2ed, when you say to review the questions the following day, do you not even look over the correct answers on the day you do the practice passages? Or are you recommending to go over them right after you take them, and then review them *again* the next day? If you could clear that up for me I'd appreciate it.

I wouldn't even look at them. When you look at the answers, it should be with a fresh mind and plenty of time to analyze.


Edit: Updated the FAQ with a few sentences for non-trads.

 

[PUMMELase]

post in wrong thread

 

[SN2ed]

- Thoroughly review ALL of your practice problems. Review your problems the day AFTER you take them. Don't even look at the answers until then. If there’s a break day, review your problems on the day after your break.

 

[PUMMELase]

wrong thread

 

[SN2ed]

At the start of the day, do you suggest reviewing the previous day's passages or practice questions or start with reading the suggested chapter and passages?

Go with whatever you're most comfortable with doing. The only thing that must be done in order is reading the day's chapter must come before completing that chapter's passages. For instance, you should read BR O-Chem chapter 2 before completing 1/3 of BR O-Chem chapter 2's practice passages.