I just want to hear how this process works with TBR.
Is it instant? Do you get the tests right then
Do you get them in a program format, like Kaplan's program or is it just pdf like?
Are the problem explanations good?
How long is the access to these tests?
Thanks!
I only have answers to some of these questions:
1. I believe it takes some time to get access to them(I remember hearing it took 1-2 weeks)
2. The tests are accessed and taken online similar to the AAMC tests(without a lot of the pretty summary statistics).
3. The explanations were good. Similar to the ones you would find in the books.
4. I believe it was 45 days but when I took the class they were pretty flexible about if(ie if you push your test back they would extend the dates). I think this was plenty of time and I would be hesitant about taking the tests >45 days out anyways.
I believe based on my experience in Jan 2012 that the activation flexibility is not exclusively random but lined up with the MCAT test days. If you think about the way MACT test days are "almost" every month", then you can see the logic behind. Someone on other thread mentioned that it is all up to you, the customer. Well, yes, may be, in a way.
My son is on the 3/24 test. I ordered BR 1-5 & sent in mail ~ Jan 16 (requesting acivation Feb 3; as I had already lined up our modified SN2ed schedule for my sons's BR#1 test on Feb 4 Saturday morning).
I called BR, I believe, Jan 26 to confirm if they receive the letter. They did. During the conversation, I was told they will send an activation email to my son's account on the night of Feb 7 & the account will be activated on the 8th. When I asked them why, the gentleman said that they lined up customer order 45 day, counting backward from the test day the customer put down on the order form. In our case, Feb 8 is 48 days, if I calculated correctly. We were lucky because we only ordered 1-5 instead of 1-7. So we still have a week spare. I didn't feel like arguing with him on the phone & moved on since it messed up our SN2ed schedule some but not totally screw up. We ended up switch some AAMC FL. (my son tried to do one FL every Saturday morning.) So, for those who order BR 1-7 and are also thinking AAMC FL, TPR FL, Gold Stanard FL etc. then you may run into problem if you already committed on your schedule "BEFORE" you order BR FL series.
I suspect if in my case I order, say in mid Dec 2011, with BR 1-7, and request activation on Jan 9 Monday. They probably would have given me 2 choices. (1) activate on Feb 8. (2) since it does not line up Jan 27/28 test, they will activate the account on next batch process coming up; say Jan 18. Each batch will include multiple customers. It just like train leaves station "only" on certain schedule. In other word, they may not want to activate whoever the account randomly everyday or whatever. They are a very small company; and computer and labor resources are premium.
They probably, besides the test day ones, only activate others once/twice in a month based on their batch schedule, not yours.
I can be wrong. Call them. The gentleman was very friendly.
To be sure to check the junk folder in your school account. BR told me that because of firewall, a lot of school mail server think the BR message was spasm or junk mail.
According to my son, he received the email on Feb7, right on time. The instruction was clear and got on without any problem.
Hope what I explained help you some.
P.S. Dont order by personal check. It will take very very very long time.
P.S. #2. For those who want to use BR FL addition to other companies FL and AAMC ones, it may come down to order and knowing BR activation schedule "first" before you lay out your "modified" SN2ed study schedule.