EK vs Kaplan

[MountainClimber94]

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A couple of friends of mine have allowed me to borrow their books. So I have both study materials as resource. My question is which one is better? Or are they entirely different? From those that have used these companies what did you like AND dislike about them?

 

[Podstar]

They are different in that Kaplan is very in depth and detailed. It is made primarily for people that do not have a background in the material. If you are someone who just took all the pre-reqs, then EK will touch on/refresh the topics giving you more time to spend on practice passages.

 

[byrdhouse]

I studied Kaplan my first time around. @Podstar is correct in that the material is very in-depth. Every concept is explained in great detail. However, that can be too much for some. I got drowned in all the information and often felt overwhelmed trying to get through every page and take notes and highlight. For my next MCAT, I am going to use EK. I have gotten through a few chapters and prefer them over Kaplan. They aren't as detailed, but they give you exactly what you need to know, and nothing more. They also have a lot more practice problems, which are key to MCAT success. The 2015 edition has practice problems in each chapter after a few sections, and there is a concurrent 30 minute exam for each chapter at the end of the book.

One thing that is limiting in the EK is that they often cut themselves short in their detail. I don't think they do the best job explaining some of their keywords that you may need to refresh on. But, you can always use google! I have also hear that EK doesn't have the best Psych/Soc review. I actually liked Kaplans for their Psych/Soc. because of their detailed chapters.

All in all, it just depends on how you learn and how much you already know.

 

[DaAlienist]

A couple of friends of mine have allowed me to borrow their books. So I have both study materials as resource. My question is which one is better? Or are they entirely different? From those that have used these companies what did you like AND dislike about them?

Can I get the Kaplan exams without buying the full course? Which companies sell their tests separately?

 

[MountainClimber94]

Can I get the Kaplan exams without buying the full course? Which companies sell their tests separately?

EK, NS, and I wanna say TPR (don't quote me)...tbh Kaplan's are not a good representation of the real deal.

 

[DaAlienist]

EK, NS, and I wanna say TPR (don't quote me)...tbh Kaplan's are not a good representation of the real deal.

Thank you very much! I'm checking out the AAMC site and they only have 3 exams. I was told to have 10+ exams to study (I am taking ~ 15 weeks).

I will looking into the ones you mentioned.

 

[byrdhouse]

Can I get the Kaplan exams without buying the full course? Which companies sell their tests separately?

Kaplan requires a specific word in a specific chapter of a book to give you their exams and register your book set. I think mine was like the 8th word on the first page of ch 6 of chemistry. Not sure about the others. I thought they were helpful, but they are more difficult than AAMC's exams because they focus on detail. They can be good for timing and some review, but generally aren't representative of your exam scores.

 

[DaAlienist]

Thanks. So there is no way to get them without the books or course purchase?