I know this has been asked before...TBR for bio or ek 1001?

[sunrat39]

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I have the EK books and TBR books (except bio). I am going to try to follow SN2ed program but I have seen some people say to use ek 1001 for bio and some say use TBR bio for passages. I am about to order one of these books but don't know which one? Anyone use both? Sorry, I am sure this has been asked before.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

TPRH SW > TBR bio >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EK1001 bio

 

[Palam]

If you have a boat load of time, I'd say read through the entire BR bio book. Then in your last month of reviewing the main concepts you can supplement with EK.

On the AAMC practice tests it seems like the bio is much more passage based than all that extraneous information you'll get from TBR or TPR.

 

[sunrat39]

Tprh you say? I think I might look into that too. I think overall tbr gets better reviews and I would only use it for the passages as ek bio is my source of review. I just didn't know of ek 1001 would "fit" better because it's an ek book stacked with another ek book.

 

[Palam]

Tprh you say? I think I might look into that too. I think overall tbr gets better reviews and I would only use it for the passages as ek bio is my source of review. I just didn't know of ek 1001 would "fit" better because it's an ek book stacked with another ek book.

I made a mistake in reading your first post (tired from studying). I recommend TPR for bio passages. Definitely pick up either TBR or TPR because it seems like half of the battle in bio passages is reading comprehension.

 

[argama]

TPRH SW > TBR bio >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EK1001 bio

can i ask your opinion on TBR Cell/Mol Bio Passages? Those seem pretty experimental-based I think. And def not easy either. Also, The TPRH Science Workbook, given that I am short on time, which topics in Bio is good/must-do?

Thanks

 

[Mehd School]

Just to make it clear, people don't say to use ek1001 for bio. They do, however, say to use EK Bio for content, and TBR for passages. And I agree.

 

[Mornhavon]

.

 

[sunrat39]

Sorry to ask another question on this thread. I have TBR physics (2009), orgo and gen chem (2010). Do you think these editions will still suffice for the 2013 mcat or should I try to sell them and order the new TBR (could there be that much difference)?

 

[osprey099]

TBR for bio is way overrated. TPRHL Bio is a lot better.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

can i ask your opinion on TBR Cell/Mol Bio Passages? Those seem pretty experimental-based I think. And def not easy either. Also, The TPRH Science Workbook, given that I am short on time, which topics in Bio is good/must-do?

Thanks

TBR bio's passages are more about details and background knowledge than critical thinking. In addition their passages are just way too hard, and not in a way that mirrors the actual MCAT. I wouldn't say TBR bio is terrible, but it's definitely inferior to TPRH bio which is very similar to the passages on the real exam.

If you're short on time, do as many TPRH bio passages as you can. Get the advanced passages out of the way first, but all the passages are worth doing in it. There's a thread on here that lists out which passages in the workbook correspond to which topic so you should look that up and use it to concentrate on what you need (it wasn't posted too long ago, should be in the first several pages). If you still need more practice after that then do TBR bio.

 

[sunrat39]

Ok, so there is TPR and TPRH (hyper learning right?). I won't be taking my mcat until January so I have time. Will just the regular TPR be ok for passages or just get TPRH bio science review?

Also, does anyone know if 2-3 year old TBR books are still ok to use for 2013 mcat?

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Ok, so there is TPR and TPRH (hyper learning right?). I won't be taking my mcat until January so I have time. Will just the regular TPR be ok for passages or just get TPRH bio science review?

Also, does anyone know if 2-3 year old TBR books are still ok to use for 2013 mcat?

When people talk about TPRH they're referring only to the workbooks. The content review books themselves are the same between TPRH and TPR (in fact I don't even think there are TPRH content review books, they just get the normal books along with the TPRH workbooks).

TBR bio hasn't changed much in a long time so books a few years old should be fine.

 

[sunrat39]

Ocdocdocd-

I meant my 2009 physics and 2010 gen and orgo Chem books. I think they should be fine too?

 

[argama]

hmm ok i guess ill just burn through all the advanced passages of TPRH Science tomorrow for bio....omg how long will that take...... >_<

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Ocdocdocd-

I meant my 2009 physics and 2010 gen and orgo Chem books. I think they should be fine too?

Both physics and orgo got big updates in 2011 and 2012 IIRC. Gen chem should be fine though. BerkeleyReviewTeach would know more about this.

 

[argama]

Oh and sorry for one more q but experimental based bio passages lean more towards molecular and cell bio rather than physiology right? B/c when i hear "experimental" i think more of mobio and genes and lab techniques.....just wanted to make sure.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using SDN Mobile

 

[WhiteCoatSyndrome]

I have the EK books and TBR books (except bio). I am going to try to follow SN2ed program but I have seen some people say to use ek 1001 for bio and some say use TBR bio for passages. I am about to order one of these books but don't know which one? Anyone use both? Sorry, I am sure this has been asked before.

I feel it depends on your bio background. If you are a bio major and recently have taken classes such as physiology, genetics and/or Biochem then I feel EK would be fine. I'm following SN2ed's schedule and use BR passages with EK lectures. It's worked for me so far as I've done most AAMC exams and have scored no less than a 10 in bio.

 

[osprey099]

TBR bio's passages are more about details and background knowledge than critical thinking. In addition their passages are just way too hard, and not in a way that mirrors the actual MCAT. I wouldn't say TBR bio is terrible, but it's definitely inferior to TPRH bio which is very similar to the passages on the real exam.

If you're short on time, do as many TPRH bio passages as you can. Get the advanced passages out of the way first, but all the passages are worth doing in it. There's a thread on here that lists out which passages in the workbook correspond to which topic so you should look that up and use it to concentrate on what you need (it wasn't posted too long ago, should be in the first several pages). If you still need more practice after that then do TBR bio.

I agree with this 100%. TBR bio is so overrated. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's good practice. It just means you will not understand what you are reading and not understand why you got a question wrong and even if you did understand, it will most likely will not show up on AAMCs or the MCAT because it's so detailed.

 

[pfaction]

TPRH SW > TBR bio >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EK1001 bio

This man has nailed it. For Bio, TPR is more than enough. MORE than enough.

TBR goes insane!

 

[argama]

well I did AAMC 11 and got a 12 on BS.....rocked that Ebola passage with only one wrong (it was a 50/50 and I was unsure of something on the graph =/) and mainly missed discretes and more straightforward type questions.

The only bad side is my PS is still around a 10 and VR is still 9 🙁

 

[jmanning345]

I agree that TBR is good but not representative.

There is critical thinking, but it is more content recall (some insane). Reading the answers over is more content and picking up the odd fact here and there.

 

[angldrps]

TBR bio is only good for their passages because the content in these books is an overkill. It is unnecessarily detailed and filled with info you don't need. I would recommend TPR's bio books. TPR would teach you the same topic in 20 pages whereas TBR would dedicate 40 pages to it. EK 1001 doesn't have very good passages. They didn't involve very much critical thinking as I would have liked. For bio practice, I recommend either TPR's science workbook or TBR book passages.

 

[sunrat39]

Are 2009 versions of TPRH good enough or should I get the 2012 editions? Also there are science workbooks and just biology for TPRH.

 

[sunrat39]

Ok guys. I have exam krackers biology for content review. So, I don't think I need another book for content review. The other book I need is for passages. I see people saying TPR bio but I want to make sure you aren't saying TPRHL. I'm thinking about getting the science workbook from Princeton review. Will that be a replacement for just the TPR bio as far as passages go?

 

[sunrat39]

I see angldrps what you have written (science workbook is your recommendation for passages).

 

[maybemed2013]

Ok guys. I have exam krackers biology for content review. So, I don't think I need another book for content review. The other book I need is for passages. I see people saying TPR bio but I want to make sure you aren't saying TPRHL. I'm thinking about getting the science workbook from Princeton review. Will that be a replacement for just the TPR bio as far as passages go?

Yes. I think when most people are talking about TPR for bio they are talking abt the sci. wrkbk.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Ok guys. I have exam krackers biology for content review. So, I don't think I need another book for content review. The other book I need is for passages. I see people saying TPR bio but I want to make sure you aren't saying TPRHL. I'm thinking about getting the science workbook from Princeton review. Will that be a replacement for just the TPR bio as far as passages go?

Whenever people on this forum talk about TPR you should always assume they're talking about TPRH unless they explicitly say otherwise.

 

[sunrat39]

Alright thanks OCD. Ek bio for content and TPRH sw for bio. Thanks.

 

[angldrps]

Alright thanks OCD. Ek bio for content and TPRH sw for bio. Thanks.

This is a very good plan. Make sure you do all the stand alone questions/passages in Science workbook. You should also try to find the TPR class schedule as it will tell you which passages in the science workbook correlate with what bio topic/concept. The science workbook doesn't have a table of contents and it is like 400 pages so without that schedule you would be pretty lost.

 

[sunrat39]

This is a very good plan. Make sure you do all the stand alone questions/passages in Science workbook. You should also try to find the TPR class schedule as it will tell you which passages in the science workbook correlate with what bio topic/concept. The science workbook doesn't have a table of contents and it is like 400 pages so without that schedule you would be pretty lost.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[gtbROX]

I personally think that TPRH has the best BS practice material, and then EK comes after. I've never really looked into TBR practice material, but my study buddy has been using my TPRH books more often as opposed to his TBR ones these days.

 

[sunrat39]

Ok update-

So, I just got my science workbook in the mail and the seller stated it was the 2010 version, but I received the 2006 version. Does anyone know if there are any differences (amount of passages, types of questions, etc...) between the two?

 

[argama]

well I have a 2005 and a 2010 edition of the TPRH SW (don't ask me how and why) and when I flipped through the 2005 version, the passages were mostly the same but the book was a little thinner and they did not mark what was an "advanced passage" or stuff like that.

 

[tttgo]

no discretes in the 2007 one

 

[sunrat39]

Well, I ordered the 2010 from another source and I'll get this other issue resolved. Rather have 2010 than 2006.

 

[moto_za]

Don't you guys think that EK 1001 bio is still good to do to nail down the basics?

 

[V5RED]

I used EK bio 101 and Khan Academy for all of my biology content review.

The only major sources of biology practice I got were the end of chapter questions in EK 101 and the 4 practice tests I took.

I have EK bio 1001 questions, but I hardly used that. I have TBR biology, but I did not use it for either content or passages.

I got a 12 on the BS section from the 7/27 exam and felt fully prepared as I took the exam.

I would suggest that EK bio 101 (not 1001, that is a book of questions, not a content book) is good enough for content especially when paired with something like Khan Academy.