Is Exam Krackers content review enough for all content

[premedgurl]

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i am enrolled in a kaplan prep course with all kaplan's content review. I also purchased EK audio osmosis. I realize that EK is VERY condensed about all the material, but Jon said this is the COMPLETE content review. Should i trust this and just rely on EK content review and do practice after that?

I read some other posts on this forum and some ppl say kaplan content review has a lot of useless material, so i don't really want to waste my time.

Also, if EK is the COMPLETE content review, how do we explain the stuff that's on kaplan's LESSON BOOK REVIEW MATERIAL, but not on EK's review? All Kaplan's lesson book material is supposed to be the highly tested ones.

please help me! I really appreciate it!
Thanks!

 

[SN2ed]

When I studied for the test last year, I found EK to be enough. There are better content review books in some subjects, but EK's fine. Didn't find Kaplan useful outside of practice material.

Edit: Forgot to mention that if you only use EK, you might want another source for some more genetics stuff.

 

[engineeredout]

I've been using EK, but someone gave me the kaplan flashcards. I gotta say that kaplan seems to have some pretty worthless information in it. Not even as an engineering major did I learn that there were specific names for the transition of hydrogen atom electrons from different energy levels.

Pfund series, lyman series, Paschen Series, what a load of crap.

Btw I don't find audio osmosis too helpful. Especially annoying is during bio, which is the one I'm most likely to listen to, they seem especially obnoxious throwing in unfunny jokes which just end up being distracting.

 

[premedgurl]

omg, i just read more posts, and some people said the EK covers everything that's on available AAMC tests. does it mean i might encounter some new stuff on the real MCAT that i will be taking?? that's scary!

thanks!

 

[BlueElmo]

EK does seem to gloss over certain topics, ie) they don't even mention linkage in their genetics section. So I just use my TPR books for content review and use the 30-minute topical exams EK for practice.

 

[Hindubhaisaab]

There has been an MCAT passage on lyman series before, bottom line is you don't really know whats gonna be on there and there is new stuff on there all the time -A friend told me that the test he took there was stuff about cis/trans genes in the lac operon and a passage about double stranded RNA (micro RNA, molecular biology stuff). Basically you can't prepare for everything because you really don't know whats going to be on there. EK is good if you want to spend a decent amount of time and learn a decent amount of the material. If you wanna do Kaplan there is a ton more material but if you actually memorize it all I would guess that your score would be higher than if you had all the EK stuff memorized (the concepts that is) - but that being said, are you really going to spend that much time?

I really think you can figure out most of the questions with base knowledge of the concepts - you dont have to be familiar with what the lyman series is to get them all right, but knowing it helps and that could really be a difference for you

 

[Chuckwalla]

When it comes to PS, EK sucks. What irritated me most is that they do not give example problems, all they say is know this equation. Get something else for PS. Their verbal strategy is fantastic and the BS is pretty good, might want to get a bit more depth for the biology though.

 

[OneDarkFlame]

I agree with Chuckwalla on the PS sections. I thought I was prepared with all the practice and theory they equipped me with, but no.
Definitely go through the Kaplan sections for Gen Chem and Physics, or at least consult several textbooks for sections you are unclear about in the EK books. Also, gauge your level of understanding by doing some PS AAMC practice test sections.

 

[SN2ed]

I guess I'll post this up for fun.

Originally Posted by TheBoondocks
This question gets asked like every three days. In short, EK series are stripped down with the basics you need to know. Get EK bio, it is by far the best for bio, all the responses on SDN say this. Know this book cold. If you don't believe me, type in EK bio in the search function. Personally, you learn the best from passages, If you have time and the cash I highly suggest purchasing Berkeley Review Gen Chem and Ochem. There physics is good too, but with PR it may be redundant. You will thank me later. You'll probably want EK biology review and EK 101 biology passages and EK verbal 101. PR is good, however, if you want to kill the MCAT you have to be able to integrate material. That's what BR does better than anyone else. Like, be able to answer questions if you see the circulatory system wired in parallel series.

bio - 1. EK bio and 101 bio passages 2. Kaplan 3. PR/BR however, these don't suck, they're just detailed which turns off many people.

Physics 1. BR/Nova 2. PR 3. Kaplan I really think BR but they're are a lot of people who swear by Nova on this site

Verbal 1. Ek verbal and 101 passages 2. PR 3. BR 4. Kaplan (read stay from)

Gen Chem 1. BR by far 2. PR 3. Kaplan/EK

O Chem 1. BR by far 2. toss up between Kaplan/PR/Ek

That is a general list of what i have read on SDN for the past 4 years, i came here and lurked throughout highschool. Good luck and hopefully this will help. EK is for people who KNOW the material and want review. If you are weak in something BR is the best since it's the most detailed and PR is detailed too, Kaplan is in the Middle, and EK is the least detailed but that doesn't mean it's bad. Just depends on the person. If you can I would buy the BR Chemistry books and Physics book. If you complete the PR science workbook along with BR passages and EK bio, you will kill the sciences. Ek Verbal should help you out with verbal.

 

[engineeredout]

There has been an MCAT passage on lyman series before, bottom line is you don't really know whats gonna be on there and there is new stuff on there all the time -

Yeah it might be mentioned in a passage, but I seriously doubt the lyman series would be anything you actually have to memorize.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

I studied primarily with EK & took the mcat last week. I'd say overall it was very good, there were a few areas that were not as detailed on the EK review as the actual MCAT was; those areas I mostly recognized due to recent pre-med advanced bio courses.

The MCAT seems to do that type of thing, though; almost like a few "impossible" questions are thrown in as no one's supposed to get that elusive 45; one practice test required that one know what a "vole" is; (it's similar to a mole; it's a rodent that's native of US southwest) which I only recognize because they live by my home. So overall, I was happy with EK alone, they definitely mainly focus on the most important areas!

 

[IvyLeagueThug]

I found the level of genetics to be lacking in their bio book. Otherwise, the stuff was excellent.

 

[BlueElmo]

one practice test required that one know what a "vole" is; (it's similar to a mole; it's a rodent that's native of US southwest) which I only recognize because they live by my home. So overall, I was happy with EK alone, they definitely mainly focus on the most important areas!

LOL. Stupid voles.

 

[GoldShadow]

The MCAT seems to do that type of thing, though; almost like a few "impossible" questions are thrown in as no one's supposed to get that elusive 45; one practice test required that one know what a "vole" is; (it's similar to a mole; it's a rodent that's native of US southwest) which I only recognize because they live by my home. So overall, I was happy with EK alone, they definitely mainly focus on the most important areas!

It's a simple matter of reading through an entire library of zoological classifications. Just memorize every animal that exists.

I've found this technique to be very useful for VR as well. I'm trying to read every single book or journal article ever written so that when it shows up on the VR section, I'll already be familiar with it.

 

[premedgurl]

sweet! thanks a lot, everyone!! =D