I've always been pre-dent, and have taken the DAT, so am not familiar at all with the MCAT.
With the DAT there was pretty much a consensus on 2 to 3 books/companies that have everything you need to do well on the DAT.
I'm not looking to take a class or anything, I'd rather self study. So given each section of the MCAT, what would be the best 2 to 3 review materials out there, whether it be book or online reviews/videos?
Biology:
Gen Chem:
Org Chem:
Physics:
Psych/Soc:
CARS:
Also if you guys could suggest something for content review and practice exams that would be great
It depends on your pre-study content review and your test taking skills. As a rough heuristic:
1. The Berkeley Review books are very good for establishing a thorough content review in the sciences (biology, gen chem, org chem, physics). The passages are also excellent, and the books teach you some good test taking shortcuts and strategies needed to do well on test day. There's also a new psych/soc book that's out which I heard it's good but not too sure. The CARS book is generally not used.
2. ExamKrackers books (I recommend the most recent 10th edition since it's updated to reflect the current exam) are good if you already have a solid content review and just need a refresher. These books teach you various test taking and efficiency strategies, and offers many solid practice passages. You can also supplement with the new ExamKrackers 101 Passages books for extra passage-based practice. The sciences are especially great since they are research-based and have a lot of experiments, which is something you will see on test day. Their CARS strategy book is good for understanding how to effectively read verbal passages and answer the questions. The passages are okay but some have pointed out their reasoning isn't great.
3. I recommend the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook (for the old MCAT but works well for the new MCAT since the CARS section is the same as the old verbal). Excellent passages and questions that simulate what you will see on test day.
4. Khan Academy videos and passages are free and great resources. Khan Academy is also very good for psychology/sociology content review, and there's a 100-page study guide that's available on Reddit.
Also, always buy and use all AAMC practice material when preparing for the exam. They are the best resources for what you will see on test day. I recommend AAMC Question Packs (definitely for verbal and all sciences, though the sciences may be easy), Section Bank (harder than the real deal but essential practice) and all AAMC full length exams.
For full length exams from prep companies, NextStep and ExamKrackers are good. Kaplan and The Princeton Review tests are notorious for their deflating curves and very hard material.
In the end, MCAT study is personalized to your own study schedule and your own strengths/weaknesses. Always remember to practice under strict timed conditions and review the reasoning behind all your answers thoroughly. You need to understand and master the MCAT logic to get the highest possible score on test day.
