kaplan Qbank

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ironpalm83

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Has anyone tried Kaplan Qbank??? If you have done so could you share your experience of Qbank and maybe how it helped u in the real mcat? thanks

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Has anyone tried Kaplan Qbank??? If you have done so could you share your experience of Qbank and maybe how it helped u in the real mcat? thanks

I would not recommend it very much; very few verbal passages. I ran out very quickly..maybe 10-15 verbal passages or so. The sciences are tough, calculation-based (for PS) and not representative of the real MCAT.

Passage questions are retrieval-like and involve little/no reasoning. If you need practice, I think the AAMC's, though limited in number, are best. Check maybe if the QBank has been updated---the version I was using was from 2003/2004.
 
after this last january mcat (where the questions were nothing like the ones on the AAMC), im thinking the kaplan qbank is a pretty good idea....
 
I am thinking of doing the Kaplan science online qbank ($499), Kaplan flashcards, and buying some of the tests from aamc. Do you all think that might be a good strategy? Oh and I have some of the EK books from the last time I took the test.
 
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I am thinking of doing the Kaplan science online qbank ($499), Kaplan flashcards, and buying some of the tests from aamc. Do you all think that might be a good strategy? Oh and I have some of the EK books from the last time I took the test.

I am using EK books as back-bone. Reading each lectures and making the notes out of those lectures. I bought Ek's 1001 for chemistry and physics..
I am planning on buying AAMC tests as well as Qbank..... i don't know about Qbank now.. :(

I also have Kaplans MCAT high yield problem solving guide as well.. i wonder how this would help :(
 
I am using EK books as back-bone. Reading each lectures and making the notes out of those lectures. I bought Ek's 1001 for chemistry and physics..
I am planning on buying AAMC tests as well as Qbank..... i don't know about Qbank now.. :(

I also have Kaplans MCAT high yield problem solving guide as well.. i wonder how this would help :(

I am wondering if spending $500 bucks on Kaplan all science qbank is a worth it? I think buying some online tests from aamc is a good idea. I like the EK books. I have the EK general and organic chemistry books and they are good. I should get the EK biology.
 
I am wondering if spending $500 bucks on Kaplan all science qbank is a worth it? I think buying some online tests from aamc is a good idea. I like the EK books. I have the EK general and organic chemistry books and they are good. I should get the EK biology.

I thought the qbank only cost 199$?????? correct me if i am wrong
 
The QBank is $199, the science review stuff is $499. Either way it is way overpriced. The QBank contains questions that are ridiculously difficult and don't resemble the MCAT in any way. Don't waste your money on Kaplan review course materials. Buy Examkrackers + 1001 Questions in whatever subjects you need help in. Just my opinion.
 
The key is practice questions. You don't need 15 different types of review materials. The MCAT tests BASIC knowledge. Whether you get 15 different types of review material won't matter if you cannot apply it to the passage. Use Examkrackers for the review and do as many questions as you can. Get the questions from wherever.
 
The QBank is $199, the science review stuff is $499. Either way it is way overpriced. The QBank contains questions that are ridiculously difficult and don't resemble the MCAT in any way. Don't waste your money on Kaplan review course materials. Buy Examkrackers + 1001 Questions in whatever subjects you need help in. Just my opinion.
Qbank is advertised at $199 but I was recently only charged $139. However, I disagree that it's a waste of money. Yes the questions are hard but if you know your stuff that shouldn't matter. Doing hard questions now should make taking the exam a little easier and the practice taking a computerized MCAT should help to. However I do agree with using EK for prep on basic concepts and find the combo between Kaplan questions and EK prep a solid one.:thumbup:
 
after this last january mcat (where the questions were nothing like the ones on the AAMC), im thinking the kaplan qbank is a pretty good idea....


did you take the jan. MCAT? are you serious? are the aamc practice tests no longer representatative of the real thing? how have they changed exactly?
 
I don't know if everyone would agree with me on this, but some of the questions (especially in physical science) were much harder than any of the ones i did on the official AAMC practice tests. There were some passages that I totally just didn't understand. Maybe it was just because theres like 10 times more pressure when you're taking the real thing. When I took the practice AAMCs, i felt so much more confident than I did on that Saturday :mad:
 
I found the Kaplan Qbank to be helpful if you take it for what it is. What is it you ask? As I see it, it's an opportunity to "catch yourself off guard," as the MCAT will most assuredly do. The scope of some of the QBank passages is waaaay more difficult than the AAMC stuff, but it makes you ask yourself "what the hell is this?" when you're trying to answer some of the questions. And, as those who have taken the MCAT know, sensitizing yourself to the "what the hell is this?" questions/passages can make a big difference. Sometimes.

As for the verbal part of the Qbank, I just checked my subscription and it says that there are 38 total. Not trying to call anyone out, just telling you what mine says.

In short, the QBank is a good tool if you have test anxiety or get nervous easily. It allows you to experience those feelings repeatedly and, eveuntally, you see through the electron holes, perihelion, and the likes, and are able to focus more clearly on the questions.

From a recent (about a week ago) MCAT taker, I think that this tool may be most useful when used concurrently with other supplements. I would worry about getting down the basic principles and test-taking strategies before progressing to the QBank. Although it does have some very useful content, I think the QBank's biggest virtue is its ability to prepare you for those ridiculously difficult passages that are always on the MCAT.
 
I haven't used mine - I'm planning to when the test gets closer up - but it seems like a great way to test exactly what you are having troubles with in a similar interface to what it'll be on test day, and in passage format. Seems worth it to me.
 
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