Kaplan vs Chads

LUC78

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  1. Pre-Optometry
Hi,
So I plan on studying for the OAT by relying almost entirely on the KAPLAN lesson books to learn content and then doing the practice exams in the OAT Destroyer.
Would the Kaplan book be sufficient in covering all the material well or should I also subscribe to Chads videos? I don't want to have too many materials but am also concerned that Kaplan may not be thorough enough.
Thanks a lot!
 
In my opinion, Chad's videos are the most effective method for learning the chemistry sections. Use the quizzes to reinforce the content, and write and rewrite his reaction sheets down until you lose the will to live (or your hand falls off, whichever happens first).

Chad's videos + quizzes for GChem and OChem perfectly align with the content that you need to know. Nothing extraneous was covered, and almost nothing was missing. He also has lots of good tricks to do math very quickly for GChem. Also, the types of questions you get are very, very similar to the real thing.

I had practically no recollection of either of the two subjects before I started studying - I hadn't taken Gen Chem for 7 years, and 5 years since I'd taken Organic. I got a C in Organic I. I had to take Organic II twice, earning only a C my second time. I used Chad's videos + quizzes + reaction sheets as my only material for about 6 weeks, and I added the OAT destroyer for the last week or so. I got a 400 on both sections.

Chad's videos and quizzes cover probably 29 of the 30 questions that you'll see for each section on the OAT. The OAT Destroyer becomes useful when you want to be sure you'll be prepared for all 30 questions, instead of 29 (28 if you're really unlucky). The Destroyer OChem road maps were also useful (especially to familiarize yourself with different ways of writing the same reagent/reaction).

Chad's was okay for the rest of the sections - except Biology, which simply weren't very useful at all. In order to minimize the amount of prep material, I used only Cliff's AP Biology to prepare for Biology. I took notes for a few hours a day for about a month. I ended up with a 380 in Biology (4 years since I had taken any Bio course). I found Cliff's to be effective in learning the relevant material and in helping focus on learning the material rather than juggling a bunch of different sources.
 
I agree! Chad's & OAT Destroyer is the best combination!

I use Kaplan's practice tests to get me into the feel of the actual exam (the timing and the layout). But question wise, Chad's quizzes & OAT destroyer are the way to go!!
 
Do you think KAPLAN would be sufficient enough for the physics section?
Also are the Cliff notes more in depth for Bio or would I be okay sticking to kaplan
 
Kaplan is so overkill and difficult on the physics section I do not like it at all! Cracking the OAT is a good book for physics.
 
Cliff's AP Bio is not all that detailed. It covers the info for an AP Bio course you'd take in high school - or the equivalent of the general info you learn in the first year (or 2 semesters) of a general biology course. I think Cliff's is good because it covers everything without going too in depth (OAT tests on you "breadth before depth").

The downside is that it's very ... scientific? It's written like a scientific paper - it's dense in that sense. If you find Cliff's to be too dense, Barron's AP Biology is an easier read while covering the same basics. Barron's teaches you more like a story (well, more than Cliff's at least).
 
Has the OAT changed in the last decade or so? Or is the structure and subjects still pretty much the same to where old OAT books from 2004 can be used? Please help!
 
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