My Two Cents on the New Berkeley Review

[mbio2015]

My score: 518 (131/128/130/129) self-studying for ~6 months.

Background: Biology major and chemistry minor.

I had heard a great many good things about TBR so decided to try out the new versions, and was happy with the product…thought I’d add my own two cents. Overall, all the books are very detailed, and it took me one to the three hours to get through each chapter. This was a plus for me since I had the time, and learn best from knowing details even if I won’t be tested over them. This can be problem if someone just wants the material they will be tested over or are high yield (particularly in physics since that it’s emphasized less). I’d read a chapter from a couple of different subjects a day, then review it with the end of chapter passages later in the week, which I felt really helped my understanding (they also have numerous in-chapter problems). That brings me to the main reason TBR is great: the abundance of practice passages. People can have their preferences on the subjects covered by third party companies, but everyone agrees practice, practice, and more practice is key. I spent months doing practice problems from TBR and never completed them all! The difficulty level was comparable to the AAMC science question packs (I found TBR to be harder), and I felt as though they made you think critically. They threw in many tricky questions designed to make you “think like the test makers” which I found extremely helpful. Instead of panicking when I saw a questions from hell on FLs, I was better able to deduce the best answer…it’s a very strong area when it comes to TBR. Now as for the books themselves…

Bio: Not bad, not great when it comes to content; some of their wording and organization could have been better. It will cover what you need to know, and then some. Again, real selling point is the absurd amount of questions they offer.

Orgo: I found this the most helpful; it covers most of what you need to know, but wish they went into slightly more detail about biochemical tests since I had to do some googling to cement my knowledge. Also person preference, but wish they offered comprehensive practice tests. The way they did it, they offered a practice test after every chapter instead of comprehensive tests covering all the material like in the other books. Still excellent review material.

Physics: Same with bio: not bad, not great and some confusing word choice (though I suck at physics so that may have just been me).

Chemistry: See bio and physics. Lots of great practice questions (see a pattern haha?).

Verbal: Eh. It had great passages, but the questions…I’m not so sure of. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but they seemed different from the AAMC and old TPR hyperlearning questions. I ended up just using it for extra practice while doing old TPR hyperlearning, EK 101, and the AAMC question packs. Might as well get it if you’re ordering the other books.

Psych/soc: I didn’t get it. I was nervous about how much content they offered so ended up getting TPR book instead along with Khan.

Final thoughts: I very much recommend TBR. The content itself in my opinion is fine, and you’ll learn what you need to. I don’t mean to be disparaging with my “fine” and “not bad, not great” comments; I just believe when it comes solely to content it’s comparable to TPR and Kaplan. I also wish they condensed physics into high yield material, and had a separate biochem section like Kaplan. It had most of the biochem material I needed, but felt like I was flipping back and forth between the bio and orgo books frequently, and I actually wanted more detail. However, the amount of passages and tests they offer, and the way they help you tackle problems puts them above the other companies in my opinion (besides AAMC of course). I think the books are easily worth the money.

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[DexterMorganSK]

That's a great score, Congrats! I'm glad TBR worked for you and I agree that their passages are worth the money. I'm currently using Ek for content and BR for questions.

You mind sharing the types and the number of FLs you took? Thanks!

 

[DaAlienist]

My score: 518 (131/128/130/129) self-studying for ~6 months.

Background: Biology major and chemistry minor.

I had heard a great many good things about TBR so decided to try out the new versions, and was happy with the product…thought I’d add my own two cents. Overall, all the books are very detailed, and it took me one to the three hours to get through each chapter. This was a plus for me since I had the time, and learn best from knowing details even if I won’t be tested over them. This can be problem if someone just wants the material they will be tested over or are high yield (particularly in physics since that it’s emphasized less). I’d read a chapter from a couple of different subjects a day, then review it with the end of chapter passages later in the week, which I felt really helped my understanding (they also have numerous in-chapter problems). That brings me to the main reason TBR is great: the abundance of practice passages. People can have their preferences on the subjects covered by third party companies, but everyone agrees practice, practice, and more practice is key. I spent months doing practice problems from TBR and never completed them all! The difficulty level was comparable to the AAMC science question packs (I found TBR to be harder), and I felt as though they made you think critically. They threw in many tricky questions designed to make you “think like the test makers” which I found extremely helpful. Instead of panicking when I saw a questions from hell on FLs, I was better able to deduce the best answer…it’s a very strong area when it comes to TBR. Now as for the books themselves…

Bio: Not bad, not great when it comes to content; some of their wording and organization could have been better. It will cover what you need to know, and then some. Again, real selling point is the absurd amount of questions they offer.

Orgo: I found this the most helpful; it covers most of what you need to know, but wish they went into slightly more detail about biochemical tests since I had to do some googling to cement my knowledge. Also person preference, but wish they offered comprehensive practice tests. The way they did it, they offered a practice test after every chapter instead of comprehensive tests covering all the material like in the other books. Still excellent review material.

Physics: Same with bio: not bad, not great and some confusing word choice (though I suck at physics so that may have just been me).

Chemistry: See bio and physics. Lots of great practice questions (see a pattern haha?).

Verbal: Eh. It had great passages, but the questions…I’m not so sure of. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but they seemed different from the AAMC and old TPR hyperlearning questions. I ended up just using it for extra practice while doing old TPR hyperlearning, EK 101, and the AAMC question packs. Might as well get it if you’re ordering the other books.

Psych/soc: I didn’t get it. I was nervous about how much content they offered so ended up getting TPR book instead along with Khan.

Final thoughts: I very much recommend TBR. The content itself in my opinion is fine, and you’ll learn what you need to. I don’t mean to be disparaging with my “fine” and “not bad, not great” comments; I just believe when it comes solely to content it’s comparable to TPR and Kaplan. I also wish they condensed physics into high yield material, and had a separate biochem section like Kaplan. It had most of the biochem material I needed, but felt like I was flipping back and forth between the bio and orgo books frequently, and I actually wanted more detail. However, the amount of passages and tests they offer, and the way they help you tackle problems puts them above the other companies in my opinion (besides AAMC of course). I think the books are easily worth the money.

Awesome score! How did you find the EK 101 explanations? Did their passages reflect what you saw on AAMC materials well? Did you also ever use NextStep 108 CARS? Is the TPR Hyperlearning book available for the new or just old exam?

 

[mbio2015]

That's a great score, Congrats! I'm glad TBR worked for you and I agree that their passages are worth the money. I'm currently using Ek for content and BR for questions.

You mind sharing the types and the number of FLs you took? Thanks!

I am so sorry, I hardly log on and just noticed this. I took the free TPR test as my first one, free nextstep FL and diagnostic, and the three AAMC tests. I also made my own "FLs" by using the practice tests in TBR, which is why I didn't buy more 3rd party tests. If you do buy more, I'd recommend nextstep. I also hear Atlius is good, but never tried theirs.

Awesome score! How did you find the EK 101 explanations? Did their passages reflect what you saw on AAMC materials well? Did you also ever use NextStep 108 CARS? Is the TPR Hyperlearning book available for the new or just old exam?

The EK 101 explanations were not bad, but I found some of them slightly subjective. The old one, not exactly; it was formatted for the old exam so less questions and a bit more sciency where the new CARS seems to focus more on humanities. Still a great resource though since it offers so much practice.

Didn't use nextstep, and I think the TPR hyperlearning only sells the new one but you could probably get the old version online for pretty cheap. I used the old TPR and it seemed the closest to AAMC (though again it had more science). I used the 3rd party material as daily practice, and used the AAMC question packs as mini tests toward the end of my studying. The old stuff may be outdated but it's still good material for CARS as long as you use it with the AAMC qpacks.

 

[utazo]

I am so sorry, I hardly log on and just noticed this. I took the free TPR test as my first one, free nextstep FL and diagnostic, and the three AAMC tests. I also made my own "FLs" by using the practice tests in TBR, which is why I didn't buy more 3rd party tests. If you do buy more, I'd recommend nextstep. I also hear Atlius is good, but never tried theirs.




The EK 101 explanations were not bad, but I found some of them slightly subjective. The old one, not exactly; it was formatted for the old exam so less questions and a bit more sciency where the new CARS seems to focus more on humanities. Still a great resource though since it offers so much practice.

Didn't use nextstep, and I think the TPR hyperlearning only sells the new one but you could probably get the old version online for pretty cheap. I used the old TPR and it seemed the closest to AAMC (though again it had more science). I used the 3rd party material as daily practice, and used the AAMC question packs as mini tests toward the end of my studying. The old stuff may be outdated but it's still good material for CARS as long as you use it with the AAMC qpacks.

What do you mean by "3rd party material as daily practice"?

 

[mbio2015]

What do you mean by "3rd party material as daily practice"?

Sorry don't know where I picked up that term, but I mean anything not AAMC (EK, Kaplan, TBR, etc.). I used EK 101, TPR hyperlearning, and TBR passages daily starting with a couple passages a day, and up to five (except days where I took a FL) toward the end of my studying.

 

[Mad Jack]

That's a great score, Congrats! I'm glad TBR worked for you and I agree that their passages are worth the money. I'm currently using Ek for content and BR for questions.

You mind sharing the types and the number of FLs you took? Thanks!

TBR has far better content in the heavier tested areas of the sciences. EK is fine for the softer topics, but TBR physics and chem are basically solid gold in paper form.

 

[ICUBlue]

TBR bio genetics is weighing me down big time... I've started to read EK and supplement with Khan videos where needed and certain parts of the TBR passages. Just trying to make it through the reading to get to the TBR passages and 30 min EK exams.

GC and Ochem TBR don't seem nearly as wordy. Physics has been hit or miss wordy. I think I may use this strategy from now on.

I know it differs by person, but if you guys were to rank TBR chapters that are highest yield, what would they be? I just want to cover the basics and get to practice passages quicker.


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[ICUBlue]

Would you call it a fair assessment to say some of TBR's value is learning how to read detailed and inferential material? Or if I am majorly slogging through the chapter would it be better to go for the actual foundational understanding that EK plus supplemental khan provides?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[mbio2015]

TBR has far better content in the heavier tested areas of the sciences. EK is fine for the softer topics, but TBR physics and chem are basically solid gold in paper form.

Interesting. I knew EK was lighter on content, but had thought that TPR and Kaplan were roughly equal with TBR when it came to content. Then again I only have experience with TBR and TPR so a lot of that is hearsay.

TBR bio genetics is weighing me down big time... I've started to read EK and supplement with Khan videos where needed and certain parts of the TBR passages. Just trying to make it through the reading to get to the TBR passages and 30 min EK exams.

GC and Ochem TBR don't seem nearly as wordy. Physics has been hit or miss wordy. I think I may use this strategy from now on.

I know it differs by person, but if you guys were to rank TBR chapters that are highest yield, what would they be? I just want to cover the basics and get to practice passages quicker.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Yeah the chapters were really dense and time-consuming, but it also means you have the vast majority of the content. I'd say most of the content comes from part II (molecular bio, metabolism, biochem). Memorize all the amino acids, and know your way around the different metabolic pathways really well. As for the part I (the physiology) I'd know it, but it wasn't high yield in my opinion. During my time studying I came across a few lung, development, heart, GI, and neuro problems, but even then a lot of the questions had to do with enzymes, molecules, and hormones. I ended up skimming most of part I and mostly focused on neuro and part II.

Would you call it a fair assessment to say some of TBR's value is learning how to read detailed and inferential material? Or if I am majorly slogging through the chapter would it be better to go for the actual foundational understanding that EK plus supplemental khan provides?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I suppose, but while there can be some dense passages on the MCAT, a lot of it is charts, graphs, figures, etc. I'd say the more valuable skill from TBR is learning to think critically about answers, and POE more than reading dense material. You're not the only one that slogs through though; I could only handle about a couple chapters a day. Honestly, if you have time, I'd say go through TBR and use their questions. The only area I'd say EK has an advantage is CARs.

 

[the Mannis]

Interesting. I knew EK was lighter on content, but had thought that TPR and Kaplan were roughly equal with TBR when it came to content. Then again I only have experience with TBR and TPR so a lot of that is hearsay.



Yeah the chapters were really dense and time-consuming, but it also means you have the vast majority of the content. I'd say most of the content comes from part II (molecular bio, metabolism, biochem). Memorize all the amino acids, and know your way around the different metabolic pathways really well. As for the part I (the physiology) I'd know it, but it wasn't high yield in my opinion. During my time studying I came across a few lung, development, heart, GI, and neuro problems, but even then a lot of the questions had to do with enzymes, molecules, and hormones. I ended up skimming most of part I and mostly focused on neuro and part II.



I suppose, but while there can be some dense passages on the MCAT, a lot of it is charts, graphs, figures, etc. I'd say the more valuable skill from TBR is learning to think critically about answers, and POE more than reading dense material. You're not the only one that slogs through though; I could only handle about a couple chapters a day. Honestly, if you have time, I'd say go through TBR and use their questions. The only area I'd say EK has an advantage is CARs.

So you were able to complete 2-3 TBR chapters of reading with a few passages each day? I'm asking because a lot of people recommend one chapter a day during content review, but that seems so light to me. It seems very reasonable to be able to get through at least 2 chapters a day.

 

[Mad Jack]

Interesting. I knew EK was lighter on content, but had thought that TPR and Kaplan were roughly equal with TBR when it came to content. Then again I only have experience with TBR and TPR so a lot of that is hearsay.



Yeah the chapters were really dense and time-consuming, but it also means you have the vast majority of the content. I'd say most of the content comes from part II (molecular bio, metabolism, biochem). Memorize all the amino acids, and know your way around the different metabolic pathways really well. As for the part I (the physiology) I'd know it, but it wasn't high yield in my opinion. During my time studying I came across a few lung, development, heart, GI, and neuro problems, but even then a lot of the questions had to do with enzymes, molecules, and hormones. I ended up skimming most of part I and mostly focused on neuro and part II.



I suppose, but while there can be some dense passages on the MCAT, a lot of it is charts, graphs, figures, etc. I'd say the more valuable skill from TBR is learning to think critically about answers, and POE more than reading dense material. You're not the only one that slogs through though; I could only handle about a couple chapters a day. Honestly, if you have time, I'd say go through TBR and use their questions. The only area I'd say EK has an advantage is CARs.

TPR and Kaplan are full of unnecessary garbage. TBR is comprehensive but still concise in comparison.

 

[mbio2015]

So you were able to complete 2-3 TBR chapters of reading with a few passages each day? I'm asking because a lot of people recommend one chapter a day during content review, but that seems so light to me. It seems very reasonable to be able to get through at least 2 chapters a day.

Yep, I averaged two chapters per day. I got sick part of the way through and barely got through anything, so did three or four to make it up when I got better the following days (it sucked). Depending on endurance, mastery of content, and reading ability I can see people doing three or for per day, but personally felt two per day was good. I agree, one per day feels too like it's too little. What I did was two chapters Mon-Friday (while doing the in passage questions) with light review of the chapters Thurs-Sat along with the passages at the end of the chapters. It was a modified version of Sn2ed's schedule.

TPR and Kaplan are full of unnecessary garbage. TBR is comprehensive but still concise in comparison.

Huh! Well then it seems TBR is just the gold standard haha. Though to be fair to TPR I will say their psych was great for me content-wise, though lacking in the number of questions. I appreciate your input!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

My score: 518 (131/128/130/129) self-studying for ~6 months.

Background: Biology major and chemistry minor.

I had heard a great many good things about TBR so decided to try out the new versions, and was happy with the product…thought I’d add my own two cents. Overall, all the books are very detailed, and it took me one to the three hours to get through each chapter. This was a plus for me since I had the time, and learn best from knowing details even if I won’t be tested over them. This can be problem if someone just wants the material they will be tested over or are high yield (particularly in physics since that it’s emphasized less). I’d read a chapter from a couple of different subjects a day, then review it with the end of chapter passages later in the week, which I felt really helped my understanding (they also have numerous in-chapter problems). That brings me to the main reason TBR is great: the abundance of practice passages. People can have their preferences on the subjects covered by third party companies, but everyone agrees practice, practice, and more practice is key. I spent months doing practice problems from TBR and never completed them all! The difficulty level was comparable to the AAMC science question packs (I found TBR to be harder), and I felt as though they made you think critically. They threw in many tricky questions designed to make you “think like the test makers” which I found extremely helpful. Instead of panicking when I saw a questions from hell on FLs, I was better able to deduce the best answer…it’s a very strong area when it comes to TBR. Now as for the books themselves…

Bio: Not bad, not great when it comes to content; some of their wording and organization could have been better. It will cover what you need to know, and then some. Again, real selling point is the absurd amount of questions they offer.

Orgo: I found this the most helpful; it covers most of what you need to know, but wish they went into slightly more detail about biochemical tests since I had to do some googling to cement my knowledge. Also person preference, but wish they offered comprehensive practice tests. The way they did it, they offered a practice test after every chapter instead of comprehensive tests covering all the material like in the other books. Still excellent review material.

Physics: Same with bio: not bad, not great and some confusing word choice (though I suck at physics so that may have just been me).

Chemistry: See bio and physics. Lots of great practice questions (see a pattern haha?).

Verbal: Eh. It had great passages, but the questions…I’m not so sure of. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but they seemed different from the AAMC and old TPR hyperlearning questions. I ended up just using it for extra practice while doing old TPR hyperlearning, EK 101, and the AAMC question packs. Might as well get it if you’re ordering the other books.

Psych/soc: I didn’t get it. I was nervous about how much content they offered so ended up getting TPR book instead along with Khan.

Final thoughts: I very much recommend TBR. The content itself in my opinion is fine, and you’ll learn what you need to. I don’t mean to be disparaging with my “fine” and “not bad, not great” comments; I just believe when it comes solely to content it’s comparable to TPR and Kaplan. I also wish they condensed physics into high yield material, and had a separate biochem section like Kaplan. It had most of the biochem material I needed, but felt like I was flipping back and forth between the bio and orgo books frequently, and I actually wanted more detail. However, the amount of passages and tests they offer, and the way they help you tackle problems puts them above the other companies in my opinion (besides AAMC of course). I think the books are easily worth the money.

WOW!!! Thank you so very much for your kind words. You have no idea how much this means to those of us who work in some way for TBR. It's one thing to take pride in what you do, but when it receives praise on social media, it is far more moving than you might ever know.

 

[mbio2015]

WOW!!! Thank you so very much for your kind words. You have no idea how much this means to those of us who work in some way for TBR. It's one thing to take pride in what you do, but when it receives praise on social media, it is far more moving than you might ever know.

No problem! TBR was worth its weight in gold for how it helped me prepare.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

No problem! TBR was worth its weight in gold for how it helped me prepare.

You made the day of our authors.

Hopefully the positivity you have shown will be returned to you during your application process. It seems to work this way year in and year out.

 

[amg_la]

I too used the Berkley review for my content preparation before the test and I think it helped in the beginning but at times is so verbose and dense that it made studying so much more of a grind.

Pros: TBR has by far the most practice content and its separated by subject and chapter is truly helpful to find content weakness. TBR really helped me review my inorganic chemistry and the style of math they teach helped me alot with CP on the MCAT. TBR right off the bat introduces you to the passage style questions of the MCAT and very much prepare you for the most wordy or scientific passages the AAMC can throw at you.

Cons: as has been previously stated because of the overload of information, If you are not strong in distilling the main ideas from a chapter they will be very difficult to get through. As thoroughly written as a text book, the books do not give a cliff notes version of any of the topics (take that as a pro or a con depending on your situation)

Overall: i think TBR was very helpful and I would recommend again; however, to be most effective they should be pair with supplemental books. Using TBR books when you dont know a subject is very helpful to get detailed information. If you are strong however, defer to the truncated books of Kaplan or EK.

I used TBR for all subjects except P/S which I used NextStep. I used NextStep practice tests which were tough and stressed working thoroughly and quickly, especially for CARS. With supplemental EK books in bio i was well prepared and hoping my score reflects that.

I am still waiting on my 5/18 scores to come out so I will update this post when they do.

 

[GummyWorm]

I too used the Berkley review for my content preparation before the test and I think it helped in the beginning but at times is so verbose and dense that it made studying so much more of a grind.

Pros: TBR has by far the most practice content and its separated by subject and chapter is truly helpful to find content weakness. TBR really helped me review my inorganic chemistry and the style of math they teach helped me alot with CP on the MCAT. TBR right off the bat introduces you to the passage style questions of the MCAT and very much prepare you for the most wordy or scientific passages the AAMC can throw at you.

Cons: as has been previously stated because of the overload of information, If you are not strong in distilling the main ideas from a chapter they will be very difficult to get through. As thoroughly written as a text book, the books do not give a cliff notes version of any of the topics (take that as a pro or a con depending on your situation)

Overall: i think TBR was very helpful and I would recommend again; however, to be most effective they should be pair with supplemental books. Using TBR books when you dont know a subject is very helpful to get detailed information. If you are strong however, defer to the truncated books of Kaplan or EK.

I used TBR for all subjects except P/S which I used NextStep. I used NextStep practice tests which were tough and stressed working thoroughly and quickly, especially for CARS. With supplemental EK books in bio i was well prepared and hoping my score reflects that.

I am still waiting on my 5/18 scores to come out so I will update this post when they do.

How long did you study for the Mcat?

 

[amg_la]

How long did you study for the Mcat?

four months during a 12 credit semester of class and heavy extracirriculars

 

[Dox4lyfe]

I am so sorry, I hardly log on and just noticed this. I took the free TPR test as my first one, free nextstep FL and diagnostic, and the three AAMC tests. I also made my own "FLs" by using the practice tests in TBR, which is why I didn't buy more 3rd party tests. If you do buy more, I'd recommend nextstep. I also hear Atlius is good, but never tried theirs.




The EK 101 explanations were not bad, but I found some of them slightly subjective. The old one, not exactly; it was formatted for the old exam so less questions and a bit more sciency where the new CARS seems to focus more on humanities. Still a great resource though since it offers so much practice.

Didn't use nextstep, and I think the TPR hyperlearning only sells the new one but you could probably get the old version online for pretty cheap. I used the old TPR and it seemed the closest to AAMC (though again it had more science). I used the 3rd party material as daily practice, and used the AAMC question packs as mini tests toward the end of my studying. The old stuff may be outdated but it's still good material for CARS as long as you use it with the AAMC qpacks.

How far into your content review or after your content review did you take that first FL? I don't want to waste any, so I'm not sure when it's best to take the first one.

 

[amg_la]

How far into your content review or after your content review did you take that first FL? I don't want to waste any, so I'm not sure when it's best to take the first one.

I did one practice test per month during content review and then two per month after I was done with new content and reviewing material. Then two per week the last 3 weeks before the MCAT date. Start practice tests earlier the better

 

[aromatic substitution]

I did one practice test per month during content review and then two per month after I was done with new content and reviewing material. Then two per week the last 3 weeks before the MCAT date. Start practice tests earlier the better

How were your early practice test scores? I plan on taking my first full length in about a week and a half. I'll only be about 1/3rd of the way through my content review and I wanted to get your opinion of how much you didn't know, & did you think it was useful given not being done with content review.

 

[mbio2015]

How far into your content review or after your content review did you take that first FL? I don't want to waste any, so I'm not sure when it's best to take the first one.

I took my first one when I was about 80% done with content review, and felt that I had at least gone through the high yield stuff. However, by then I had also taken several of the tests at the end of the chapters, the AAMC section banks, and the AAMC qbanks.

 

[amg_la]

How were your early practice test scores? I plan on taking my first full length in about a week and a half. I'll only be about 1/3rd of the way through my content review and I wanted to get your opinion of how much you didn't know, & did you think it was useful given not being done with content review.

early practice scores are really low and dont be discouraged. I suggest taking all practice tests like the real MCAT -- meaning take them in one sitting with the normal breaks. my earliest test was a TPR 501 and they slowly creep up in score each time. I think it really is useful when you are not yet done with content. First, you are exposed to the style of the test and you are acclimated to the testing conditions. Obviously you will get questions wrong on content you have yet to review, but you also get tested on content you have already reviewed which shows you how effective your studying has been.

Also being exposed to the material that you havent reviewed yet further helps you understand the testable concepts of the material.

I think its beneficial to start your practice tests early and to do as many of them as possible.

 

[glamglow]

I too used the Berkley review for my content preparation before the test and I think it helped in the beginning but at times is so verbose and dense that it made studying so much more of a grind.

Pros: TBR has by far the most practice content and its separated by subject and chapter is truly helpful to find content weakness. TBR really helped me review my inorganic chemistry and the style of math they teach helped me alot with CP on the MCAT. TBR right off the bat introduces you to the passage style questions of the MCAT and very much prepare you for the most wordy or scientific passages the AAMC can throw at you.

Cons: as has been previously stated because of the overload of information, If you are not strong in distilling the main ideas from a chapter they will be very difficult to get through. As thoroughly written as a text book, the books do not give a cliff notes version of any of the topics (take that as a pro or a con depending on your situation)

Overall: i think TBR was very helpful and I would recommend again; however, to be most effective they should be pair with supplemental books. Using TBR books when you dont know a subject is very helpful to get detailed information. If you are strong however, defer to the truncated books of Kaplan or EK.

I used TBR for all subjects except P/S which I used NextStep. I used NextStep practice tests which were tough and stressed working thoroughly and quickly, especially for CARS. With supplemental EK books in bio i was well prepared and hoping my score reflects that.

I am still waiting on my 5/18 scores to come out so I will update this post when they do.

Did you use the newest edition of the Berkeley review books? I have the 2011 edition from an older sibling and wanted to know if getting the new books would be worth it.

 

[Testerloltester]

Did you review the older TBR or the newer TBR?

 

[Dox4lyfe]

Did you review the older TBR or the newer TBR?

The title says "new tbr"

 

[Testerloltester]

The title says "new tbr"

Yup, I meant to ask: have you or anyone taken a look at both and think that there is no harm in doing the old?

 

[mbio2015]

Yup, I meant to ask: have you or anyone taken a look at both and think that there is no harm in doing the old?

From what I've heard you can get by with the old physics and chem books, and the bio book if you have a good background in those subjects. I was advised to get their new CARs book because of the new format. Their new orgo books is the only that is definitely essential from what I hear, but I don't have experience with the old books so I'm not 100% sure if that's true.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

TPR and Kaplan are full of unnecessary garbage. TBR is comprehensive but still concise in comparison.

Thank you for posting this. Because our books are thick, many people assume they are verbose without actually looking through them. But if you strip away the practice questions and our lengthy answer explanations, the actual amount of content review is not that much (except for biology, which is fairly loaded).