Practice Passage-MCAT Passage Similarity

[altitude]

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For each section (Bio, Physics, Gen Chem, Organic, and Verbal), which prep book has passages that most resemble the real MCAT? If your choice is not included in poll, provide your response below. (Base your response on only the passages of the book and not its content review)

 

[altitude]

Bumping for some more opinions...Threads with polls should really be bumped up automatically when there's a new response to the poll (otherwise they sink to the bottom even if people are responding)

 

[PanRoasted]

I'll help you out with a bump.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

The strength in kaplan is in it's online problems not its books. You should add those options too (topical tests for example). probably something like "Kaplan online problems including q-bank"

 

[V5RED]

I have no way to know which company's practice problems are the closest to the real MCAT since I have only used TBR and EK. I also doubt that most people who vote can fairly compare the companies unless they spent a fortune on MCAT prep.

I can say that the TBR physics, orgo, and gen chem problems were tougher than those I was given on the real MCAT, so if you want a prep that makes you stronger than you need to be, TBR is a great option.

EK's 1001 problems for physics were generally of similar difficulty to those I encountered on the MCAT. Their orgo problems were less difficult. I did not buy their gen chem 1001 book, so I cannot speak to its difficulty.

I did not do practice passages for biology except for those on practice exams, so I cannot speak to any company's level of difficulty there.

EK's verbal 101 book was pretty similar to the difficulty of the problems I saw on the real MCAT.

 

[altitude]

I'll help you out with a bump.

Thank you lol.

The strength in kaplan is in it's online problems not its books. You should add those options too (topical tests for example). probably something like "Kaplan online problems including q-bank"

I don't think I could add any options to the poll, but the "Kaplan" material listed in the poll refers to both the books and/or the online material.

I have no way to know which company's practice problems are the closest to the real MCAT since I have only used TBR and EK. I also doubt that most people who vote can fairly compare the companies unless they spent a fortune on MCAT prep.

That is true- I should add:
For those who used 1 source for passages for a certain section: only vote for it if it was similar to the real MCAT (if it was not similar, do not vote for anything for this section)

For those who used 2+ sources for passages for a certain section: vote for whichever source was more similar to the real MCAT (submit a vote for that section either way)

(This should correct for people who used only 1 source from voting for that source because it was the only one they used, even if it was not similar to the MCAT)

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

I have no way to know which company's practice problems are the closest to the real MCAT since I have only used TBR and EK. I also doubt that most people who vote can fairly compare the companies unless they spent a fortune on MCAT prep.

I can say that the TBR physics, orgo, and gen chem problems were tougher than those I was given on the real MCAT, so if you want a prep that makes you stronger than you need to be, TBR is a great option.

EK's 1001 problems for physics were generally of similar difficulty to those I encountered on the MCAT. Their orgo problems were less difficult. I did not buy their gen chem 1001 book, so I cannot speak to its difficulty.

I did not do practice passages for biology except for those on practice exams, so I cannot speak to any company's level of difficulty there.

EK's verbal 101 book was pretty similar to the difficulty of the problems I saw on the real MCAT.

How'd that work out for you? Were the biology problems/passages on the practice AAMCs a lot like what you saw on the exam?

 

[V5RED]

How'd that work out for you? Were the biology problems/passages on the practice AAMCs a lot like what you saw on the exam?

The style was pretty much the same. On the practice AAMC MCAT biology passages, I would bet that my brother who knows almost nothing about biology could get most of the questions correct. The discretes, of course, require some biology knowledge, but I never found them to be overwhelming.

On the AAMC practice exams I ranged from 10-13 on the BS section and most of my mistakes were due to misreading things or flawed reasoning, not lack of background information.

I will find out on the 28th if the real thing went as well as the practices, but I am expecting a score close to my average based on how I felt while taking it.

 

[ebasappa]

A fly just BUMPed into me

 

[altitude]

a fly just bumped into me

+1

 

[Fivo]

OP, from all the threads you've posted over the last couple of months, it seems like you're trying to find a golden egg, that magic formula that will somehow give you a 45 on the mcat. Just study your ass off, do as many practice passages as you can, then go on and slay that beast!!!

 

[altitude]

Just study your ass off, do as many practice passages as you can, then go on and slay that beast!!!

Definitely true and thanks for the honest advice, but since I have purchased a few different prep materials, but only have a limited amount of time left, I'm trying to determine which would best prepare me for each section.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

bump 😉

 

[Tenebrus]

I'm surprised by all the votes for TBR. I find them to be great for preparation, but from what I've seen so far, the AAMC's passages are much easier. Then again, I've only done 3-9, so it could get a lot worse in the next 2/on the real thing?

 

[argama]

I'm more surprised that the TPRH Science Workbook for Bio has the most votes (barely). Are they really that good? I mean I did a few and found them easier than TBR and both were similar to the AAMCs I have taken so far.

Can someone who has done both (TBR & TPRH Bio) and a lot of AAMCs weigh in on this? I've been doing TBR bio and I know they make theirs harder on purpose so the AAMCs bio will seem easier. I've only done like 4 AAMCs, so I can't say for sure yet.

 

[altitude]

bump 👍