Question about review material

[fnc54]

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So I am taking the MCAT in April 2017, and I've been looking for review material to buy (plan to self-study). The problem is that everyone seems to recommend so many different materials!

I have looked through some of the popular study plans on sdn, but I want to ask: Is there anything against just buying a particular company's set of books and rolling with those?

 

[Swoleserratus]

So I am taking the MCAT in April 2016, and I've been looking for review material to buy (plan to self-study). The problem is that everyone seems to recommend so many different materials!

I have looked through some of the popular study plans on sdn, but I want to ask: Is there anything against just buying a particular company's set of books and rolling with those?

Dude let me at that time machine right quick.

 

[BunnyMan17]

No problem with that, I used exclusively PR as that's the company that taught the online review class I payed for and did just fine. However there is a TON of variability among what works for different people. That's where the practice test and questions come in. If you're scoring where you want and consistently improving then you'll probably be fine. If not then you need to switch things up.

 

[fnc54]

Dude let me at that time machine right quick.

Right.. lol

 

[fnc54]

No problem with that, I used exclusively PR as that's the company that taught the online review class I payed for and did just fine. However there is a TON of variability among what works for different people. That's where the practice test and questions come in. If you're scoring where you want and consistently improving then you'll probably be fine. If not then you need to switch things up.

So for the practice exams, would it be smart to get exams from different sources? I know the official ones are very important, but could I get a couple of NextStep and maybe a coupe from PR?

 

[BunnyMan17]

Yup, if that works for you. I only did PR practice test cause they gave me a gajillion and official AAMC material. Just be sure to do a little research on each company so you can put the scores you get from their tests in perspective. For example I know PR tends to underestimate your actual score/is a bit harder than the real thing.

 

[fnc54]

Yup, if that works for you. I only did PR practice test cause they gave me a gajillion and official AAMC material. Just be sure to do a little research on each company so you can put the scores you get from their tests in perspective. For example I know PR tends to underestimate your actual score/is a bit harder than the real thing.

Alright, thanks! Would you recommend getting the AAMC complete prep bundle? This includes the two practice exams plus several test banks.

 

[Swoleserratus]

So for the practice exams, would it be smart to get exams from different sources? I know the official ones are very important, but could I get a couple of NextStep and maybe a coupe from PR?

I thought the EK exams were pretty solid. As for their books: bio was awesome, behavioral was very well written but missing some stuff, chem and physics were riddled with errors. I supplemented with some PR physics and did all the AAMC stuff the last couple weeks before the test.

 

[BunnyMan17]

Alright, thanks! Would you recommend getting the AAMC complete prep bundle? This includes the two practice exams plus several test banks.

I would and would highly recommend doing it how @Swoleserratus did his. Save the AAMC until the last few weeks before the test then do it exclusively so you can get used to their style.

 

[BeMD13]

No problem with that, I used exclusively PR as that's the company that taught the online review class I payed for and did just fine. However there is a TON of variability among what works for different people. That's where the practice test and questions come in. If you're scoring where you want and consistently improving then you'll probably be fine. If not then you need to switch things up.

Pick one set of books and don't spend much time with them. Then get tons of different tests from all different places and spend your time doing that. I spent all my time with kaplan tests and when I got to aamc tests they were so different and I regretted it. My official score was 5 points less than kaplan practice test averages. Most people do better but clearly it's not the same for everyone. Try all the styles!

 

[BeMD13]

Alright, thanks! Would you recommend getting the AAMC complete prep bundle? This includes the two practice exams plus several test banks.

Get ALL the AAMC stuff you can get your hands on!

 

[fnc54]

Pick one set of books and don't spend much time with them. Then get tons of different tests from all different places and spend your time doing that. I spent all my time with kaplan tests and when I got to aamc tests they were so different and I regretted it. My official score was 5 points less than kaplan practice test averages. Most people do better but clearly it's not the same for everyone. Try all the styles!

This is kind of what I am leaning towards doing. I think I'll go with the EK books and buy some extra practice problem banks and review the content that is listed on the AAMC website. Then I will try to do 9-12 exams and review all of the mistakes I make.

What kinds of supplementary questions books do you guys recommend?

 

[BunnyMan17]

This is kind of what I am leaning towards doing. I think I'll go with the EK books and buy some extra practice problem banks and review the content that is listed on the AAMC website. Then I will try to do 9-12 exams and review all of the mistakes I make.

What kinds of supplementary questions books do you guys recommend?

I'm not familiar with how good/bad the EK review books are so someone will have to help you out there. But try (and by try I mean do) to find a copy of the PR science workbook. It has a TON of practice passages grouped in terms of content so it's super great for targeting weaknesses or nailing down certain types of passages. The issue is they are only issued to people taking the class so usually you have to look on Ebay, craigslist, etc.

 

[mdinheels]

I took the PR course (so studied/relearned mainly off of PR materials and tests). In the last month or so of studying, I also incorporated Kaplan, EK, and AAMC stuff in. I found that PR gave me all the knowledge I needed. I took ~10 PR practice tests and all were below my actual score by 4-7 points I think (?). I bought Kaplan books but found them too detailed to be helpful so mainly just did the practice questions from those. EK is great for diagrams and pretty pictures of things. Their info is less detailed than the others, and I mainly used it for tests, supplementary review. AAMC I saved for close to the end of my studying so I could get a more accurate feel for what I knew/ their actual question writing style. (Also since the Psych/Soc portion was relatively new, I used the most variety of material to study for this one, including Khan Academy).

 

[freak7]

Dude let me at that time machine right quick.

I think you misspelled "hyperbolic time chamber"

 

[JohnWill30]

I would and would highly recommend doing it how @Swoleserratus did his. Save the AAMC until the last few weeks before the test then do it exclusively so you can get used to their style.

I agree with this. Just make absolutely sure that you give yourself enough time to do ALL AAMC and to review it thoroughly. That means covering any defects in content as well that have been brought to your attention while doing AAMC questions.

 

[Swoleserratus]

I think you misspelled "hyperbolic time chamber"

I was only able to give you one like, but you deserved over 9000.

 

[Halcyon32]

How long do you guys think the AAMC material, specifically all the question packs and the section bank, will last? I have about a month and a half left before my MCAT but the last 3 weeks my semester will have restarted so I wanna make sure I do everything without rushing.

 

[redsox93]

I was only able to give you one like, but you deserved over 9000.

 

[fnc54]

Any opinions on the CARS Review book by Princeton Review?

 

[BunnyMan17]

Any opinions on the CARS Review book by Princeton Review?

It's solid, I've always had a knack for critical reading type tests so take it with a grain of salt... but... I found it good for nailing down my technique once I learned the first few lessons from the PR CARS class

 

[aldol16]

It does not matter what review books you use. All of the test prep companies will prepare you adequately in terms of content for the MCAT. In fact, you don't even necessarily need them. I know people who have scored very well using only Khan Academy videos and practice along with the AAMC materials. The only essential materials are the AAMC stuff.