Customer Reviews

Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you want to score well on the physical sciences portion of the mcat, BUY THIS BOOK. I bought this book 5 weeks ago, and I feel much more confident about the material on the MCAT. Get this book for practice and drilling of concepts. If you don't know the material- DO NOT GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!! Like said above, review the material elsewhere, but if you wanna perfect your concepts get this book. Make sure you review the concept, though, before doing the problems. It's the general rule of thumb, that if you know the concept decently, and If you do problems (which this book has loads and loads, for example, there are 200 problems devoted JUST to acids and bases), then you will master the concept. I have improved my physical sciences scores now to a 12 up from a 9 in just 3 weeks. Granted, I worked very hard, but if you put your heart into this book, and really learn each and every one of these 1001 questions inside and out, meaning you learn why every answer choice is wrong, and why choices is correct, and also if you can give yourself problems just like the problems in the book, then there is absolutely no reason to not perform well on the Physical sciences test. Everyone says how the MCAT test is a thinking test is a valid statement for every section except for the physical sciences section. Only thinking you'll have to do is read and understand the passage (which, say if the passage is about magnetism, and you understand magnetism like thet back of your hand, is a joke), the rest of the test is simple math calculations and concepts. Good luck pre-meds-don't lose faith in yourself-the MCAT's are extremely difficult, but they are also predictable, and most importantly, conquerable.

To get into Med school after 15yrs in business I took my Organic Chem series over again, studied Exam Kracker's 101 series until I knew the books cold, listened to EK's Audio Osmosis about 10 times while communiting then took several full length practice tests.

Going in I thought I'd be taking it a 2nd time so I wasn't too stressed. Afterwards, I was even more sure I would be re-taking it. However, I managed a 30 (straight 10's) so I know anyone can.

Bottom line, MCAT is not about knowing a ton of details (unlike Step 1). Know the basics like EK teaches so you can apply the concepts anyway they ask the question. Then practice, practice and pracitce some more (yes, especially the essays). It will help cement the concepts in, but more importantly give you confidence.

My personal belief is reduced stress and being on top of your game test day are more important than which study aid you use. That said, EK's focused and yet whimsical style was perfect for me to go through it over and over until I knew it cold.

This book contains many questions in basic chemistry for the MCAT. All relevant topics are covered; however, I feel that this is not the best book for review. The main objection I have is that the question format is NOT what appears on the MCAT. Most MCAT questions are based on a reading passage and very few of the Examcracker's questions are in that form. Those that are based on a passage are very simple when compared to the real MCAT questions. I scored well on the physical sciences section but it was because I worked through real MCAT practice exams. Do not use this book as your sole source for chemistry preparation. I've said this dozens of times to friends, "If you purchase a 'comprehensive' review book make sure you also use old college books, old college notes, and work through old MCAT exams."

First of all, if you consider yourself a 'pre-med' and serious about the MCAT, then as such you probably would've done some research about your products you are using... judging from the other reviews, they have not.

These texts are for reviewing the SUBJECTS specifically... NOT for the MCAT!!! There designed to fill in the gaps you may have missed that some teachers 'leave out' during your education.

If you want reviews specifically for the MCAT, and you are already a master of all the subjects covered, then get the Examkrackers Complete Study Package here on Amazon.

The 1001 and 101 question series by Examkrackers is a great SUBJECT review for any student, premed or not. They explain difficult concepts in simple terms. Thanks EK!

Buy this book if you feel that you are weak in certain areas of chemistry.

The most problem-intensive concepts in MCAT Chemistry are solubilities and acid-base reactions. This book will make sure that you know what you're doing when given a Ksp, Ka, Kb, and any other combination. It is far too easy to read the equation for Ksp or Ka and think you know how to do those problems-- often, a student has no idea why equations are the way they are and just plug and chug. The MCAT will burn you if you don't understand why equations work the way they do, especially with solubilities and acid-base.

Great practice problems to test limiting reagents, reaction rates, Le Chatelier's principle, electrolysis. What I did for the MCAT was to study the concepts in chemistry that required problem-solving with this book. Try to skip the conceptuals question-- often, your own chemistry book can you teach concepts better than questions here, which usually operates on your knowledge of miniscule facts. Pay attention to what your instructors say are important-- do not do Vp questions, do not do phase diagrams. Often, the practice problems in your review textbooks is sufficient enough and you do not need to do practice problems for those.

I did all 1001 questions for MCAT Physics THREE TIMES and I understood all those questions. I kept a notebook that detailed explanation for all the problems that stumped me. I went on the message board countless times. And while I knew MCAT Physics backwards and forwards, the amount of work I put in versus the amount of information that I actually needed for the MCAT was around 30%. In other words, doing all the problems meticulously will get you nowhere! You will waste valuable study time. Find your weakness and focus on those. Other things, you should just know without extensive practice.

For example, what is the difference between the second and third row of the periodic table? The third row non-metal elements can have five bonds while the second row can only have four. This is a typical MCAT style question, and while a book like 1001 Chemistry will ask a large number of periodical tendencies question, this will probably be the only one that shows up on the test!

Study smart. Solubility, Acid-Base, and Electrolysis are the big subjects. Know how to do limiting reagents and stoichiometry. Do not do all the problems and master all of them-- that is a waste of time.

I challenge anyone to find a better series of teaching tools than the 1001 series from Examkrackers. I have been collecting all of the available MCAT prep material for the last two years and I am very adamant when I say there is a lot of bad/misguided/bs out there for sale. The authors of the 1001 books have gone to great lengths to make these books excellent learning tools.

The 1001 series are not passages like the real MCAT, they are problems that allow you to hone in on your weaknesses and fix them. The mini-passage format allows the user to get accustom to the MCAT style of questioning. If you are able to understand all 1001 questions in this book, then there is no reason not to score perfect on the MCAT Physical Science section.

The 1001 books are about the concepts and they force the student to think intuitively. This, my friends, is how to succeed on the MCAT.

Did every question in this book and saw my AAMC practice scores increase over the weeks. I did 100 questions of the book each week for 3 months leading up to the real test, and got me a 13. I am still in the process of applying, but feel much more confident with a 34 on my plate thanks to this book.

There are some errors in the book, but keep an eye out for them and consult with those PhDs you pay so much to have around on any that strike you as incorrect.

While this book is better than most MCAT guides on the market, it does have some flaws. PRAISE: The questions are excellent! Just like the MCAT! FLAW: Often the questions pertain to information not previously mentioned or reviewed in the previous passage. EXAMPLE: A question from the first section involved answer choices of London forces, hydrogen bonding, and dipole-dipole moments. None of these terms or concepts were discussed previously! SO: Basically you need to have a good foundation before you get this book. Once you do buy the book, IT DOES TEACH YOU HOW TO THINK LIKE THE MCAT!!! Just remember to review the knowledge elsewhere!

There are a ton of questions, they range from not hard to pretty hard. The questions are in the front, all answers are listed in the back. Some of the answers don't make good sense, but most do. I am pre-dent and I have found this very helpful.

This study aid has a good breadth of coverage of concepts covered by the MCAT. The questions are all in the style of the MCAT (Roman numeral questions, etc.). My only complaint was that I was hoping for some passages and passage-based questions for practice, and those are completely absent in this book. Overall, I think it's a good addendum to any study curriculum for the MCAT.