9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good preparation aid, October 26, 2008
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2008-2009 Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM) (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program (W/CD)) (Paperback)
I bought this book and studied it over the summer before taking my exam. The books is nicely laid out, with a section each on Verbal Reasoning, Writing, Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. There is a practice test (about 35 questions or so) at the end of each section, as well as a full length paper test. Online and on the CD offer additional practice sets and I believe another full-length test.
The good stuff:
-Good inside strategies and information about the test
-Offers multiple strategies for remembering information, including side notes linking the concept to another concept in another section.
-Concise, but thorough review
-Good explanation of every question
The bad stuff:
-More errors than would be acceptable for a textbook. There are even a few errors when it comes to the concepts, which can prove very difficult if you're not already comfortable with the concept.
-Units not carried through on calculations. Often times paying attention to the units can be a huge key as far as picking which equation to use and understanding the product (and its units). Ignoring the units, as they consistently do, fails to reinforce the concept. If I didn't use units on my college tests, I'd certainly get points off.
-Not quite enough practice tests. If they added an additional practice set to each section, it would be much better.
-CD and online material not quite as helpful as I had hoped.
-Many of the advertised features, such as the correlation to medicine, only make rare appearances. It feels like they just added them in so they could use them for advertisement.
These complaints are all relatively minor and subjective.
Overall it didn't drastically improve my score, but I believe it did help me reach close to my full potential. In other words, a given person will score in a certain range as determined by his/her education, test-taking abilities, intellect, logic, and discipline. But this book probably won't push you over that range, but it will help you score in the higher end of that range.
This book works best when supplemented with notes/textbooks from your college courses. Overall, I would strongly recommend this product.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Review Book and CD!, June 18, 2008
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2008-2009 Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM) (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program (W/CD)) (Paperback)
Book has extensive review of all the subject areas which are both concise and thorough. Easy way to separate study time and what topics you want to cover for the day (ie: chapters 5 and 6 on Monday for Biology, chapters 7 and 8 on Tuesday for Physics, etc.). CD is also very nice with its own Diagnostic test to give you an idea of what you need to cover. I would recommend getting another book with more review questions however since the practice tests that come with the program encompass the entire subjects and not just certain areas you may get to covering. Also, may be good to supplement the book with other background/informative books if you are having trouble understanding some concepts. Nonetheless, I say this bok is a great buy and highly recommended.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good REVIEW -not a miracle worker, July 24, 2008
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2008-2009 Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM) (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program (W/CD)) (Paperback)
I havent taken the MCAT yet, so I suppose I really wont know until then just how much this book helped me. The review is pretty extensive although it is only a REVIEW. If you're looking for something that teaches you a subject -this isn't your book. This is for people who have taken the classes and just need a refresher. Also some of the strategies aren't for everyone. Adapt what they tell you to meet your own abilities. If reading comprehension isn't a problem for you, don't waste your time taking notes during the exam like they suggest.
Although I have run across a few typos, its nothing horribly distracting unless you're OCD and can't move on. No matter which MCAT book you buy, there will be errors. The book is meant to review and give you strategies. You're not supposed to internalize everything they say.
Overall I think the book is a pretty good deal considering a Kaplan class costs a few thousand dollars. The book is pretty well organized and the color pages are much better than the black and white pictures in past editions.
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