Most Helpful Customer Reviews
74 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
good book, great resources, April 15, 2010
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2010-2011 Premier (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program) (Paperback)
I'm not using this book solely for content review, Actually, it's a backup for content review. This is a review book. If you struggled with the subject matter when you took the class, get another book to help you out.
however, the resources that comes with this book is worth it's price on amazon. The online resources, quizzes, short videos, practice exams are worth it. You can use their online syllabus which will help you with a personalized study plan if you want.
It's got's lot's of diagrams to help you out. There's the mcat synopsis boxes on pages to highlight some of the important stuff. They also offer free live online events when you use your book code to register online and you can get to interact with their people and ask questions and what not.
What i like most in addition to the exams is the colored MCAT study sheets at the end. I just saw them today and i just love it. They have 6 sheets (double sided) for all 4 subjects with the meat and potatoes on there - formulas and what nots.It's been a while since i took the basic classes so while i'm using a detailed review but i'm finding that even that doesn't cover everything. Kaplan does a good job as a complementary study aid and for the numerous holes it's filled in for areas where my other sets of books that i spent more money on doesn't cover. Kaplan actually covers those topics as well. So far, i haven't found any errors in the gen chem or ochem section. I know the january 30th mcat this year had stuff on evolution and other minor topics from bio 2 that most people don't focus on and i'm happy kaplan does a good number on those topics. Everyone swears the berkeley review is the most comprehensive review for gen chem. Well, i used that and i didn't know how to calculate the theoretical yield afterwards (i used to be a chem whiz years ago). I used kaplan and 3 seconds later, i was able to go back to a question in their topical and calculate that. also, kaplan covered most if not all of the things in the berkeley review first chapter. less examples but the info was right there. If you Ochem course didn't focus on IR and NMR or if you skip lectures and have no clue when it comes to Spectroscopy, read kaplan's chapter first before you read your textbook or any other review book. Honestly, if you're taking the MCAT without ochem 2, reading the kaplan chapter on spectroscopy and doing their online spectroscopy workshop (which is gold btw) and spectroscopy quiz online should have you more than good to go. Take notes when you do that workshop (they prevent printing, go figure), it's the best thing i've seen so far on spectroscopy.
Just remember the mcat is not just about memorizing formulas. you need to understand the concepts. I have the examkrackers complete package along with the 1001s and audio osmosis and i think their bio is great,I think they emphasize concepts a lot more.EK has content review with in-class problems and the 30minute exam after every chapter. Kaplan has worked examples in the chapter which if you're the type who needs step by step guidance, will help a lot. It doesn't have the 30minute exams after each chapter but it does have a practice set after each subject.kaplan has a l'il more info on most topics than examkrackers but not as much info as you'll find in the princeton review hyperlearning books. Princeton review is for if you need more info than you'll get in your regular class. This book works out more examples in chapter which has been very, very helpful so far.
In the nutshell, if you owned your science classes when you took the courses and need little to no review, EK is great. if you need a l'il more help, kaplan is better but don't use it alone. At least have 2 review sources so they can complement each other. Above all, don't forget to buy the AAMC exams 3-10 and practice them. Practice, Practice, practice. Take as many practice tests as you can. If you end up buying this book, do the monthly online quizzes, every one of them and the practice tests. Each of the test prep companies, princeton, kaplan, gold standard offer free practice tests you can always take. Get the examkrackers 1001 questions book if to drill the basics down so you can understand the concepts well. EK 101 on verbal is a great resource as well. Hope this helps.
UPDATE: After taking one of the August MCATs, i'd like to emphasize to really understand concepts. AAMC throws questions with numbers at you and you don't really need to do any math. All you need to know is formula and how a property say mass affects it. I can't go into specific details because i don't want the AAMC to subpoena my info from Amazon. Most people say the verbal passages are like EK 101. The verbal on my exam was easier to read than those in EK 101, however, i think for the very hard questions, they were similar to EK 101. Point being, get the Examkrackers verbal 101 so you can get enough verbal practice. I felt their 1001 gen chem and physics helped me with the trick questions i saw on the real MCAT. This exam is not as bad as it seems. I did tons of practice exams though. Also for verbal, read. I realized AAMC give credits as to which books or magazines they took the passages from at the bottom of the page. I realized that when i got to the last passage in PS section. The physics passage was adapted from a book. So paid attention when i got to verbal. Since i can't give specific names of magazines, books and what nots, all i can say is read newspapers, not the local ones, and magazines - informative ones, not fashion magazines. Don't go digging for 1979 stuff. Most of the stuff were from recent decades.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice all-in-one guide, May 29, 2010
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2010-2011 Premier (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This Kaplan All-in-One MCAT guide is intended for students who are looking for a single resource to review biological and physical sciences content for the MCAT. It contains (literally word for word and diagram for diagram) almost all the exact same content as the individual full-color guides for each subject released by Kaplan. The primary difference between this book and the subject-specific books is that this guide contains fewer practice problems per subject area.
The book is laid out as follows:
1. General MCAT test taking advice
2. Each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Organic, Biology, Verbal) has its own chapter which reviews content and test taking suggestions followed by about 25 practice problems for each subject.
3. Full Length practice MCAT at the end of the book
All together, the content review is succinct and easy to follow. This reference provides a nice, straightforward approach to test prep. My only complaint would be that there simply aren't enough practice problems here in this one book. For more practice I would suggest buying the actual AAMC practice tests online. This text coupled with the AAMC practice exams should be a winning combination for most pre-med students. A+
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some good news (that people don't want to hear, for some reason) & other helpful hints, July 18, 2010
This review is from: Kaplan MCAT 2010-2011 Premier (Kaplan MCAT Premier Program) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
First, the good news:
You don't have to buy the newest/most updated MCAT prep book (this one retails for $120). The MCAT covers basic principles of biology, chemistry, etc ... folks, these basic principles don't change from year to year. The MCAT recycles more than 95% of its questions from tests that are 10, 20, or even 30 years old. You can use last year's test prep book (or even a 2005 or 2000 prep book) and see the same information/same questions will be included.
But I know that most people equate spending a bunch of money with doing well on the test, so here's the run-down on the 2010-2011 Kaplan MCAT Premier:
It has 4 basic components:
(A) General MCAT test taking advice. *(Please don't overlook this - this test/any test is as much about strategy as it is about knowing the content. You only have to read this once, but don't forget strategic test-taking strategies! This is especially important for non-native speakers)
(B) Review of each subject (chemistry, physics, organic, biology, & verbal), followed by about 25 practice problems for each subject *(this is incredibly insufficient)
(C) Practice test at the end of the book (a real, full-length paper exam)
(D) Online teaching videos for every chapter. *(Please note, this is not that helpful. Don't buy the "newest" edition simply because it has some online bells & whistles. However, I will say that the watching and listening to the online information will help reinforce what you've just read. Additionally, at the end of a long study session when you're brain is "fried", this is a good passive way to learn)
I will add that you can take an actual AAMC practice tests online for $35. BUT, before you do this, there is definitely a strategy. Treat the online practice test as a REAL test. Simulate the exact same circumstances as the real test (i.e., don't do it at home in your underwear). Wear what you would wear. Have scratch paper next to you. Strictly observe the time limit. Implement your strategy (outlined in section 1 of this book). Use what you learn to go back and study.
Finally, no matter what prep book you're using (this one, or a $5 copy from 2005), it's important to use MULTIPLE test prep books. All these publishers have access to previous year's exams, so the more books you use, the more sample questions you will see. And...the more sample questions you see, the more likely you are to see the SAME questions appear when you're taking the exam. Trust me - there's nothing nicer than seeing a question you already know, answering it quickly & then having LOTS of time for the more difficult questions. (But NEVER skim, or assume you know the answer without fully reading it).
That's the biggest problem with this book - not enough review questions with each subject. And don't get me wrong - this is a great book, but if you're on a limited budged, my strategy would be to buy ten $5 books instead of this one, and then do a couple AAMC online tests. Another important part of your test prep should be a STEADY DIET of preparation every day (say, at least 30 minutes a day for 3-6 months). This works much better than cramming.
Good luck!
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