Customer Reviews

MCAT Elite: Advanced Strategies for a 45 (Graduate School Test Preparation)

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This is a new, first edition MCAT preparation workbook. The primary aim of the book is to introduce a methodical, step-by-step approach to the MCAT which can truthfully be applied to any standardized test.

Roughly the first half of this book teaches you how to effectively take practice tests. It first directs you to take a practice test available on the Princeton Review website. Then, it demonstrates how to correct your test and hone in on the problems you missed by using their rating system.

The second half of the book is divided topically as follows: general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and biology. Within each chapter, there is a brief reproduction of the list of concepts which will be tested on the MCAT (similar to the list provided by the AAMC.) Then, it provides about 50 questions per subject area to practice with (about 10 passages and several stand alone questions per subject.)

All-in-all, this workbook provides a unique approach to test taking. For me, it's just a little bit gimmicky and the process a little time consuming. I'm not sure that I need a cumbersome rating system to denote the difficulty level of questions I missed. However, I might use their approach and simplify it a bit for my own use. In either case, for the price, it's a good source of practice questions and tips. If you've already reviewed concepts from each subject and are ready to try additional practice questions, take a look at this book. I would consider it a solid resource.

MCAT preparation should be more difficult than taking the actual test. For example, the main Princeton Review book, Cracking the MCAT, 2010-2011 Edition (Graduate School Test Preparation), provides a wealth of both foundational information and information that may benefit test takers in some unusual circumstances, at the furthest levels of comprehension.

However, Elite 45 delves into material and problems far more complex than those of the MCAT. The practice problems require a level of understanding and comprehension that will not be used on the MCAT. This book does not accurately reflect what your scores will be or the content of the test.

My advice is to take one of the practice tests on the American Association of Medical College's website ([...]) to gauge the difficulty level of the test. Then, buy one of the major texts from either PR or Kaplan.

I am a fan of Princeton Review, but Elite 45 is nothing more than a mildly clever marketing strategy. Studying the material in this book will NOT help you with the MCAT.