Customer Reviews (1)

More frustrating than helpful
Out of all the MCAT review books I got, I used this one the least.It wasn't very helpful: the questions aren't arranged in a very practical way, and the questions didn't much resemble actual MCAT questions--they require a more detailed/extensive knowledge of science than you really need.This book won't help you refine your reasoning skills, which are what you most need. Try Examkrackers instead--much better. ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT tests more than your knowledge of basic physical and biological sciences. You need to know absolutely everything, from amino acids and proteins to translational motion to verbal reasoning and more. Review all necessary content with this comprehensive MCAT preparation book, brought to you by the creators of The Princeton Review’s top-notch MCAT class.  

Cracking the MCAT, 2010-2011 Edition includes: 

• A full-color, 16-page tear-out reference guide with all of the most important formulas, diagrams, information, concepts, and charts for each section of the MCAT
• Complete coverage of all topics on the MCAT, including physics, general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, verbal reasoning, and the essays
• Exclusive free online access to 4 full-length practice tests with explanations
• Practice passages, questions, and complete explanations at the end of every chapter for maximum practice and preparation
• Tons of practice problems with detailed explanations and step-by-step solutions
• A comprehensive index ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

inaccurate product condition
seller listed product as brand new but the book has been used with several minor wear marks, something i would consider as like new, or good.

Typos, typos everywhere
I figured that the other posters exaggerated the situation somewhat. And to a degree, they did. But there really are a ton of typos, misspellings, missing labels, incorrect names, etc. Sometimes they're obvious, sometimes they're not. Which is too bad, because the way the information is presented, it flows very well.

Would've been better were it not for the egregious mistakes.

Ridiculous Typos
I don't usually write reviews, especially for test-prep books. If you're studying for the MCAT, you will probably pick up this text.

But the sheer amount of mistakes in this book make it almost useless. The typos range from prefix (cm becomes km) to numbers (0.4 becomes 0.) but often times make the answers incorrect. It's VERY frustrating - and makes studying for a difficult test even harder.

I can't recommend another book (Kaplan, Barrons, etc.) from experience, and usually Princeton Review is the best - but in this case - steer clear.

A rough draft to a good mcat study book
I purchased the Princeton review mcat review book because to me, princeton review had a certain level of prestige.I knew the book with be well put together, cover all the topics I needed, and since it was the new edition, be completely up to date.

After getting about halfway through the book, I can say it is well put together, the examples and format of the book are great, and it's about what I expected as far as material.

BUT.... it is an absolute failure when it comes to typos.I have never read a professional labelled book, or any book for that matter, riddled with as many errors.I have found errors in every single section, including the practice problems!!! and they are not small errors.They have incorrectly written formulas, used incorrect exponents and coefficients, completely mislabeled answers as correct, incorrectly written answers to practice problems, its AWFUL! Even the colored important formulas/laws at the end of the book that you can tear out have several errors.In fact, I am going to email PR after this review because I am so shocked at their lack of editing.

As far as material, the book does a semi-thorough job of going through concepts, but they do expect you to have had some prior exposure to material, hence why this review book not a learning book.

I'd stay away from this edition, and wait till they take some time to edit their material.

Would be great if they had actually proofread it.
This is my second time studying for the MCAT. Before I used the Kaplan book and didn't like it very much. I decided to splurge on a new book to reinforce the concepts and thought Princeton Review would be the way to go. For me, it's greatest advantage over Kaplan were the practice questions after each concept. Each major science topic (Physics, Bio, Chem, and O Chem) are broken down into 3 subsections

Mastery Achieved - a review of the concepts followed by simple sample problems
Mastery Applied - an MCAT style passage with 5-8 questions at the end of a group of related chapters
Mastery Verified- explanations of the answers to the Mastery Applied MCAT style passage.

In theory this is great approach. You read a concept, immediately test your comprehension with a brief question or 2 so you can determine if you really understand it, then apply your knowledge to a passage similar to what you would see on the MCAT. Then, you check your answers, and get a detailed explanation of each one which emphasizes both the concept and how the MCAT will try to trick and manipulate you.

Great.

Except the book is so riddled with typos, incorrect figures, and errors that it becomes a source of confusion. Apparently the Princeton Review does not have editors. To me, these errors were the most horrendous in the physics section. For example
*gravity on Earth is commonly listed as 1 or 100 m/s^2
*mathematical signs were forgotten (550 is NOT the same as 5x50)
*figures are labeled one way, then referred to in a different half way through the problem (without being substituted, mind you)
*Answer keys are labeled wrong. For example it will read THE CORRECT ANSWER IS A, but then when they explain and state the correct answer, it was actually C on the exam, leading to confusion and frustration.

The strange part is that the set up is usually valid, and the answer is always correct, but it's all the steps in between that are messed up, and the middle steps are CRITICAL for a person reviewing subject where they have a weakness. I find myself spending more time trying to verify if something is correct or if it's just another one of the insulting number of typos.

It is especially disappointing because the format of the book is leaps and bounds ahead of the other textbooks I've read and browsed through. It would be 5 star worthy if not for the amount of errors. It's ironic that a book can "guide" students on how to write a solid essay on the MCAT when they clearly can't write well themselves.

Let's be honest, I'm not an expert here so who knows what I'm NOT seeing. I have half a mind to highlight all the glaring errors and send it back to the Princeton Review but in the end I don't want to waste that many highlighters.

I would recommend using this book to study AFTER you have studied with other material because it really does help solidify concepts much better than other books. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains 101 MCAT Biology passages and 1001 questions overall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Better than nothing ... sort of.
I bought this book to help me brush up on my biology for the MCAT and to get a feel for what the questions would be like. While this book does have some moderate degree of usefulness, I would probably not buy it again. As others have said, this book is FULL of errors! It's both time consuming and frustrating. At times I was convinced that the author (a 3rd year med student who hopes to be a surgeon, according to the back of the book) had no idea what he was writing about (seriously, take a look at the passages in the "Microbiology" section. 1) They have almost NOTHING to do with microbiology and 2) The passages themselves are very choppy and incoherent, 3) The questions seldom have anything to do with the passage.) The book is good for the covering the areas which you know almost nothing about (i.e., stuff you covered for a week in Bio 1, but haven't taken another class in or thought about since.) If you have knowledge beyond the Bio 1/Bio 2 level of the subject, feel free to skip that section because the mistakes will drive you crazy in a hurry and just make you doubt your awesome self. You will save yourself a lot of time and one big head ache. All in all, there was some good information, and there were a lot of questions, but I'm sure that there are better books out there. If you do decide to go with this book, just keep this in mind; If you THINK the book is wrong, it probably is. Don't sweat it. Move on.

Must have!
This book is definitely worth your money. Actually all of the Examkrackers books are great. The Audio Osmosis CDs are also helpful with studying for the MCAT.

BEST MCAT study guide ever!
These 1001 questions books along with the Audio Osmosis and their MCAT study package raised my MCAT score 4 points after I bombed the first one trying to study with Kaplan. Highly recommend for MCAT study, as well as physics, chemistry, bio, and ochem classes. I wish I had these books for those classes because they would have made the concepts a breeze. (yes, I am leaving the same review for all of the books I bought from ExamKrackers and no, I'm not getting paid to talk them up. They really are a fantastic study package.)

Got me a 34.
Did every question in this book and saw my AAMC practice scores increase over the weeks. I did 1 section of the book each week for 3 months leading up to the real thing, and got me a 12 (started with 8, then 9s, then 10/11, then consistent 12s on my practice tests). I am still in the process of applying, but feel much more confident with a 34 on my plate thanks to this book.

Premed
This book is one of the best tools to hone your biology test taking skills. With 101 passages and 1001 questions, you will become familiar with every topic covered on the real MCAT AND know some topics in details which may not be possible by just studying one of the prep books. I improved my scores from 8 to 14. Sure there may be some errors (maybe less than 10 questions), but i think it's definately worth to go through this book to prepare for the most important aspect of your medial school admission. ... Read more

Product Description
Examkrackers 16 MiniMCATs is the homework book for the course. It includes 16 one hour exams in exact MCAT format. Each exam has two verbal passages, two phys/chem passages and two bio/orgo passages. Complete answers and explanations are included in the book. 16 MiniMCATs is also supported on the Forum of this website. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

no editing
Nobody edited this book.There are too many spelling and grammatical errors too count in this book.Some of the errors are so egregious that you have a hard time understanding what examkracker actually intended to write.I wouldnt have bought this book had I known it.

BEWARE
there are a multitude of typos.... sometimes the answer choices have an asterisk indicating that one answer is correct... some answers are flat out wrong, and the passages are much harder than the actual MCAT passages

although it is good practice, don't waste your money

Many errors
I purchased this book to supplement the other Examkrackers materials that I am using, and am very disappointed. The verbal section of Exam 1 is riddled with ridiculous typos ("Itit" is not a word) and question 30 reads like a word salad :
"...clarify his argument withAn appropriate clarification of the passage would be the stipulation that:

his the author's argument applies only to both:

A. the present and future..."

Yes, it is written just like this, and no, context does not help. This is exam 1. What do the others look like? If they didn't bother to do the easy editing, how can any part of it be taken seriously?
Don't waste your time or money with this book.

Expect typos.
I feel that there are a lot of prodcuts out there that are both beneficial than this book.It is good for early morning practice to stimulate your brain, but I would not use it as a primary means of studying.
First of all, the book is full of typos.For some, this might not be a problem, but I found it highly distracting.
Secondly, the explanations for correct answers was poor.I found myself referring back to other books to figure out the answers.
Third, these are only one hour mini-tests, so that introduces two new issues.You cannot really use these tests as an assessment, because they are so short.On the same day, I could score 6/16 on the biology section.Later, the same day, I could score 14/16.Also, being short, they do not help with preparing endurance for the actual exam.

While I did not find this book very helpful, I would recommend the 1001 question series.I used the o-chem and physics books, and found those questions much engaging.

Good purchase despite the typos
This book is a great supplement to the ExamKracker 1001 books and for MCAT content review, but there are a lot of typos. The answers are correct in the back of the book, but some questions have such bad wording/typos you cannot even answer them. (As a note for personal use: the key to each test is NOT correct, but when you look at the descriptions to each question/answer, the correct choice is highlighted).

Do NOT use this as your only source of practice problems! There aren't enough questions to re-iterate all of the information you need for the MCAT.

The built-in schedule and the passage based approach to the questions are very helpful. I used this book, EK1001s, and Berkeley Review and scored a 37. I broke up the tests in the following way (I did this after I completed my initial content review):

I took 1,3,5,7,9,11,13, and 15 on consecutive days (with a break every Sunday). After a week break I took 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 and 16 on consecutive days. I reviewed all of the information I was lacking while going through the passage the next day, and reviewed EVERY problem, right or wrong.

Overall, it's worth the money. ... Read more

Product Description
Fully updated for the new MCAT (April and August 2006; the next MCAT change is in 2007), these 4 Video CD-ROMs cover all the important Physics topics in the necessary detail. Any Physics equation that you need to memorize for the new MCAT with be found in almost four hours of clear lecture-style teaching. These CD's can be played on your PC computer (minimum of Pentium 200 MHz) or Apple computer (Mac OS X - Panther). Here is your Video CD-ROM index (time in min:sec):

MCAT Physics - CD1 - The Atom 5:07;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Nuclear Reactions 6:06;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Radioactive Decay and Half-Life 3:37;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Electricity vs. Gravity 10:47;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Electric Circuits I 5:35;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Electric Circuits II 7:19;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Electric Circuits III 5:36;MCAT Physics - CD1 - Kirchoff's Laws 10:43.

MCAT Physics - CD2 - Kirchoff's Second Law 5:55;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Characteristics of Waves 9:33;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Interference Of Waves 2:35;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Diffraction 8:43;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Optics 2:19;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Reflection 17:15;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Refraction, Thin Lens 7:46;MCAT Physics - CD2 - Snell's Law 3:33.

MCAT Physics - CD3 - The Critical Angle 9:06;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Force and Motion 6:48;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Weight and Units 7:48;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Friction 5:26;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Applying Newton's Laws 4:06;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Trigonometry 3:59;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Projectile Motion 8:38;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Work 8:12;MCAT Physics - CD3 - Circular Motion 4:24.

MCAT Physics - CD4 - Circular Motion Problem 2:52;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Work-Energy Theorem 3:59;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Energy and Entropy 4:38;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Momentum 10:37;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Law of Torques 13:08;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Fluids 3:05;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Fluids in Motion 6:05;MCAT Physics - CD4 - Archimedes' Principle 4:58. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Basic Review
The review is very basic.The material is presented in a clear fashion.I bought them but did not use them.The price has dropped since I bought it.If you like watching things over video, this is for you. It is better than the classes, I think, since it teaches the material covered unlike the classes, which teaches only some of the material covered (they expect you to learn the majority of it or review the majority of it from books they give you) and the other half to three quarters is guided practice. So, I'd recommend this over the courses.

Preparing for the MCAT exam
The presentations focus directly on core material being tested on the MCAT exam, so it trims alot away that I don't need to focus on if I were just using my college course textbooks to review. I like going directly to the particular topic I'm working on within my study plan, and this tool allows that type of easy access to review core concepts. It's also nice to take the reviews with me, so I can study in blocks of time that fit my schedule - whether it's at the library, home, etc. Just started downloading the files for a specific topic onto my memory stick as needed so I hardly even access a disc except at home, just need a computer with a USB port to study the MCAT review at the library! ... Read more

Product Description
Available on cassette tape or CD, MCAT AudioLearn covers more than 4 hours of material – or some 700 equivalent pages - including a comprehensive review of all the scientific principles that are a foundation for the MCAT syllabus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Decent for the money
I used these, and the Audio-osmosis MCAT CD's.I preferred the Audio-osmosis Cd's.The Audiolearn seemed to spend too much time on some simple topics, yet fly through some of the more complicated material in Organic Chemistry.It seemed as though this was an audio CD that was based on a text study guide.The AudioOsmosis CD's seemed to be written / tailored to an audio delivery method.

But for the price, these aren't too bad.

Mr. Sulu does voicework?
I bought these CDs a year after buying AudioOsmosis, after the once annoying jokes became something far, far worse.Audiolearn lacks these distractions, however suffers from a problem that I hadn't anticipated: AudioLearn is as stiff as AudioLearn is corny.

AudioLearn and Audio Osmosis seem to get to the same place in their own ways.Neither is perfect.Both are helpful.Both CDs were created by highly credentialed people.They cover the same information, which bolsters the faith you can have that you're studying the proper material.

AudioLearn:
-- Lectures are quite long (up to 18 minutes)
-- -- One track discusses several topics, thus making it difficult to locate specific information
-- No track listing is enclosed
-- Stiff (No contractions, no pronouns, repetitive word use)
-- -- For instance, when discussing the naming of alkanes:
-- -- -- "If the number of carbons is one, you say meth, if it is two you say eth, three you say prop, four you say but, five you say pent, six you say hex, seven you say hept, eight you say oct, nine you say non, ten you say dec."
-- Narrator sounds like Mr Sulu
-- No jokes, no sound effects
-- Mnemonics...sort of
-- -- To remember the signal that causes heart contraction: "just think of the letters SABP"... 'cause that's catchy.

AudioOsmosis:
-- Short lectures make it easy to find a particular topic
-- The jokes, gongs, applause, & laughtrack distract
-- -- They account for 20% of the lecutres
-- -- I can't stress enough how distracting they are
-- Jordan & John's co-narration makes listening more intersting
-- MAMA: Mnemonics Are Memory Aids

Best MCAT review!
This review is easy to listen to in the car or on your MP3 player. Covers all the key points in a concise manner which is sure to save you time. Well worth the money. Check e=>bay first though.

Way more useful than the other MCAT audio program!
I own this and another MCAT audio review and to be perfectly honest, you will learn and retain alot more useful information from this one.It highlights the things that actually appeared on the exam.It is more focused, to the point and without a lot of distracting noises and korny jokes that only aggitate an inquisitive mind.The disadvantage of this package is the fact that its on cassette tapes, but visitng their website I noticed that a CD version is on the way.My advice to all premeds is dont waist your money on an MCAT course, you'll get more than you bargained with this package.

A pseudo-learning tool that is behind the modern technology.
For the amount of money you pay, it isn't really worth it.There is no booklet to go along with the tapes, and they cover very shallow level of the subjects.Plus, in this age of CD's and DVD's, these audio tapes are archaic, and if you want to focus your study on certain sections, you will spend most of your time fast forwarding or rewiding the tapes. ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT is a test of more than just the facts about basic physical and biological sciences—it’s an in-depth, rigorous examination of your knowledge of scientific concepts and principles, as well as your critical-thinking and writing skills. With the Princeton Review’s subject-specific MCAT series, you can focus your review on the MCAT topics that are most challenging to you. Each book in the series contains the most in-depth coverage of subjects tested on the MCAT.
 
Each chapter in MCAT Physics and Math Review includes:

• Full-color illustrations and diagrams
• Examples of physics and math questions and their solutions, worked out step by step
• Chapter Review Quizzes and answers
• A real, MCAT-style practice passage with questions and answers
• Bulleted summaries for quick review
 
MCAT Physics and Math Review also includes:

• A complete glossary of physics terms
• A summary sheet of physics formulas and physics constants and units
• A complete review of all the math topics you’ll need to know for the MCAT, including algebra, trigonometry, vectors, proportions, and logarithms ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect Start For MCAT Preparation
The book is well organized with all the Physics topics topics you need to know for the MCAT. Please note these books are for reviewing purposes and should complement your textbook along with working as much practice problems as possible if full mastery of the material is desired (beyond your high MCAT score aspirations). Study hard and all the best. ... Read more

Product Description
(Thomson) Annual review for those preparing for the MCAT examination. Includes test preparation for all areas, including verbal reasoning, physical sciences, biological sciences, and the writing sample. Features three full-length practice tests and sample exams for each subject. Updated to reflect new changes and CD-ROM contains one practice MCAT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Average, but still better than most materials out there
The best features about this book are its science review sections that summarize concepts in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Organic Chemistry.At least for the 2003 MCAT, the book did a good job of condensing a huge amount of science material into a number of chapters that are easily readable within a few weeks.If you run into any completely new concepts, though, you'll have to refer to outside resources for more explanation.

The verbal and writing review sections are not too helpful, as they're easier than what you'll find on the MCAT.You'll need other resources.

Overall, this review book and set of practice tests definitely can help you prepare for the MCAT, though not as much as more commercial (and pricey) test-prep materials, such as from Kaplan, Princeton Review, or ExamKrackers.I'd recommend NOT BUYING this book, but instead borrowing it from your local library.Also, supplement this book with harder practice tests so you get used to more difficult items.

not the best or worst thing out there
I already took the MCAT and decided to retake it.This book gives a cursory glance at important info. and sometimes completely leaves out vital concepts.The examples are a little too easy especially for the verbal section. Also, the verbal section has not been updated for the 2003 test as advertised (they have 65 ques. instead of 60).Despite this, I did like the study tips that they give, most of which you can find in the AAMC student manual.It's an "OK" book to have, but the MCAT is way too important for you to risk depending solely on this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT is a test of more than just the facts about basic physical and biological sciences—it’s an in-depth, rigorous examination of your knowledge of scientific concepts and principles, as well as your critical-thinking and writing skills. With the Princeton Review’s subject-specific MCAT series, you can focus your review on the MCAT topics that are most challenging to you. Each book in the series contains the most in-depth coverage of subjects tested on the MCAT.
 
Each chapter in MCAT Biology Review includes:
• Full-color illustrations, charts, and diagrams
• Examples of biology questions and their solutions, worked out step by step
• Chapter Review Quizzes and answers
• A real, MCAT-style practice passage with questions and answers
• Bulleted chapter summaries for quick review
 
MCAT Biology Review also includes a complete glossary of biology terms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Big but thorough
It reads like a textbook but is very thorough. I also like the practice passages and discretes at the end of the sections. It also has a glossary of terms at the back which is great review. The only thing I didn't really like was their in-text questions (answers in the footnotes). They annoyed me at first, but I did some and skipped others. Overall, I liked the book and will probably keep it as a reference. ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT is a test of more than just the facts about basic physical and biological sciences—it’s an in-depth, rigorous examination of your knowledge of scientific concepts and principles, as well as your critical-thinking and writing skills. With the Princeton Review’s subject-specific MCAT series, you can focus your review on the MCAT topics that are most challenging to you. Each book in the series contains the most in-depth coverage of subjects tested on the MCAT.
 
Each chapter in MCAT General Chemistry includes:
• Full-color illustrations, charts, and diagrams
• Examples of general chemistry questions and their solutions, worked out step by step
• Chapter Review Quizzes and answers
• A real, MCAT-style practice passage with questions and answers
• Bulleted chapter summaries for quick review
 
MCAT General Chemistry Review also includes:

• A complete glossary of general chemistry terms
• A general chemistry formula sheet ... Read more

Product Description
Complete and updated review for the new Medical College Admissions Test (changed in 2003; next change in 2007). Remains as one of the best selling manuals and continues to stand as the flagship for the industry. It includes a comprehensive and easy to understand review of the MCAT, 3 pull-out full-length practice exams with explanations. BONUS: With the purchase of this book bonus is Free Online Access to updated and full length exams on our web site. This manual covers all aspects of medical school admissions All Science sections covered in detail. Review of Verbal reasoning. ‘Five Minute, Five Step’ approach to the Writing Sample. Conversion tables for your MCAT scores. Over 100 diagrams and illustrations. "The Recipe for MCAT Success": A clear plan to excel at the MCAT. Also, how to improve your grades, how to prepare for medical school interview, strategies for autobiographical materials and letters of references, etc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

short verbal, good exam material, science review is not in depth
There are many MCAT material out there. but the only thing that I notice for people who score high on the MCAT is that they have practiced
the AAMC practice exams, you won't be able to finish reviewing for the MCAT. but what direct you to the relevent material for the MCAT is the AAMC practice exams. Also, the required material for the MCAT is posted on the AAMC website. you can check the contents of an MCAT book with the AAMC material nad see if the book covers what the AAMC website expect you to know for the MCAT

not great
major error in acid base section
too tedious
badly organized
incomplete
not enough application opportunity
--- and i had the dvd's too

let's find the most complicated way to explain as little as possible

ok so i did learn a couple of things ...but overall...rather bad

though it's a bit annoying, i like exam krackers much better
the audio cd's do have some minor errors but are still much less painful for studying

Great full length exams...okay review of material.
It's easy to be frustrated by the sheer amount of practice material available for the MCAT. You have Princeton Review, Kaplan, Examkrackers, Berkeley Review, Columbia Review etc. You type in MCAT on Amzon search, you will be bombarded with thousands of materials. And to maker matters worse you have people posting fake reviews from the publisher or the manufacturer. Just look at a couple of the very enthusiastic reviews and you'll see what I mean. All these companies profess that their material is the one that will help you get a competitive score but sadly very few companies deliver the goods. That said, I picked up the Gold Standard based on word of mouth. Although the book and the author is reputable, you will not hear about this book as much.

I picked up this book simply for its three full length exams on the back. And unlike certain full lengths that are much harder or easier than the actual MCAT or cover material not tested on the MCAT, these tests are very close to the passages/materials on the April 2005 MCAT, especially the verbal exam.

I looked at the review portion of the book and it was okay. It wasn't very good but not very bad either. My suggestion would be for buyer's of this book to use it solely for the practice exam.

5 stars for the full length tests.
3 stars for the review.
4 stars overall.

Probably The Best Single MCAT Book
I don't understand how people can write a review on mcat books if they haven't even written the mcat.I wrote the april 2005 test and here is the result: PS 13 - VR 14 - WS T - BS 12; overall 39T.

Here is my review of The Gold Standard: excellent science teaching/review, only pertinent information, below average verbal section (simply not in depth enough), very good writing sample advice/review, three very realistic challenging practice exams.I would have given the book 4 and 1/2 stars but it wasn't a choice.

How does it compare to the others?Kaplan and Princeton also have excellent science review books but they only have one full length practice exam.You can't go wrong with Examkrackers but they are long so I stuck to their Audio Osmosis CDs which were very helpful.I supplemented this with the mcat science videos from mcat-prep.

And finally, of course, I wrote all the aamc past tests and I went over them with a fine tooth comb.All I can say is I'm glad it's over and I hope that you kick some mcat butt too!

Not very good ...
I bought this book to prepare for this coming April MCAT and I think I made the big mistake in my life ...
This book does not contain all the information you need and the contents are not organized very well ..
Now I'm doing the practice tests from the AAMC and I couldn't get lots of questions since there were many stuffs this review material didn't even metion, especially physical science part .. (it's not because I didn't study sufficiently .. I studied ONLY using the Gold Standard, but if there are questions that I never learned on the real MCAT, how could I get them? Guess?)
The three practice tests contained in this book are worth to try.. They are very close to the AAMC stuff, but that's all ...
So, I don't strongly recommend you guys to buy this book for the MCAT preparation .. I cannot recommend other review materials since the Gold Standard was the only one I used .. But ask around your friends, and you will find a better one ..
Only two weeks left till the MCAT day .. Now, I put the Gold Standard MCAT manual away from my desk and just doing the AAMC practice tests .. I don't wanna waste my time anymore .... ... Read more

Product Description

• Doing passages is the most effective way to raise VR scores (3 point VR score jump on average using our book)

• 50 AAMC based passages

• 50 unique award-winning authors

• 42 pre-med advisors have already indicated this as their top choice for verbal practice after AAMC tests

• 7 official 60-minute MCAT-level tests + Warm-up passage

• MCAT prep classes at universities use this book

• Tracking shows that students who buy other passage books come back to buy this one ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

verbal reasoning passages
Good MCAT verbal reasoning passages are hard to find. I've tried three verbal books and I like this one the best. The others were a little too easy, and this has practice tests I expect to see on the real exam. It's nice how these come in groups of 7 so you feel like you're going through a full verbal section every time. Can't stress enough the rewards of daily practice with good passages.

I heard this author actually writes for the real MCAT. If that's true I'm set.

MCAT verbal passages that brought up my VR score
I opened this book and thought I was staring at an AAMC test.

My college advisor talked about how IvyHall Review is high-quality. I actually agree. On the real MCAT the correct answers are clearly justifiable, albeit sometimes difficult to discern. About 90% of the questions in this book have clear answers, supported by explanations in the back, which is refreshing and educational. The mix of difficulty feels like the real MCAT. The other 10% of the questions in this book probably have clear answers but I'm not quite smart enough to see them.

Other verbal books I've used have many questions with no clear answers. So frustrating!

This book feels like something you'd expect to find as part of a professional MCAT prep class. I like the choice of philosophical, humanities, scientific, and art-related verbal passages. They are like the ones I've seen on the actual MCAT, so you won't be disappointed with the content.

You can probably use this IvyHall book to bring up your verbal score by 4 points like I did if you are diligent, which to me was hugely awesome. A VR 7 to a VR 11 and an acceptance... yes! BTW, their site offered a sale.

MCAT Verbal Book Review - a review of MCAT prep verbal books
If you are preparing for the MCAT and are looking for a verbal book, your choice depends on whether you need more practice or if you need help with fundamentals. Either way, you should practice with lots of passages so this review should be helpful for all people getting ready for the exam. If your goal is to get a VR 8 or 9, then any verbal book will get you by. But if you want a VR 10, 11, or 12+ to be competitive then you need to be careful about how you spend your limited time.

I bought this IvyHall book, their Mastery book, and the verbal reasoning books by Kaplan and Examcrackers. My friend also gave me the Princeton Review verbal book you get in their class, and I signed up for the online Kaplan tests. Here is my critique by category.

Difficulty: To score consistently above 10, around 11 or 12, you'll need to have lots of solid practice and be able to handle the most difficult passages and questions. IvyHall to me offered the highest percentage of difficult passages, while PR offered the greatest number of difficult passages in total. Examcrackers and the Kaplan store book (not the one used in their class) left me disappointed because their passages felt too easy, as if they wanted to sell more by making you feel better about yourself. However, the Kaplan online computer-based tests offered challenging passages and one of the best ways to prepare for VR by getting you on a computer. So IvyHall, Kaplan online, and the PR class book were sufficiently challenging, with IvyHall edging out ahead.

Quality: Quality and difficulty are king for high scores. To me Kaplan online and IvyHall offered the best-written passages, followed by Princeton Review. Kaplan and Princeton understand their students well and are user-friendly with strong authors. Kaplan's store verbal book has far too few and plain passages. All things said, quality seems like what IvyHall does best. This book uses passages from 50 different authors who all seem excellent and top-notch. I was also impressed with the IvyHall Mastery book.

Variety: PR and IvyHall win in this category because the authors are from modern and older eras, so not only are topics unusual but writing styles are as well. PR offers the most unusual topics, which I like because I want to be ready for anything. IvyHall offers lots of unusual topics too but not as many as PR, with the caveat that IvyHall's topics best represent what you find on the MCAT. Kaplan's online class offers a little less variety, but still good. Examcrackers seems like all the passages are by modern authors only.

Personally, I felt like IvyHall offered the strongest verbal passages among the four companies, and I ended up using both IvyHall books as my main verbal prep. One helped fix my technical problems, and the other gave me lots of high quality passages that were challenging and felt most like the real MCAT. I also used the AAMC tests which are crucial. So my final result was VR 12. I did some PR and Kaplan online passages, and only a few Examcrackers and Kaplan store book passages since they were not as challenging as I would have liked.

Here is a summary of my critique of the IvyHall book against its competition:

Sufficiently Challenging:
IvyHall > PR class book > Kaplan class > Examcrackers > Kaplan store book

Quality of Passages:
IvyHall > Kaplan class > PR class book > Kaplan store book > Examcrackers

Number of Passages:
Kaplan class > Examcrackers > IvyHall > PR class book > Kaplan store book

Variety of Topics:
PR class book > IvyHall > Examcrackers > Kaplan class > Kaplan store book

Feels like real MCAT Passages:
IvyHall > Kaplan class > PR class book > Examcrackers > Kaplan store book

IvyHall wins 3 first-place spots, 1 second-place, and 1 third-place spot, which beats any other resource. If you're looking to spend under $50, the overall winner for verbal prep is IvyHall hands down - it wins in quality, challenge, and similarity to the real MCAT. If you have $1800 to spend, sign up for Kaplan or Princeton Review and buy more passages starting with this book. If you want to save yourself $1800 and just need practice passages, you would do very well with this collection plus AAMC tests. This is my best advice.

Our university believes this has the strongest passages
I am a university pre-medical advisor at a large institution. Part of how we prepare our candidates for medical school is by providing MCAT preparatory courses taught by our faculty. Each year we search for the best books for our classes. This year, we have selected this book because of its powerful passages that we found to be just as hard as those in the real MCAT test. Its passages are the strongest and the questions are demanding and thought provoking. The instructor for the class decided to use it again for the next year's class as well. ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT is a test of more than just the facts about basic physical and biological sciences—it’s an in-depth, rigorous examination of your knowledge of scientific concepts and principles, as well as your critical-thinking and writing skills. With the Princeton Review’s subject-specific MCAT series, you can focus your review on the MCAT topics that are most challenging to you. Each book in the series contains the most in-depth coverage of subjects tested on the MCAT.
 
Each chapter in MCAT Organic Chemistry Review includes:

• Full-color illustrations and diagrams
• Examples of organic chemistry questions and their solutions, worked out step by step
• Chapter Review Quizzes and answers
• A real, MCAT-style practice passage with questions and answers
• Bulleted summaries for quick review
 
MCAT Organic Chemistry Review also includes:

• A complete glossary of organic chemistry terms
• A summary sheet of chemical reactions ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great resource
Helpful book, but we will need to buy whatever text from the course trainer we eventually select. Not a bad buy, but you need a course to fully prepare! ... Read more

Product Description
MCAT Verbal Reasoning Review will be updated this year to reflect changes to the Verbal Reasoning section of the MCAT exam. Includes review of the writing sample as well as tips for improving speed in answering questions. Written by experts who know! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not just for wannabe doctors
There are a lot of practice passages - about 36. The answers are generally explained quite well and in detail but the book has a lot of errors such as answers being wrongly numbered. I also thought some of the answers were just plain wrong. But it is not easy to findmaterial that is hard enough to practise for entry into difficult professions. These examples are hard enough. (In fact, I'm more impressed with doctors' brains than I was before!)I thought it was challenging and useful though I did skip the science based passages because I was using it to tutor someone who wanted to be a pilot not a doctor. I searched the web for suitable material; it was surprisingly difficult to find much aimed at this level. So I recommend this one to you. It is one of three books that I bought. (The Columbia Review MCAT Verbal Reasoning Powerbuilder by Stephen D Bresnick and William H Bresnick was also useful). My student got through. What more can I say?

Don't Waste Your Money!
This book is a waste of money.There are many errors in it which makes studying very difficult and frustrating.The questions also appear easier than those on actual MCAT practice tests, which gives you an inaccurate self-evaluation.Do not purchase this book--you will wish you didn't!

MCAT Verbal Reasoning Review
The book specifically test #2 is filled with errors.There are duplicate question numbers, skipped answer numbers, and some of the answers are flat out incorrect.It makes it very frustrating when attemping to study. ... Read more

Product Description
Students preparing to take the Medical College Admission Test will value this set of flash cards as they brush up on questions typical of those that appear on the actual MCAT. The cards--with questions or concepts on the front and answers or concept explanations on the reverse sides--are divided into four sections: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. Cards measure 4 1/2" by 2 3/4", and have a hole in one corner to accommodate a metal key-ring-style card holder that is included with the cards. The ring allows students to arrange the flash cards for study sessions in any sequence that suits their needs. These flash cards make excellent study aids when used alone, but are even more effective when used in tandem with Barron's MCAT test preparation manual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MCAT study flash cards
The cards are a compact study tool for those who want to study on the go (i.e. at work, waiting for an appt, etc.).The flash card ring allows me to take one subject or part of one subject at a time to work on.But the small box is easy to carry on small trips as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis with Jordan and Jon is complete preparation for the MCAT on 12 audio CDs:
Every MCAT topic and formula thoroughly explained by two of the top MCAT experts in the country.
Exciting and interesting delivery keeps you awake and assists recall.
Intonation and sound effects clarify concepts in ways that can't be duplicated in books or even in the classroom.
Convenient tracking allows easy repetition of important points.
Designed to be used with or without Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package.
As comprehensive as any MCAT prep course available.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (69)

Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis
I travel in my car many hours with my job, so it works great for me.

Great Stuff.
Loved this MCAT review.Helped me boost my score on the MCAT.I highly recommend it, especially if you are an audio learner.

Lots of fluff and inaccuracies
After taking the MCAT, I found this CD to be of little use.Besides the fact that there are more sound effects than substance, much of the information about the test itself was inaccurate.For instance, they suggested bringing a timer, something strictly forbidden by MCAT and needless anyhow because of the onscreen timer.Further, between sound effects, they quickly recite hundreds of formulas you don't need to memorize because they are provided for you when required on the test.There are content inaccuracies as well, and you need to pay to access their forum to view them.

One positive note, however, is that they do a good job of covering what topics are on the test.

Their website contains many spelling and grammar errors.These guys seem like no more than two dudes with some sound equipment reading all the sidebar notes in "Biology for Dummies" in their garage while playing with the sound effect buttons. Out of decency I won't try to resell you the crap I bought.I don't want to waste your time or money.

Unless you enjoy sound effects.

A great resource for those with background knowledge
First off, yes, the audio does contain a lot of cheesy humor that irritates you at first. However, after constant exposure, these actually work as "breather" moments or you even remember the definition of something because of the cheesy jokes. The only part I complain about now is when the sound effects are louder than the regular audio because they hurt my ears on Ipod.

Second, yes, there are errors. However, these are extremely minor error and very rare. They will not be something that will throw you off completely and ruin your MCAT. In fact, sometimes these errors are due to misspeak that you can easily identify because 10 seconds later they are saying the correct thing 3 or 4 times.

Third, this review is NOT for those wanting to learn the science for the first time. I made that huge mistake at first and thought this was garbage. I went onto actually learning the science through another course (use open university from MIT, Berkeley, Yale, UC Irvine, etc. on YouTube), and once I returned, I saw how this was a condensed version of that specifically targeted to learning what is in the MCAT only. Therefore, remember you are buying a REVIEW for the MCAT, not a science course.

These are definitely worth buying.

Great Review
I like this a lot. i can use it at work and in the car for reviewing the concepts I have already studied. ... Read more

Product Description
ALL BRAND NEW TESTS! Fully updated. Contains 3 full length sample MCAT exams with complete answer explanations. No review, this is for the student who desires extra practice. Written by experts in each subject who are doctors, these are the most accurate and comprehensive MCAT practice exams available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

DO NOT USE THIS BOOK
Wow.I came across this book in the local library.I'm tempted to ask the library to remove it from the shelves because this book will do more harm than good to your average MCAT taker.It is full of errors - both simple typo errors AND gross errors in conceptual material that is plain wrong.

I suppose if you want to test how well you really know a material, you can get this book and try to edit out all the mistakes.Besides that, do not even bother with this.

Use the AAMC practice tests, or Kaplan, Princeton Review, or Gold Series, but NOT this book.You've been warned.

Not too good
Cons
1) This book has errors in it which is quite annoying.

2) The questions in this book don't really accurately reflect the actual MCAT.

Pros
1)Some of the techniques required for doing the MCAT are required in answering these tests (i.e. careful reading, concept comprehension), and in my opinion the topics at least in this book are true to the MCAT.

Summary
If you're desperate for questions, and are willing to put up with some of the stupidity in this book, you might want to look into it.

P.S.The best MCAT questions can of course be found on the previous examine www.aamc.org !

Don't Buy This!
Not only does this book have mistakes, but it is nothing like a real MCAT.The form of almost half the questions is totally different.Additionally, all the passages are either much easier or much harder than an actual MCAT, I thought.There were also a lot of questions I thought were either questionable or just plain stupid.I wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy.

Waste of time and money
this book is absolutely horrible- it's full errors that make you want to tear the book apart from frustration. i can't believe they're still promoting this version. do not buy. don't waste your money. go for either kaplan or princeton review.

ARCO MCAT Sample Exams 4th Ed
This is the worst practice test/MCAT prep book out there.Numerous mistakes of every kind.Stay away like the plague. ... Read more

Product Description
This study and skills-building guide is geared specifically for the most underrated component of the MCAT--Verbal Reasoning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Very good
This is book is very good for practicing passages that capture the ambiguous feeling of the mcat. The question stems are shorter thatn the actual one but the practice is excellent. Not to mention the price! Very good practice for the verbal section overall... PS don't follow their strategies though... !

Excellent tips, not so good on the practice
I've used this book in preparing for the MCAT, two things: 1) book is certainly worth reading, Bresnick gives many excellent pointers on speed reading and analyzing the passage 2) the passages at the end of the bookare OK, but are not really representative and tend to be a little easierthan the real MCAT.

But, despite some of the minor flaws the book iscertainly worth getting.

Don't waste your time!
If you only have a few months to study for the MCAT, don't waste your time with this book .The passages are too easy and do not reflect the real MCAT-style questions. This book is for beginners only, say those who arestudying a year before the test date and have extremely poor readingcomprehension skills.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME ON THIS!
This edition is the worst mcat verbal book I've ever seen in my quest to find a good verbal book.The passages are not even line-numbered!The questions that followed the passages were absolutely moronic and simplistic(these questions can offend anyone's intelligence). More importantly, thequestions are NOT representative of the ones on the REAL MCAT.When youare searching for a practice verbal book, remember to find one thatresembles the real test as much as possible or you'd be wasting your time(which we mcat students know is extremely precious) doing questions thatdon't help you prepare for the test.Look into LSAT practice books(especially the old, real LSAT tests now available in bookstores).Thesereal LSAT passages are shorter than the MCAT ones, but they are challengingand the questions are excellent (they are well thought-out and trulyrequire critical thinking skills).The verbal section was my biggestnightmare during my MCAT prep, but I scored an 11 because I worked hardusing the right materials.

Good practice for MCAT verbal section.
The book offers extremely valuable practice for the MCAT verbal section at a very reasonable price (three full verbal sections and various other passages and questions throughout).However, the tips given to improvereading speed are not effective given that most people start studying forthe mcat only a few months before the actual test.If verbal reasoning isyour weakest point, then this book is a GREAT place to start.The morepractice you get, the better off you will become.Good Luck. ... Read more