Product Description
This is a 5 volume set of the newest editions of the now famous ExamKrackers MCAT Manuals. You'll find everything that you need to know to score your best on the MCAT. For the first time, these books are sold as a five volume set with a top quality, full length practice MCAT included as a bonus. 980 pages of color and black and white illustrations on text book quality paper. 31 thirty minute topical exams in MCAT format. Over 1400 MCAT questions in all. This 5 volume set is certain to become the top selling MCAT study set this year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (132)

Best Guide Out There
These books were very helpful in preparing for the MCAT. I had looked through others, but in my opinion, these are the best--most utilitarian. Of course, like any other test prep, a lot of its usefulness comes by
putting in the time. If you spend hour after hour poring through these pages and practicing, when you really feel like doing something more entertaining, this should help you get a good score, as it did me. Good luck to all of you!

Great Study Set
I have used many of the different MCAT study books/sets (Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc.), but none of them even compare to the Exam Krackers set.It puts everything into easy to understand terms, and it only includes the things you NEED to know.It definitely worked for me...I'm in medical school now.I only had to take the MCAT once thanks to these study books!This package contains 5 books: Org. Chemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Verbal Reasoning.It also comes with a complete practice test.GET THIS SET!

Quality service and product
The MCAT prep book by examcrackers that I purchased was delivered in a timely matter and the books were in good condition and not written in (as was listed).I was pleased with the purchase.

Excellent condition
The package was in excellent condition upon arrival.The set includes Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Verbal/Math.
I'll need all the books for the MCAT so the package was the way to go.

Errata
I would recommend reading the feed back from Robert McKee.I think that he may be on to something.I only bough these because a professor recommended them (but he was that smart).

Pros:
-The company has a lot of practice problems (sold separately), which helps for practice.
-They do an okay job at reviewing the basic material covered on the MCAT.

Cons:
-I've found quite a few errors, especially in the problems, and occasionally in the material.Their website has all the errors listed, but you have to pay a subscription to join the form for access to what these errors are.
-I don't particularly like how they claim to be the supreme MCAT authority, claiming that using any other review will be detrimental to your score.
-The jokes are stupid, and not helpful.
-They have not released a recent edition for many years now, which means that they are now out dated.

Recommendations:
-If you want a good review course, go with Kaplan.They are the gold standard of MCAT/LSAT review.
-You may consider going to the AAMC's MCAT page and download the PDF document that list all the topics covered on the MCAT and look them up on your own using textbooks and other sources.
-Practice lost of problems.
-Take lots of practice test. ... Read more

Product Description
The passages in this book have been designed to closely resemble official MCAT Verbal passages. From the type font to the subject matter to the number of words in each passage, question, and answer choice, these exas have the real MCAT feel. The questions in this book accurately duplicate the intended ambiguity that is the challenge of the actual MCAT. As is true of the official MCAT, you won't find the answers to these questions by hunting through the passages to find specific details. Instead, you'll need to understand the passeges in their entirety, just as you will on official MCAT day. The explanations in this book provide a comprehensive breakdown of correct, and incorrect answer choices. If you want lots of practice with tough, accurate MCAT exams to boost your Verbal Reasoning score on MCAT day, this book is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

MCAT verbal passages
Product was in great shape, delivery took a little longer than I expected but the product was just as they described!

Examkrackers is Not the Best MCAT Verbal Practice Guide
This isn't the best MCAT Verbal test prep. About 1/3 of all answers in the back of the book seemed to me either poorly explained or wrong. Maybe this book is just too hard for me, or I just don't get the answers. But on real MCAT practice tests, the answers given always make perfect sense to me. They are no doubt the right answers once they are revealed.

This book is good in quantity. It has many passages and questions that mimic the MCAT Verbal. But, practicing from this guide might hurt a premed student's intuition regarding the real MCAT test, so I don't recommend using it. I found that Kaplan makes higher quality MCAT Verbal tests, at least in my opinion. And if a premed student can afford it, I would tell him or her to just buy real MCAT tests.

Great
I did one of these 60 minute verbal sections on days I wasn't taking a full length, and it's good verbal practice.

Good practice
This is a good book for practice.However I think this book can be misleading at times.For those studying for the MCAT, use this book to practice passages and more less of actually taking a test one by one.I would say use this book to practice a few passages a day.The questions are very challenging and will you get you thinking and focused for the real thing.I would say this can be easier than the real MCAT or AAMC verbal, but it is harder at times as well.So I guess we can say it balances out.

The passages for the most part are very interesting, compared to most verbal passages I have seen in the real MCAT and other prep companies.This book lacked humanity and philosophy passages, which is almost always present on the real MCAT.Although the questions are extremely difficult, some of the questions all over the book have more than one right answer, and will keep you guessing.So this book does have it's mistakes.

I would not actually score each practice verbal test based on the scale given in the back of the book.In my opinion I think some tests are harder than others in the book.Because of this I think that one and only scale in the back of the book should not be representative of each test in this book.If each test were graded accordingly, based on a pool of people getting certain questions right and wrong, then we would know each real score for each test.A lot of people I know, including myself, had verbal scores which fluctuated from this book.

As I mentioned before, use this book as practice.See which questions you got right and wrong, and why and how it lead you to the answer.Just use this book to polish your test-taking technique for the Verbal section, whatever technique it might be.

I give this book a 3.7 rating, which rounds up to 4.I do recommend this book, but with caution.

Review of Examkrackers MCAT101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning
The product was packaged well and it arrived in brand new condition as described by the seller. ... Read more

Product Description
1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry provides practice questions in all chemistry topics covered by the MCAT. The questions and explanations are designed to teach the student to think intuitively. Like the MCAT, conceptual thinking is encouraged while lengthy calculations are discouraged. Memorization of basic formulas is required, but usually will not, in itself, provide the fastest method to finding an answer. Questions are conveniently arranged by topic. Question difficulty ranges from easy to very difficult. Questions are formatted exactly like the MCAT. Answers and explanations are provided in the back of the book.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Essential-- but don't go overboard!
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.

Best MCAT study package 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.

Bad description.
This seller has deceitfully described the item.
The book was in horrible condition.
It was bent and ripped in all corners and written all over the book. Never Ever buy!!!

From 8 to 13 on PS
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.

Don't Skip Out on This Book!
This book was the best Chemistry practice book EVER. It had A LOT of problems for EACH subject and if you really do ALL the problems, you finish this book with such a Great understanding of the subjects...you finish much stronger on the topics than when you started. I was very weak in some topics and I had gone through ALL the examkracker resources (16 minimcats, audio osmosis, etc.) but I felt I needed more practice problems so that I can really know what kind of questions to expect. This book sealed the deal. It is very detailed in terms of explanations and if you don't understand the first couple of problems, by the end of the section YOU UNDERSTAND. It's just so many problems that you have no choice but to finally GET IT when you're done. ... Read more

Product Description
While 18,036 students were accepted to medical school in 2008, more than 42,000 applied. Since the MCAT is the top factor admissions committees consider when reviewing applicants for medical school, MCAT Practice Tests is the ideal guide for the most test-like practice. It is the only guide on the market with updated content and tests that actually mirror what students will see on test day, and includes strategies for each test section: Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, and Verbal.

More men and women are admitted to medical school with a Kaplan MCAT course than any other curriculum of its kind. This is why our guide is created by the same team of MDs, PhDs, scientists, and test-preparation experts responsible for Kaplan’s highly regarded MCAT course. In fact, students enrolled in Kaplan’s popular MCAT courses overwhelmingly report that they want more practice tests to help them prepare for the difficult exam. This book includes:

• Two full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations
• The latest test information
• Six full chapters of strategies for each major section of the test

Customer Reviews (4)

Useful practice tests
I thought the practice tests were useful.One of the tests was a little easy though. I got a 14 on PS and never got that high of a score before or after, or even when taking the actual MCAT.

Nothing that wasn't stated in the listing
Nothing out of the ordinary.Book arrived in great condition and within the time period listed.

not really useful
The book was not really useful. I would have returned it to Kaplan, but it has been more than 90 days. Most of the questions were repeats from the practice tests that are included in the Kaplan complete book, online. I also thought that the test questions were not reflective of the real tests. You are better off paying for the real practice tests online

it was good
The delivery was pretty efficient. I got it well on time. and the book is really helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains 1001 fully annotated physics questions in the MCAT format organized by topic. The range of difficulty is from easy to very difficult. There are questions on every physics topic that might appear on the MCAT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

From 8 to 13 on PS
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.

It helped me improve my MCAT physics score!
Did you get your MCAT score back and feel like a retard? I went from a 5 to an 8 in the physics section of my MCAT after I did the problems in this book. I did about every 3 problems. It took 2 months to do but was well worth it.If physics is your problem area, do as many problems as you can. The problems in here are simple and teach you the basic concepts. The format is not the same as the MCAT, because on the MCAT there are passages. But if you don't have the basic concepts of physics down, doing lengthy passage questions won't help you. My suggestion to you is to practice with this book first and use another book for physics passage questions. The KAPLAN books are not as good (at least for physics prep) in my opinion. When I only used kaplan I got a 5.Go with this book for your physics preparation!

Good luck!

Great for Practice
This is a great review book for practicing various physics topics. It will improve your speed and your thinking in approaching physics problems on the real MCAT, thus allowing you to finish the section in time. I improved my scores from 08 to 12, when i used this book 4 years after taking physics I & II. I highly recommend it.

A Must Have for Physical Sciences
This book was just what I needed to really get the MANY practice problems that I longed for after the basic Examkrackers Physics book. The book provided MANY problems for each subject to the point where you have no choice but to understand the subject by the end of problem set. The author does a great job producing MCAT like questions. Though there are no passages followed by questions like in the real MCAT, trust me, you will definitely understand the topics by the end of this book and thats the most important thing. If you understand a topic/subject no matter how the passage is written or what the real MCAT questions ask...you will know how to understand and answer them because you have a strong foundation...via this book.

Excellent study guide
This is a great study guide to make sure you have all the topics covered. I went through the entire guide and scored a 15 on the physics section. All of the 1001 EC books are great.Using primarily these books I made a 38Q overall on the MCAT. Highly recommended.

One important note. These books are NOT in MCAT format. They are simply problems to go through to make sure the concepts are fully understood. Then you can tackle the real thing. All concepts are covered ad nauseum and practice makes perfect. ... Read more

Product Description
150 pages of questions, answers, and explanations covering all possible topics in MCAT organic chemistry, both stand alone and 'mini-passage-based' questions, b&w illustrations.This book contains 1001 organic chemistry questions covering all the organic chemistry topics tested by the MCAT. Each question is in the MCAT multiple choice format. Questions are arranged by topic, and range from basic to extremely difficult. Typically, questions on a given topic begin easy and become progressively more difficult. Answers with explanations and formulas are provided.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great for review of the basics
If you're just looking to review basic concepts and ideas without reading passages, this is great for the price.

great workbook
Great practice problems, with answers. I like that the sections refer to the lectures and tell you where you need improvement.

Got me a 12 on BS
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 12. 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.

o-chem 1001
book is pretty helpful...the questions seem fairly easy, though.this is probably because my o-chem professors ROCK and my class has been quite rigorous...the mcat o-chem questions seem easy because I've had such a good o-chem education.the 1001 questions book is a decent review, though

Great review
The Exam Kracker series are great for testing your knowledge and reviewing for MCAT. I found these books to be indispensable. If you can not afford to buy it new, try craigslist to find a used copy. It will definitely improve your MCAT score. ... Read more

Product Description
Intensive practice for all test sections of the MCAT for the high-achieving student seeking a score in the top percentile.

Fewer than 40 percent of students who apply to medical school get accepted, and top medical schools routinely accept less than 10 percent of applicants. A student’s MCAT score is one of the most important factors considered by the medical school admissions committee. Competitive students seeking admission to top medical schools need high MCAT scores, and therefore the most intensive MCAT practice available. Kaplan MCAT 45 features the toughest practice, strongest strategies, and the hardest questions on the MCAT.

Kaplan MCAT 45 features: The hardest practice sets for each MCAT subject The latest test information and strategies for the CBT Detailed answer explanations Focused guidelines for tackling each question type Time-saving study outlines for each subject Proven strategies for getting a perfect score

The MCAT is a five-hour long, computer-based test that covers three sections: Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning. ... Read more

Product Description
This book reviews all the biology tested by the MCAT.Itincludes nine 30 minute exams in the MCAT format, and 135 additionalstand alone questions.All 342 questions are in MCAT form and fullyannotated.The book is illustrated in black and white, and in color.This book is expensive because it is the best MCAT biology reviewavailable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Good review
This should not be the primary study material, but it does provide a good review.

Great General Review of Biology
This was a really well written and nicely illustrated book for reviewing biology on the MCAT. I read this book along with the supplemental audio set audio osmosis. The two make a nice combo and both work well with each other. For, me I haven't taken biology as a class since AP bio my junior year of high school so I was worried about this section of the MCAT. This book gives an excellent general overview of what you need to know for the biology section (and also importantly what you don't).
My main gripe would be both the lack of detail -in order to do really well on the MCAT bio section you'll really have to use this book as a supplement to other material out there. Its a great starting place especially if the bio concepts aren't fresh in your mind though, and for that I highly recommend it.

Excellent MCAT Biology Book.
I purchased MCAT biology help me study for PCAT, and it is wonderful. The book gives you ton of hints of what kind of questions going to be ask and what to memorize.Pictures and diagrams are wonderful and very helpful. Has plenty practice questions to re-enforce concepts.It is a thin book with 278 pages, so it easy to carry around to different locations.I used for PCAT, but friends of mine borrowed it for other exams and said that it extremely helpful.

Undecided...
I have not taken the actual MCAT test yet so I can not determine how useful this book has been; however, I can say that I like the book so far.

Useful, Very Good

This was oe of my study references for the MCAT.I recommend this one because it has a lot of useful info that one needs to know for the biology portion of MCAT.

Another useful reference is "The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology:Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Topics:Origin of Living Things & Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell & Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics)Volume 1 by Patrick Leonardi
This last study guide had wonderful questions/explanations that were quite comprehensive for the biology part of the MCAT. ... Read more

Product Description
This book explains the most effective strategy forscoring well on the MCAT verbal reasoning section.It is the samestrategy used by the author, who scored a perfect score on that samesection.You simply won't find a better strategy for verbalreasoning.The book also contains a brief discussion on mathtechniques that you should use when taking the MCAT, such as rounding,graphs, and proportions.Three 30 minute verbal exams are included inthe back of the book.It is recomended that you purchase more verbalexams with which to practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

exam crackers is good buy
very good technique taught. It clearly stated things that took me months to pick up. I'm scoring elevens

Good Strategy but Not Actually Updated for CBT
I bought this book as part of the EK Complete Study Package and have been studying for a few months now. The strategy takes a lot of practice to master, but it works. Just keep in mind that you have to keep practicing their strategy and realize that you do need to devote a sufficient amount of time to it.

The only bad thing about this book is that even though it claims that it's updated to reflect the new CBT format, it really isn't. On the first two pages it gives you a breakdown about the advantages of the computerized format and the changes in questions and time, but after that, they didn't change anything. When talking about writing the essay (which is a very short section, btw), it ends by saying to "write 2 pages" and "above all, write neatly." Obviously neither of these applies when you are typing your essay. Then it begins the Verbal Reasoning section by saying that there are "nine passages" (there are 7), "for a total of 60 questions" (there are 40), and "the test taker has 85 minutes" (you have 60 minutes). It even has sections called "Marking Your Test to Improve Your Score" and "When to Bubble." On the CBT you don't physically bubble in an answer sheet, and there is no place to put little X's, -'s, and O's.

The quick breakdown of math on the MCAT and the detailed strategy for the Verbal Section warrant a 5 star rating, but these extensive errors in regards to the time for the test and marking the test easily drop it down one star, thus I give it a 4 overall.

Good approach for tackling verbal reasoning
MCAT Verbal Reasoning & Mathematical techniques provides the reader with key insight into deciphering verbal reasoning passage questions. It breaks down the seemingly complex tasks to reveal possible interventions for vast improvement. A fairly short book, the ideas presented are designed to/and only work if the exercises are practised daily with meticulous effort. In saying this, ideally it should be purchased in conjunction with MCAT 101 passages in MCAT to ensure adequate retention of the appropriate skills. Its best asset is that it builds on what the reader has already aqcuired in life, eventually fine tuning certain areas to cater for the challenging questions of the MCAT verbal reasoning section.

Great little book!
This is a small book that is a great asset to anyone taking the MCAT. I took Kaplan and the strategies in this book is better than any Kaplan verbal strategy.

Not good for everybody
I bought this book because I had heard such good reviews about it from practically everyone that's used it, and I am now the first person I know to discourage the use of this book.The techniques that they offer are really basic reading techniques that anyone can pick up from a typical college English course (although EK writers claim otherwise).While they assert that their methods are different from other prep-course books intended solely to market rather than to raise your scores (which may be true), they are not all that different from another prep-course book that I'm using.I actually found that the techniques from prep-course book were more helpful.In fact, using only EK techniques and nothing else gave me a score lower than the one I got when I first started prepping for MCATs.
The book should at most be worth $5- the content is so sparse and basic that i can probably list the techniques offered by this company in a paragraph or so.If you can borrow this book from a friend or buy it for $5 or less, by all means do so and use it as a supplement- that is, if you are already scoring fairly well on the verbal section.For others like me, it may be detrimental to use this book even if you can get it for free, because your score will actually go down. ... Read more

Product Description
This book reviews all the organic chemistry tested by theMCAT.It includes four 30 minute exams in the MCAT format, and 60additional stand alone questions.All 152 questions are in MCAT formand fully annotated.This book is expensive because it is the bestMCAT organic chemistry review available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

It was OK.
I wish this book was easier to read. The colors are great, but explanations could be better.

Beware of Lying Reviewers!
Beware of the so-called reviews on all Examkrackers books. While the textbook publishers are not smart enough to understand MCAT science, they are smart enough to have their employees come on here and copy and paste glowing reviews about their products. It is a shame that the company will play with people's futures in order to make a buck.

I can also say that I tried out McGraw Hill's MCAT review book and it was also garbage. It does a poor job of summarizing, especially in organic chemistry, and does not even tell you what material is or is not on the test! Go for Princeton Review or Kaplan.

The best I've used
I've used Kaplan, Princeton review, and many others - I think Exam Krackers does the best at highlighting and explaining the important concepts. The others will overwhelm you with unnecessary detail, and I didn't like the way they were set up. Using exam krackers, my score jumped 7 points.

Highly recommended.

Ryan

arrived in a timely manner
The book arrived in the time it was supposed to and was in the condition in which the seller said it would be.

excellent review for mcat o-chem
If you did well in organic chem 1 and 2, then this book is great for a quick review.the best part is you can even go through it quickly. ... Read more

Product Description
Are you tired of memorizing hundreds of facts that would never be tested on the real MCAT? There are many companies that are happy to have you memorize names of dead scientists or the structures of all 20 alpha amino acids and much more. The Gold Standard has a different approach. George Bernard Shaw once apologized to a friend for having written a long letter; he said he did not have enough time to write a short letter! The Gold Standard has taken the time to condense an enormous amount of material into 54 high quality poker sized cards containing over 200 of the most frequently tested concepts from the new MCAT CBT. In fact, The Gold Standard s Complete MCAT Course (Platinum Program) is a short letter to you, the premed student, containing the information you need to know to become a medical student. If you don't have time to waste, remember our name. Good luck and let's get started. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

poor study tool
I expected in just a deck of cards some general info, instead i got overly applied concepts. A typical question would be what equations do you need to memorize to answer a question about such n such then on the other side would be 10 random equations, or you would get a needlessly complex question you would not see on the mcat. I got the feeling the people that made this card just wanted to tell themselves how smart they are. If you want a good study tool get an examkracker book.

Flashcards are great for me but not for everyone
I use flashcards for most of my classes (of course it means doing them myself).I like them because they summarize a large amount of info.So here is the trick: the more it summarizes, the easier to use, the more you can master a certain set of facts or concepts.But if your flashcards end up just being a small font version of your book then just read the book!

So imo I liked thse cards because they summarized a ridiculous about of info.BUT don't expect 10 MCAT books to be summarized on 54 cards or you will be dissapointed.What i got from it was the most frequent stuff in each topic that you'll see again and again on aamc tests.

too little content, too many advertisement
compared to most of the flashcards (e.g. kaplan, which I recommend), this set contains too few cards (only 50 or so), limiting the content available for you to remember. In addition, they even made cards for writing samples as well as verbal reasoning, having questions like How much time is allocated to WS or VR, what are the strategies for acing VR, stuff like that, which were not useful to me at all. Not recommend these cards.

neat idea
Quality card stock. Great study tool for BRIEF summaries, Q & A. Best parts: phy, gen and org chem; thinnest: bio, vr, ws.

Quick and tidy
Good quality cards but only useful for studying!You can't really use it to play cards unless your pretty creative because you're going to memorize the questions!Anyways, the content is dense, brief and well worth the price.Very little verbal but all the equations you need to memorize, useful bio/org. ... Read more

Product Description
The 16th Edition of The Gold Standard is THE complete and fully updated review for the new Medical College Admissions Computer Based Test (MCAT CBT). The 16th Edition of The Gold Standard continues to be one of the best selling manuals, standing as the flagship for the industry. The Gold Standard includes a comprehensive and easy to understand review of the MCAT, 3 pull-out full-length practice exams with explanations, also available as MCAT CBTs online for free, and hundreds of pages in full color! NEW features include three dimensional color diagrams, MCAT objectives at the beginning of chapters, equation lists, free online chapter review questions with explanations, and an organic chemistry mechanisms summary. BONUS No.1: Students also get The 3 Gold Standard exams as MCAT CBTs - free and online. BONUS No.2: Free online access to ten hours of teaching videos! The 16th Edition of The Gold Standard covers all key aspects of medical school admissions. All science sections are covered in detail. Proven verbal and writing strategies are designed to aid the student to competently prepare for the MCAT verbal reasoning section. The "Five Minute, Five Step" approach to the writing sample, tried and tested by students throughout the world is elucidated. Conversion tables for your MCAT scores are included. The Gold Standard will teach you how to improve your grades, how to prepare for the medical school interview, strategies for autobiographical materials and letters of references, and much more. Over 100 diagrams and illustrations take the MCAT learning experience to a new level! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Can't they afford an editor?
The most painful thing about this book is their editor's inability to properly use i.e. and e.g. It's so distracting that it's almost impossible for me to do anything but see the mistakes. It is also fairly weak on the content, but overall a good way to do a quick review. The questions in the back do seem to be more along the lines of just simple multiple choice, where the sample CBT tests seem to have more intricate questions. Perhaps the simple questions will be helpful, but it would have been nice to get questions that mimicked the MCAT a little more. The little cartoon cat that they put at the end of each chapter makes me want to punch someone - um, hello, we're not in elementary school. While I can appreciate that they want to break up the dull content, I would have preferred something a LITTLE more tactful/age appropriate.

gives you a general idea
It tells you what the mcat will have on it but I did go back to my old books to double check.
In the chemistry part, it didnt give much details and examples on the different subjects. So, when I wanted more practice with equations, I went to my old book to get more practice.
The book serves as a refreshment on the subjects but I would want more practice problems. Still it was helpful.

Gold Standard MCAT book
A good book somewhere in the middle pack of MCAT study guides.It has some practice exams that are helpful.

Gold Standard is a good indicator for MCAT scores
The MCAT computer online practice is great, but not exactly in the same format as the real MCAT computerized test. However, it does give quite an accurate indication of how one will score in the real MCAT test. So, the Gold Standard provides a cheaper way of practising MCAT tests.

A masterpiece that leaves no stone unturned
This book, now in its 16th edition, is a comprehensive review of the new MCAT and provides strategies, preparation ideas, and sample questions to help you study. The full-color illustrations are aesthetically pleasing and accurate. I love the book's organization, which clearly shows you just what you need to know as well as what information is optional to learn. If you only purchase one book for your MCAT study needs, this 952-page book is the one. ... Read more

Product Description
This book reviews all the inorganic chemistry tested by the MCAT.It includes seven 30 minute exams in the MCAT format, and 85 additional stand alone questions.All 266 questions are in MCAT form and fully annotated.This book is expensive because it is the best MCAT chemistry review available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

great book.
Its a great book.Its helping me raise my physical science score.Some of the explanations are not well written.Overall its a great practice book.

Great review, teaching aide, and MCAT prep
This book is highly recommended. With your college chm and phy texts handy, this book will prepare for any MCAT chm passage in just a few weeks (the only topics I personally needed my texts for were thermochm. and electrochm.). The 7 concise chapters with in-ch. Q's are highly effective pedagogically and for quick review. Combined with MCAT-style, 30 min exams for each ch., you will quickly isolate your deficiencies and improve your score most efficiently.

I had an outstanding chm professor a few years ago (department chair and text author), and I'm sure he would endorse this book for its pedagogical quality. I endorse it for its quality as a review and MCAT study guide. Of all the MCAT prep materials I've used so far (Kaplan, PR, NOVA, ARCO) this is the highest quality. Recommended for all persons preparing for the MCAT.

another solid review book.
If you did well in gen chem, then this book will be great for reviewing concepts in a timely manner.The section on acid\base chemistry and electrochemistry are quick and to the point.

Exceptional MCAT Prep Materials
This book contains all the info necessary to do well on the Physical Sciences section of the MCAT. Everything is presented very clearly and this book truly gives you an understanding of mcat chemistry. I recently took the April MCAT and I must say that this book and the Examkrackers physics made me feel like the PS was a JOKE! Their materials allow you to understand the mcat science conceptually such that no mcat item is EVER intimidating. Each lecture is complemented with a 30min exam where you can test the concepts as you review. (They're challenging though) Examkrackers all the way with no Imitations!!!

Amazing book
This book is layed out in a fashion that allows you to learn the material in a simple but productive manner.If your going to take the mcat this book will teach you chemistry. ... Read more

Product Description

• Two full-length practice tests
• The latest test information and 6 full chapters worth of strategies for each major section of the test

Customer Reviews (9)

Good practice
Practice is the best thing you can do to get your MCAT score up.I used this book and one other to practice without any other courses/practice and scored a 35.

Same as old version.
This is a duplicate of the older Kaplan practice tests, with a newer cover. Waste of my money since i had bought the other book as well. Aside from that, use examkrackers instead of Kaplan. Way better quality, and examkrackers brought me from high 20s to consistent mid 30s to a 34 on the real test.

Great Book!!!!
Excellent BOOK!! Detail answers to help you learn critically and not just memorize facts and answers

it is what it says...
Hey, if you're looking for two MCAT tests with answers, here you go.A computer-based practice test would be a more realistic simulation of the test experience, but paper form is good practice nonetheless.

Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests
These are great as an addition to the online practice tests.I found these useful when still determing what types of questions were on the MCAT, but not very helpful as far as format since every MCAT is now administered solely on computer.However, they were a good addition to my other study materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam
For any student seriously considering the MCAT exam, this book should be the first thing you purchase.Grandiose introductory statements aside, the book is well organized, informative, and most important; it's published by the AAMC who administer and score the test.

One of the things that make this book a success is the way it is organized.The first section is entirely devoted to admin details and facts about the test itself, such as:what the test is and is not designed to measure, how it is and is not scored (and there are enough rumors to make this necessary), how those scores are used by medical schools, how to register and what to expect on test day, and how a given score stacks up against the national averages.

The rest of the book is divided into the disciplines, those being biological sciences, physical sciences, verbal reasoning, and writing sample, from which the test questions are drawn.Each of these opens with an outline of material the student should master before taking the test, then describes the number and type of question you might encounter.For example, some questions in physical sciences test your ability to recall specific knowledge, others test your ability predict the outcome of an experiment if a variable were changed.Finally, each section has a passage and a set of practice questions with answers.The answer section for each passage tells you specifically why that question is correct, and outlines some of the mistakes students typically make that lead to incorrect answers.

The downside of the book is that you can plow through it so quickly it almost reads like an issue of esquire.The information presented is important and relevant, but there are few practice questions and that's really what will make the difference in your score.Because of the lack of practice problems, the book should be used more as a starting point and you should definitely use an additional text to supplement your MCAT prep.Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase and would recommend this book to anyone else preparing to take the test.I can't think of a better source of information about the MCAT than the people who write and score it.Good luck! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Kaplan MCAT program
The book is full of all the information you'll need to prepare for the MCAT.Plenty of practice exams and tips for the test.You will definitely need to set aside a few months to thoroughly study the book though.

thorough
This is a thorough guide but I ended up taking the Kaplan classes. I think this book would have been just as good as the classes because the content was pretty much identical. That being said, it loses a star because everyone I know who used ExamKrackers in conjunction with this (or even just ExamKrackers on its own) did better than I did score-wise! If I could go back and do it again, I'd have used both. Kaplan has the details, ExamKrackers is good for cramming the most tested points (apparently).

Does the job
There is no silver bullet to studying, but this book certainly is one tool that will help.

Good book for preparing for the MCAT
The Kaplan MCAT book is great for studying for the MCAT. I enjoy the pictures because it is alot easier to understand the material. It is also helpful that it gives information that you need to know and putting it in sections, rather than a bunch of information crammed into one chapter. It also provides test samples which are helpful to study for the actual test.

MCAT
I received the book in a timely manner and it was in good condition. I'm taking the mcat soon. So we will see how it goes. ... Read more

Product Description
Answers and detailed explanations to AAMC Tests 3 and 4. Please note: these tests are available separately on the AAMC website and are not contained in this book. Currently Test 3 is free online and Test 4 is available for a fee.
The Silver Bullet has over 600 pages including clear and complete explanations like having a personal tutor. Each explanation includes Pre-study suggestions and Test-taking skills analysis. An entire section is devoted to improve your Verbal Reasoning score with special attention to powerful strategies, proven techniques and properly using the tools available to you in the new MCAT CBT. All science sections fully analyzed while highlighting concepts that recur on the test and we provide memory guides, summaries and mnemonics. Learn MCAT Reasoning from the MDs who teach MCAT teachers. Please note: MCAT is a registered service mark of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which is not associated with this product. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Silver Bullet
The book is quite confusing to follow, and I found the description slightly misleading.It doesn't actually come with two MCAT tests.You must do the tests online through AAMC and follow along in the book.One is free and the other costs $35 through AAMC.Also, AAMC offers explanations for all their answers already on the practice test, so this is kind of overkill...

Finally...much needed MCAT assistance
This book is great. It has all of the explanations to the MCAT exams administered by AAMC. It makes no sense to know the right answer without knowing why it is the right answer. This is a great supplement to your MCAT materials.

Great Review, Lots of Orgo Details
The writing style is like a tutor teaching.No one should write the MCAT without first doing the exams/problems from the AAMC.As far as I know, the silver bullet is the only book that reviews the AAMC Practice Items and the first 2 tests.You still need to buy the AAMC`s stuff but the silver bullet is an excellent compliment.

explanations pedestrian, but at least available
silver bullet offers solutions for the lowest common denominator.very basic explanations, often verbose yet incomplete. the extraneous practice questions are not very challenging.this book should *only* be used as an appendage to the more substantial princeton/kaplan reviews.i suggest you buy this book only if you are in dire need of solutions for aamc tests 1 or 2.

Recommended by professional admissions consultants
If you want to ace the real MCAT, you must write previous real exams under real test conditions. This book contains explanations to the answers of the MCAT Practice Tests that are released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The answers to Practice Tests I, II, and III, as well as the answers to all Practice Items are explained in detail. This text also includes a full-length simulated MCAT exam along with answers and explanations, equation lists to memorize for the exam, and an organic chemistry summary. We highly recommend that you use this book along with the AAMC's prior exam questions book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book reviews all the physics tested by the MCAT. It includes eight 30 minute exams in the MCAT format, and 120 additional stand alone questions. All 304 questions are in MCAT form and fully annotated. This book is expensive because it is the best MCAT physics review available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

It was OK.
Some of the concept explanations were confusing and seemed a bit out of date. Overall, it was just OK.

MCAT Physics Review
As a Pre-Med student taking the MCAT, I did a lot of research through my network of friends to find out what the best way to prepare for the MCATs are. The consensus I got from many of them who have already went through the process was that Examkrackers is the best possible book to prepare with. Therefore I purchased this book.

The book itself is very well written, very down to earth. Its written in simple english with nice pictures that make the concepts easy to understand. For someone who's reviewing the concepts that I studied two years ago, the book offered new insights especially in the electricity chapter with their mnemonics and analogies to help better understand the content.

The quiz problems I felt are challenging yet not impossible. They cover the material in each section in a way that sometimes forces you to look back at material that you thought you understood,.

Overall: I give this book an A+. It is a must for any Pre-Med who is planning to take the MCAT!

Examkrackers- MCAT Physics
Examkrackers provides a well rounded aspect to the fundamentals of the science tested by the MCAT which provides a deeper understanding and not just memorization.Their MCAT style questions are great preparation for the real thing.

Above average test prep book
This book is well written and attractively illustrated.I do lots of tutoring and this book is well above average.

great!!!
not full of fluff, tells you exactly what you need to know and has plenty of practice problems!! ... Read more

Product Description
The MCAT as it is now given is a solely computer-based exam, and Barron's brand-new edition of the MCAT manual offers test preparation that is specifically focused to respond to that format. The manual's introduction presents a detailed overview of the test, and follows with strategies for study, stress management, and test taking. The bulk of this book is given over to extensive reviews in science and math, followed by advice on writing the MCAT essay. Four full-length model MCATs are then presented with answer keys and answer explanations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Don't waste your time or money
I bet you saw the price on this MCAT book and got all excited. Other books don't even compare, price-wise. That's what I thought when I decided to buy it. I thought it was a good starting point. It's not. It spends two hundred pages on biology and about fifteen on chemistry. Its physics section is terrible and you get the sense that the company did not do their research as to what is actually on the MCAT. I used the study outlines on the official MCAT site and tried to find and read about each topic in this textbook, but the subjects rarely paralleled. The biology section was loaded with plenty of terms you don't need to know, which, along with the occasional spelling mistake, led to utter confusion. I feel like I did not learn much, and I egret having spent the summer with no text other than this one. Go the extra mile and spend the extra $50 for a real book. You're going to want to buy one anyway after you get this book and realize how unhelpful it is.

Tests are garbage
I didn't use the book for review, only for practice exams. The questions are either ridiculously easy, or totally confusing and almost impossible to answer. The physical and biological science sections, you didn't even need to read the passages to answer most of the questions because they were straight recall questions. Verbal was the most confusing, they were either ridiculously easy or had no real answer. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.

DO NOT Buy This Book
This book is a complete waste of both time and money. It is quite obvious that the editors barely even glanced at an actual MCAT exam when writing it. The review covers a lot of advanced, excessively detailed or off-topic material and the "model" exams (especially the passages) do not even come close to simulating actual exams. Using this book will only confuse you and prevent you from adequately preparing for the exam.

I'd recommend the Examkrackers complete study package as well as purchasing a few real practice exams from the AMCAS website.

Examkrackers Mcat Complete Study Package

Not the best prep material...
This has very in depth explanations on certain stuff, but then it will just go by quickly on other things that are fairly important. It's Verbal Reasoning sections on the tests are easy reads, but sometimes tricky questions (not like the MCAT). It is a good deal for the money. I would only use it as a review of all the material once you have already learned everything. Do not try to use this if you are just starting your studying.

Waste of money
I've never even posted a review in 12 or so years of being an Amazon customer but this book desperately needs one.I wish someone had reviewed it before I bought it.

Avoid this book at all costs; even if you're already scoring in the high 30s and have used every other resource.It will only serve to confuse you and dilute the already massive amount of material you're expected to know.

The questions in this book are nothing like the questions on the AAMC (real) tests.The material review completely misses the mark; you are not expected to know detailed cellular biology of the tooth.Orgo of alkynes, something that was specifically removed from the MCAT this year, shows up in this book as well.Quadratic equations! mechanical advantage!! Lazzaro Spallanzani!!! I'm not making this stuff up.I don't think the authors bothered to look at the outline of material a test-taker is supposed to know (which is, btw, available directly from AAMC ... just google "MCAT topics AAMC").

SAVE YOUR MONEY. ... Read more

Product Description
The creators of Kaplan's MCAT course offer their own guidebook to the test, focusing on strengthening science content, verbal reasoning, and the writing sample. Original.Amazon.com Review
If you're up to medical school, you will already havesurmounted substantial scholastic challenges and accomplishedconsiderable scholastic success; you're no stranger to concepts suchas hard work, study, and competition. It's not a matter of whether toreview for the MCATs, but rather how to study and with whichmaterials.

Kaplan has created the top MCAT course. They know which material needsto be reviewed, and they know the strategies that help you take theMedical College Admission Test most effectively. The MCAT requiresthat you be well versed in biology and basic chemistry, and, towardthat end, Kaplan's review includes refresher chapters in embryology,homeostasis, and molecular genetics, as well as thermochemistry,atomic structure, and the gas phase. The organic chemistry chaptergoes over everything from nomenclature to spectroscopy, while thechapter on physics covers magnetism, Newtonian mechanics, and nuclearphenomena.

The MCAT tests more, however, than your knowledge base. Medicalschools can look at your transcripts if they want to know how you didin organic chemistry. The schools want to know how well you haveintegrated what you learned, and how well you can apply thatknowledge. The MCAT tests cognitive skills such as readingcomprehension, data analysis, critical reasoning, and writing ability,so Kaplan's chapters on verbal reasoning and essay writing are everybit as important as your comprehension of the endocrine system.

With answers and explanations in each science review chapter, afull-length practice MCAT with answers and explanations, and a CD-ROMthat provides a timed practice test, detailed scoring analysis, and apersonalized performance prep, Kaplan's MCAT review text will help youperform well, demonstrate what you've learned effectively, andcontinue on toward your goal. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Good service
I received my item before it was due and in good condition.

Thanks!

Best book for High Scores
As a recent medical school graduate, I believe this book is the best there is for developing a sound fund of knowledge for the MCAT and for learning great tips/tricks on test taking that will last you for years to come.

Since I didn't have and extra $1000-$2000 lying around to take the Kaplan course, I decided to buy this book along with the workbook for more questions. The Review book is thorough enough to cover all the topics you need to know without being boring or over-detailed. The little boxes on the margin are really usefull as they help point out important details you absolutely have to know and are great for last minute review. The mnemonics are awesome and I have to admit that I used them from time to time during my first and second year of medical school. The test taking techiniques are what sets Kaplan apart from the rest and are invaluable for the MCAT as well as for medical school. Believe me, you will be using these techiniques for years so learn them well. The questions are pretty much just like the MCAT and the explanations are packed with useful information and great test taking techniques.

The CD is pretty usefull and has a few more questions as well. If you also get the workbook, you'll notice that a lot of the questions are repeated so be careful as you may score pretty high just because you may have memorized some of the answers.

My only complaint is the lack of questions/full length tests. I know this is not the purpose of the book but this is really under-emphasized in this book and even the workbook. I would strongly recomend you spend a couple of extra bucks and get as many full length tests with answers/explanations/grading scale that you can get your hands on.

Basicly, this is a fantastic review book the prepares you well to tackle tough MCAT style questions by building your fund of knowledge and showing you fantastic test taking techiniques. After reading this book, get a bunch of questions to practice them and fill in any gaps in your knowledge base.

Bad Choice for MCAT
This book looks very thorough and perfect for MCAT studies but do not be fooled by the looks. If you want to get higher scores, do use Kaplan material or classes. There are many reasons for this.

I am taking my MCAT in April 2006 and I bought this book. I compared it with the 1997 edition and surprisingly everything is same except the questions after each chapter. The material in this book is just recycled and not updated.

The material is too vague and too easy compared to the actual test. MCAT tests your critical thinking about the subjects and its applications but the examples and problems in the book are very primitive. The material is insufficient and not thorough.

The classes do not help a lot. My friend, Sandip, took this Kaplan MCAT prep class last year and he regretted it. He told me the practice exam are not comparable to the real test. The real test is much harder. They also do not have enough classes.

You should enquire about the class and the book you are using for MCAT with your professors, your classmates, friends and colleagues. You should take Princeton Review class for organized studying and practice exams similar to real MCAT. I also recommend the Exam-crackers. Practice as many sample tests as you can.

Good Luck for you MCATs!

Great review, don't get discouraged with the practice tests
I did very well on the MCATs, and I attribute a large degree of my success to this review book.While it's important to have a solid base from your classes already, this book will make sure you know every topic covered on the MCATs, including areas my classes had left out (e.g. optics in the physical science section).It covers all sections well, includes test strategies and practice problems/essays, and if you take the time to thoroughly study the book, it will pay off.My only warning is that the practice tests and problems are deliberately more difficult than the MCAT so Kaplan can claim to have improved your score by a vast number of points.For example, they make the math deliberately time-consuming to slow you down (there was no long division on the real MCAT!).I scored a full 7 points higher on the actual MCAT than on the Kaplan test, so don't stress if you're not scoring how you'd like.

Don't be ripped off please!!
The best advice i can give any future pre-meds is to listen to this review. Kaplan is the worst mcat prep out there. First, they recyle their materials every year so it's the same thing never updated despite what they say. Their science is just all thrown in there without telling you what is imperative knowledge. Their verbal practice is horrible and not accurate of the real thing. Also, stay away from their class and if you really need to pick a prep course go with Princeton Review they give you 3x as many classes. Also i would recoomend Examkrackers to anyone studying for the MCAT. It really is the best and you will not be sorry. Stay away from kaplan please .i just luckily got Examkrackers and it made all the difference 11 P, 11 V, 11 B. Trust me go with examkrackers and if you have to take a course cause your like that go with Princeton Review. You won't be sorry. ... Read more