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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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 dont learn the hard way that i did. First time took mcat's 7P, 4V, 7 B and that was with the kaplan course. Next, time i just used their comp. book and got 9 V, 4v, 9 B. Thinking what was going wrong i just luckily got Examkrackers and it made all the difference 11 P, 10 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.

I recommend that you buy a used copy of this book, even if it an older edition, I've heard they don't change that much from one year to the next (but don't go too old). The reason being because you should determine your weak area(s) and purchase the Examcrackers book specific for that subject. Whatever you do STUDY!!! Don't do what I did and just go take it, it ripped me up one side and down the other! I'm taking it again in August. I got the Examcrackers Verbal Reasoning to go along with this one.

Kaplan is like a rapist in a bar looking for a naive girl who needs a ride home. They will tell you that they help people improve their MCAT score by an average of 8 points by enrolling in their program. A little thought can help one realize however, that this is far from the truth. In fact they have no ideal about how writting is graded on the MCAT or what sophisticated biology material looks like because they know that they can sell the old stuff and make the same ammount of money. They forget to tell you that an added pressure of 1200 spent dollars sits on your shoulders as you are taking an exam where PRESSURE AND STRESS DETERMINE ALL. Needless to say, real statistics show that Kaplan hinders more than it helps. About 85% of currently enrolled medical student's IQ was reflected in their choice to have not used Kaplan. Try this out for your self. Ask around. It is true. Proceed with caution before purchasing anything from this company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kaplan is like a rapist in a bar looking for a naive girl who needs a ride home. They will tell you that they help people improve their MCAT score by an average of 8 points by enrolling in their program. A little thought can help one realize however, that this is far from the truth. In fact they have no ideal about how writting is graded on the MCAT or what sophisticated biology material looks like because they know that they can sell the old stuff and make the same ammount of money. They forget to tell you that an added pressure of 1200 spent dollars sits on your shoulders as you are taking an exam where PRESSURE AND STRESS DETERMINE ALL. Needless to say, real statistics show that Kaplan hinders more than it helps. About 85% of currently enrolled medical student's IQ was reflected in their choice to have not used Kaplan. Try this out for your self. Ask around. It is true. Proceed with caution before purchasing anything from this company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is a very good review of all the science topics if you have already learned them. I didn't find them very confusing. They were concise for the most part. Every so often, the author(s) would start naming body parts, or enzyme precursors that you really didn't need to know, but I have heard that other books are even worse. I think this book will reteach you just about everything you need to know for the MCAT. Good Luck!

This book is a very good review of all the science topics if you have already learned them. I didn't find them very confusing. They were concise for the most part. Every so often, the author(s) would start naming body parts, or enzyme precursors that you really didn't need to know, but I have heard that other books are even worse. I think this book will reteach you just about everything you need to know for the MCAT. Good Luck!