I regularly purchase books from Amazon.com, but this is my first review. I have decided to write about this study package because of the incredible experience I had using it.

I first took the MCAT in August 2006 and scored a 28Q. I had used Kaplan books to study for the test without taking the expensive Kaplan class. I believed that I could do well enough on my own to justify saving the money on one of those classes. After applying to medical schools last year, making it on to two alternate lists, and ultimately not receiving acceptance, I was forced to decide if I should retake the MCAT since it was the weakest part of my application.

Ultimately, I decided to retake the Exam still without signing up for an expensive prep class. Based on reading high user reviews, I purchased the Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package and devoted about 2.5 months to studying full-time for the MCAT on my own. I would go to a coffee shop or local library to study for nearly 6-8 hours each of 4-5 days per week for about 2.5 months. I used only Examkrackers as my study materials for all sections of the MCAT. I completely read through the study package two times, utilized all practice questions given in the study package, and went back to difficult areas to focus on in the week prior to the exam.

I took the MCAT for the second time in August 2008. The exam was on a Friday, and I took two official full-length practice exams (from the AMCAS website) on Monday and Wednesday before the exam. The week earlier I had scored a 26 on the Examkrackers practice exam, but on the official AMCAS practice exams I scored a 37 and a 38! On the actual MCAT exam I scored a 37T!!! I went from 65th percentile in 2006 to 98th percentile in 2008. I was shocked with my improvement in the score.

Examkrackers had prepared me exceedingly well for the MCAT and did not give any extraneous information. The goofy cracker character "Salty" was stupid and silly but made the information light and fun. The practice questions and practice exam provided by Examkrackers were much harder than the actual MCAT and overprepared me. The way certain subjects, especially organic chemistry, were taught was much better than I had been taught previously (even in college). The approach to organic chemistry in Examkrackers was to have more of an understanding about the theory and reasons behind reactions than to just strictly memorize so much that your head spins.

I highly recommend this package as your dedicated MCAT study materials. Although I did not practice writing very many essays, my score still went from a Q to a T. I attribute some of this to the no-nonsense opinions and strategy given by Examkrackers. However I directly attribute my increase from a 28 to a 37 to studying full-time with the excellent materials in the Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package.

Good luck, and enjoy!

The first time I took the MCAT I got a low score, so one of my friends said that examkrackers were really good books. I found all of these good reviews here, and I got really excited because I thought the books were really going to help me.
The physics book is not effective at all; it practically skims over the concepts, and I had a hard time understanding some of them.
the verbal book is useless when it comes to strategies and practice. My score did not improve at all.
The biology book, however, is amazing. covers a lot of information but it gets the job done, same for the organic chem and gen chem books.
I memorized the equations, I took the practice tests, i read, took notes, studied all day for ten weeks, and my score only improved by 3 points, which means I have to take the MCAT yet again.
Due to my desperation, I decided to take a princeton review class (even though I did everything I could to avoid spending all that money) but so far I have been pleasantly surprised. The books are GREAT even though they are like 700 pages each; each concept is explained throughly and easily, there are lots of examples (which are missing in the examkrackers' physics and chemistry books). There is a science workbook that has like 1000 pages full of passages and free standing questions, there are two verbal books, and they give you access to Princeton review and AAMC practice tests for free. The people teaching are experts on their respective subjects (two of them scored really high on the MCAT and got accepted to every school they applied to). I am not advertising prep classes for princeton or kaplan, but it is always nice to have someone to answer your questions and explain things.
If you are like me, someone who likes to be taught, that learns more in a "classroom" atmosphere, that takes a little longer to understand or master concepts, and is not great at physics, then you should look for something else because the examkrackers physics book will not help you.

My score: 34M

BS: EXCELLENT review for science majors (non-science majors may need more background knowledge). The book is very clear on what should and should not be studied. My practice scores jumped from 10-13/14 after studying this material. Unfortunately, I choked in this section slightly on the real MCATs and that kept me from a score of 36 or 37.

VR: Decent strategies that made sense and worked for me. On average the practice and the tips upped me from 10 to 11 in this section.

PS: GOOD review for physical sciences. The equations they suggest you know are right on point. After working through this review section and memorizing the recommended equations, my score improved from 10 to 12.

Writing: This was not covered extensively and it need not be. My score is rather low, but as long as it's not J or K (two lowest), you should be fine. I scored rather low here more because I took the section lightly than because of the prep materials.

Overall... a solid review package at a reasonable price for science majors. More help with understanding may be necessary for people who have not taken college Physics, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, etc.

---

My recipe for the MCATs: Examkrackers Comprehensive study package, electronic flash cards (that I purchased), ALL the practice AAMC exams available, a few other simulated exams from other test prep companies (hand-me-down books), and STUDY, PRACTICE, and PERSISTENCE.

P.S. I was a bit worried about Examkrackers posting their own reviews of their product (since they have SO many more reviews than other test-prep books), but I assure you I am a real pre-med. Just check my profile to see my other purchases!

The first time I took the MCAT I took a Princeton Review class. It really was great, I got a mountain of books and practice questions and I scored well on the test, however, it was incredibly expensive. I decided to take a break form school so I held off on applying to medical school. When I decided it was time to apply I had to take the MCAT again. I decided to buy Examkrackers and study myself. The content of these books was so much better then the class I had taken. Everything is clear and concise which makes learning the huge amount material you need to cover very easy. My only gripe would be that there aren't nearly enough practice questions. (Of course you can always spend more money and buy the books that have more practice problems.)

If you have the discipline to study this by yourself I would definitely suggest getting this study pack. If you need a little extra nudging then I would go for a review class that is structured, if you are lucky you can take one of Examkrackers' classes.

The author calims if you read each lecture 3 times you are fine for the MCAT. That was a totaly misleading and a waste of time for me.

...because they are a SCAM. I bought this set based on the positive reviews, largely ignoring the cautionary negative reviews scattered throughout. The truth is, these books are nowhere near as good as the reviews say. Lemme tell you right now -- the negative ones are the real ones.

In a nutshell: I found the books to be very poorly written and organized. First off, they spend a ton of time talking down to you and bashing other exam companies. If they were really as good as they say, they wouldn't need to do that. Then they go on to explain why their SINGLE AUTHOR is "uniquely qualified". Their reason? He's a history major who never even went to medical school, who "sat for three MCATs while considering medical school" over a span of about EIGHT YEARS back in the late 80's/early 90's, and finally "scored in the ninetieth percentile in all three sections". Um. Excuse me. Isn't 90th percentile about a 33-34? The first time I took the MCAT, and all I did was read haphazardly through my books and do 3 practice tests. I didn't even understand optics going in. I got a 37. If all he could manage was a 33-34 (and that's assuming his 90th percentile in all three subjects was even on a single test) after three tests and eight years, what the hell makes him think he's qualified to write a book teaching ME how to take the MCAT?

But let's just ignore all that and discuss the meat of the books themselves: the science.

On that count, I have to say that the explanations are oftentimes really convoluted and confusing. The information on the MCAT test structure itself is flat-out wrong in a number of places. There are typos all over the place, and they have the audacity to charge you a forums registration fee on their website to look at the errata for the books. The "MCAT tips" from their "Salty the Kracker" mascot were useless and extremely irritating. And probably worst of all, the practice problems are horrible. They look like they were copied off some generic textbook -- totally off the scope of the MCAT (either too easy or too hard), and sometimes downright illogical/wrong.

The one good thing I have to say about their books is that they draw out all the electron-pushing diagrams in o-chem, which few other review books do. For everything else, they were crap. I finally fled to Kaplan, which I found to be leaps and bounds better. Which isn't to say everyone should go get a Kaplan book, because I haven't had a chance to look through Gold Standard, Princeton Review, Columbia Review, or any of the others -- but it is to say that you should, AT ALL COSTS, avoid exam krackers.

Horrible!!

These books aren't that bad...a bit of dry read...but it is studying for the MCATs. Gives a good idea of what should be on the exam, but I have yet to take it so I cannot tell how helpful it will as far as scoring is concerned. Good overall price too.

These books are a great way for me to study. They break everything down so everything is easy to digest. These books are by far the best I have come across.

The package of books was delivered promptly. I worried about where it would be dropped off, but it was safely tucked away on the porch, in the event of rain. The packaging was tidy and secure.
I was super pleased with the set of books. Crease-free and shiny. The presentation of the information made me feel like these books would really be all I need to prepare for the MCAT, thus saving me a couple thousand dollars on a course.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2OFSWJ1RJA5JK These books are the best out there for MCAT prep, but I do not think they will be enough. For the Verbal section you have to train your brain. Fill your brain with goodies (fish oil, ALCAR, ect supplements)
I was not satisfied with the explanations
given for test taking strategies. Two books I would
recommend to improve test scores are: Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You!. The more content
(and the faster you can get through this content)
you can be exposed to the faster you will pick up on
things. I am using some of the software I learned about
in Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen, to have this
content read. The second book I recommend is The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health and Longevity with the Balanced Brain Advantage, which lays out a program so one can
have optimal brain health and optimal brain functioning.

I recently purchased this book set in preparation for the MCAT. In my opinion, the science information is presented in a satisfactory manner in most cases however, I have a hard time understanding how Jonathan Orsay, a history major, feels that he has any business writing a science text.
Moreover, I would recommend that any student who intends to use this book set should take the information presented in the verbal reasoning booklet with a grain of salt. Some of the tips are useful but the practice exams exhibit just how abysmal the authors' comprehension of the written english language truly is. If you can, try to find something better.

I'm a pre-pharm student and I was told that it would be helpful to use the mcat review books because it's more informative. I'm not sure how these books got so many good reviews because beside for the cute pictures and animations it was lacking a lot of useful info. Additionally, there's barely any math review in the package, and there's a big chunk of calculus on the Pcat and Mcat...I was kind of disappointed...

Even if you are capable of looking beyond the blatant errors in the text, to which the company admits to themselves, this "complete" study package still falls short of its promise. The lecture-review questions found at the end of each lecture are not oriented towards the testing style of the MCAT, considering that the MCAT is in large part a test of comprehension and analytical-skill.

At times, Examkrackers' attempts at skimming-down the volume of material to the essentials interfered with the ability to fully comprehend various concepts. Specifically, the section on naming compounds in the Organic Chemistry section was especially brief.

I would certainly NOT recommend using Examkrackers as the only study guide for the MCAT. Kaplan's review book goes into more detail with helpful notes on MCAT favorites and provides the buyer with a great section on the mentality and testing style of the MCAT in general

Even in the 7th edition, these books are filled with mistakes- typos, grammatical errors, inconsistent explanations, and inaccurate information.

The only good thing about this set is the biology book. I would recommend only buying that. I think you are better off getting Princeton Review books for Physics, Chemistry and Organic. I definitely don't recommend Kaplan, because they try to cram textbooks into their study guides.

Although there are lots of practice questions, many of the explanations are hard to follow and the most of the time the book doesn't review material that are in the questions. It makes it very difficult to find what you should review.

I bought the examcrackers complete study package and managed to read through all of the books and complete the practice questions in each chapter. It was very difficult to follow the information, and I felt very frustrated.

A friend of mine just took the MCAT and used the Kaplan book, so I have been borrowing his book and the material makes a lot more sense. It's laid out in black and white, with to the point examples and diagrams. The examcrackers books are simply not well organized. The explanations are very wordy, and ill-worded at that, and I'm not sure how much of a benefit the color pages really are, except to increase the price.

I feel much more confident with the Kaplan book. I don't think examcrackers is worth the trouble, and I am a little confused by all of the positive reviews.

This product is easy to understand and very clear. The material in it seems really well thought out. I am really enjoying it and think it will help me to improve my MCAT scores.

ALL OF the good reviews on here have been written by Examkracker company affliates themselves! BEWARE of these reviews. They are very misleading! The books are not AT ALL what these Five Star Reviews claim. If you look at all the Five Star reviews, they ALL follow a pattern. They state the same claim repeatedly. DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP.

This is a good review of the concepts that the MCAT covers. It goes heavy on mnemonic devices, and the questions are more difficult than the MCAT. Keep in mind that the MCAT is not trying to trick you on every question, unlike the ExamKracker questions. If you use these books, which I recommend because they are much more readable than the other books, take a lot of AAMC practice MCATs. They are expensive but there the only way to gauge how hard the questions will be.
Also, the last MCAT I took was well balanced (unlike the AAMC practice tests) so make sure you cover all of the chapters. I spent a week teaching myself optics and skipped a review of O-Chem chemical analysis-On the real MCAT optics weren't included but there were 4 questions over techniques on chemical identification.
Finally, the 1001 question series is a helpful way of drilling the concepts into your head. The questions follow the same progression as these books and builds on previous concepts. They go well with each other. (Except for 101 Passages-pick some other source for Verbal prep).

I read all the great reviews for this package thinking that I was finally getting a great product to study for the MCATs with. I didn't read the not-so-great reviews until after I'd ordered it. Later on I realized that Examkrackers employees had most likely written all those great reviews themselves and that the product I thought I was getting probably wasn't as great as the reviews said. I was pissed so I sent it back without even opening the package. Examkrackers should realize that this kind of dishonesty could lose them a lot of good business. They should try actually making a great product that can sell itself without having to trick people on Amazon into buying something. I also sent back another book of theirs that didn't have all the hype reviews just because I was so mad at that. I don't know about Examkrackers anymore.

I'm still on the search for a good MCAT study guide.

OK, here's the real deal:

Most of us are using these books because we dont want to shell out for the courses:

Examkrackers is the best bang for your buck and most importantly, if you're someone who is worried about motivation I'm a good student, but definately a procrastinator), it provides the EASIEST and most simple study plan. Color, pics are good learning tools and keep you engaged and from staring at the wall instead.

I do not work for Kaplan and you negative people drive me nuts. Matter of fact this is the first review I've written and mainly because I got annoyed reading some reviews :P

How to use this study guide:

I personally highlight and make flashcards as I got through and listen to the Audio set on my car commutes. (Brilliant!) I'll have a more regualar and stricter schedule as I approach my exam date. The materials simply laid out in front of you, but YOU still have to memorize it.

Using this set will help you learn the material, but the other half is the getting practice exams and then filling in your weakness. The 1001 questions are nice if you have time because the cool this is that they are organized by TOPIC so you can do specific problems about weak areas and not just entire exams about everything.

This set should be your foundation and once you start, you should be able to fill in anything else you need from there. Don't be an idiot reading textbooks unless you have 6 months or more. As for needing a science base, assuming you come from a decent education system and reasonable intellect you should be able to figure most things out with your prereqs done. I'd much rather cut the [...] and fill in as needed than read a repetitive book for 5 hours anyway! :o)

You can do it! Good luck, guys! Take the exam seriously!

The books are good not doubt about it, they highlight the info in a very easy way. However, they do not elaborate on subjects that are problematic for typical students like acid/base chemistry and fluid motion and magnetism. I think they rely way to heavily on diagrams rather than actually discussing topics. Buy the books if you want the basics but realize that this cannot be your only tool - there is really not a lot of practice in them and you will still have to review major concepts on your own. Its a good start though.
Stay away from the classes though! They pretty much hire anyone, do not have their own training protocal and charge you an arm and a leg!

For someone who is opting out of the 1800 dollar Princeton or Kaplan course, and yet willing to invest a few hundred in study materials, this is a great way to go. Colorful, interesting layout, and the separate books for each subject are much les intimidating that the one huge book.

This product is of very good quality, I have yet to sit down and do the 10-week course that they provide on there website, because im reading through the Kaplan book first to get a foundation, however, i have read some topics and seems to be alot easier to understand than the kaplan it offers more visual pictures to really get the concepts, alot of mnnemonics, alot of color, and seems easy to read. The kaplan book isn't difficult to stick with, but is just material out of our books thrown together, this examkracker package is more of the big concepts and directs you on how to take the test. I'm very excited from what i have read and am putting alot of faith in it. I definately recommend this over kaplan, but good luck at what ever ya'll decide.

I bought these books for my girlfriend to study for her MCAT...i looked all over and every place i looked said these were the best study books....both Amazon and Barnes and Nobles had the highest rating and very good reviews....just waiting to see if she gets into med school now...

The books are pretty to look at: glossy pages, cute lovable cartoons, and colorful diagrams, but don't be fooled. A lot of the concepts are not covered in depth and I had to go back to another more in-depth review book for answers. Additionally, the practice questions ask you about things not covered in the sections, which really throws you off. I don't know how all these 5 star reviews came about---I'm starting to think the examcrackers staff wrote all of them to induce people to buy their products. All I'm saying is....If you have a good handle on science, these books are worth the money...if not....better keep searching on Amazon.....

The books are pretty to look at: glossy pages, cute lovable cartoons, and colorful diagrams, but don't be fooled. A lot of the concepts are not covered in depth and I had to go back to another more in-depth review book for answers. Additionally, the practice questions ask you about things not covered in the sections, which really throws you off. I don't know how all these 5 star reviews came about---I'm starting to think the examcrackers staff wrote all of them to induce people to buy their products. All I'm saying is....If you have a good handle on science, these books are worth the money...if not....better keep searching on Amazon.....

There are some amazing stories here about people that scored in the teens and then scored in the mid-30s. My story is not that amazing, but I did take the MCAT twice and was pleased with my second-time score, which did go higher than my first one. I am definitely sure that Examkrackers presents the same information as the other prep companies, but has advantages of its own. First of all, it is much easier to read a color-illustrated book, in my opinion (call me shallow?), and secondly, I think EK's "lecture quizzes" and exams are more useful than other companies' similar prep-books which fall short of providing extra questions following chapters. They usually just provide a few "full length" exams. If you're not going to take a class, and choose to buy the prep material, go with EK...it's the best there is, I believe!

I also don't think a prep course is necessary with this material and the AAMC past tests (see www.e-mcat.com). I took an online prep course, used EK and also the material provided by the prep-company (since EK prep courses aren't available in my part of the country). I feel that the most benefit of the prep course was the full-length AAMC tests (since I made use of those the most, and also took some CBT "full-lengths" made by the prep company). Thank you and Goodluck pre-meds!

I have used Kaplan and several other review books but this is by far the best. Everyone that I know who has taken the MCAT highly recommends these books. They have fantastic refresher sections at the beginning of each section if it has been a while since you have studied that subject. This was money well spent!

Excellent resource for preparation for the MCAT - easy to use - prepares you very well.

I admit that Examkrackers is all right - they are the best condensed review for the MCAT on the market. Of course this doesn't mean jack considering that the rest of the review materials (kaplan, etc.) are pretty much garbage. Does it make you the best if you're king of the garbage pile? I'm not saying that Examkrackers sucks - its just OK. Its the best MCAT review on the market, but it has a ton of problems - many concepts are explained vaguely (thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and optics to name a few), the answers for the review questions are vague, and THEY ARE ACTUALLY NOW CHARGING FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THEIR WEBSITE TO SEE THE ERRATA TO THEIR BOOKS. So if you buy this set, be prepared to shell out more cash to join their forums to get a clearer explanation to certain topics only vaguely referred to in their books. Let me also say to look elsewhere for a condensed review on electromagnetism (they left A TON of stuff out). Its pros are that they give great condensed reviews on Biology and Organic chem.

I don't know how they've got a ton of 5 star reviews - I think THE ExamKrackers COMPANY IS ACTUALLY filling out at least 75% of the 5 star reviews on amazon (shame shame) - its 4 stars AT BEST... Not that that means its a totally crappy product...

This package is geared toward to new computer-based MCAT. The entire package consists of five books (bio, organic chem, chem, physics, verbal and a practice exam). The materials covered in the book is succint and colorful that makes studying fun and efficient. Highly recommended to everyone who is going to take MCAT.

This is a great package with all you need to know about the material that's on the MCAT's. This package includes a review book on each subject. Each book sums up the material, which i normally find difficult to understand, and makes it easy to remember with a little bit of humor. This package was perfect for what i needed to prepare. Don't waste your money on the exam classes. teach yourself with these books and you'll remember more.

This product is definately the way to go. I have gone through the Kaplan book as well as this series, and there is really no comparison. Examkrackers is a superior product.

Outstanding product! I prepared for the MCAT last year with a different company and spent almost $1700 for an online class (completed all the material too). My first MCAT scores were less than adequate to say the least. I have spent 4 weeks now using this material (Plus Audio Osmosis- and a few other ExamKrackers material-Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis with Jordan and Jon (Examkrackers)Examkrackers 16 Mini Mcat's (Examkrackers MCAT Manuals)) and feel SO much more prepared than I did last year. I could have saved over $1200 if I used ExamKrackers last year.
This product sums up a tremendous amount of information. Even better, it is full of short cuts and memory aids that are essential for the timed MCAT test. My scores have improved DRAMATICALLY!

I took the MCAT in May of 2007 and scored a 36Q (10V, 11P, 15B). I didn't take any prep courses, and the only books I used were those included the 6th edition Examkrackers Complete Study Package. As you can surmise from my score, these books worked very well for me. I am not ashamed to admit that I read each of them in their entirety several times. But, if that's what it takes to do well then that's fine with me. In fact, these books are good enough for me to say that practically any person can do very well on the MCAT by doing lots and lots of studying with these books and by taking all of the AAMC practice exams (these are the only exams that truly present an accurate portrait of your potential performance on a real MCAT).

As a side note, I found the Examkrackers 1001 questions books to be almost entirely useless. They are riddled with errors, some of them painfully obvious, and clearly have not been corrected/updated for years. The Examkrackers 101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning (Examkrackers), however, is excellent practice and is a must for anyone hoping to break 10's on the verbal section)

Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with the Examkrakers Complete Study Package. Best of luck to everyone. It is undoubtedly a difficult exam, but with hard work, it can be successfully overcome.

Excellent set of books to prepare for MCAT. You should also try to do as many passages from other sources too.

The Examkrackers series is great to improve your MCAT score for home study. Just make sure to follow the home study guide on their website. The books are colorful, easy to read and...yeah almost fun to study from. The only major downfall is that the typos and errors can be frusturating. I got the 7th edition and it was still littered with typos! The typos and errors are so obvious that they could have been fixed if someone just proofread the final draft ONCE!! Seriously! For example: The front cover says "Includes exercises with OFFCIAL AAAMC material", you might see 4 answers and they forgot to ask a question. There are parts where they say remember these FOUR things and go on to number THREE things. It's still the best study guide for the MCAT. All the little typos and messups just get really anoying considering that anyone could have fixed them after one proof read. And after the SEVENTH EDITION?!?! Come on guys. Don't just pump out a new edition every year to make a quick buck without even fixing the retarded typos. That's just lame and cheap.

I haven't taken the MCATs yet but I've been impressed with the examkrackers materials. They summarize challenging information in a very condensed format without sacrificing clarity.

I'm very pleased with the product. These are really great for someone who wants a comprehensive review which puts the stuff you have to know for the MCAT into larger context. Prrovides a LOT of background knowledge that you don't really need, but if you weren't a bio or chem major as an undergrad it is really helpful to have a little extra. I've used Kaplan also, and I think Kaplan only covers EXACTLY the bare minimum you need to know... whereas this provides a lot more. EK might be overkill on the chem and physics... but its great in the bio book and the verbal has some really useful tips. Overall, the books are heavy on review and light on strategy and gimmicks... which I really like.

Watch out, though. I've found several place where EK notes that something is not tested on the MCAT, and I have personally seen it on a MCAT discrete last year.

Good luck! AM

The best thing about this book is that it tells you the material you need to know and the ones you don't need to know unlike other books. The review questions and the 30 minute exam after each chapter are also very helpful. The disadvantage is that since it gets right to the point it overlooks some material so I suggest this book in addition to another provider. Bit overall I was very impressed.

For MCAT prep, this set of books is worth every penny. You won't find a cheaper method of studying that is so highly rated. The package actually contains 5 seperate books so its easy to take one or two with you as needed. I highly recommend them to anyone preparing to take the MCAT.