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.
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.
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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!
Excellent 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.
Totally misleading The author said that read each lecture 3 times. That was a totaly misleading and a waste of time for me. I was hoping after reading their lectures to be ready for the MCAT. That was just a day dream. Their lectures are confuising, and poorly worded. I think there are other premeds falling into this crap trap but they are too afraid or lazy to put their true comments here. Now let me tell you why some of those positive reviews are dangerous and misleading and how I fell inot this crap trap. They claim these books are what put them into med school. Total BS. It took me the hard way to understand that no matter how complete a book is, MCAT is mostly about critical reasoning and reading comprehension. That is why some people before reading any MCAT book score on their 30s. I don't understand why there are so many positive reviews and not that many negative ones which as the other person said are the true ones.
BEWARE THE POSITIVE REVIEWS... ...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!!
Pretty Good Books 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.
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