I have to take the mcat spring of 2018, so I am studying very early. If I buy the practice exams of the AAMC 1&2 right now, will they have the same questions as the practice exams that will be sold next year or will they be a different version? I am asking because if they are different versions then that means it's more practice for me so I'll buy em now and the ones for next year! Thanks!
Excellent question. Let me answer it with a timeline.
The official guide to the MCAT, 4th edition, was released in anticipation for the brand new 2015 Exams. It represents the oldest preparation for the new exam. The questions on here are extremely easy compared to the current administrations of the new MCAT. This item is available through both the paperback book (linked above), or
digitally.
The next item released, soon after the official guide to the MCAT, was the
AAMC Sample Test, aka, the unscored FL. This exam was, I believe, released in November 2014, to help students get a firm grasp on the new, painfully long exam, that would premier in January 2015. This exam is also, quite easy compared to the current administrations of the MCAT.
Approximately 1 year later, the AAMC had gathered enough data and created a scaled score exam. This is known as
AAMC FL 1. This exam isn't technically the first full length - that would be the sample test, however, this is the first
scored full length. This exam is quite good and relatively representative of current MCAT exams.
Either before, after, or at the same time of AAMC FL 1, the
Section Bank was released (not to be confused with the question packs). These are three 100 question units devoted to the three science sections. 100 phys/chem, 100 bio/biochem, 100 psy/soc. They are both passage based and discrete. These, in my opinion, are the absolute best preparation for the current and future MCATs. Many students (myself included), got obliterated when completing the section bank. You'll notice a completely different style compared to the official guide and sample test questions here. Everything is passage based and extremely difficult. The questions are not easy, and the passages look like a foreign language coupled with endless amounts of data from charts, tables, figures, and mechanisms presented.
Finally, the best absolute preparation for the MCAT is
AAMC FL 2. This is the second FL released by the AAMC that will give you a score. It is based on the latest data by the AAMC and (supposedly) the best indicator of your MCAT test score. Take that with a grain of salt though.
tl;dr
AAMC FL 2
> Section Bank > AAMC FL 1 >>>>>>> Sample Test > Official Guide to the MCAT, 4th edition.