MCAT Examkrackers Complete MCAT Study Package

[XM Examkrackers]

Dear SDN Members:

Examkrackers books are by far the #1 best-selling MCAT prep books on Amazon.com. The Complete MCAT Study Package provides a comprehensive review of all the science content and verbal strategies that you need for the MCAT. It is regarded by many students as an absolutely essential part of any serious MCAT preparation strategy. Our books are colorful, engaging, and thought-provoking, designed to help you stay focused and learning the whole time. If you decide to take the Examkrackers Comprehensive course, the books are included as part of the course package. If you decide to study on your own at home, you’ll find that the Complete Study Package offers unparalleled effectiveness in preparing you for the MCAT. Just browse around the MCAT discussion forums to see what we mean.

To view the home study schedule, please visit http://www.examkrackers.com/home-study.php

This package includes all five Examkrackers course manuals, one for each MCAT topic (biology, physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, and verbal). It provides:
· 1,088 pages of concentrated preparation material
· 31 half-hour MCAT practice exams with answers and explanations
· More than 1,630 MCAT questions
If you have any questions about the complete study package or the home study schedule, please post them here.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Yours,

The EK Team
www.examkrackers.com

Examkrackers will giving away one free Examkrackers Complete MCAT Study Package to one lucky member. Winners for each raffle will be drawn from among the members who post questions about the product or otherwise meaningfully contribute to the discussion.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[THH]

I was considering buying an used EK set of the older 5th edition and was wondering, how significantly has the new 7th edition been updated since the 5th?

 

[Bamish]

We (my wife and myself) have AO. We got it for her when she was studying so I know it's a few years old. Will the new EK books coincide with AO?

 

[Alejandro]

Has the verbal books been revamped for the CBT? Also, has the 101 verbal passages book been modified for the CBT and/or for the new quantity of questions/passages?

 

[derArzt]

Do these books propose a specific plan of study or is it mostly 'work at your own pace'?

 

[idiosyncratici]

I also have the 5th edition and find it to be a great help in my studies. It's not filled with minor details but well organized. As someone before has posted, are there significant changes in the new editions, specifically in Organic Chemistry and the timed lecture exams, that will better prepare me for the more recent CBT exam?

 

[Maygyver]

I have heard that these books are very useful for people who already have a background in a certain area because they are useful to solidify concepts and give practice. Would you suggest using your at home study schedule along with a classroom prep course?

 

[PharMed2016]

How in-depth is the organic review section? I'm taking a Kaplan review class right now and it wasn't as in-depth as I would like.

 

[TeethPuller905]

How long does it take an individual to typically absorb all of the information from these books, since its so in depth, and what is the main reason why this program is so much better then other programs (Kaplan, TPR, McGraw, Berkley, etc)?

 

[emno]

when teh 8th edition is coming out? The 7th version has been around for quite some time and I always thought that I will buy the next 8th version .

 

[badapplestix]

How detailed are the books in comparison to books from other test-prep companies?

 

[de_la_soul]

I heard the Bio section is heavily genetics-centric...has the latest edition addressed that issue?

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

How much does the complete package cost?

 

[XM Examkrackers]

Dear SDN members,

Thanks for checking out the complete MCAT study package and asking good questions and offering feedback. I will do my best to answer your questions.

@ TeeHeHe, idiosyncratici
The newer editions do make corrections to the errata and certain sections get reworked to make it easier to understand although the majority of the content remains the same. If you have a book that is only a few editions old, I would say that it is fine. However, if you have a book that is older than that, I would suggest getting a new edition. I think you should be ok with the 5th edition though. Definitely check the errata posted on the forum for corrections.

@Bamish
Although audio osmosis has similiar sections as the books, they are not designed for you to be able to listen to the CDs while reading the books, which I think would be pretty hard to do. Because audio osmosis is only supposed to be a supplement to the books, I think you will be fine using audio osmosis with the newer editions.

@Alejandro
There is a new version of the 101 Verbal Passages book that had been adjusted to take into account the changes in questions and passages. Although there have been some changes to the verbal book, the majority of it is still the same as the content of the exam has not changed that much, except for the way it is given.

@derArzt
There is a 10 week schedule posted on the Examkrackers website that you can use as a guide to help you organize your studying.

@Maygyver
I assume you mean doing the 10 week home study schedule first and then taking the classroom course. If so, I think that is probably not necessary because I think you can do either way alone and be fine. Obviously, when you take the classroom course, you will be studying on your own at home anyway, so you are in essence just doing the same thing twice.

@PharMed2016
The organic chemistry section of the MCAT is slowly getting smaller and smaller and nowhere near as complicated as your organic chemistry classes in school. I am not that familiar with the Kaplan books so I can't really compare how much more or less in depth our books are compared to Kaplan. However, the level of organic chemistry that is presented in our books is the level that is certained sufficient for the MCAT. If you would like more organic chemistry practice, I would suggest looking into the 1001 Question book for Organic Chemistry.

@TeethPuller905
I think you can reasonably absorb and prepare for the MCAT using these books in 8 to 10 weeks. I think a lot of students typically take that long to prepare for the MCAT and I know I took about 10 weeks to study for them when I took the MCAT. I am not familiar with all of the ones that you listed, but I do know that Examkrackers probably stresses learning and understanding the concepts more than most of the other companies while trying to limit the amount of material to just what is actually tested on the MCAT and not simply a summary of your college textbooks.

@emno
I am not quite sure. You can call the main office at 1-888-KRACKEM to see if they have a better idea of when they will be coming out.

@badapplestix
I think the Examkrackers books have more emphasis on learning the concepts compared to some of the materials out there. A lot of students really like our materials over others is that we only include the important information that is actually being tested on the MCAT instead of overwhelming them with details that is not needed for the MCAT.

@de_la_soul
As you know, the MCAT is slowly moving away from organic chemistry and more into genetics, molecular biology and DNA technologies compared to before. Our books are changing as well to shift the emphasis towards these areas so i think you will be ok with a newer edition. That being said, the actual content has not changed a whole lot, just a shift on the amount of material from each area.

@msb1190
The books cost $175 in the Examkrackers store although you can get them for cheaper on Amazon. Just make sure you are buying the latest edition on Amazon because sometimes they are selling earlier editions.

 

[skubdubdu]

How long does it take an individual to typically absorb all of the information from these books, since its so in depth, and what is the main reason why this program is so much better then other programs (Kaplan, TPR, McGraw, Berkley, etc)?

I worked my way through the EK books and listened to the Audio Osmosis series over a 12 month period while I took my pre-med classes. I would listen to the appropriate section on my drive to school, do the work for class during the day, then review what EK books had to say. If EK went into more depth than what we were learning, it gave me something meaningful to talk to the prof about--good for recommendations that you will need to accompany your perfect score on the MCAT. I'm in med school now, so the plan worked!

I found it better than the Kaplan programs for a few reasons 1) Cost--much less than the online Kaplan stuff 2) Recommended by a friend who used it and got >40 on his MCAT. 3) Light reading and only what you need to know--good after you've knocked yourself out with your course text 4) Variety - I loved making my drive time productive...could do the same for a workout.

Re: the other programs. Don't know about them. Couldn't say.

 

[TheBoondocks]

I worked my way through the EK books and listened to the Audio Osmosis series over a 12 month period while I took my pre-med classes. I would listen to the appropriate section on my drive to school, do the work for class during the day, then review what EK books had to say. If EK went into more depth than what we were learning, it gave me something meaningful to talk to the prof about--good for recommendations that you will need to accompany your perfect score on the MCAT. I'm in med school now, so the plan worked!

I found it better than the Kaplan programs for a few reasons 1) Cost--much less than the online Kaplan stuff 2) Recommended by a friend who used it and got >40 on his MCAT. 3) Light reading and only what you need to know--good after you've knocked yourself out with your course text 4) Variety - I loved making my drive time productive...could do the same for a workout.

Re: the other programs. Don't know about them. Couldn't say.

I have the 5th edition and I must say that it's conceptual in nature which forces me to look up stuff online to make sure I truly understand stuff. It really teaches you to think your way through problems. An example is the biology, it indicates that glucose can also be absorbed through tight junctions when lots of glucose is present after a meal. Highly recommended.

 

[milliya]

Does the package contain any tips/samples for the writing section?

 

[RedRaider19]

Compared to other books, I have heard that EK is much less "in-depth" and much more just what you need to know to do well. If I am weak in a certain area (Physical Sciences), do you think that EK alone would be enough to help me understand what I need to know?

 

[BP Examkrackers]

Hi people. I want to help out my colleague, Xiaosong and even add to some of his answers. I have somewhat long responses, so I'm going to post separately for many of them. Some of you seem to be posting things that scream, "God, I hope I win this package," and I can't say I blame you. I too love our materials and I too am broke. Still, I hope you guys read each other's posts and our posts, especially the first one put up by XM Examkrackers.

HOW TO USE OUR BOOKS TO EXCEL ON THE MCAT

Let me speak a little in general about our comprehensive series and the course. I am unnerved by so many students describing our materials/course as being “not in-depth.” I am still too lazy to reread through the bio books, even after doing well in a class like anatomy in med school, which has FAR greater detail than anything on the MCAT (I’d argue that your first unit exam in anatomy in med school will test more and be more demanding than the MCAT, particularly in terms of volume and depth of information). EK books have far more detail than is required for the MCAT. I assure you of this. Besides, I have a memory that is very below average, so I can say with confidence to my students that the MCAT is NOT a test of knowledge, despite it requiring you to know a fair amount of information. How much you know doesn’t matter nearly as much as does how much you understand of what you know (though I must concede that “detail” is necessary to get you from a 35 to a 45). I explain to my students that our books don’t contain everything that possibly could be on the MCAT, so they’re free to supplement with other test prep books and text books, though only in one of the following two circumstances:
1) They’ve already mastered our books and can correctly answer and explain 80% of the questions in our lecture books. I have to say, though, this is the goal I give my students and I have yet to meet a single student who did this but failed to break 30 on the MCAT. Even if it takes several iterations to achieve this level of confidence, I submit the above as your goal. When you can teach someone else how to get the correct answer in 80% of our lecture book questions, you’re set. I even tell my students not to read our books more than twice, even if they haven’t yet memorized everything, because most of that is background information. Anything that they should absolutely know is addressed in the orange text (Salty’s voice) and in the problems between and after the lectures, and are emphasized in my handouts (http://hellobirju.googlepages.com).
2) They’re weak in a given topic that is only reviewed in our books but not explained from the ground-up the way it would be in their college text. I didn’t find I had to supplement our EK books with college texts when I studied, but that’s a combination of the conceptual understanding and knowledge I had gained in college (everyone’s level varies as students, and many students need work in a science because they had poor instructors when they took the class). Plus, I’m lazy and didn’t want to do any more reading. I would only recommend doing this in the way stated, though. You should use our books first and if you come across a subject you don’t quite get, look JUST THAT SUBJECT up in your college text. Read your text until you understand what we say in our books better, and then move forward in our books. DO NOT take out any texts from college and reread them. Orgo is the best example of this. I cannot use the knowledge I gained from our Orgo book to ace Orgo now. That’s not the purpose of our Orgo book, because College Orgo does not equal MCAT Orgo. Also, don't forget that if you don't get something that's explained in our books, you can always search our forums for help or ask an EK instructor in class for help.

Our books have more detail than is generally directly tested for the sake of familiarity and interest. Our books have discussions and questions that explore a conceptual depth beyond what is generally tested on the MCAT because the more completely you understand a concept, the more accurately and quickly you can apply it on the test. That mental exercise serves the purpose of the weights batters put on their bats before stepping up to the plate in a baseball game. I remember taking the MCAT and thinking, “Wow, this is so much easier than the Hell EK put me through with its difficult homework problems,” and that was before I’d seen the in-class exam or 1001 questions, which are mostly harder still. If you want to get a 45 or become an MCAT expert or teach MCAT classes, you might feel it necessary to learn more than just what’s in our books (though I’d still recommend that involve going to Audio Osmosis and the 1001 series rather than any other test prep books or college texts), though I’d still defy anyone to show me that he/she has mastered our books but still not managed to get a 30+ on the MCAT.

Also, you should realize that our books are generally structured from broader concepts early on to more specific concepts later on (that build on the earlier chapters). The earlier chapters are more high-yield both because the later ones "stand upon" them, and also because they are actually tested more often and incorporated into questions/passages from later chapters. For example, students should really know the first 5 chapters of Physics, first 3 or 4 chapters of Chem (plus acids/bases), and the first 2 chapters of Orgo very, very well and spend more time on them. There's a reason we put the chapters in the order that we did. Bio and Verbal are exceptions as all of Verbal is important (and it's not very long anyway) and Bio is organized by subject more than in the form of a conceptual pyramid.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

I was considering buying an used EK set of the older 5th edition and was wondering, how significantly has the new 7th edition been updated since the 5th?

I also have the 5th edition and find it to be a great help in my studies. It's not filled with minor details but well organized. As someone before has posted, are there significant changes in the new editions, specifically in Organic Chemistry and the timed lecture exams, that will better prepare me for the more recent CBT exam?

when teh 8th edition is coming out? The 7th version has been around for quite some time and I always thought that I will buy the next 8th version .

The truly transcendental vision, outlook and approach created by Jon Orsay and supplemented by Jordan Zaretsky is the same now as it was in the earliest versions. Most of the problems are the same as well. What has changed?
1) Some content, like how things dealing with benzene are de-emphasized, flash cards and reactions are added in Orgo.
2) Errata – As the back of our books say, we welcome and post errata reported by students. However, it is also accurately stated on the back of the books that most proposed errata is actually an error in students’ understanding. These books have been through many versions and are edited by true experts on the subjects. Off the top of my head, I know of an example of how an explanation for a problem was changed to clear up a confusion on the part of students. This is #34 from the In-Class Exam, the question about President Fujimori’s intentions. The answer is II only (B) while I thought as a student and instructor that the answer was actually I and III (D), and I even told students for some time that it was surely a mistake. Turns out it wasn’t. We had all misunderstood the language of the question (it’s one of those “can NOT be concluded from passage information” type questions that make you twist your brain up in reversals of logic) and the explanation was amended to address our confusion.
3) Diagrams – these have been changed to be clearer and more colorful.
4) Appearance – the text and layout has been made clearer and easier on the eyes
5) General Clarity – wherever possible, explanations were improved or made clearer whenever students seemed to be confused.
6) Printing errors – there have been instances (off the top of my head, I can think of the repeated circuit problem in the in-class exam for Physics lecture 7 and the glasses of water question in the in-class exam for the Physics Waves lecture) of printing errors that made things confusing for students. These, of course, have been corrected.

EK has made a sincere effort to respond to all students’ concerns and you only get the benefit of that if you buy the latest edition. At the same time, the EK method comes through clearly and powerfully in even the oldest edition of our books. If you’re waiting for the next edition, I assure you that you will not be at a disadvantage for buying the 7th edition, but don’t be so cheap as to buy a set of 4th edition books now. Another downside to that would be that while the errata are posted online, they’re not posted for every single edition, so you’ll be somewhat on your own if you buy anything really old. All this considered, I still teach my students out of 6th edition books because I really do not feel like copying all my notes over to a new set of books again (I’ve been teaching through several editions). Not only am I not at a loss in relating to my students, but also, the page numbers and problems all correspond smoothly.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

We (my wife and myself) have AO. We got it for her when she was studying so I know it's a few years old. Will the new EK books coincide with AO?

I used AO with our books and they coincide almost perfectly. As Xiaosong said, it’s impossible to read the books as you listen to the CDs. You can, however, look at the figures as you listen along. When you’re at the stage in your AO listening in which you stop, rewind and ruminate on more difficult concepts, I’d suggest having the books with you to read and to which to refer. The AO CDs are really comprehensive, but many of us do better if we have something to read or see as well.

Also, look at the Audio Osmosis section for more on how to use those CDs.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

How in-depth is the organic review section? I'm taking a Kaplan review class right now and it wasn't as in-depth as I would like.

I also have the 5th edition and find it to be a great help in my studies. It's not filled with minor details but well organized. As someone before has posted, are there significant changes in the new editions, specifically in Organic Chemistry and the timed lecture exams, that will better prepare me for the more recent CBT exam?

As Xiaosong stated, and I have explained in response to a question posed by PharMed2016 in the 1001 forum, it’s the quantity of Orgo (and, in regard to the CBT, simply the number of questions as a whole) that’s changed recently, more than the content.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

How long does it take an individual to typically absorb all of the information from these books, since its so in depth, and what is the main reason why this program is so much better then other programs (Kaplan, TPR, McGraw, Berkley, etc)?

How much time you take to study depends on several things, and when I talk about my experience as an MCAT taker, I have to give my students a caveat. My mind is wired to demand understanding and ignore details, so I have no problem with a test that focuses on concepts over memorization. I also didn’t memorize and regurgitate to do well in my college classes, since that’s not a possibility for me. I HAD to understand concepts then or I wouldn’t have gotten the grades I did. If you didn’t do as well in your classes or if you memorized and forgot definitions that you never really understood, you’ll have to work harder to get to the baseline of other students. If you had a terrible professor or have an aversion to a given subject, you’ll have to work harder on it. I’ve told you the goal (above). Gauge for yourself how long it will take you to get there and work towards that at a reasonable pace. The first time I took the MCAT, I studied for 3 weeks and got a 33, but I am not about to guarantee that everyone will have those results. Not only does so much depend on how you approach your studying, but also, when I think of my scores or those of people who’ve gotten high 30s and 40s on the MCAT, I have to keep in mind that certain people’s minds are just better at problem solving than others’. That’s how I can say that I’m a “good test taker.” Someone who has that kind of mind and has a great conceptual background will do better with any test prep plan than someone who is the opposite (that’s how it is that I know someone who got a 41 by doing nothing but taking practice tests, but I absolutely would not recommend that method to any random student).
We all have different paces and different ceilings, but from my experience as an MCAT instructor/taker and a medical student, I’ve seen that the ability to do well on standardized exams, while very helpful, is not necessary for doing well on the MCAT or in med school. Nor is it a good indicator of med school performance. You need a decent amount of intelligence and I have not met more than 2 students in the 7 years that I’ve taught who didn’t meet that requirement. The rest of us have to accept that we have to do things in our own way and at our own pace, and that our attitude and sincerity is something that nobody else can see or quantify. Work hard, be honest with yourself, and follow the advice that I gave everyone above (which is based on years of helping students in every way possible to make it into med school), and you will get a score solidly in the 30s.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

How long does it take an individual to typically absorb all of the information from these books, since its so in depth, and what is the main reason why this program is so much better then other programs (Kaplan, TPR, McGraw, Berkley, etc)?

Hmm…why are we so much better than the other companies? Let me preface my response by saying that I have nothing against any other company. Well, I have to admit that there is a lot of shadiness in terms of mud-slinging, poster-ripping and such that I've seen in all the years I've been involved in test prep. Still, I enjoyed the time I spend teaching SAT I/II Math for Princeton Review back in college, I tell my students to buy PR's guide to medical schools (because, unlike MSAR, which is also great, they include non-AAMC schools, like DO schools), and I, like you, will probably use Kaplan's extensive "Q-bank" for help on the Boards.

That said, I have yet to see any other company's course or books approach the MCAT the way we do. I can't just sell any product for a paycheck, so it was very important to me when I started teaching that I had used and loved our materials. EK keeps things simple and pounds home a strong conceptual understanding. Our problems and approaches are just like the ones you'll see/need on the MCAT. We don't try to impress or overwhelm you with unnecessary detail or calculations. I find that especially apparent on the Phys/Chem section. We are not preparing you to be an engineer or seeing how good you are with complex math. We want to make sure that you "see" the concepts in your mind. We do not teach gimmicks and we do not teach to the test. You will actually learn a lot of science better by using our materials and many concepts you will understand for the first time through our books/course.

The most obvious/important way that we are different is that we keep things simple and keep you relaxed. We're not trying to impress you with how many materials we have to offer. We give you experience (including valuable in-class experience with real-time feedback/demonstrations from skilled instructors) that is just like what you'll have on the MCAT. I've seen books from other companies and they seem to me, frankly, to be out of touch with the MCAT. Some seem to be preoccupied with impressing you with how much they have to offer (to put the burden of failure on you—that you didn't use their resources fully and that's why you didn't reach your goal), while others have used strategically used diagnostic exams that they created with varying difficulties (to make you feel like your scores improved during their course, though this did not correlate to scores on the actual test or an increase your conceptual understanding, which I posit as THE essential marker of your progress), while still others simply do not have authors and editors who are have the expertise that ours do. I don't want to start or perpetuate the test-prep wars that others focus their energies on instead of improving their courses, so I won't name names. Ask average MCAT students about their experiences with various companies, though, and you'll see what I mean.

Oh, and in regard to diagnostic exams, we don't mislead you with varying difficulties for exams. We give you AAMC exams to take. How well you do on them is obviously a very good indication of how you'd do on the real thing, since it IS the real thing in every way except the fact that it doesn't count.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

I heard the Bio section is heavily genetics-centric...has the latest edition addressed that issue?

As Xiaosong explained, it’s a matter of the number of questions on a given topic, not the depth. For example, Newton’s Laws are tested much more than the thin-lens equation in Physics, but we don’t have three chapters on Newton’s Laws and one that deals with the thin-lens equation. You just have to know to spend three times as much time making sure you’ve mastered the former. Same thing here. If genetics is a bigger portion of the test, just read that stuff more. It’s not like there are new genetics concepts that nobody who took bio a few years ago was exposed to that are now required for the MCAT.

By the way, I like your handle or avatar name or whatever. De La Soul…good stuff. Did you know that someone from that group sang that wonderful chorus in Gorillaz’ Feel Good Inc.? How random.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

Does the package contain any tips/samples for the writing section?

Yes, it’s short and to the point and found in the intro section of the Verbal Reasoning book. I strongly suggest you follow those instructions EXACTLY (for example, “start by paraphrasing the statement” means to literally make your FIRST SENTENCE be a restatement of the given statement IN YOUR OWN WORDS). This is not an essay for your expository writing class, it’s more a test of how well you can follow directions and make clear points, so forget, momentarily, what you learned about essay writing structure and follow what we say to do literally.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

Compared to other books, I have heard that EK is much less "in-depth" and much more just what you need to know to do well. If I am weak in a certain area (Physical Sciences), do you think that EK alone would be enough to help me understand what I need to know?

Yes. Please see the first post I made above.

 

[DocHope]

"God I hope I win this package!"

No kidding - you've done a great job talking up all these materials. How much does this package retail for? I'm looking for a good study-at-home set of materials and I've been impressed by what you have to say. However, since I'm covering the cost of my MCAT prep (no longer a college student) I'm looking for affordability too.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

"God I hope I win this package!"

No kidding - you've done a great job talking up all these materials. How much does this package retail for? I'm looking for a good study-at-home set of materials and I've been impressed by what you have to say. However, since I'm covering the cost of my MCAT prep (no longer a college student) I'm looking for affordability too.

I hope you win. If you don't, look online for sets. Ebay, Half.com, Amazon, buy.com, bn.com, Wal-Mart...so many places you can get our materials in addition to Examkrackers.com. We're all looking to save a buck. I understand that. But even if you pay full price, they're well worth it. Don't just take my word for it. Go to a library or book store and thumb through our books.

 

[Artimacia]

These look amazing. I'm with the above poster, looking for something affordable (college student paying my way), but it wouldn't hurt getting them for free haha!

How is the physics portion? Physics isn't my strongest subject so I wanted to know how well the physics book helps.

 

[Westernhealer]

I want to thank the ExamKracker crew for spending so much time to answer all of these questions. It is very helpful and as a plus, I love salty crackers.

 

[udlax16]

The answers given in this thread are really thorough and have explained a lot of things for me so thanks! One question I have is you said that the versions don't change much but would you recommend someone who isn't going to take the MCAT for another year wait to buy the books? Also like the poster under me how would you rate the physics section compared to what else is out there? Thanks!

 

[BP Examkrackers]

The answers given in this thread are really thorough and have explained a lot of things for me so thanks! One question I have is you said that the versions don't change much but would you recommend someone who isn't going to take the MCAT for another year wait to buy the books? Also like the poster under me how would you rate the physics section compared to what else is out there? Thanks!

When you start studying for the MCAT, buy whatever books of ours are out. No sense in buying them now and having them sit around. If you buy them today and a new edition comes out tomorrow, you won't have wasted your money. This isn't like buying an iPod or iPhone or something.

I would recommend our Physics book highly over any other Physics test prep book out there. Students think Physics is all about difficult formulas and difficult calculations. It's not. It has everything to do with some challenging concepts that you really need to work through, understand, and be able to apply. The problems in our books that most consistently give our students fits have very easy calculations that would not stump a 6th grade algebra student, but take a really good understanding to set up. Our books make sure you develop that level of understanding.

 

[SilentSoldier]

I've only vaguely heard about ExamKrackers, is there a class that goes along with an ExamKrakers study guide much like Princeton Review and Kaplan? Or is it just a series of books and CDs that is pretty much read by ourselves as a supplement to any class that we take?

 

[XM Examkrackers]

I've only vaguely heard about ExamKrackers, is there a class that goes along with an ExamKrakers study guide much like Princeton Review and Kaplan? Or is it just a series of books and CDs that is pretty much read by ourselves as a supplement to any class that we take?

We actually offer classroom courses taught by some amazing instructors. The majority of them are medical students themselves who really enjoy teaching and take the time out of their busy schedules to help you with the MCAT. As the regional coordinator who is responsible for hiring and working with these instructors in the Northeast, I can honestly say that these instructors are some of the best in the business.

The materials that we use in class are the Examkrackers complete study guide, and as part of the class, you will also receive 5 MCAT CBT exams and the 16 mini-MCAT book.

To find out if we offer a class in your region, please go to www.examkrackers.com and go under MCAT course finder.

 

[millepora]

I know someone already asked the question of the 101 verbal passage book, but I had another question to add.

Currently I have free access to the older addition. I am curious how much the question stems and passage lengths changed? I was considering just allowing my self 8 1/2 minutes a passage, and taking the number of passages on the new exam in a 60 mins time period, but if the format is changed I would be willing to buy the new edition if the cost justifies the changes.

I know in the verbal workbook, it explains that you can find a lot of the information in the question stems, but was this just for the old tests? The newer tests I have been taking through kaplan don't have hardly any information in the question stems, so I am wondering if this is just kaplans fault...

 

[XM Examkrackers]

I know someone already asked the question of the 101 verbal passage book, but I had another question to add.

Currently I have free access to the older addition. I am curious how much the question stems and passage lengths changed? I was considering just allowing my self 8 1/2 minutes a passage, and taking the number of passages on the new exam in a 60 mins time period, but if the format is changed I would be willing to buy the new edition if the cost justifies the changes.

I know in the verbal workbook, it explains that you can find a lot of the information in the question stems, but was this just for the old tests? The newer tests I have been taking through kaplan don't have hardly any information in the question stems, so I am wondering if this is just kaplans fault...

I think you will be ok using the old book as long as you adjust for the number of passages and timing for the new MCAT format.

As for the information contained in the question stems, the samples that we display in the verbal book are actually from previous MCAT tests. I am not familiar with the kaplan materials but I think if you look around on student doctor and talk to people who have used our materials and other materials, they will tell you that the Examkrackers 101 verbal passage book is one of the best representations of the verbal section on the MCAT.

 

[millepora]

so the way the questions are worded, does not differ from the orginal 8 hour test?

 

[Auron]

how would these compare to Princeton review materials?

 

[mrfunnyman]

I Hope i win these!!
just wondering...does this package also come with the audio osmosis?
either way, this is still a good package i'd like to get my hands on

 

[aemed724]

How much does each course manual cost separately?

 

[moneduloides]

With respect to the class you guys offer - are all sections taught by one instructor, or is there a separate instructor for each section?

Also, have you found (through observation) there to be an optimal frame of time within which one should complete the entire study package prior to the test?

 

[BP Examkrackers]

how would these compare to Princeton review materials?

See above for lots of information and some feedback on our materials. See Princeton Review for theirs.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

I Hope i win these!!
just wondering...does this package also come with the audio osmosis?
either way, this is still a good package i'd like to get my hands on

Audio Osmosis must be purchased separately

 

[BP Examkrackers]

How much does each course manual cost separately?

Check https://www.examkrackers.com/store/ and any number of other stores, online and physical, for prices on individual manuals

 

[BP Examkrackers]

With respect to the class you guys offer - are all sections taught by one instructor, or is there a separate instructor for each section?

Also, have you found (through observation) there to be an optimal frame of time within which one should complete the entire study package prior to the test?

One instructor teaches Orgo/Bio/Verbal and another teaches Phys/Chem/WS. If a particular instructor is skilled at all of these subjects, he or she may teach both, but that is not how classes work by default. Instructors need to maintain very high ratings on student evaluations to continue teaching a given subject, or for EK at all.

How much time each person needs to master these books depends on that person's prior knowledge/understand and his/her work ethic. That said, I highly discourage students from taking too long to get through the books in the first place. That is, I don't like the idea of students making a timeline that is several months long and working through the books such that they finish seeing all the chapters at the end of that period. Rather, you should get through the books in no more than 3 weeks and then review for the rest of the time before your exam. The exception to this is when students use our books to help them do well in their actual college courses, far in advance of their preparation for the MCAT.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

so the way the questions are worded, does not differ from the orginal 8 hour test?

The MCAT VR section has not changed in form/outlook, only in size. Using our old 101 Passages manual will still teach you the skills you need to excel on VR. The only difference is that you will get used to a different timing than what you'll see on the MCAT. I personally don't have a problem with that, as I don't need a ton of practice taking the test in order to have the stamina, focus and seriousness to make a good effort on the real thing. Many students feel differently. If you're applying the concepts taught in our VR book, you should have a good sense of your pacing on that section, though. You should recognize when your focus is drifting or when you're spending too much time rereading the passage rather than getting the most out of the question stems and answer choices. I'm very aware of my mindset during the test, so I never really checked my watch while doing VR. If all these concerns really matter to you, get the new 101 Passages book. If not, use the old one and take the tests AS THEY ARE. The pacing is the same as before. You'll just get used to focusing for a longer period and the real MCAT VR section will be a breeze for you.

 

[DO hopeful]

I wanted to know whether there is a difference between the material covered by audio osmosis and the material in the examkracker manuals?

 

[WashMe]

I love EK! It is the only thing I used, and only for 3 weeks at that. All you need, nothing you don't. I would recommend this to anybody. And no, I don't work for EK. I saved a ton of $ versus Kaplan and I got ReSuLtS bAbY! As far as the editions go, I think they mainly correct typos. I know someone who had the 5th ed. and I had the 7th ed. --- the sets were virtually identical, but the chapter orders were a little flipped I think. Can't remember, but the material and most of the questions were the same in both sets.

 

[BP Examkrackers]

I love EK! It is the only thing I used, and only for 3 weeks at that. All you need, nothing you don't. I would recommend this to anybody. And no, I don't work for EK. I saved a ton of $ versus Kaplan and I got ReSuLtS bAbY! As far as the editions go, I think they mainly correct typos. I know someone who had the 5th ed. and I had the 7th ed. --- the sets were virtually identical, but the chapter orders were a little flipped I think. Can't remember, but the material and most of the questions were the same in both sets.

Thanks for the plug!

To clarify, the chapter orders are the same as in all previous editions. Typos are fixed with each edition, some concepts are explained better to address confusions on the part of students, figures and graphs are updated for greater effectiveness and clarity, and some content is changed to reflect changes in the MCAT, though I'd stress that the MCAT has changed more in terms of the proportions of subject questions, not in the actual subjects.