The Best Medical College Admission Test

(MCAT) Books to Prepare for Test Day!

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is one of your medical career's most important standardized tests. This test will define and conclude your stage as pre-med to
furtherly continue with your next stage as a medical student and in order to be accepted to your top choice medical school you will need to have a good score. Is for this reason
that I have created this Buyer’s Guide to give you a better idea of which set of books will help you to obtain your target score on the test, considering the different methods of
learning that exist between pre-med students, in which some of you are visual learners, spatial learners, audio-visual learners, etc., following this, I will tell you the reasons why
you should meticulously choose your set of books:

1. This test’s preparation takes a greater amount of your time (between three to two months), you should get the best books for you in the matter of learning style, the time
allotted that you are planning to be dedicated to studying with the final goal to save time and money, to avoid regretting a decision that you did based on classmate’s
comments or media advertisement.

2. As a pre-med student it is so normal to hear some other pre-med fellow classmates talking over different brands of books but is your personal choice to choose something
that will fulfill your academic gaps in the different subjects that are examined in the test.

3. I will recommend reading about the books that you are planning to buy and the type of set, because as you have noticed in your thorough search of MCAT books, some of
the sets contain things that you are not going to use, but you are going to be paying for them because they come inside of the set. In addition to this, some editorials include
books plus tutoring packets, which in my personal opinion I find expensive. Therefore, I want to give you an honest opinion about different brands.

Without any further ado, let’s get started with our guide!

Examkrackers MCAT Study Package The Princeton Review MCAT Subject Review
Complete Box
Outstanding Features: Examkrackers is a company that has been a
specialist in standardized tests for more the 20 years, and it has created
Outstanding Features: The Princeton Review MCAT Subject Review
this set of books in partnership with MCAT professionals that have
Subject Review Complete Box has an unequaled content review for the
extensive expertise in methods that will provide the students with the tools
coverage of the vast MCAT curriculum, this includes psychology, arithmetic,
needed to ace the MCAT on test day. Examkrackers MCAT Study Package
general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, biology,
is considered one of the most complete guides to study for the MCAT
sociology as well as critical analysis and reasoning which topics are crucial
because it counts on a variety of thorough resources that prepare students
to understands the MCAT. This study packet includes the following: three full-
on how to really use analysis and logic to answer MCAT questions.
length practice tests, but also strategies on how to approach MCAT
questions with test-taking tactics. The full-length practice exams are
Pros: This study package is excellent for audio learners because it counts
designed for the student to match the framework of the real MCAT exam this
with a dual voice as study material. This tool consists of the following
familiarized students with the formation of the test, as well as offered a 16-
method: one of the voices is concentrated on educating the students about
page tear-out reference book with convenient access. Moreover, you as a
the topic they are studying at that moment, while the other voice teaches
student will discover different tactics to deal with different sorts of MCAT
the students how to properly respond to specific types of queries.
questions, matching this with the online practice examinations.
Other tools that this study packet brings is the six-volume MCAT test prep
that includes many test-taking plans of action for the exam, there is an
Pros: This set of books is highly recommended for students that consider
amount of thirty-two practice exams that mock the real exam on test day but
themselves visual learners since these books count with a variety of flow
also count with a full review of MCAT content which is so beneficial for the
charts, diagrams, drawing formula sheets for the math and numerical section
sake of practice.
of the test, and concepts that covers all the portions that are examined on
the MCAT exam. This help students that are visual learners to maximize their
Cons: The internet platform needs improvement, and the performance and
time during test preparation time.
analytics metrics were very deficient and brief.
Cons: The Biochemistry book is quite sparse, and it might not provide
sufficient information if Biochemistry is not your strong suit.

Price: $185.00-$240.29 (Paperback)

$129.62 (Used)
$240.29 (New) Price: $135.22 (Paperback)
-Price/Image Reference: Amazon (prices may vary) $193.25 (Used)
$164.21 (New)
-Price/Image Reference: Amazon (prices may vary)

Kaplan Test Prep MCAT Complete 7-Book
Subject Review
Outstanding Features: An outstanding characteristic of the Kaplan Test
Prep MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review is the color differentiation
between each one of the subjects which consists of a user-friendly volume
with precise tested information.
This set of books is perfect for spatial learners because of the interactive
layouts throughout the 7-book set. This guide will provide you with different
test-taking methods, and in-depth content review but with no more, no too
much just the exact amount of information that you will need for test day.
This study packet counts will three full-length online practice exams that
mock the real test. The entire Kaplan book for the MCAT has been created
by specialists who were the ones that assisted the editorial in the
development and design of this preparatory course, which has allowed
students to get accepted into medical school.
Pros: The understanding that this book provides is visible with the high-
yield, and low-yield etiquettes in each one of the topics presented in the 7-
books which sections will demonstrate the most important material that you
need to know in order to master the MCAT test. The diagrams and 3D
images will be boosting learning for visual learners, another feature to add is
that each one of the chapters includes a ‘‘test your knowledge section’’ with
a sample section that will help you to know if you have mastered the topic,
or if you still need to go back and review content. The review of full-length
exams and the brief quizzes that go with each section will provide a
thorough overview of each subject.
Mometrix MCAT Prep Books
Outstanding Features: The Mometrix MCAT Prep Books provide a
comprehensive set of books that will if you are looking for brands that come in
with several resources, this one brand is for you. The resources that this
includes are the Mometrix MCAT prep books which come with step-by-step
video sections that will help to review the sections after you went through the
content review of the day, as well as full-length practice tests, the goal of this
test is to challenge you at difficult levels, therefore you will better prepare as
the real test day arrives and will challenge your knowledge throughout your
study time sessions, the practice exams are way tougher than the actual
MCAT exam, this is the design purpose of the experts that created this
preparatory course. Therefore, if you want to go the extra mile these are the
books for you.
Pros: With each of the step-by-step video instructions that Mometrix provides
and the sample MCAT exam questions bank with extensive explanations, this
MCAT test preparatory guide will tackle the tough concepts in order to
increase your grasp of each one of the subjects and it will help you find
patterns on the questions presented on the real test.
This study packet will also train you with the vocabulary which is presented in
a logical and organizational fashion, as well as the ideas, concepts, and
procedures you need to know before taking the test, as well as in your future
journey as a medical student.
Cons: For the students to be able to gain access to online videos, the student
must buy online access to the platform which is a separate purchase.

Cons: The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) study guide is not
effective which is the reason why the vast majority of students resort to other
sources to study for this section of the MCAT test.
Price: $49.58-$55.99 (Paperback)
$49.58 (Used)
$50.96 (New)
Price: $141.00-$220.00 (Paperback) -Price/Image Reference: Amazon (prices may vary)
$104.72 (Used)
$190.61 (New)
-Price/Image Reference: Amazon (prices may vary)

Frequent Ask Questions (FAQ):

Which book set is the best?

Looking at all the characteristics of each one of the four brands presented in the buyer’s guide and by personal experience. The best book brands that I will
recommend to prepare for the MCAT exam are the Princeton Review and Kaplan. I would like to add that this decision has been made based on content review,
success in practice exams, but the choice depends on what are your study methods, and I come back and reiterate that everyone has a different way to learn so
there is always a type of study material that serves to each one of the academic necessities of the future medical student.

Where is the best place to buy MCAT Prep Books?

The best place to buy these books is where they are less inexpensive, you can buy them from a friend that has not used them for a while ago, as long as the
editions are after 2015 because in that year the Association of American Colleges (AAMC) changed the test. The most common place where students acquired
the books is Amazon (I have included the range of prices of the platform in the guide). Other good places to buy the books are the following used-books
websites in which books are in good condition: Abebooks, books for less, bookhaven.com, secondsale.com, thriftbooks.com, etc.

References:
“Home.” Test Guide. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.test-guide.com/best-mcat-prep-books.html.
Reed, Connor. “Best MCAT Prep Books.” Test Prep Insight, February 22, 2023. https://testprepinsight.com/best/best-mcat-prep-books/.
Images: Were obtained from the Amazon platform:
Alvarez, Joseph A. “The Best Test Preparation for the MCAT, Medical College Admission Test.” Amazon. Research & Education Association, 2004. https://www.amazon.com/Test-Preparation-MCAT-
Books/s?rh=n%3A5267710011%2Cp_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A11553621011.