Review of MCAT Books & Companies: Which one is right for you?

     The average MCAT course, during a period of 5-6 months, costs about $1500-$2000. If this price range is out of your budget, and you feel you have the discipline and study habits to study on your own, that might be the better choice. Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Examkrackers are the companies that offer the books you will need to do this; during my preparation for the MCAT, I used all three. I discovered that neither is outstandingly better or worse than the other, but the advantages they each offer depend more different ways that people learn. The review I provide below is based on my experience with each; none of the companies paid me to say anything in particular about them or the others.

KAPLAN MCAT Review Complete 5-Book Series--This package contains one book per general subject tested in the MCAT: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Verbal Sciences. After each chapter it has 10-15 exercises on the material covered and it has three practice tests on the same subject at the end of the book.

-Advantages

• Material is presented thoroughly and in-depth.
• Has a more conceptual approach to teaching,
• Has an accurate representation of the types of problems that show up on the MCAT and how to solve them.
• Their teaching method contains many analogies and metaphors that help you understand scientific jargon in your own words.
• Their full-length practice tests are actually two hours longer than the real MCAT. This prepares your mind with endurance and focus for the when you take the real thing.

-Disadvantages

• Their layout is weak. The information is presented in long paragraphs that intimidate the reader at first glance.
• Hardly any graphs, tables, or pictures available, with the exception of the Biology book. If you are a visual learner this is not the package for you.
• The math you use in these books is more complicated than the math needed for the actual MCAT. The MCAT uses easy numbers because it tests your application of knowledge, not the math used to solve it.
• If you dominate all or certain part of the material already, you will find the metaphors they use comical and unhelpful. Sometimes they spend a page or two just telling a story related to the material they are about to teach in the following pages, instead of just teaching straight away. 
• Not enough practice problems per chapter. Practice is crucial!

Conclusion: Use Kaplan if you need to LEARN  the material again or for the first time. It is also helpful if you prefer the conceptual approach to understanding science. Don't use it if you just need to review basic concepts because their extensive paragraphs will waste your time.

EXAMKRACKERS Complete MCAT Study Package (5 Books)-- Again one book per general subject. Each chapter has sub-subjects and 8 practice problems per sub-subject inside the chapter itself. At the end of the book there is a 25 question test per chapter.

-Advantages

• Good for visual learners. Each chapter has a plethora of pictures, tables, and graphs. The important material is already highlighted for you and helpful side notes with tricks for solving problems are available.
• More practice problems per chapter.
• Each chapter test has a key that breaks down the problems in a way that you can understand where you went wrong.
• Their visual layout allows you to absorb more information per time. Information is presented in a straightforward and concise manner.
• Provides lots of tricks and short-cuts to solving specific problems. Points out how the wording in certain questions can help you get a question right.

-Disadvantages

• Their full-length tests evaluate you more on the precise information they teach rather than accurate AAMC material.
• Not conceptual enough if your understanding of any topic is weak.
• Their physics and chemistry is too concise. It is literally a review of information.
• I also used some of their 1001 Question series. These questions, like their full-length questions, test you in the material they specifically taught you. They are also easier than MCAT questions because they rely more on memorization than application.

Conclusion: Use this company if you just want to REVIEW material, not re-learn it. Avoid Examkrackers if you have a  weak grasp of chemistry or physics. You can use its visual aid as a course supplement.

PRINCETON REVIEW Cracking the MCAT 2010-2011 Edition-- One book that contains reviews of all five general subjects. Each chapter has a practice passage at the end. You also receive access to 4 full-length practice tests online.

-Advantages

• Straightforward and concise information.
• Excellent for refreshing basic concepts.
• Their practice tests are the most similar to the actual MCAT in reference to organization of questions, types of questions and timing.
• You can obtain optional feedback on the essays you write in the online tests.
• Their online tests gives you a report of the questions you got right and wrong. This is helpful to detect your weak areas.
• They also sell a review book per subject that contains more thorough information per subject.

-Disadvantages

• Review is not thorough; too summarized. It  is actually missing information in certain chapters.
• Not enough practice problems per chapter.
• Their full-length exams are MUCH harder than the MCAT. While this is good to help you learn it is unhelpful in regards to accurately tracking your progress, and it is also very frustrating to fail over and over. 
• In one of the practice tests I found material that I had not learn until I took Advanced Biochem. Enough said.
• Does not help you learn difficult concepts. Just review.

Conclusion: Use this book if you have to take the MCAT for a second time and the material from the first time is still fresh. Do not use it for actual learning or as a course supplement.

All of these books can be found in Amazon for a reasonable price.

Hope it helps!