Examkrackers Mcat Complete Study Package

So I recently took the MCAT and used both the Kaplan prep course (which, of course, included the books) and had this EK completely study pkg laying around as well. Kaplan does a great job of prepping you for the test via their online resources (for example, chapter reviews, practice MCATs... etc) which is really important for getting acquainted with the strenuous and novel layout of the exam itself. However, I found Kaplan's books gave me an overview of what my science text books gave me, which is great, however, at the same time, they failed to deliver the information in a way that would allow you to be able to make quick connections between concepts, which is essential for someone taking the MCAT. The Kaplan books are great if you are someone who needs a mild refresher of the information.Now, enough about Kaplan. The Exam Kracker's books really helped me make quick connections between concepts by explaining how the MCAT will probably test your knowledge during the exam. I understood the information the first time around when it was presented to me, but I was certainly dusty on how to approach, for example, the conceptual questions in the physical sciences section in a manner that would yield the right answer while saving me time. Exam Kracker's taught me the tricks of the trade, if you will. I felt like the books were very helpful if you're someone who can't get a lot out of going to a class, like Kaplan's, and are much more a home study/self teaching type student.At times, the way the Exam Kracker's book is set up with things written in the margins and text all over the place kind of overwhelmed me, but after reading Kaplan's books, these were a lot more fun!Anyway, the overall point is that the Exam Kracker's books are just as good as the kaplan books - it really just depends on what aspect of the knowledge you really need help with. If you just need a review go with kaplan, but if you need help with associated concepts to one another and forming complex connections between information to help save on time - go with Exam Krackers.At the end of the day, I would suggest doing a prep. course and getting these books to help fill in the gaps.btw: Kaplan's books haven't been edited in awhile, so you find yourself learning concepts that won't appear on the MCAT (especially with respect to organic chemistry)Hope this helped anyone taking the MCAT and in need of some advice! I haven't gotten my scores back (get released on Sept. 20th), but my practice exams fluctuated from a 33-37 if that helps validate this review!

i took the MCAT 3 times, each with a different preparation method and outcome.1st time, fresh out of undergrad as a biology student. all of the tested concepts were fresh in my mind. score = 272nd time, after about a year of working in a lab while studying for 6 months with a huge princeton review book, using college textbooks to fill-in gaps as necessary. score = 303rd time, after grad school. graduated undergrad 6 years ago and was most nervous of being too rusty in all of these basic science concepts to do well at all on the mcat. while working full time, i studied the exam krackers set of books for 1 month, wishing i had more time to prepare. i didn't have time to open the verbal reasoning book at all. i didn't even have time to take any of the practice mini-mcats in the back of the books. score = 34it is true that the ek books leave a lot of foundation information out of the texts but, i prefer that. if you have a strong foundation in science concepts, all these books do is remind you of some details that you forgot, tell you what is on the test and what is not, and help you to exercise using this knowledge so solve some mcat-like problems to get comfortable. then, on to the next topic.i preferred this style of studying this time as i didn't have any time to waste going over background information that was already in my brain somewhere. the ek books just reminded me of the pieces of info that i needed to dig-out from the dusty files in the back of my mind and put in the front for easy access. when there was a topic that i couldn't remember for the life of me, i just dug out an old textbook and perused it for an hour or so until i was totally clear on the concept, then i continued right where i left off in the ek book.furthermore, i found that the practice questions in the ek books were more difficult than the ones on the actual mcat. this helped tremendously when it came time to take the real test. the questions seemed a bit easier than i expected, so i was able to relax a bit and take my time double checking answers to be sure i was satisfied with my answer choices.so, i loved this series of books. it may not be for everyone but it was for me. i think i had a slight advantage as a non-traditional med school applicant since i went through grad school in the sciences. so, although i had forgotten most of the details of basic science concepts, i was still very used to and seasoned in analytical thinking and absorbing a lot of information from text/figures in a short period of time.if i had more time, maybe i could have scored even higher using everything the ek books had to offer. maybe i could have risen the score even more if i also supplemented with a princeton review book or something. but, it is what it is. im satisfied with the results of the ek books given the limited time i invested into using them. hope this helps some of you out there.

While examkrackers complete study package seems like a good and easy study guide, I was completely disappointed by it. The books are colourful and have nice drawings although I found the salty thing extremely irritating. It actually got on my nerves.Concerning the content, in my opinion it is only good for someone who graduated recently from undergrad and especially those who hold a Bachelor of Science. Other than that, the explanations are not in depth. I myself graduated several years ago. The physics and chemistry bit were easier for me but thats only due to my own background. However, I found the bio and organic chemistry sections horrible. If you forgot your background knowledge in those areas, you will find yourself going back to your text books or other sources for further understanding.There is something wrong with the manner info is distributed.For those thinking of buying it, do not rely entirely on it. That is my honest advice. Use other sources as well unless you were really good in your undergrad years and you are a fresh graduate with a science major.As for the writing sample, they do not give it enough consideration. It is after all important for many schools around the world.The only pros regarding examkrackers study guide is that you can finish those books in no time. They may fool you into putting only a few weeks for studying. Don't do that. In their intro book, they do give you some nice advice regarding timing yourself in verbal reasoning though, but honestly many other companies do the same thing.As for their practice series, the only one worth the time and money is the verbal reasoning practice book. That book did improve my VR skills.I am trying to be as fair as possible here. I sat for the mcat before studying with a different company, relying on examkrackers lowered my score. That was the biggest shock. So to sum all this up, the only fair and honest thing to say regarding examkrackers while taking into consideration both it's pros and cons; do not count on this complete study guide solely. However, for VR you can definitely count on their practice book.

Worked very well for me. Information was concise, but also clear and easy to follow. I would only recommend this for people with a good background in science though, since it makes assumptions sometimes that you know basic First Year University concepts. I also purchased the 1001 questions set for Physics, Chem, and Org Chem (highly recommended) and the 101 passages in Verbal reasoning (highly highly recommended), I heard the bio one was not as good though so I didn't buy that.Examkrackers was the only resource I used, and although there was definitely some errors and spelling mistakes, it got me the mark I wanted (and then some), so I have to review them pretty well. I would have given 5 stars but there were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors that would sometimes bother me.

I found the complete study package very useful for my MCAT prep. Although I didn't use each and every book cover to cover I felt that this definitely helped improve my score overall and helped me reach my goal on the MCAT (>=30).

Not adequate. I wouldn't consider this a complete study guide. I would suggest trying a different brand.

excellent