Are you looking for the best mcat prep books on the market today but don’t know where to start? Here at test prep nerds, we’ve conducted countless student interviews to arrive at our verdict and narrowed it down to our top 7.
The best mcat books on our list range from $35 per book to over $200 for a complete set of mcat books. These books fit any mcat prep budget and can cost a fraction of the cost of a live or on-demand commercial mcat prep course.
You are reading: Kaplan mcat review books
If you’re looking for the best mcat prep books that are proven to get students to 520 (and higher) in mcat, keep reading!
Are you in a hurry? Here’s a quick look at the mcat prep book that made it to #1 on our list!
best mcat prep books review – which one is best for you?
- kaplan mcat box set comprehensive review: best mcat prep books for an overall comprehensive review
- princeton mcat box set review: best mcat prep book for students with content gaps
- mometrix mcat study guide – best mcat study guide for budgets
- kaplan mcat 528 – best mcat prep book for high performance practice
- mcat exam prep books – best mcat prep book mcat prep for quick review
- mcat psychology & sociology: the best mcat prep book for practicing psychology
- sterling mcat biology & biochemistry: the best mcat prep book for practicing biology
top 7 mcat prep books for 2022
full kaplan theme review
best mcat prep books for an overall comprehensive review
kaplan has been around for what seems like forever, and kaplan’s mcat prep books are consistently top notch. your mcat book set includes everything you need to have a solid mcat study plan at home, including your own mcat study plan, a subject-specific review, and plenty of mcat practice questions (online and online). in the book). I personally enjoy doing practice questions in a physical book, so I find having the option online or in the book a huge plus.
However, you don’t just have to take our word for it, as kaplan’s mcat prep set was the Most Recommended mcat prep book by far in our most recent survey by recent mcat examined.
In the 7-book set, you’ll receive the following topic-specific books: Behavioral Sciences; biochemistry; biology; general chemistry; organic chemistry; physics and mathematics; and critical analysis and reasoning skills.
You can be sure that everything matches current AAMC guidelines, as they publish a new edition each year that addresses any of these changes.
That said, you don’t need to buy the latest edition. if you have a chance to buy a used edition from the last few years, this will be pretty much the same book. we prefer to share the latest and most up-to-date version as we understand that some of our readers prefer to purchase the newest versions for peace of mind.
- end-of-chapter summaries and concept checks make revision easy
- 1 year online access to 3 full practice tests, videos, practice questions and quizzes
- over 350 practice questions in the book and more online
- 24 full page quick sheets that provide pictures for important concepts
how to use kaplan mcat bookset:
This may sound counterintuitive, but we recommend reading the book that covers the topic you feel most informed about. the best way to study with them. from there, you can start working with books on more difficult topics.
While working with these books, you should take physical notes and make flashcards. we share some free mcat cards here.
main feature: access to all online review content + videos
who needs this: students who want a comprehensive review
princeton review mcat complete box
best mcat prep books for students with content gaps
Princeton Review’s Complete Mcat Set comes next on our list of the best mcat prep books: This 7-book mcat set includes effective strategies and techniques that have been shown to increase mcat scores. It’s written by true masters and includes a bit more humor than you’d find in Kaplan’s set of books (which is a pretty low bar).
you get pretty much the same content as the kaplan mcat book set: 3 comprehensive mcat practice tests, end-of-chapter review, easy-reference glossaries, full-color illustrations and diagrams, and online student tools.
the difference between these two book sets, however, is in the amount of content covered. this princeton review book set provides more detailed information on the principles than the kaplan book set, which can be good or bad, depending on how much new knowledge you want to gain compared to the review.
princeton review’s mcat book set is like kaplan’s in that they offer a new set of books every year. Unfortunately, when tpr offers an updated set of books, they mix old and new editions of books. I find this a bit misleading as you get some editions 2 and 3 at a price that suggests it’s up to date for 2022.
- more detailed information than kaplan
- thousands of practice questions
- high quality graphics to learn difficult concepts
how to use mcat book set from princeton review:
As mentioned with the kaplan mcat set of books, I suggest starting with a book that covers a topic you feel most strongly about. from there, move on to the more difficult topic reviews.
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When working with these mcat books, don’t just read them, but practice questions to reinforce the concepts. you should be actively practicing, taking notes and making flashcards. You can use the Princeton Review practice questions, but you must base your progress on the Mcat scores by using official AAMC practice tests.
main feature: more detailed information about the principles that kaplan
who needs this: students with content gaps who need more than a review
mometrix mcat preparation book
best mcat study guide for budgeting
Here’s an extremely affordable mcat study guide from mometrix, a company that may sound new to you, but is slowly building a strong portfolio of test prep products. They update their mcat study guide every year, which is a huge plus for those of us who want the latest edition to ensure it matches current mcat.
This is a pretty standard mcat study guide that has practice questions and answers, content review, and strategies. However, where this mcat study guide stands out is in its video tutorials that are linked throughout the content.
These videos show instructors breaking down a difficult concept and working through step-by-step examples. This can be very helpful for students preparing for the mcat, as sometimes just reading the text solutions is not enough. for visual learners like me, watching an instructor analyze a problem can be a blessing.
This is truly one of the best values in our best mcat study guides. If you’re looking for a quick mcat study guide that won’t break the bank, then this study guide from mometrix is a solid choice.
- includes 1 full practice exam
- logic design flows intuitively from concept to concept
- instructor videos break down difficult concepts in video tutorials
- detailed answer explanations for each practice question
how to use mometrix mcat study guide:
Because this is an mcat study guide, you should use it as a supplement to your current preparation. You should use your mcat book set or review course (or whatever mcat study program you have created) and use this study guide after you have completed your study for a section. this content is a more summary review and will provide you with video content to review what you have read and practiced.
premium feature: video tutorials and affordable price
who needs this: inexpensive students who want an affordable mcat study guide
kaplan mcat 528 advanced preparation
the best mcat study guide for high performance internships
kaplan mcat 528 advanced prep is a much cheaper alternative to kaplan’s 7 book set and packs a punch for less than $30. like all kaplan mcat products, its content is updated each year to reflect all current aamc guidelines. In this Kaplan Mcat book, you’ll get a comprehensive review, high-performance practice, and star ratings so you know how important specific topics will be on test day.
What I really appreciate in this mcat study guide is that the content really changes between editions. this helps justify purchasing the latest version, as it has been thoroughly revised to match current aamc guidelines.
The highlight of this mcat book is the star ratings, which was one of the factors considered when ranking it among our list of best mcat prep books. mcat experts have rated topics in mcat based on their importance to mcat. this helps students get the most specific focus on the most proven concepts!
- over 500 printed questions and answer explanations
- reflects latest aamc guidelines
- full online practice test mimicking real mcat
- star ratings rank the importance of concepts in the mcat
how to use kaplan 528 mcat study guide:
This mcat study guide is best served as a precursor to your mcat preparation. What I mean here is that you need to work on identifying where you are strong and weak, so that you can come up with a better strategy for your Mcat study plan.
You can also use this 528 mcat study guide as a last minute review before your mcat. simply find the star ratings that identify the most important topics so you can quickly review them.
key feature: star ratings help students identify the most important concepts
who needs this: students who need help getting started with mcat review
mcat exam preparation books
best mcat prep book for quick review
mcat test prep books is another affordable mcat study guide that covers all the topics that are tested on mcat. It is updated every year, so you can be sure that you will be working on representative mcat practice questions and review material.
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This book includes mcat practice questions, as well as detailed answer explanations for each. This mcat study guide is great for students looking for an easy and organized review of mcat key points.
- a simple overview of all mcat content
- detailed explanations of each question
- updated annually
how to use mcat exam preparation books study guide:
I recommend this mcat study guide for a final refresher on the mcat content before taking the mcat. I find the material here to be well organized and easy to reference for late-breaking reviews.
main feature: concise study guide for review
who needs this: students who need a quick review mcat study guide
sterling mcat psychology & sociology
best mcat prep book for practicing psychology
I have reviewed and listed a couple of sterling mcat prep books because they manage to do an amazing job putting theory into practice for their section specific prep books. If you’re having difficulty with a specific section of the mcat, I recommend you take a look at sterling’s mcat products and find the topic-specific prep book you need.
this psychology mcat & The Sociology Prep Book helps you apply these theories and understand them more than you would through some of the other best mcat prep books we list here.
mcat’s excellent psychology and sociology book provides a detailed and comprehensive review of the updated psychology and sociology topics tested at mcat in 2022. we are also confident that all topics and skills in this book are in accordance with the aamc guidelines for the redesigned mcat, because they update the contents of the book every year.
- covers all the information in the psychological, social and biological foundations of behavior section of mcat 2022
- organized into 15 focus knowledge areas
- detailed explanations
how to use the psychology of sterling & sociology guide:
psychology of sterling & the sociology book is really helpful to supplement your mcat psychology/sociology prep because it is clearly organized by topic and concepts. you can use this as a supplement to your existing mcat preparation or use this book exclusively.
main feature: comprehensive review of psychology & sociology
who needs this: students looking for more help in psychology & sociology
sterling mcat biology & biochemistry
best mcat prep book for biology practice
here’s our second great recommendation that made our best mcat prep book list, specifically for general biology. I wanted to include this one on our list because most pre-med students don’t really need much more knowledge about general biology, but they can still benefit from the extra practice. this is especially true with practice problems that incorporate biochemistry.
I recommend you buy this book if you’re looking for a little more practice in biology and biochemistry but don’t need to spend a lot of time going over it.
- 20 question chapters grouped by concepts
- 1200 high performance practice questions
- answer keys and detailed question explanations
- general strategies for taking the mcat
how to use sterling’s biology & biochemistry guide:
similar to the use of sterling psychology & sociology guide, we recommend using this mcat book as your exclusive biology & biochemistry prep tool or as a supplement using its simple chapter/concept outline.
top feature: best biology review & physiology
who needs this: students seeking mcat biology specific practice
frequently asked questions about the best mcat prep books
final note on choosing books for the mcat
As you can see, there are plenty of mcat prep books to choose from. The final decision on the best mcat prep book comes down to you. If you are still undecided, we highly recommend the kaplan mcat set of books for its effective and comprehensive review of all mcat topics.
Looking for more mcat preparation?
Check out the best mcat flashcards and free tools to supplement your study, as well as some free mcat practice tests to take your preparation to the next level.
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