Are MCAT prep books needed to study for the MCAT? Are they the best resource out there to help you ace this test? The MCAT is an extremely challenging exam that requires months of preparation. Using the right MCAT prep can help you learn test-taking strategies and understand what to expect from this test. Prep books can also provide comprehensive MCAT content review and practice tests or questions for you to work into your study schedule. MCAT prep books are also a great way to help you avoid having to retake the MCAT.
In this article, we’ll look at whether you should use MCAT prep books in your study regimen, how they can help you study for the MCAT, and the best MCAT prep book resources out there and what you can gain from them using strong reading materials.
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Should You Use MCAT Prep Books?
There is no wrong answer to the question “what should I use to prepare for the MCAT?”, but some resources are better than others. To ensure your success, you should also take advantage of the best resources out there. Although retaking the MCAT is an option, it’s best to try your best to perform on your first try, especially if you’re planning on attending medical school in the fall. The MCAT is a 7.5-hour exam that represents an important milestone in your medical school application journey. There are no right or wrong study resources to use to prepare for this exam, although achieving a high MCAT score is much easier when you use quality study resources and materials. Good MCAT prep books should provide you with more than just information on the topics included in the test; they should also provide study strategies, practice tests, MCAT prep questions, and other helpful tools. Though you might be putting off the review until you schedule your MCAT test date, you can still start reading material before to give yourself plenty of time to prepare.
Is There a Consensus On Which Books I Should Buy?
The trouble with finding the best MCAT prep books is that there are hundreds of options out there, and no one can seem to agree on which are the best quality or offer the most value for your money. MCAT prep books or prep guides can get expensive, and while they are more budget-friendly than some MCAT prep courses or an MCAT tutor, they should not be your only study resource. Every student is different, so prep books or study guides might not be the best choice for all, but they can certainly be a great supplemental study tool. You should be looking for books that will help you work on your weaknesses. For example, you could purchase a book that contains a lot of MCAT CARS practice if you want to learn how to improve your MCAT CARS score or if you need to work on your MCAT reading comprehension.
What Is The Main Benefit of Reading MCAT Prep Books?
MCAT prep books offer the benefit of organizing the information in such a way that you can easily get a realistic sense of what the exam consists of. They highlight what’s important and provide expert tips and information you wouldn’t typically find in other sources. They can be an excellent addition to your MCAT study materials, but they should be used selectively to save yourself studying time and money. It’s important to use MCAT books that will actually help you.
Best MCAT CARS Prep Books
MCAT Prep Book #1: BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to MCAT CARS
What Makes This Book Essential?
MCAT CARS is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the test and your prep for this section of the exam should start long before you schedule your test date. It is essential to familiarize yourself with books from outside the scope of the core MCAT subjects to ace this section. This familiarity is not something that can be achieved over time, but part of your MCAT CARS strategy should involve developing analytical and reading comprehension skills.
What Does This Book Include?
BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to MCAT CARS is the perfect prep book as you approach the year when you decide to take the MCAT. Our ultimate guide will not only test your reading and comprehension skills, but will also help you get accustomed to the unique CARS format. Using our MCAT CARS strategy, you will be able to tackle any passage you face on your test.
This book includes:
- Top 8 reasons applicants score low on CARS
- 10 sample CARS passages with expert responses and analysis
- 40 practice CARS passages with questions and answers
- BeMo's top strategies and 7 steps to ace any CARS passage
- Long-term and short-term stress management strategies
- Free access to BeMo’s online resource center
You can get a paperback copy of BeMo's Ultimate Guide to MCAT CARS on Amazon for under $20, but you might also be able to get a digital version for free for a limited time, making it your most convenient option.
Wondering if you need an MCAT tutor or prep course? Watch this video:
MCAT Prep Book #2: AAMC Official Guide to the MCAT
What Makes This Book Essential?
There are many commercial MCAT prep books and guides out there that can teach you how to start studying for the MCAT, but it’s always best to start with the official prep. Guides such as the AAMC’s Official Guide to the MCAT Exam are fundamental to understanding the tactics and strategies to obtain the highest score, as well as high-yield MCAT topics. It is not just about having all the necessary knowledge, but also about knowing what to do with it. If you’re a student considering an MCAT CARS prep course, this book can be a great complement to that implementation.
What Does This Book Include?
The AAMC offers official guidance that contains all the general information you need to know about the test. Their website is a good place to start if you’re looking for information on the MCAT and what to expect, or if you want to take an MCAT diagnostic test. The AAMC’s official guide is not available in an online version but can be purchased from the AAMC store. This guide should be a complement to other study resources such as the AAMC’s official full-length practice tests.
The AAMC offers a series of practice exams for you to get a real sense of what your exam day will be like. These practice exams are not only the best, but they are also quite affordable and include 230 authentic questions that replicate the exact MCAT experience, plus a free sample test. When you take one of these practice exams, you will be able to see your score to have an idea of how you might perform on a test day. These tests, like the actual exam, will test you on things like MCAT chemistry, MCAT physics practice passages, MCAT biology practice passages, MCAT psychology practice passages, and more. Here you can find full-length MCAT practice exams:
How Do MCAT Prep Books Help?
The best MCAT prep books can be a great complement to your MCAT prep for content review and MCAT practice. They can also teach you what to expect in terms of the test’s format and structure. It will answer questions like “how long is the MCAT” so you can get the gist of how to format and pace your MCAT study schedule.
Prep books can be a guide to the different MCAT sections, their content, and question format. They will break each section down, including the number of questions and length. Prep books can be an asset when focusing on particular sections of the MCAT.
The MCAT is divided into four sections:
The MCAT is designed to assess your problem-solving and critical thinking skills as well as your knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. The first three sections of the test are based on fundamental scientific knowledge, while the CARS section analyzes your reading comprehension through a series of passages and questions. MCAT prep books can provide you with practice questions for the first three sections, or even teach you how to read MCAT graphs with detailed, visual examples. Prep books can, of course, help you ace the CARS section by improving your reading comprehension or providing a detailed analysis of practice passages.
Want some more MCAT study tips? Check out this infographic:
What Skills Can MCAT Prep Books Help Me Improve?
The MCAT is designed to challenge a series of skills that are considered necessary for you to be a competent medical school student. Prep books will cover content that will enable you to test and evaluate the skills listed below, which you will need to succeed on the MCAT:
How Do Most Students Study for the MCAT?
It should be emphasized that different students will need to prepare for the MCAT in their own ways. You will have your own strengths and weaknesses to work through and the tools you use to prepare should be tailored to your learning preferences and needs. The AAMC conducted a post-exam survey and one of the questions they asked was “what kind of resources did you use to prepare for the MCAT exam?” Here are some of the top resources used by students:
Top MCAT study resources used by students
And here are the top learning methods used by students who took the MCAT most recently:
- Answered practice questions as I studied each topic (87.8%)
- Reviewed content I had already studied throughout my preparation (62.6%)
- Tested my understanding of what I had studied (80.7%)
As you can see, preparation books are a significant part of most students’ preparation for the MCAT. Effective MCAT preparation schedules typically revolve around completing content revision, followed by the competition of various sample tests to gauge progress. Preparation books contain great information that you can use to prepare for these practice tests, which will help you develop a better sense of how ready you are to take the actual exam.
Regarding the methods students used to learn the content they were reviewing from various resources, a small disclaimer is in order: just because many students use a particular method doesn’t mean everyone should. The fact that many students review content in a certain way can be a good indication that it’s effective, but not always. When you’re looking at resources, make sure you read the reviews so you know you’re making a smart investment. Not all information is correct or useful.
Next, we’ll look at the 3 pillars of MCAT study and how MCAT prep books can help you with each.
1. Content Review
MCAT prep books can be an excellent resource for learning what subjects are on the MCAT exam and Its format, unlike MCAT reddit. MCAT prep books lay out all the important information about the test in a focused, clear way, so they are good guides for first-time test-takers. A majority of your time studying for the MCAT will be dedicated to content review, so an MCAT prep book can be a good place to start reviewing the content of the exam, i.e. what you will need to study and what specific subjects you'll need to know.
MCAT prep books don’t just include official or commercial study guides, either! MCAT prep books can include written texts you can use to help you with MCAT content review. A large part of studying for the MCAT includes reviewing the exam’s content and subject matter.
Here are a few options for external MCAT content review:
What Makes These Great Preparation Tools?
Your undergraduate textbooks and course notes will be an important method of review for the scientific subject matter on the MCAT, such as MCAT physics equations and MCAT chemistry equations you need to know. Journals and publications will cover a wide range of socioeconomic topics, providing you with base knowledge and understanding. Reading widely benefits your MCAT reading comprehension, which is essential for the MCAT’s passage-based questions and the difficult CARS section.
Looking for tips on how to get a good MCAT score? This infographic might help:
2. MCAT Practice
MCAT prep books can be a great resource for the second part of your MCAT study, which is practice. Using high-quality MCAT prep books means the practice questions and passages you’ll read are more likely to accurately reflect what is on the actual test.
What Makes This a Great Preparation Tool?
Many MCAT books and guides contain extensive practice questions and passages, or even full-length tests. Others might provide a detailed analysis of MCAT questions, what the right answers are and why. These can help you gauge your level of knowledge and develop your critical thinking and analytical skills for the real test. An MCAT prep book might also have detailed visual examples of MCAT graphs, charts, and data representations. These representations can be quite complex on the real MCAT and learning to read them accurately and quickly can improve your MCAT timing and score.
3. Test Day Prep
Lastly, MCAT prep books often outline detailed study strategies and critical information about the test. For instance, we’ve seen that prep books can provide a detailed look at the sections of the MCAT and their content but that they can also include information on testing conditions and tips on preparing for test day and what to expect. They might also feature study schedule templates or advice on how to structure your MCAT study plan or when to start studying for the MCAT.
What Makes This a Great Preparation Tool?
Knowing what the test consists of is a great way to put your preparation in the context of exam day. When you complete practice tests, you will need to replicate the conditions of the actual exam. This will help you reduce test anxiety and practice focusing for long periods of time. Books that provide this information will help you create those ideal practice conditions.
Next, we’ll look at the best MCAT prep books you can use to help you study for every part of this challenging exam, as well as additional study resources you should consult.
Want BeMo's help with MCAT prep? Check out what our students say about us:
Free MCAT Study Resources
Aside from the prep books and resources above, there are many free MCAT prep options. Try using a few of these resources alongside our MCAT prep books for the best self-studying help!
1. Biological and Chemical Foundations of Living Systems
2. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Foundations
3. Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
More study resources you can use for MCAT prep:
Conclusion
If you are fully aware of how hard the MCAT is, you know that preparing for the exam on your own can feel like an impossible task without the appropriate study resources. Fortunately, there are several options for you to choose from, depending on your budget, learning style, needs, and study schedule. Normally, test-takers like to combine two or more resources to get a broader understanding of the MCAT and how it works.
MCAT prep books are a great study resource, but they should be used in tandem with other study materials and help. MCAT prep books can easily get pricey, too, so it’s best to be selective in which prep books you use to help you. Keep in mind that MCAT prep books do not need to be commercial guides! Use course textbooks, journals, and even literary classics as part of your MCAT prep book repertoire to improve your reading comprehension for CARS or develop your critical thinking abilities. Even though the MCAT is definitely a challenge, with the right preparation you can ace the test like a pro!
FAQs
1. Do I need a book to prepare for the MCAT?
Even though it is true that the MCAT is based on everything you learned during your undergraduate studies, knowing about the topics covered in the exam is not enough if you don’t know what to expect from it. You need to be familiar with certain aspects of the exam such as question complexity, scoring, time management, and come up with an effective study plan to get to the exam day with a solid notion of what the MCAT consists of.
While it is true that most of this information can be found online for free, books present the advantage of structuring the information in an organized way that is easier to digest. In a few words, the right books can make your exam preparation much easier and stress-free.
2. How long does it take to prepare yourself for the MCAT?
Technically, you start studying for the MCAT as soon as you start your undergraduate degree, since you are going to learn about all the topics included in the exam. The recommended time you should dedicate to your MCAT preparation is 6-7 months, dedicating an average of 10 hours per week. Needless to say, students who can dedicate more time per week to their exam preparation will need less time to complete it, although a more gradual approach can be more effective for some students.
3. What is a good MCAT score?
Your ideal MCAT score will depend on which schools you plan on applying to. All schools have different standards, and depending on your score, you might have higher chances in some than in others. Any score between 506 and 515 can be considered competitive. However, a truly outstanding score will be at or above 517.
4. What happens if I get a low MCAT score?
Well, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but you will have to make up for it with an outstanding GPA and impressive extracurriculars. An MCAT score is considered non-competitive if it is below the matriculant average, meaning that it has to be above the mark of those who applied and did not make the cut. High and low scores are not set in stone, they vary greatly from one school to another. You might not get into your dream medical school but you could aspire to less competitive programs if you apply strategically. After carefully analyzing all of your possibilities, you can always consider retaking the exam if you really think it is the best choice for you, but you should rule out all your other options first!
5. Is MCAT mandatory for medical school?
Given the difficulty of the exam and the stress it involves, it is understandable that some aspiring doctors end up looking for ways to skip the MCAT. Although it is an extremely common requirement for medical schools in the US and Canada, there are some medical schools that don’t require the MCAT.
6. How hard is the MCAT?
There are a few factors that make the MCAT especially challenging:
- It is lengthier than probably any other exam you have taken before. The testing time for the MCAT is 7.5 hours, including introduction and breaks between each of the four sections.
- It consists of 230 questions covering many different subjects, such as general and organic chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology.
- It is passage-based, which means that you will be asked to read a 6 to 7 paragraph passage and then answer questions that combine details from the passage with your own knowledge, so it is not just about memorizing information but also putting your critical thinking to work.
- You don’t really have much time to answer each question. Yes, we mentioned earlier that the exam lasts several hours, but that doesn’t mean you get to dedicate a lot of time to each individual question. Your time management skills can make you or break you.
7. Are there resources online?
Yes, there are countless resources you can find online for free, including the information provided by the AAMC on their website, plus testimonials and tips from students and teachers who can help you get a broader picture of how the MCAT works. You can also explore our YouTube channel and our free blog. However, investing in a good MCAT prep guide is a must if you want to obtain a high score. Some of these guides are even in digital format and allow you to practice MCAT questions on your computer, just like you would do in real life.
8. Is there an official MCAT preparation guide?
Yes, the AAMC offers an official guide that tells you everything you need to know about the exam. Most students, however, like to use this guide as a complement to other MCAT reviews.
9. Which book is best for MCAT prep?
While there is no agreement on which commercial MCAT prep book is the best overall for MCAT study, it’s better to stick with official MCAT guides from the AAMC or prep books which adequately prepare you for the MCAT’s content and format.
10. What books do I need for MCAT?
The best books to use for your MCAT study are official resources like the AAMC Official Guide or reliable and affordable books like BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to MCAT CARS. However, you shouldn’t rely just on prep books to help you study. Don’t forget to include your course textbooks, scientific journals, and other academic sources that will help broaden your knowledge of MCAT content and increase your reading comprehension.
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