 refreshing, as less emphasis is placed on the “right” way to study and more emphasis is placed on actually improving your score and getting into medical school. Instructors at Examkrackers are trained to teach and flex students’ critical thinking skills and pre-med knowledge. To help stave off burnout, they utilize a more multi-dimensional approach with personalized instruction that helps to address your own strengths and weaknesses.
For each class, the Examkrackers Live In person class starts with a 50-minute lecture followed by a 10-minute break, keeping it easy to pay full attention. After the break, you will be tested on your understanding of the subject with a 30-minute exam. Once the exam is finished, there is a 25-minute review to help you understand any mistakes on the test so you don’t make them on the official MCAT. Because the classroom teachers spend more time explaining the concepts rather than just the context of the answers provided, students get a better understanding of the building blocks of the subjects rather than just memorization of facts.
The Examkrackers Live Online classes are designed a little bit differently than the Live In Person classes, delivering instruction over two hours, with additional options for real-time instruction and feedback on weekends for an extra boost to your MCAT score. This is an awesome alternative for those who may not be able to access the Live In Person courses but still want to pursue an Examkrackers Live MCAT prep course. Plus, taking these live courses online do offer the advantage of not having to leave your own home for class.
The reality for some is that a 9-week course simply may not be enough time for some to feel adequately prepared for the MCAT. Which is why Examkrackers offers a “Pre Course for their Pre Course.” Their MCAT Extra Online option is an extended course for students who may have some glaring weak areas that they need to work on before diving deep into an MCAT course. The MCAT Extra plan is the most expensive, but includes the MCAT Comprehensive Review Course, nine classes that span three hours each and an instructor to explain practice questions in a small online setting. For specific improvement of problem areas, Examkrackers ranks as the best MCAT prep course.
Lastly, Examkrackers offers a CARS Intensive Online course that focuses specifically on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section of the MCAT.
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Kaplan Test Prep has arguably one of the most comprehensive preparation package of all MCAT test prep courses, making it in our best MCAT prep course list. With the largest network of classroom sites nationwide (present in 43 states), you have the option to receive Kaplan’s low tier prep course online or in a classroom. Kaplan also provides the option of taking the entire prep course with a private instructor online or in a classroom.
For those looking for a more personalized approach, you can select the MCAT AdvantagePlus offering, which gives you access to everything Kaplan offers but also includes mentorship from a present medical student who will assist you in understanding the intricacies of the MCAT and how most medical school admissions are decided. All of Kaplan’s prep packages require a commitment of at least 15 hours of tutoring, which means it is not really as flexible as other MCAT prep courses. It also mandates you to pay for a full standard MCAT prep course before you can have access to their tutoring service. This is a turn off for most people that study better when there’s a tutor with them but works for those who would rather study unaided.
Kaplan Test Prep provides a range of 70 to 320 hours of instruction and gives you 11 full practice tests to get familiar with. You also have access to more than 11,000 quiz questions to practice with. Instruction can also be accessed in their classroom locations in most states. For those who cannot make the classes in-person, the live classes can be accessed online.
All of their courses, excluding the Self-Paced course, offers unlimited access to Kaplan’s premiere MCAT Channel, where you can access live streaming of MCAT prep 6-days-a-week. This channel covers critical information on the MCAT including subjects such as Organic chemistry, Biology, Physics, Biochemistry, Sociology, and Psychology. All of these episodes can be accessed either live or in the archive with nearly 15-20 hours of programming per week.
One of the key features of the Kaplan MCAT prep course is their Higher Score Guarantee, which will refund your tuition in full if you do not improve your scores from either your last official MCAT test or from your diagnostic test score taken at the beginning of the course. This insurance can be a huge relief for those who seem wary of the effectiveness of MCAT prep courses.
This is the best MCAT prep course for: Its unmatched classroom network and access to MCAT practice materials.
Fifth on our list for best MCAT prep course is Gold Standard. Gold Standard stands out in our list of best MCAT prep courses because it offers a cost-effective, self-paced prep that can be customized to your needs.
Gold Standard’s Home Study MCAT Courses come with 3 book-type options and 1 add-on. You can choose between receiving the complete book set by Kaplan, the Princeton Review, or Examkrackers. Once you choose this book set option, you then have the ability to tack on all Official AAMC materials for an additional $200. In addition to these commercial prep books, you will also receive the MCAT Practice Questions Book with 7 full-length MCAT practice tests.
In regards to online content, Gold Standard’s Home Study Course comes with 12-month access to its 8 ebooks, 30-hour science review video library, 5 MCAT CARS full-length tests, and a Medical School Interview Online Video.
Regardless of the course option you choose, you will gain access to their online student discussion groups where you can exchange tips and advice among your peers as well as ask any pressing questions regarding the test. One thing to be noted is that, due to its payment cancellation structure, Gold Standard does not offer a satisfaction guarantee. This is because the aim of their packages is to encourage self-study and there is no way to measure how effective the student is in following the guidelines and study materials. Their highest package, the Platinum Package Plus, comes with 3 sessions of private coaching (30 minutes each). With Gold Standard MCAT Prep, you are given fantastic materials and resources, but the responsibility to study effectively is all yours.
The Magoosh MCAT prep course stands out in our list of best MCAT prep courses as one of the most cost-effective. Their entry level package is a one-month premium account that offers 300 video lessons that span all the sections available on the MCAT exam. It comes with 3 practice tests that include 9 extra CARS passages with over 700 practice questions. In addition, students can easily access test explanation materials for better understanding of the practice questions.
One popular feature that Magoosh offers is a 7-day Money Back satisfaction guarantee that lets you cancel at any time during the period without having to part with a single penny. Magoosh MCAT prep is fully online, meaning you can take your study anywhere and at anytime. There are no physical books or DVDs, requiring just an internet connection. Keeping with their online reputation, their website is mobile-optimized so that it can be accessed from any smart phone.
During our review, we found that Magoosh has a practice question difficulty level that is slightly harder than that of the AAMC practice MCAT questions. They offer a great mix of both passage-based and single questions that are well-explained and easy to understand. The difficulty level is a great touch as students prepare for tougher questions than they may actually see on the actual MCAT exam, making testing day that much easier.
Magoosh MCAT prep course is a favorite among students because of its amazing video catalogue that offers almost every topic and section on the MCAT in a simple and easy-to-understand format. Bonus features include resources such as flash cards and a glossary of common terms which you can use for refreshers during down time.
One major disadvantage we noticed of using the Magoosh MCAT test prep is the absence of any sort of live interaction with tutors or a teacher community for additional help. This makes the course more suited for students who prefer to study alone. We also believe that the amount of practice materials can be increased for those utilizing the lower tiers of Magoosh’s MCAT test prep course.
That said, if you can motivate yourself without the pressure of a teacher or peers, then this study course can offer you an extremely low price and adequate practice materials to supplement your personal reading schedule. For self-starters, you would do well to look at Magoosh as one of the most effective MCAT exam prep courses for you.
This is the best MCAT prep course for: Low-budget students that do not need a tutor or peers looking over their shoulders.
Founded by a former pre-med student who was unsatisfied with the commercial MCAT courses he had taken, Altius MCAT Prep makes our list of the best MCAT prep courses as it provides a full suite of services from classroom teaching to personal tutoring sessions as well as admission guidance services. The Silver course, which is the lowest tier of tutoring that Altius offers, gives you access to 32 hours in a live classroom environment, supplemented by 12 hours of private tutoring sessions. If you upgrade to the Platinum course package, there is an increase to 80 hours in-class and 42 hours of one-on-one tutoring and weekly