The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, computer-based examination required for admission to most medical schools in the United States and some in Canada. It assesses problem-solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles. The MCAT is a crucial component of the medical school application process and is designed to evaluate an applicant’s readiness for the academic rigor of medical education.
One of the most important steps in preparing for the MCAT is to go through the review of the subjects so that your basic knowledge is refreshed. There are a lot of educational sources out there that you can use for this.
But today we are going to compare the two most popular of them, Kaplan and Princeton.
Kaplan MCAT Review
Kaplan is a global education service provider renowned for test preparation, higher education programs, and professional development courses.
Kaplan is a leading provider of MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) preparation courses, offering comprehensive study materials, practice exams, and personalized tutoring options. With a focus on thorough content review and test-taking strategies, Kaplan’s MCAT prep is designed to help aspiring medical students excel in this critical entrance exam.
Not just the MCAT test but when you will get admission in medical school, Kaplan will still be there to provide you with educational resources, as they are the most popular source of medical licensing exams preparation books as well.
Princeton MCAT Review
Princeton Review too, is a prominent provider of test preparation books for standardized exams like SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, and LSAT. Their resources include comprehensive guides with content reviews, practice questions, and test-taking strategies.
Kaplan vs Princeton MCAT Review Books Comparison
In our extensive analysis and comparison of books of each subject of both publishers, we have arrived to the conclusion that Kaplan books are much better.
Princeton MCAT books have more content
On analysis, Princeton MCAT books are found to have more content than the Kaplan books. But the former’s passages frequently contain instructional extra lines which can be annoying for some while studying. Meanwhile, Kaplan MCAT books are much more precise and to the point with less number of such lines.
We really like the following points in Kaplan MCAT Prep books:
Chapter profile
Chapter profile at the start of every chapter, lets you know how much percentage of questions will be asked from this chapter, so you get the idea of how much attention you have to give to this topic. And how questions will be asked from this topic, and what is going to be their format.
High Yield tag
Among the contents of each chapter, the topic that is tested repeatedly in MCAT exams is tagged as high yield.
Bridge Blocks
Bridge Blocks contain info related to that topic, intra-subject and inter-subject both like in the topic of buffer system general chemistry, a “bridge table” has info about the buffer system in the human body (a biology topic).
Daily life examples
Boxes with info about daily life examples or applications, like how and why we see an object of a specific color.
Photos
Real photos of elements make the study engaging and fun.
Related topics are kept together
Related topics are kept together like atomic structure and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics.
Concept summaries
Concept summaries at the end of each chapter, contain all of the important points in the bulleted form, and lists of formulas in the Physics book at the end are really helpful.
Tables of Mnemonics
Tables of Mnemonics are also present which are quite helpful.
Instructions
Instructions about what you need NOT to remember, so helping relieve the burden a bit.
Mcat expertise table
Mcat expertise table gives you tips and tricks about which questions are important and how to solve them easily in exams.
Price comparison
Price-wise, Kaplan Books are more expensive than the Princeton books, as the 7-book set of Kaplan on Amazon costs almost $210 (as of April 2024), whereas the Princeton MCAT review book set on Amazon costs around $130- 135 (as of April 2024). Make sure to check the latest prices by visiting the store.
So, Kaplan or Princeton? Which one is better?
Kaplan MCAT books are much better in every aspect from topic organization to building concepts. Kaplan is often considered the superior choice for MCAT preparation when compared to the Princeton MCAT Review. With comprehensive study materials, effective test strategies, and a proven track record of success, Kaplan provides students with a trusted resource for MCAT preparation.