Below are a few recommendations for MCAT books (courtesy of Amazon.com) to aid you with your study and preparation efforts. These reviews are based on feedback we’ve received from past clients.
For quick reference, links to all of our medical school-related book reviews can be found right here:
MCAT Comprehensive Preparation
The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam, 5th Edition by AAMC
It’s always hard for us to go against an official guide, i.e. one written by the test’s developers.
7 Full-length MCAT Practice Tests by Gold Standard Team
Are you looking for additional practice tests to augment the official ones? This is the best unofficial practice material we have come across! Seven complete practice exams containing a total of 1,610 high-quality MCAT practice questions come with this guide. Five of the tests are in the book with two more online.
Just one word of warning in the interest of ‘full disclosure.’ The book comes with a non transferable code for one year of online access. Most of our readers are not interested in used test prep books. They don’t want to be influenced by other readers’ notes. Additionally, they are (hopefully!) going to complete their MCAT test preparations within one year of the book’s purchase.
10th Edition Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package by Jonathan Orsay
Our most up-to-date information on the MCAT comes from clients who have recently taken the test – and we continue to hear overwhelmingly positive feedback from them on the usefulness of the Examkrackers books. This complete study package is now already in its second edition.
Gold Standard MCAT Prep Platinum Package by Gold Standard Team
If you’re looking for the ultimate self study bundle, this is definitely it. Go ahead. Check it out. This includes 20 full-length MCAT tests, over 9,000 practice questions, all the AAMC official MCAT prep materials, unlimited viewing of the MCAT-Prep.com 30-hour science review video library, flash cards, 4 hours of MP3 audio files and more!
MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review 2019-2020: Online + Book + 3 Practice Tests by Kaplan
If you’re a fan of the Kaplan approach, then we strongly recommend this comprehensive latest-edition MCAT guide.
MCAT Individual Section Preparation
Gold Standard New MCAT BIO: Biology and Biochemistry by the Gold Standard Team
Primary author Brett Ferdinand knows the MCAT about as well as anyone alive and we know firsthand how much pride he puts into his books. We expect this book will get good reviews from our website visitors and clients and we appreciate his integrity in not rushing a comprehensive MCAT book to market and instead choosing to go more slowly so he “gets it right.”
Examkrackers MCAT Physics, 10th Edition by Jonathan Orsay
Now in its tenth edition, this MCAT physics guide has wowed many of our applicants over the years.
MCAT Psychology and Sociology: Strategy and Practice by Bryan Schnedeker
Psychology and sociology don’t always require augmented preparation resources, but the feedback we’ve received on this guide are quite positive.
Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT, Organic Chemistry by Michelle Gilbertson
Organic chemistry tends to frustrate a lot of MCAT test takers (see Should Organic Chemistry Be a Requirement for Med School? for more on this) and this book does a good job of breaking down the information covered in your undergrad class that is most likely to appear on the exam.