Boromir’s right about taking the MCAT. Which is why we recommend taking your time scanning the reviews posted on Amazon.com and the Student Doctor Network to decide which MCAT prep books are best for you. I’ve written my own reviews of the MCAT prep materials by Examkrackers and the Berkeley Review.

How do I know what the best MCAT prep books are for me?

Each line of books has unique strengths and weaknesses (i.e. depth of review, cost, emphasis on content vs. practice, similarity to the actual MCAT, etc.). It’s not a one-size-fits-all purchase pre-med students are making here. And that’s why we put this list together: you deserve to go into the MCAT with confidence that your books helped, not hurt, your score.

For some pre-meds, there’s a lot of value in picking and choosing from different MCAT prep companies, depending on where your weak spots are and how much time you have to prepare. That’s what I did. I was especially weak in verbal, so, although I went with the TBR full set, I also sprang for the Examkrackers 101 Verbal Passages and the Kaplan Verbal Review. And I’m glad I did, because in a month’s time, I went from getting consistent 8′s to consistent 12′s on practice verbal CBTs, and ended up with a 12 on the real thing.

FYI, when you click on the links below, it’ll open a separate window on Amazon.com. Nothing shady or spammy.

KAPLAN

Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests, 6th edition, $23 used
Kaplan MCAT Comprehensive Review with CD-ROM, 1088 pages — $9 used
MCAT General Chemistry Review, 320 pages — $20 used
MCAT Organic Chemistry Review, 320 pages — $21 used
MCAT Physics Review, 576 pages — $20 used
MCAT Verbal Reasoning and Writing Review, 344 pages — $15 used
Kaplan MCAT 45: Advanced Prep for Advanced Students
Kaplan MCAT in a Box

THE BERKELEY REVIEW

(I’ll share a pre-med trade secret here. The Berkeley Review materials are the toughest MCAT prep materials to get your hands on. What? I can only get them by mail order? What century is this again? You can try Amazon, but they’re hard to find there…took me two weeks to get my books from TBR.)

EXAMKRACKERS

Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package (5 books) — $90 used
Examkrackers MCAT101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning — $24 used
Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT in Physics— $18 used
Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry— $18 used
Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT Organic Chemistry— $18 used
Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Biology Questions — $18 used
Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis with Jordan and Jon, $169 used
Examkrackers MCAT Biology-$18 used
Examkrackers MCAT Chemistry-$18 used
Examkrackers: MCAT Organic Chemistry-$18 used
Verbal Reasoning & Mathematical Techniques (Examkrackers MCAT)-$12 used
examkrackers 16 Mini-MCATs (Examkrackers MCAT Manuals) $16 used

PRINCETON REVIEW

MCAT Workout— $10 used
MCAT Biology Review— $17 used
MCAT Elite 45— $19 used
Cracking the MCAT, ’11-12 Edition, 1080 p — $1 used
MCAT Physics and Math Review, 512 pages — $18 used
MCAT Verbal Reasoning & Writing Review-$11 used
MCAT Physics and Math Review-$17 used
MCAT General Chemistry Review-$14 used
MCAT Organic Chemistry Review-$17 used
Hyperlearning Mcat Science Workbook (2009 Edition)$48

NOVA

The MCAT Physics Book— $28 used
The MCAT Chemistry Book— $28 used
The MCAT Biology Book — $28 used

BARRON’S

Barron’s MCAT with CD-ROM-$26 used
Barron’s MCAT Flash Cards-$12 used

STUDENT DOCTOR NETWORK

The Official Student Doctor Network MCAT Pearls (paperback) $180 used
The Student Doctor Network What Every Doctor Should Know… But Was Never Taught in Medical School $85 used

THE GOLD STANDARD

The Gold Standard MCAT with Online Practice MCAT Tests- $45 used
The Gold Standard new MCAT CBT Deck of Flashcards, 2011 Ed.$10 used
The Silver Bullet: Real MCATs Explained w/ Verbal Reasoning Prep- $12 used
The Gold Standard MCAT Prep on 16 DVDs-$200 used
Gold Standard MCAT Prep Kit w/ EK and AAMC Test, 2010-2011-$320 used

IVYHALL REVIEW

MCAT Verbal: The Complete Comprehension Program, 416 pages — $99

MCGRAW-HILL

The New MCAT with CD-Rom, 1st Edition, 1,120 pages — $65