As for the online Kaplan prep course for the MCAT, it’s divided into three units. The first two are content reviews broken into subjects, such as biology, physics, and organic chemistry. Each subject is further broken down into subtopics, and students get access to video lessons, quizzes, and book assignments.
[9 Essential Courses]
Kaplan offers the MCAT Advantage On Demand course for $1,900, which includes online video instruction accessible any time of the week and a higher-score guarantee. An in-person course or group tutoring for the MCAT can typically cost $500-$2,000 and may last one to several weeks.
The fact is that you can probably prepare for MCAT quite well on your own, with the help of some free materials and books. But taking a structured course has its own advantages as it helps with consistency and gives you access to more advanced study materials. The courses are also known to improve your score by 5 to 10 points.
With each of Kaplan's MCAT courses, no matter the format, you'll get access to a full MCAT prep course, live or on demand, up to 700 hours of guided prep and practice from MCAT experts, an adaptive Qbank, 16 full-length practice tests, 8 books, and all official AAMC practice materials.
Kaplan MCAT prep is a great choice to get you ready for the MCAT. Many have gone through the course and had great success and you do have the higher score guarantee, which means Kaplan stands behind their work. Kaplan is a great choice if you learn mainly by lecture/video and practice questions.
All in all, Kaplan gives students access to 16 full-length practice tests. This is a very respectable number of practice exams and is bested only by the Gold Standard MCAT Prep, which provides 20 tests. While 16 exams doesn't sound like much, at 7 hours+ per exam, that is a lot of hours spent simulating the real MCAT.
Kaplan's MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review + Online Resources: With Kaplan's MCAT books, you not only get the printed resources that cover the subject matter from all the test sections but also access to three full-length practice tests online and additional science videos.
Best MCAT Prep Courses SummaryBest Overall MCAT Prep Course: Blueprint MCAT.Most Immersive MCAT Prep: Altius.Best Value MCAT Prep Course: Magoosh.Best MCAT Live Online Classes: Princeton Review.The Popular MCAT Pick: Kaplan.Most MCAT Study Material: Gold Standard.
The primary difference between the Kaplan and Princeton Review MCAT offerings revolves around instruction. Kaplan provides better quality on demand, video-based instruction, while we tend to like the quantity and approach of Princeton's live classes better.
12 weeks, or 3 months, is generally sufficient time to spend studying for the MCAT at about 20 hours per week. This can be compressed or extended based on your schedule.
How long is the Kaplan MCAT prep course? Kaplan's Live Online MCAT Course consists of live lessons 6 nights a week, and our On Demand Courses include over 90 hours of recorded lessons. Our In Person MCAT Course option consists of 12 three-hour classes with an expert MCAT teacher.
Although you would think this would give the edge to Kaplan, our team found Blueprint's practice tests were slightly more representative of the actual AAMC exam, its' testing interface more functionally identical to AAMC's, and their test scoring analytics more detailed and helpful.
Having taken the MCAT, I can say that the Kaplan books are extremely thorough--too thorough. When taking the Kaplan practice exams, be aware that your score will be an underestimate of the score you actually get on the real MCAT.
The rule of thumb is to study for the MCAT for at least 8 weeks: Take the MCAT prereqs first. Students need fewer prereqs than they're led to believe. No need for calculus, statistics, or the second semester of organic chemistry.
If you're looking for a set of books that go into more detail than the ExamKrackers books, then I recommend Kaplan. They generally do a good job of covering everything you need to know without going completely overkill. These are the books that I used to get a 526 on my MCAT, and they're my favorite set all around.
The Kaplan MCAT prep options range in price from about $1,800 on the inexpensive end for their self-paced program, all the way up to around $7,000...
All of Kaplan’s MCAT guided instruction, book work, practice material and resources total up to over 700 hours of prep time. Given that the AAMC re...
Taking the Kaplan MCAT prep course will very likely boost your score. Compared to self-studying, the level of practice material and resources you w...
Let our MCAT experts show you how it’s done. Learn proven strategies that raise your score, and get the perfect blend of structure and guidance. Study just how you like—with a teacher or at your own pace—from livestreamed and in-person classes to intensive bootcamps and study tools. Get ready to face test day with confidence.
From practice tests to Qbank, all our study resources were built by MCAT test prep experts. Not sure what’s the best prep option for you? We made a short quiz that will help you find your perfect fit.
The undergraduate courses that are reflected in the Chem/Physics section of the MCAT include introductory General Chemistry (30%), introductory Physics (25%), introductory Organic Chemistry (15%), and first-semester Biochemistry (25%). Introductory Biology (5%) is also included in this section of the test.
The MCAT exam not only measures your content knowledge in General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, General Biology, Biochemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Sociology—it also tests your critical analysis and reasoning skills. This means that the MCAT requires more than just an understanding of prior content. The MCAT is a test of critical reasoning ...
On MCAT Test Day, you can expect to sit for the exam just over 7.5 hours with test-taking time and optional breaks—including one for lunch. Note that this time does not include your check-in time at the testing center. It is important to be on-time and fully prepared. The AAMC lists the Test Day schedule as follows:
The integrated content on the MCAT is broken down into four test sections that comprise the exam: 1 Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems 2 Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills 3 Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems 4 Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Each of the four sections of the MCAT is scored from 118 to 132, with the mean and median at 125. This means the total score ranges from 472 to 528, with the mean and median at 500. See more on how the MCAT is scored below.
Additional biology classes such as Cell Biology, Genetics, Anatomy and Physiology, or Microbiology can be helpful, but aren’t required. Of the 59 questions on the Bio/Biochem section of the MCAT, 15 are standalone, non-passage-related, discrete questions.
The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc) section on the MCAT covers topics in Psychology and Sociology in the context of the biological sciences. These are the newest subjects tested on the MCAT, introduced because of their increasing importance in medical education.
All in all, Kaplan’s lessons, coursework and practice materials add up to over 700 hours of prep time. At least that’s what they say, and honestly, I ‘ll have to take their word for it because it was more than I could ever get through. And given that the AAMC recommends just 300 to 350 hours of prep time, you should have more than your fill of studying with Kaplan. So if quantity of prep material is one of your MCAT prepconcerns, I’d forget that right now with Kaplan.
For most students this will be plenty of time to accomplish their MCAT prep, but for some, 5 months may be pushing it. The AAMC recommends 300 to 350 hours of study time prior to sitting for the MCAT.
In considering Kaplan’s online coursework (more on the live classes below),the curriculum is broken down into units. There are three units in total, with the first two covering substantive content reviews and the third unit being an all-inclusive review and practice test module. The first two units are each divided up across MCAT topic specific sections, such as biology, organic chemistry and physics. From there, the topics are further broken down into subtopics, such as thermodynamics, bonding and chemical interactions, and the endocrine system. It is within each of these subtopic modules that you get the real material, whichconsists of a mix of interactive video-based lessons, quizzes and book assignments.
This tool allows you to build customized practice problem sets based on question type, timing and number of questions. It contains over 2,900 practice problems and adapts to your skill level, making questions easier or harder depending on your progression. It is a significant value add, as it allows you to zero in on your weaknesses and improve on those topics.
Accompanying each practice problem is a text explanation, breaking down the question and explaining why each answer choice is correct or incorrect. These explanations were one of the areas of the coursework I was not totally satisfied with. While the explanations were effective in communicating why my answer choice was correct or incorrect, the level of detail was just a little subpar. The text was brief and to the point, which is understandable given that Kaplan needs to write 2,900+ of these explanations, but I just expected more. It would have been nice to see some more detailed analysis, even if it went further than the immediate issue.
2,900+ realistic practice problems in Qbank with advanced filtering
The quality of Kaplan’s MCAT practice tests are above average. They are not so exceptional that I would flag them as a course highlight, but they are more than serviceable and do a fairly nice job of mimicking the real MCAT. It is clear that the questions are expertly written and the practice test platform is very realistic with respect to mirroring the real MCAT. The bottom line is that I had no qualms with the quality or quantity of the Kaplan practice tests.
This curriculum utilizes the adaptive Qbank, course materials, access to all the AAMC practice materials, and a range of 525-700 hours of instruction and practice.
The best overall MCAT prep course on our list is The Princeton Review. You have various options for how you will learn (on-demand, live online, in-person) and they have superior learning platforms for ease of studying.
You will have access to all the offerings of the Live Online or In Person Kaplan MCAT prep courses. With 15 hours, you’ll be able to focus on the greatest easy score gains.
Why would you prefer to have fewer details and information when it comes to the MCAT? Well, the easiest answer to that is to keep you from getting overwhelmed with things that may not be tested on the MCAT or that do not need full detailed explanations to do well on the test. For those who have already taken the classes needed before the MCAT, then you will be fine opting for the Kaplan and feel a bit more empowered as you work your way through the material.
The cheapest Kaplan course option is the Online On Demand at $1,799. For those looking for live online, the courses start at $2,499. Kaplan is partnered with Affirm for up to 12 months repayment at 0% APR.
We prefer the Princeton Review for its specific score guarantee courses as well as its course materials and superior learning platform. You can see more areas that Princeton Review stands out in our Kaplan vs Princeton Review guide.
The Kaplan MCAT tests are harder but are graded easier than the AAMC. The questions can be more broad, giving students a better idea of where they need to focus their studying efforts to realize score gains.