AudioLearn : PCAT

 (19 customer reviews)

These disks will help you greatly if you are a person who has a decent understanding of the material, but needs a review of the important stuff. The biology section is particularly helpful, since much of the biology tested is learned through memorization. The chemistry parts are also helpful, but you have to keep in mind that most people will need other references to help with the visual aspects of the subjects.

All you need for the PCAT are these disks and a book that reviews these subjects to use a reference/supplementation. I used Audiolearn and older Kaplan MCAT review books and did pretty well: 99% composite, or a score of 472 when you add up the 5 sections. I listened to these disks whenever I was driving, and only referenced the books for test questions and to look up specific questions that I had. I found that listening to the material was much more efficient than reading the stuff myself, especially since it's not wise to read while driving.

Great content, however, I did not listen to the material for very long because the reader's diction left something to be desired. He slurred the pronunciation of scientific terms. Example: "thi-mine" instead of "thi-a-mine"; pronounced "anti" unlike a scientist, etc. I found myself correcting his pronunciation and missing out entirely on the contents. If you think the folksy pronunciation will not bother you, get this study guide. It's very well written and progresses in a logical manner. The author did a fabulous job of gathering and presenting the information.

I used these tapes to prepare for October's PCAT exam. I probably listened to each section about 5 times. I found the biology review the most helpful, while the general chemistry section was very short. On the other hand, 2 of 6 sides are devoted to organic chemistry, which gets less attention on the exam. The organic chemistry section was not useful until I went back to my text books and did a thorough review. Unless organic chemistry is fresh in your head, the tape will be useless. I wouldn't depend on these tapes alone to prepare for the PCAT, but buy them if you can listen while you do somthing else, like commute, for additional review when you otherwise wouldn't be sitting at your desk studying. I scored great, but I think I probably could have done so without the tapes.