Columbia Review Intensive Preparation for the MCAT

This was the first study guide I bought for my MCAT review. After reading through it I thought it was very good. However, after purchasing and reading the Kaplan comprehensive review study guide, I realized that the Columbia Review book is NOT very intensive and does not thoroughly explain some scientific concepts (especially in the biology section). Specific details include the muscular/skeletal system and the nervous system. Bresnick's book is like glossary of terms with simple definitions with inadequate scientific background. Save your money. Buy the Kaplan book.

I received the Columbia Review book as part of an MCAT course I'm taking. The book is out of print, but just in case anyone is thinking about special-ordering it, DON'T!

The book provides a decent overview of MCAT science, but the subject area practice tests that follow each section are full of errors. Some of the questions don't have a single "best" answer, while others don't seem to have any correct answers at all. I'm not talking about typographical errors; I'm talking about poorly written questions that do not reflect the level of difficulty of the real MCAT.

Preparing for the MCAT is hard enough. You don't need review materials that make it even harder. Use the Kaplan Comprehensive Review, and if you want more practice on a particular subject, try the MCAT Biology/Chemistry/Physics series from Nova Press.

I don't understand how this book could get anything but a "1 star" from anyone. The questions are downright wrong! I've only done a few of the passages and found numerous mistakes where the book outright contradicts itself. You don't have to be a genius to find the mistakes, I found them in the verbal section. This book needs to be tossed - do yourself a favor and spend a little more money buying Kaplan/Princeton or basically anything else.