Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT in Physics

This book has a pro and a con associated with it. The pro is that it is a plethra of free standing questions and will definitely prepare you for that aspect of the MCAT without a doubt. The con is actually only a semi con...there are no passages in this book which means you won't get practice in scanning for important facts. This isn't the end of the world, though, because the MCAT physical sciences section is highly conceptual, and this book drills the concepts like there's no tomorrow. For practice with passages, you can go to the AAMC site and download a few of their practice tests.

This book contains many questions in basic physics for the MCAT. All relevant topics are covered; however, I feel that this is not the best book for review. The main objection I have is that the question format is NOT what appears on the MCAT. Most MCAT questions are based on a reading passage and very few of the Examcracker's questions are in that form. Those that are based on a passage are very simple when compared to the real MCAT questions. I scored well on the physics section but it was because I worked through real MCAT practice exams. Do not use this book as your sole source for physics preparation. I've said this dozens of times to friends, "If you purchase a 'comprehensive' review book make sure you also use old college books, old college notes, and work through old MCAT exams."

I used the 1001 physics book and a national prep course to prepare for my MCAT. I scored a 12 on the physical sciences. I found the 1001 physics book to be accurate in the science and a strong pedagogic tool for learning the concepts. There were some (but really very few) typos in the book, and I didn't find them myself, but they were posted on the examkrackers website and appear to be updated regularly. Additionally, Examkrackers provides a bulletin board where Jon Orsay himself actually responds quickly to science questions that relate to the book. Mr. Orsay explains on this site that the 1001 books are designed to teach MCAT science and that passages allow you to answer questions without knowing the science. That's why these questions are not passage based. He actually suggests using a different book if you are already scoring 10s in the science section and he says that you should definitely supplement this book with a review book and full length exams. Anyway, I thought...Read more