MCAT Test Prep Review

Kaplan

Kaplan brings decades of experience to its MCAT prep courses, and offers a number of options to fit in with student's busy schedules. The well-designed Live Online, In Person, and On Demand courses are led by expert instructors who scored at least 520 on the medical school entrance exam. They are also skilled at teaching the material clearly and effectively, covering test strategies as well as exam subjects.

The courses are boosted by a range of study aids that come with all the different formats. They include 18 practice tests, and a question bank with more than 3,000 sortable questions accompanied by thorough answer explanations. There's also a seven-book subject review collection, explainer and refresher videos for questions and topics that appear frequently on the MCAT, and quizzes.

The Live Online course features 14 scheduled classes that are three hours each. However, students can use flexible scheduling if they want to give themselves more freedom to vary the schedule, or sometimes need to make a class change. The In Person course is also made up of 14 3-hour classes, but it doesn't have the flexible scheduling option.

Students who opt for the On Demand course get anytime access to pre-recorded lessons led by instructors. There is a structured study plan, and teachers are available to help answer any questions. As the only course without a live teacher, this one is the least expensive.

The 515+ course offers a money-back guarantee that people who take it will earn a 515 MCAT score or higher, or will increase their score at least 15 points from a baseline test. It includes 84 hours of online instruction, an accountability coach for individual guidance and support, instruction from two expert teachers, and the ability to use online resources for nine months. Students can also sign up for a five-week Online Bootcamp that has daily work totaling more than 1,000 hours and also provides private tutoring.

Good for anyone interested in in-person instruction or Online Bootcamp, or who trust the Kaplan name.

Princeton Review

Princeton Review provides a range of MCAT prep courses at different price points, with LiveOnline and Self-Paced options, with classes taught by multiple subject matter experts. The instructors thoroughly cover all the relevant material in an understandable, engaging manner, and a substantial number of study aids contribute to the courses' effectiveness.

Three LiveOnline courses are offered, two of which, 515+ and 515+ Immersion, have a money-back guarantee if students don't earn a 515 score or higher on the MCAT, or increase their score at least 15 points from their baseline starting number. The Ultimate Course has a satisfaction guarantee that allows repeating it for free if not satisfied. The 515+ and Ultimate course have 123 hours of instruction, plus unlimited Q&A with teachers, while the 515+ Immersion has 195 instruction hours and unlimited tutoring on demand at any time.

The Self-Paced course includes more than 90 hours of live or on-demand instruction, with unlimited Q&A sessions, and both money back and satisfaction guarantees. Students have access to 4,900 practice questions, as they also do with both 515+ courses. The only in-person course is an eight-week summer immersion that takes place in one location, with 265+ hours of instruction and one-on-one tutoring.

A number of things are part of all the courses, including 18 practice tests, either 8 or 9 MCAT books, and more than 500 hours of additional brief video lessons.

More affordable Practice Packs are available that don't have any instruction, but include practice tests, a question bank that has more than 4,700 questions with detailed explanations, and custom flashcards. There are also options that have practice tests without the QBank, and vice versa.

Good for anyone who appreciates the wide range of options being offered, and the 515+ and satisfaction guarantees.

Magoosh

Magoosh's MCAT prep program is an attractive option for more budget-conscious students, offering effective prep courses at a significantly lower price than some of its competitors, topping out at $399. While that buys less than some of the other prep courses, with no live instruction or MCAT books, for instance, it still provides a lot of what customer reviews say is user-friendly, high-quality material to prepare for the medical school entrance exam. People who do well with video instruction and are effective self-motivators are good candidates.

There's a seven-day free trial for those who want to test Magoosh's prep, and two other purchase options, 1 Month Premium with one month of access and 12 Month Premium with access for a year, with just a $20 price difference between them and a seven-day money back guarantee. They have four study schedule plans of one, two, three, and six months, ranging from 30 to 40 study hours a week for the one-month schedule to 12 to 24 hours weekly for the six month.

Each includes more than 380 on-demand instructional content review videos from a team of experts that focus on topics that are most likely to appear on the MCAT. There are also more than 740 practice questions with thorough explanations available, as well a three full practice tests, and unlimited help from tutors via email. The online materials are available at any time or day or night.

The courses come with a 10-point MCAT score increase guarantee for those who've taken the exam before signing up with Magoosh, with a full refund for those who don't boost their score by at least 10 points. Those who've never taken the exam aren't covered by the guarantee.

Good for those who are looking for a more affordable DAT course, and can effectively self-direct and -motivate.

Blueprint

Blueprint MCAT prep courses offer the option of Self-Paced or Live Online instruction, including a 515+ course, and performance guarantees. The live courses have two instructors conducting the sessions who had MCAT scores of at least 517, who are adept at teaching the material effectively as well. They also have the benefit of the entire Self-Paced course, with all of its resources available to them as well. All three types of courses have access to 160 topic modules with their own engaging videos and quizzes that help effectively organize the content as well as test strategies.

In addition to the module and its videos, the Self-Paced Course includes a QBank with more than 5,000 questions, 15 practice exams, 1,600 flashcards on content most likely to show up on the test, six MCAT books, and live Q&A review sessions. This on-demand, flexible option is offered for three, six, or 12 months.

The Live Online course includes 40 hours of live instruction, as well as consultation with a personal coach in six- or 12-month options. Students in the 515+ course get 80 hours of live instructions and workshops, plus 33 videos for the most difficult topics, and personal coach consultation, also for six or 12 months.

If people taking the 515+ course don't score over 515 if they had an initial 500 diagnostic score or higher, or 15 points over their diagnostic number if it was below 500, they get a full refund or a six-month course extension. The Self-Paced and Live Online courses guarantee all the money back or a six-month extension if the student doesn't increase their score at all.

For those who only want to be able to study with a question bank and practice tests, a less expensive plan is available monthly or six months. Students can take six practice tests, and use the QBank and its 5,000+ questions. This includes evaluations of what areas they need to focus on and tracks improvement.

Good for those who like having two knowledgeable instructors teach Live Online classes, or like the ability to just buy access to practice test and the QBank.

Prep 101

Prep 101 students choose from Self-Paced, Live Online, or 515+ courses, which are supplemented with a wealth of study resources that are so comprehensive they can seem daunting. The courses are taught by subject specialists who are also skilled communicators, and instruction focuses not only on content, but on test strategies and skills, and preparation for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section.

All the courses have Core resources that are available to every student. These include seven interactive hyperbooks from Examkrackers, a generous 25 full-length practice exams, more than 12,000 practice questions, 1,500 practice passages, 610 Medreels short videos, 44 mini exams, and 11 CARS exams. In addition to all that, the Self-Paced course has 160 hours or video instruction, and students get their own coach. It's available for four, eight, or 12 months.

The Live Online course includes 154 hours of live instruction. Reflecting the emphasis on test-taking tactics and traps, half of the course is subject content instructions, and half is guided practice for the MCAT with tools like practice passages. Students also have access to the Self-Paced materials, and can email instructors. If desired, the course can also be repeated for free.

The 515+ option provides access to everything from the Live Online course, plus one-on-one coaching weekly to help focus on areas that need improvement, 10 tutoring boosters, and 12 intensive workshops. There's also a refund guarantee for students if their MCAT score isn't 515 or higher if they had a 500 or higher baseline, or 15 points more than their baseline if they scored under 500 initially.

Good for those who like the 50/50 approach to studying content and test strategies, and appreciate all the study resources.