The Examkrackers MCAT course is an interesting alternative to many of the more popular products on the market.
This review goes over what it has to offer so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Table of Contents
About Examkrackers MCAT Course
Examkrackers is a lesser-known prep company than Kaplan or Princeton Review. However, the Examkrackers MCAT course is becoming more and more popular amongst prospective medical students with each passing year.
Starting as an in-person prep class back in the late 1990s, Examkrackers quickly evolved into a nationwide product. Over the last 20-plus years, the MCAT course has helped thousands of students prepare for the most challenging exam of their lives.
Compared to some of its competitors, Examkrackers certainly stands out. Many view it as the more relaxed version of stricter programs. While the content itself is serious, Examkrackers wants to take a more enjoyable approach to MCAT prep.
Instructors are quirky and enthusiastic, which can add a unique layer to your preparation efforts. Whether or not you enjoy the distinct style of Examkrackers is up to personal preference. However, the use of humor and fun can do wonders to offset boredom and burnout.
No matter your study style, Examkrackers has a lot to offer. Hours of content and flexible plan option ensures that there’s an option for every student.
Pricing
There are a few different ways to utilize Examkrackers as you prepare for the MCAT. Like most prep course providers, Examkrackers offers a variety of packages. We’ve broken this section up into two parts where we review the pricing of each.
OnDemand
The first and most popular is the MCAT OnDemand plan. It’s a 12-week course that’s entirely self-paced. Great for those who prefer to take study matters into their own hands, this package provides all the tools you need to succeed.
One unique thing about Examkrackers is that you get to speak with a coach. The MCAT coach is different from a tutor. They’re not going to hold your hand or explain the concepts you need to know.
Instead, the coach ensures that you’re following the program. Think of the coach as an accountability partner. You start the review with a meeting to discuss goals and plans.
From there, the coach can create a routine that works for your needs. While self-paced, the Examkracker coach will formulate the perfect schedule to make the most out of your time with the course. They’ll continue to check your progress throughout as well.
This plan comes with six comprehensive study books. More than just simple textbooks, the print material is topic-oriented and features several practice problems to work through. We’ll dive a bit deeper into these books a little later.
In addition to the books, this plan comes with access to Examkrackers online content. You can view 34 different recorded lessons. They’re led by an instructor and last about 50 minutes each.
Finally, it includes five full-length practice exams. They simulate the real test-taking experience. Plus, results come with review material to help you identify knowledge gaps you need to cover.
Live Online Class
The second package option from Examkrackers is the MCAT Live Online class. As you can guess from its name, it’s an instructor-led course. Examkrackers offers a rolling schedule at specific times during the year. Generally, the online course lasts about eight weeks and covers all the core material you’ll need to know.
This plan is best for those who want live interaction with an instructor and a more traditional classroom setting. It’s modeled off of Examkrackers in-person courses, which the company has fine-tuned in the decades since its inception.
Signing up for this class gives you access to 138 live and recorded hours of instruction. There are 44 lessons in total, which include mini-MCAT exams and tons of practice questions.
The MCAT Live Online course also comes with the printed material, practice exams, and guidance from an Examkrackers coach. That’s all on top of the scheduled live classes online.
This plan is a bit pricer than the OnDemand one, setting you back $1,895.00.
Extras
The OnDemand and Live Online packages are the two main offerings from Examkrackers. However, you can pay for additional services.
Examkrackers sells its printed MCAT prep books individually. You can also purchase full-length practice exams and one-on-one tutoring. The tutoring is more in-depth than the included coaching you get with the core plans.
The two-hour sessions are available in increments up to 20, which costs up to $3,900.
Curriculum & Coursework
As a whole, the curriculum at Examkrackers is respectable. As mentioned earlier, Examkrackers likes to infuse some fun to break up the monotony of MCAT preparation. It’s a nice touch that can make a considerable difference for those spending hours every day trying to make the most out of their study tools.
You see the quirkiness most when interacting with the instructors. They like to make jokes and are clearly very enthusiastic about the material.
The quality of the curriculum is best on the live videos and instructor-led courses. Not only do you get that touch of fun, but the material uses a lot of visuals. There are many graphs, illustrations, and other forms of multimedia to accompany the information at hand.
That alone can do a lot to explain complex concepts clearly.
Whether you do the OnDemand or Live Online course, you get access to several mini-MCAT exams. They are focused practice tests that last about 30 minutes each. Within each one, you can tackle specific topics and address any weak points in your studies.
It’s an excellent supplement to the full-length tests and 800-plus practice questions you’ll encounter.
The last piece of the puzzle is the books. The printed material covers all the main topics you need to know. The plans come with six books. They usually include:
- Biology 1: Molecules
- Biology 2: Systems
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Psychology & Sociology
- Reasoning Skills: Verbal, Research & Math
Overall, the books are helpful and complement the online material nicely. However, some students may find them a bit drab and too traditional for long-term studying. It’s a stark contrast to the style of live and recorded classes.
Practice Tests
The best way to truly prepare for the MCAT is to take practice exams. The MCAT is a multi-section test that takes several hours to complete. Time and stress management are essential, and practice exams give you a much better idea of what to expect.
Examkrackers MCAT courses come with several full-length practice exams to get through. The OnDemand course comes with five exams.
They’re alright as far as quality goes. After completing the exams, you can view review material to spot potential weak areas and get some explanations about questions you got wrong. However, don’t expect much beyond the basics with the exam courses.
Now, the Live Online class from Examkrackers includes a lot more practice exams. Examkrackers recently added 15 AAMC MCAT practice tests. That brings the grand total for this package to 20 exams!
That’s more than most competitors, matching Gold Standard’s practice exams.
On top of that, the Live Online class comes with new AAMC question packs and one more section bank. In total, these extras come with 720 passage-based questions and standalone problems.
Examkrackers used to fall a bit behind with practice exams. While there’s certainly still plenty of room for improvement, the recent changes to the Live Online class make this course a lot more enticing.
How The Content Is Delivered
When you sign up for one of the online Examkracker MCAT courses, you get to access the online platform. That’s where you will consume most of the content. The only physical materials you get are the books we discussed earlier.
Unfortunately, Examkrackers online platform is a bit lacking. Competitors like Kaplan or Princeton Review have streamlined online systems that are sleek and easy to navigate.
Examkrackers is a bit outdated, but it’s still relatively easy to navigate. The main menu is on the side of the screen and is straightforward enough for anyone to use.
On this menu, you’ll find links to the main dashboard, practice exams, and more. Click through the various submenus, and you should be able to find everything you need.
Despite its simplicity, the content delivery platform lacks any bells and whistles. There are no analytics tools to gauge your progress and identify knowledge gaps. You won’t find much interactive content or intuitive metrics data either.
One of the best parts about the Examkrackers platform is the forum. The forum is a great way to exchange notes and communicate with others.
More importantly, it lets you get in contact with an MCAT instructor. You’re free to ask questions about pretty much anything MCAT-related. Instructors will respond promptly to provide guidance.
The forum is free to use. While it won’t provide the same level of guidance as one-on-one tutoring, it can be helpful when you come across issues during your studies.
Pros
The Examkrackers MCAT course can be beneficial to those who prefer its unique style of content. One of the course’s most vital elements is its purposeful fight against burnout.
Preparing for the MCAT is not an easy task. Students spend months trying to cram as much information into their heads as possible. On top of all that, most are trying to also complete applications and finish up their undergraduate studies. Getting overwhelmed and burnt out is not uncommon.
Examkrackers’ use of fun makes the process more bearable in the long run. If you respond to that kind of thing, it can be a much more pleasant course to get through than some of the competitors.
We also appreciate the digestible nature of the content. Whether you’re looking at recorded classes or sitting through a live one, the information is presented in a way that’s easy to understand. Thanks to graphs and illustrations, you might find that the material is far more accessible than just reading out of a textbook.
Another big perk of Examkrackers is the access to instructors and coaches. As we mentioned earlier, the two prep packages include direct communication with a personable MCAT coach. The coaches help develop a routine and make sure that you’re staying on track.
Self-paced courses are excellent and might be the only way some students can prepare for the MCAT. But having that extra line of support is paramount. Coaches keep you accountable, ensuring that you make the most out of your time in the course.
Cons
Examkrackers isn’t perfect by any means. You have to consider some glaring drawbacks if you’re thinking about using these courses to prepare for the MCAT.
First and foremost, let’s talk about the quality of the content. It’s serviceable if you already have a good grasp of the concepts you need to know. But if you have considerable knowledge gaps, you might have to look elsewhere to close them.
Examkrackers offers some explanations and content reviews. However, it’s not as in-depth as what other courses provide. You may find yourself still confused about specific topics even after reading Examkrackers explanations.
You can turn to the forum, but the level of content review instructors can provide is limited. For more in-depth help, you’d have to shell out the cash to pay for one-on-one tutoring. That brings us to the next point.
Examkrackers is pretty pricey. It’s not as expensive as the heavy-hitters like Kaplan or Princeton Review. But, many would argue that the costs for those programs are well worth it considering what you get. For Examkrackers, the value is a little more questionable.
It’s more expensive than some of the budget-conscious alternatives like Magoosh and Gold Standard. As a result, it falls into a unique middle ground that teeters between costly and affordable.
Our final issue with Examkrackers is the platform. The online platform is the part of the program that many will find a hard time justifying the price.
It’s simply not up to par with the competitors. The platform is outdated and lacks all of the in-depth analytics that some other programs have. There’s no way to gauge your progress or identify areas of study that need work.
That alone is enough to turn many students to other programs.
Our Opinion
Examkrackers is a reasonably comprehensive program with a lot to offer. Despite its shortcoming and lackluster online platform, it’s still a suitable option for many.
Those who prefer a more relaxed and enjoyable approach to MCAT prep might find Examkrackers to be the hidden gem they’re looking for! It’s a solid resource that can make getting a good MCAT score a bit easier.
That said, Examkrackers is no replacement for a hands-on study plan that’s personalized to your unique needs. Sure, these programs come with guidance from a coach. However, their ability to fine-tune courses is limited.
Most students will see great success using Examkrackers as a supplement to other study plans. But for the best results, you may fare better with personalized tutoring.
