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UWorld vs Kaplan MCAT
A detailed review and comparison the MCAT prep materials from Kaplan and UWorld after using each program
Kaplan and UWorld are two of the biggest names in the MCAT prep industry, and both get rave reviews from students. But now that I’ve had a chance to use and review the MCAT prep materials from each, I have some thoughts as to which one is more effective. In this article, I break down my analysis of each prep program so you can nail this exam and hopefully get accepted into a top-rated medical school.
To make this post easier to navigate, we have pasted in jump-to links above for your convenience.
Video: Which MCAT Prep Course Is Better?
In the video above, Lara from the Test Prep Insight team compares the MCAT study materials from Kaplan and UWorld. For more detail, be sure to continue reading below.
To be honest, this is kind of a weird and difficult comparison for me to do. Most of the MCAT prep courses I have reviewed and compared are fairly apples-to-apples in terms of features, so I am able to get pretty nitty gritty in terms of directly comparing them and dissecting their various features.
However, the hard part is that Kaplan and UWorld are just so different when it comes to MCAT prep. They’re completely different study products. Let me explain.
Kaplan offers a full-fledged prep course. They give you a day-to-day study plan, live MCAT classes, mock exams, printed prep books, on demand video lessons, office hour sessions, homework assignments, and a higher score guarantee. In short, it’s an ultra-comprehensive MCAT prep program.
Kaplan MCAT video lesson
UWorld, on the other hand though, is essentially a Qbank. There are none of the features that I just described above with Kaplan, other than the question bank (and the ability to make flashcards and custom notes). That’s it though.
Now, UWorld offers an on-demand MCAT prep course as well, but to be honest, it’s pretty bare bones. You’re basically just adding in video lessons, flashcards, and some full-length exams – but this isn’t a structured curriculum with assignments, live classes, an AI tutor, or personal support. It’s just a bigger package of study resources, not a cohesive course.
I see Kaplan as a standalone MCAT prep resource which can get you across the finish line, while I see UWorld more as a study supplement. It’s just not going to give you the instructional material that you need to get a high MCAT score, and you will have to combine it with other MCAT prep resources.
Thus, if you’re debating between Kaplan’s full MCAT course and UWorld’s MCAT Qbank, then Kaplan wins by a mile. In this case, I recommend Kaplan all day, because it’s so much more comprehensive, and offers a level of guidance and support that you just don’t get with UWorld. Kaplan also gives you all kinds of bonus resources, like an AI tutor and a private MCAT community for extra support, plus a CARS Skillsbuilder and live strategy workshops.
However, if you’re considering the Qbanks from each company (because Kaplan does sell a standalone Qbank bundle as well), then it becomes a little bit more reasonable to compare these MCAT study options.
That’s more of an apples-to-apples look at UWorld vs Kaplan, and that’s how I’ll approach this comparison, because if you’re reading this trying to figure out which Qbank product to go with, it is a tougher decision.
The Kaplan study schedule
Therefore, to best structure this post, I will tell you where I think each company wins and has its advantages over the other. Then I’ll give you a quick verdict at the end as to which one I think you should go with after using each. Let’s start with Kaplan.
Includes Full Prep Book Set
The first reason to go with Kaplan is their included book set. Frankly, it’s kind of surprising that Kaplan even includes with this with their Qbank product, as these are the best MCAT books on the market.
You can check out our full review of Kaplan’s MCAT course here if you want to get my more granular thoughts on these books, but just know that they are detailed, insightful, offer actionable testing strategies, and a lot more.
The Kaplan MCAT books
Plus, given that they cost $160 on their own on Amazon, it’s pretty awesome that Kaplan includes them with their Qbank. This is a huge value add and a major advantage over UWorld because you’re getting direct instructional material.
Mock Exams for Test-Like Conditions
My next highlight for Kaplan is that they also include 12 full-length practice tests with their Qbank, while UWorld only gives you two. Working practice problems and reviewing answers is a huge part of prepping; however, so is taking full-length mock exams under test-like conditions.
I’m honestly surprised that UWorld only provides two opportunities for taking a full-length test, as this is the best way to work through test anxiety and fix any pacing issues. Kaplan gives you more practice with an exam that closely resembles the real thing so you’ll be prepared for test day.
Better Value
Another win for Kaplan is cost. At first glance, Kaplan looks like the more expensive option, but they’re actually the better value when you take a closer look at all the different tiers.
The Kaplan MCAT full course options cost anywhere from about $1,600 to about $3,300, depending on whether you choose an on-demand or live online course and your length of access. At this level, you’re getting the full step-by-step curriculum and all the MCAT resources that Kaplan provides.
If you want to bring that price tag down, you can simply buy a subscription to the Kaplan Qbank for about $250, or you can bundle together the Qbank with practice tests, review books, and the mobile app for about $600.
Turning to UWorld, you’ll spend about $290 for the prep books and about $340 for the Qbank. If you want to bundle the review books and Qbank together, that costs about $600. So comparing the two companies’ resource bundles, they’re priced about the same, but Kaplan gives you far more resources for the same price.
We think Kaplan has more realistic practice material
For one, you get 12 full-length practice tests and the 7-book set with Kaplan, something UWorld doesn’t provide at all. Then second, Kaplan is way more aggressive with the deals and special discounts, which can really shave the price down, so make sure to check for discount codes.
More Realistic Problems
Lastly, I think Kaplan has more realistic practice problems. Both companies do a good job, but when you consider the length, content, style, and difficulty of real MCAT problems, Kaplan gets the win.
Then if you’re working through Kaplan’s full on-demand or live online course, you also start each unit with a brief placement quiz. You can essentially test out of topics you’re already strong in and spend more time drilling the areas where you struggle.
Obviously, nothing compares to the AAMC practice bundle, but assuming you’re using that in addition to these products and you’re talking about Kaplan’s in-house crafted problems vs UWorld’s, I prefer Kaplan’s. I just found them to be more realistic and a better match for the real thing.
Now that we’ve discussed Kaplan’s advantages, let’s get to UWorld’s wins. And I have two of them.
Superior Problem Explanations
Simply put, the UWorld problem explanations and rationales are amazing. Every problem in the UWorld Qbank comes with a detailed text explanation, illustration or graphic of the underlying principles being tested, and rationales as to why each answer choice is right or wrong.
This is the crux of the UWorld learning system. They are big believers in learning by doing, and you need to have good explanations and review materials in order to do that. Thus it seems to me that this is where they’ve invested the bulk of their resources.
UWorld problem explanation
These explanations are all clearly articulated, explained in easy-to-understand terms, give you a good amount of detail, and most importantly, I love the visuals that they come with.
These are seriously beautiful illustrations and graphics which I believe visual learners will love. So even though I think Kaplan offers more representative MCAT practice problems, the UWorld explanations are better.
Great Notetaking Features
The other big win for UWorld is their flashcard and notetaking features. UWorld doesn’t give you flashcards or notes directly, but instead provides an integrated tool where you can make your own.
The UWorld MCAT notebook feature
Basically, anytime you come across a graphic or explanation that you like or know you need to remember, you can just click a button and add it directly to your digital notebook or create a flashcard out of it. It’s a really smooth integration, and it’s very easy to use.
It obviously creates more work for you as the user as compared to being handed a flashcard deck or cheat sheets, but that’s also part of the learning process, because you have to think critically about what notes to type in as you add it to your own custom materials.
Beyond that, UWorld throws in an AI tutor for answering questions, performance analytics, and basic progress tracking, and the adaptive study planner saves you time by telling you exactly where you need more review. Overall, these are some nice added features that help you get the most out of your study time.
As noted above, if you’re debating between the full Kaplan MCAT course and UWorld’s Qbank, and you’re here looking for some advice, go with Kaplan. It is such a superior MCAT study product that you can’t even compare the two. However, between the two MCAT Qbanks, it’s a pretty close call, and both have some really unique strengths.
At the end of the day though, I still give the edge to Kaplan. With included prep books, full-length mock exams and more realistic practice problems, even though UWorld might have slightly better explanations, I think Kaplan is the way to go.
I personally found Kaplan to be a more useful MCAT Qbank. While I did like the UWorld problem explanations, I think Kaplan had more realistic problems, and I like that they include full-length tests and prep books.
Does UWorld or Kaplan have more realistic practice MCAT problems?
In my opinion, after using both programs, I think Kaplan has more representative practice problems. I found them to be a better match for the style, length and difficulty of real MCAT passages and questions.
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