Prep101 MCAT Review

Outline: Prep101 MCAT Course Review

• Prep101 MCAT Program: How It Works
• Pricing & Course Options
• What We Like About Prep101
• What We Don’t Like About Prep101
• Verdict: Prep101 MCAT Course Review

As this is a lengthy and detailed review, use the jump-to links above to skip ahead to the section you’d like to read.

Video Review: Is Prep101 MCAT Worth It?

In the above video, team member John provides full coverage of our thoughts on the Prep101 MCAT course, including discussion of program effectiveness, live class structure, pricing, and more. For more detail, simply continue reading below.

Prep101 MCAT Program: How It Works

Let’s kick this review off by breaking down how the Prep101 course is structured and what the classes look like. This will give you a basic idea of the day-in and day-out of this course, and provide some context for my thoughts.

From a high level, the backbone of this prep course is the series of live classes, with some other study tools and components wrapped around it. And here’s what I mean by that.

Before class, you’re given an assignment, which generally consists of reading a chapter from the Examkrackers study guide. However, I am not referring to the old print version of the Examkrackers study guide. Instead, Prep101 now integrates the digital version of the Examkrackers books right into their course.

For some quick background on that, Examkrackers launched a totally new version of their study guides a year or so ago, where they basically digitized all of their texts and layered in hyperlinked video lectures, practice problems, flashcards, illustrations, and more. It’s the same old Examkrackers books, but with a ton of interactive features.

When they did that, Prep101 simply adopted this new version. Rather than reading a chapter from the old print book, you now read a chapter from the KrackU “hyperbook” (that’s what they call them).

In addition, after you read your chapter in the KrackU platform to get primed for class, you also complete 20 to 30 practice problems. Sometimes it’s fewer questions or none at all, and sometimes it’s just a partial chapter to read, but on average, you’re looking at one chapter and about 24 questions.

Then you have the actual class, which is going to be the heart and soul of your learning with Prep101. The live classes take place over Zoom and are led by a team of specialists, so you’ll generally have different instructors depending on the topic.

The classes are 4 hours long, but are broken out into 2 separate segments. The first half of the class is the lecture, where your instructor will deliver the content review portion of the lesson.

These lessons track with the classroom companion workbooks that Prep101 gives you, which are filled with detailed notes. And to be clear, the lecture isn’t just a teacher talking at you for 2 hours – they’re usually sprinkled with tons of practice problems to demonstrate key points being made.

Then the second half of each class is a practice session. These segments of class time are generally used to do an in-class exam (called an ICE).

These are usually given two ways: (1) some you’ll work on own under timed conditions like a real section of the MCAT, with a detailed review of each question afterwards; and (2) for others, your instructor will just walk you through the entire exam slowly, dissecting passages and teaching you hacks and strategies for leveling up you score.

Then after class you’ll jump over to the AAMC Prep Hub to work assigned questions in the AAMC Question Pack or Section Bank that cover the same topics covered in the lesson and ICE. And that’s generally how the live classes and assigned work around them go.

However, there are 4 general components that revolve around this core of classes: optional work; CARS workshops; practice exams; and meetings with your MCAT coach. On the first point of optional work, if you feel so inclined because you have free time, or perhaps want to improve on your weak spots, Prep101 gives you optional assignments for each class.

This comes in 2 forms: (1) short video lessons and (2) extra practice sets. The video lessons are short, on-demand videos that each cover very narrow subtopics. For example, say you’re struggling with the function of the pancreas, and just want a 5-minute, quick-hit video breaking that down.

This is exactly what these videos are for – narrow, deep dives for extra coverage. Then there’s the bonus practice work, which is just like it sounds. This is simply optional practice sets covering material from that class.

The second component wrapped around the main course curriculum is the series of CARS workshops. Due to the uniqueness of the CARS section, Prep101 offers 40 hours of dedicated CARS workshops that are interspersed throughout the length of the course. This is more than any other leading prep course competitor.

Next, you’ve got practice exams. The practice library is unmatched in the industry, featuring 25 full-length exams (sourced from AAMC, Altius, and Examkrackers). You also get access to over 12,000 practice questions, 1,500+ passages, 44 mini-exams, and 11 CARS-specific exams.

Like the CARS workshops, these take place throughout the duration of the course, usually set at intervals based on discussion with your MCAT coach.

And on that point, MCAT coaching is actually the final component wrapped around the class work. With Prep101, you get assigned an MCAT coach who helps guide you through the course.

They’ll help fine tune your study plan and schedule, make sure you’re making progress, and answer any particularly difficult question types that keep tripping you up. This is something you don’t get with most other MCAT courses (not even the ones from Princeton Review) and is a pretty big value add.

So that’s the Prep101 MCAT course in a nutshell. You get a series of live online classes with assigned homework before and after, surrounded by other features and facets, such as MCAT coaching, bonus work, practice exams and workshops.

Pricing & Course Options

Before we dive into my thoughts, let’s quickly cover Prep101’s pricing, as it’s an important topic and will help provide some additional context. Prep101 now offers three distinct course tiers:

• Self-Paced: Best for independent study, featuring 160+ hours of recorded instruction and a personal MCAT coach. You can choose from 4, 8 or 12 month access options, and pricing starts at about $1,500. **Note: this Self-Paced course will go live at end of March 2026.
• Live Online: Their most popular option at around $2,900, featuring 154 hours of live sessions with morning, afternoon, and evening slots (plus all the features of the self-paced course)
• 515+ Advanced: Designed for elite scores, this tier includes a 515-score guarantee, 1-on-1 tutoring boosters, deep dive workshops, and medical school application support (plus all the features of the Live + Self-Paced course). This is their premium tier and costs around $4,000.

The two new course additions are worth a quick note. The Self-Paced course stands out because it pairs every student with a personal MCAT coach, which solves the isolation problem that plagues most self-study programs. The 515+ course is notable to our team for two reasons: the score guarantee has minimal conditions compared to competitors, and post-MCAT support like application guidance and interview prep is included rather than sold separately.

Putting this in perspective, the Live Online course is about $300 to $400 cheaper than similar courses from Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Blueprint. Prep101 isn’t significantly cheaper, but you’re generally getting more for the money. However, it is worth noting that Prep101 does sometimes run special sales and promotions, so be sure to check for coupon codes before buying.

Finally, for the Live and 515+ courses, Prep101 offers an unlimited free repeat policy, something we haven’t seen other major MCAT prep providers offer.

What We Like About The Prep101 MCAT Course

Now that we’ve covered pricing, as well as what the Prep101 lessons and program are all about, let’s get into what I like and what I don’t like about Prep101 after using this course. And let’s start with the things I really like.

Thorough Content Coverage

I absolutely love the thoroughness of this course. Prep101 hits you with everything: live classes, on-demand supplemental video lessons, assigned readings, practice sets, practice exams, MCAT coaching, and a bunch more. Instead of one generalist, you are taught by a team of five specialist instructors, one for each MCAT subject.

Honestly, when I was first saw the roster of study materials, I was shocked by the level of depth. This course is definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you’re committed to getting a top-tier MCAT score, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive package.

You also get access to 600+ MedReels – these are short-form video lessons covering high-yield topics – which are a nice complement to the longer instruction modules.

Rock Solid Written Materials

When you sign up with Prep101, they’re going to ship you out a giant box of lesson companion books, including annotated notes.

These class companions and annotated notes make following the lectures incredibly easy and the material digestible. I loved them. 

Integration of KrackU

Another pro has to be the free inclusion of the new KrackU platform. Access to KrackU usually costs around $500 on its own anyway, so the fact that you get it for free with Prep101 is a big deal. But it’s not just value, we also really like it.

Leveling up from old printed textbooks to these digital books with hyperlinks to illustrations, videos and sample problems is a massive value add. Moreover, the way Prep101 has tweaked their curriculum and integrated these books right into the course is super smart. This, in my opinion, has been a very solid upgrade.

Live Class Format & Structure

The structure of the live classes is superb. I love this classic framework of assigned reading and practice questions, followed by live classes with lecture and guided practice work, then assigned homework post-class.

It’s a classic and effective teaching method, just like you’re used to from college. And when you spread the work segments over multiple days like they suggest, it definitely juices up your retention.

Excellent Instructors

On the whole, the Prep101 instructors are fantastic. They know their stuff inside and out from a substantive perspective, and they’re great communicators to boot.

I found them to be down to earth, realistic about expectations, and willing to go with the flow of the class to make sure everyone understands. Bottom line, I was a big fan of their core group of instructors.

What We Don’t Like About Prep101

Now that we’ve covered my pros, let’s flip sides and talk about the things I wasn’t crazy about with Prep 101.

Intense Workload

While I like the thoroughness of this course (as discussed above), it can be a bit intense. You have three class sessions per week on average, and if you follow their recommendation of spreading out pre-class work, actual class, and post-class homework across three separate days, the middle of the week can become kind of crazy. 

The sheer volume of resources – including 25 full-length practice exams and over 12,000 questions – can feel overwhelming for some students. However, this ensures that students never run out of fresh material to target their specific weaknesses. It’s just the reality of a serious MCAT course.

To Prep101’s credit, they’ve put real effort into managing this in recent years and streamlining, and in our experience, most students report the workload feels about right.

That said, one sort of mitigating factor here is that Prep101 utilizes a flexible live class format. Meaning they offer several versions of the same class each day (morning, afternoon, and evening). Thus, you can attend whichever class makes the most sense for your daily schedule.

While this doesn’t affect the overall workload, being able to control the timing of your day does make your day-to-day studying more manageable.

Multiple Platforms To Manage

There’s also a bit of a learning curve when it comes to navigating materials across multiple platforms. With resources spread across AAMC, Altius, Examkrackers, and Prep101’s own portal, it can feel a little scattered at first.

It took me a bit to get my rhythm, so just know there’s a short getting-your-bearings period early on.

Verdict: Prep101 MCAT Course Review

Should you use Prep101 for your MCAT prep? After a deep dive into the updated 2026 program, we believe Prep101 is an exceptionally strong option that stands out for its sheer volume of instruction and unique coaching features. Between the immersive live classes, detailed written materials, and the integration of KrackU hyperbooks, there is a lot to like.

What really sets them apart this year is their team of five subject specialists and a massive 40-hour focus on CARS. While the Live Online course remains their most popular path, the Self-Paced and 515+ course options ensure there is a version for every student’s budget and goal.

While we have minor gripes about the logistical hurdle of navigating multiple practice platforms and the intensity of the workload, Prep101 remains one of the most effective and reliable choices on the market.

Our team gives them high marks, placing them alongside giants like Kaplan and Princeton Review, and for students who want a structured, specialist-led path to a 515+ score, we highly recommend Prep101.

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