Best Kaplan Test Prep Books 2026
The Kaplan MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review is the best for pre-med students — the most comprehensive MCAT prep set on the market, covering all tested subjects with full-length practice tests and online resources.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
| # | Product | Award | Price | Our Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for MCAT | Check Price | 9.3 | Buy → | |
| 2 | Best Advanced MCAT | Check Price | 8.9 | Buy → | |
| 3 | Best for GRE | Check Price | 8.7 | Buy → | |
| 4 | Best Budget GRE | Check Price | 8.2 | Buy → | |
| 5 | Best for High Schoolers | Check Price | 8.0 | Buy → |
Kaplan Test Prep Books Buying Guide
Kaplan has been preparing students for standardized tests since 1938, and their test prep books remain one of the most relied-upon resources for MCAT, GRE, LSAT, and a range of other high-stakes exams. The key to choosing the right Kaplan book is matching the depth of content to your specific exam, timeline, and learning style.
Comprehensive Sets vs. Single-Volume Guides
For exams like the MCAT, which tests across biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and reasoning, a multi-volume set provides the depth required to address each subject area systematically. For the GRE, a single-volume guide covering quantitative, verbal, and analytical writing is often sufficient, especially for students with strong subject backgrounds. For high school exams like the PSAT, a single focused prep book provides targeted practice for the specific question types tested.
Practice Tests: The Most Underused Resource
Research consistently shows that timed, full-length practice tests under simulated exam conditions predict score improvement more than passive reading. Kaplan books typically include 2–5 full-length practice tests plus additional online resources. Schedule practice tests from day one — not as a final-week sprint, but as regular diagnostic tools throughout your prep timeline.
Our Picks and Why
The Kaplan MCAT Complete 7-Book Set (ID 40398) is the definitive prep resource for pre-med students — seven subject-specific volumes, hundreds of practice questions per book, and access to Kaplan's online MCAT resources. The Kaplan MCAT 528 Advanced Prep (ID 40401) is a single-volume option for students who have already completed subject content review and need advanced practice at the 528+ score level. The Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2023 (ID 44006) is the current-edition GRE prep with 5 full-length practice tests and online resources. The Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2020 (ID 44008) is available at a significant discount and remains substantively accurate for the current GRE format. The Kaplan PSAT/NMSQT Prep (ID 45514) prepares high school students for the PSAT, which is also the qualifying exam for National Merit Scholarship consideration.
What to Avoid
Do not use MCAT prep books from more than 3 years ago — the MCAT was significantly restructured in 2015 and Kaplan updates content regularly to match the current exam blueprint. For GRE, editions from 2018 onward are still current-format applicable, but more recent editions include updated practice questions and online resources. Avoid buying used books with extensive highlighting — it is harder to identify which content to prioritize in your own study.
How We Picked These
We evaluated Kaplan's test prep lineup across content accuracy, practice test quality, online resource integration, and student score improvement data, cross-referencing with pre-med advisor recommendations and student reviews from r/Mcat and r/GRE communities. Products were selected for best exam preparation value at each test type and experience level.
Watch Before You Buy
How We Analyze Products
We analyze Amazon review data — often thousands of reviews per product — to surface patterns that individual buyers miss. Our process aggregates star ratings, review counts, and buyer sentiment at scale, identifying which strengths and weaknesses appear consistently across the largest review samples available.
Each product earned its placement through data: total review volume, average rating, and the specific praise and complaints that repeat most often across buyers. No manufacturer paid for placement on this page. Products appear here because buyers endorsed them at scale, not because a company asked us to feature them.
We use AI to summarize review sentiment — not to fabricate opinions, but to condense what thousands of buyers actually wrote into a readable format. The pros and cons you see reflect the most common themes found in verified purchaser reviews, paraphrased for clarity. We do not claim to have accessed Reddit, YouTube, or specific publications in generating these summaries.
Prices shown reflect Amazon pricing at the time this page was last generated. Click “See Today’s Price” to get the current live price on Amazon. Read our full methodology →