The Berkeley Review

What The Berkeley Review does

The Berkeley Review (TBR) is a privately held test-preparation company that has specialized exclusively in the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) since its founding in 1992, serving pre-medical undergraduate students in the United States. Its core offering is a 10-book review set covering Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) — together containing over 4,000 pages, more than 800 practice passages, and more than 6,600 questions, refined across 18 editions to track each iteration of the MCAT. The company supplements its book base with five computer-based full-length practice exams that produce scaled score predictions, and with live classroom courses offering up to 100+ lecture hours and 200+ office hours, delivered in-person across six California markets (Berkeley, Westwood, Irvine, Davis, Stanford, La Jolla) and online.

The company's pedagogical architecture centers on a three-phase homework system — Phase I (untimed content review), Phase II (timed 8.5-minute passages), and Phase III (integrated multi-subject problem sets) — designed to build test-taking stamina in addition to content mastery. Six specialized instructors with over 100 years of combined MCAT teaching experience deliver the live curriculum. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's own e-commerce storefront (berkeleyreview.com / tbrmcat.com) at price points ranging from $49 for a single practice exam to $375-$395 for the full 10-book set, with a $120 Home-Study Upgrade available to recent book buyers.

The business is bootstrapped and founder-controlled, with no disclosed funding, parent company, or acquisition history. Revenue derives from one-time book purchases, time-bounded practice exam subscriptions (12-20 week access windows), and live/online course enrollments accessed through an application process. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer: there are no enterprise or institutional channels, and physical operations are concentrated in California, while online delivery provides limited national reach. The company's competitive position rests on 30+ years of single-exam content depth and a concentrated instructor base rather than technology differentiation, with no disclosed AI/ML, API, or platform integration footprint.

Name

The Berkeley Review

Legal name

The Berkeley Review

Website

https://berkeleyreview.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Berkeley Review is a privately held MCAT preparation company founded in 1992 that serves US pre-medical students through a 10-book review set, five computer-based practice exams, and live classroom courses delivered in California and online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

MCAT Test Preparation

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Medical Licensure Exam Prep (USMLE/COMLEX, NCLEX, Dentistry, Pharmacy, PA) (EDANAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exam Prep & Standards-Aligned Review Courseware (Within Curriculum) (EDAFACAO), Assessment Item Banks, Question Authoring & Test Development Content (EDAGADAG)

Keywords

• MCAT test preparation
• Pre-medical education
• Review book publishing
• Test prep courses
• Practice exam platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. MCAT Review Books: One-time purchase of physical or digital review books covering Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and CARS. Prices range from $49-$395 depending on subject and set.
2. Practice Exams: Computer-based full-length MCAT practice exams sold individually or in bundles. Access activated for 12-16 weeks from purchase. Prices from $49 (single exam) to $149 (bundle of 3-5 exams).
3. Classroom Courses: Live instructor-led MCAT review courses with lecture hours, office hours, review books, and practice exams included. Enrollment via application process.
4. Home-Study Upgrade: Enrollment in the Home-Study program for students who purchased review books directly from TBR within one calendar year. Credit toward structured program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Berkeley Review sells and delivers MCAT preparation products directly to pre-medical undergraduate students, centered on a 10-book review set covering Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and CARS, five computer-based full-length practice exams with scaled scoring, and instructor-led classroom plus online courses combining up to 100+ lecture hours and 200+ office hours. The company has refined this curriculum across 18 editions since 1992, with content and practice passages developed specifically for the MCAT rather than as a multi-test offering.

Product overview

The Berkeley Review offers a comprehensive MCAT preparation system consisting of 10 review books (Biology Part I & II, General Chemistry Part I & II, Organic Chemistry Part I & II, Physics Part I & II, Psychology, and CARS), five computer-based full-length practice exams, and in-person/online classroom courses. The 10-Book Review Set serves as the core foundational product containing over 800 practice passages and 6,600+ questions, while Practice Exams provide simulated testing environments with scaled score estimates. Courses offer structured classroom instruction with lecture hours, office hours, and access to all materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full 10-Book MCAT Review Set Complete set of 10 TBR MCAT review books (Biology Parts I & II, General Chemistry Parts I & II, Organic Chemistry Parts I & II, Physics Parts I & II, Psychology, CARS), over 4,000 pages with 800+ practice passages, 6,600+ questions, and 40+ sectional diagnostic exams, sold with free shipping on the full set.
• Biology Review Book (Part I & II) Two-part Biology review book covering the Biological and Biochemical Foundations section of the MCAT, with 200+ practice passages and 2,000+ questions.
• General Chemistry Review Book (Part I & II) Two-part General Chemistry review book for the MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations section, with 200+ practice passages and 2,000+ questions.
• Organic Chemistry Review Book (Part I & II) Two-part Organic Chemistry review book covering topics tested in the MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations and Biological and Biochemical Foundations sections.
• Physics Review Book (Part I & II) Two-part Physics review book covering MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems content, with 150+ practice passages.
• Psychology Review Book Review book covering MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior content including cognition, consciousness, emotion, learning, memory, motivation, personality, stress, and addiction.
• Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills (CARS) Review Book Review book for the MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section with 100+ practice passages, 1,000+ questions, three non-diagnostic tests, and nine full diagnostic tests with detailed answer explanations.
• MCAT Practice Exams (single and bundled access) Computer-based full-length MCAT practice exams sold individually or in bundles, designed to mimic the style, difficulty, and topics of the current MCAT with scaled score estimates; access active for 12-20 weeks from activation.
• MCAT Classroom and Online Courses Live instructor-led MCAT preparation courses combining up to 100+ lecture hours and 200+ office hours with access to the 10 review books and practice exams, delivered in-person at California classroom locations (Berkeley, Westwood, Irvine, Davis, Stanford, La Jolla) and online for remote students; enrollment through the application process.
• Home-Study Upgrade Home-Study program upgrade for students who purchased the full TBR review book set directly within one calendar year of original purchase, providing access to the structured Home-Study curriculum for $120.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students who complete the majority of harder problem sets in TBR's homework phases typically score very high on exam day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Examkrackers: Long-running MCAT prep brand selling review books and courses, structured similarly to TBR with subject-specific review manuals and prep courses — a niche rival with a comparable content-led model.
• Blueprint MCAT Prep (formerly Next Step Test Prep): Focused MCAT prep provider offering live-online courses, 1:1 tutoring, and a question bank — most direct head-to-head competitor to TBR for online MCAT preparation among pre-med students.
• UWorld MCAT: MCAT question bank and self-assessment platform widely used by pre-meds — competes directly with TBR's practice exam suite by offering realistic timed passages with score predictions.

Broad incumbents

• Princeton Review: Major national test prep brand with MCAT classroom courses, online prep, and tutoring — overlapping directly with TBR's MCAT course and practice exam offerings across the same pre-med customer segment.
• Kaplan Test Prep: The largest commercial test prep company in the US offering MCAT prep courses, books, and adaptive practice alongside GRE, LSAT, USMLE and other exams — direct competitor to TBR's MCAT line but with a much wider portfolio and national footprint.

Emerging players

• Khan Academy MCAT Prep: Free MCAT preparation videos, passages, and practice questions in partnership with the AAMC — sets the $0 baseline for content review that TBR competes against and pressures TBR's content-pricing economics.
• Med School Tutors: High-end 1:1 medical admissions and tutoring service covering MCAT, applications, and preclinical years — overlaps with TBR's premium classroom/instruction tier for high-scoring applicants.
• Magoosh MCAT: Online-only test prep company with an MCAT review offering (lessons, practice questions, video explanations) at lower price points — overlaps with TBR's self-study / home-study customer.

Regional players

• Prep101: Canadian-based MCAT prep provider with live courses and books — a comparable MCAT-specialist model in a different geography with a structurally similar content-and-classroom approach.

Others

• AAMC Official MCAT Prep: The official publisher of MCAT practice exams and prep materials from the Association of American Medical Colleges — direct competitor for practice exam purchases and content credibility benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-berkeley-review-mcat-prep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Berkeley Review