DAT 20 and up club-Study tips for us rookies?

[mcataz]

Hi everyone,

I know most people in here have successfull averaged 20+ on the academic and PAT section of the DAT. Could you answer the following.

1. What were your DAT scores?

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

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[dizzle23x]

wow i thought i did well with my scores before reading this post...

 

[burton117]

Anybody reccommend sudying MCAT material as well in addition to DAT material? (except for Physics stuff, obviously)

One of the pre-dental students here implied that the MCAT review material goes into more detail than the DAT review material, so that's why he scored a 20AA.

Any suggestions?

 

[samwY]

is there a big book of PAT questions/puzzles? like Sadoku?

I'd like to do PAT questions while I'm bored, but I don't want to lug around my big blue Kaplan book.

 

[fancymylotus]

is there a big book of PAT questions/puzzles? like Sadoku?

I'd like to do PAT questions while I'm bored, but I don't want to lug around my big blue Kaplan book.

i cant help you w/the PAT stuff,but sudoku is SO frickin addictive. check out www.websudoku.com.

 

[geckel]

Hi everyone,

I know most people in here have successfull averaged 20+ on the academic and PAT section of the DAT. Could you answer the following.

1. What were your DAT scores?

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

Just so you know.....this was my second time taking the test. The first time I took the DAT I thought that studying would be a waste of my time because I have always performed unusually well on standardized tests. I was wrong (17AA,16TS, 17PA).

Round two was a lot better.....
1. 21AA, 21TS, 21Gchem, 20Bio, 24Ochem, 21RC, 17QR, 23PA
2. Kaplan online, Topscore, Schuam's books(Organic chemistry, General chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, and Cellular biology), Undergrad text books, and a whole bunch of undergrad college websites.
3. Started 3 months prior to test date.......length of Kaplan course.
4. I studied lightly the first two months(2-4) hours a day. The last month I studied probably 6-7 hours a day.
5. I never did anything that I considered a waste of time........but I do wish that I had practiced QR daily so that I would have been faster on the test.
6. I was very rusty starting out because it had been a year since my organic classes, 2 years since my biology and general chemistry classes, and 3 years since my math classes. Let me add to this......when I was an undergrad I just studied to remember info for the exams. I have grown academically since then and knew that the only way I would perform well on the DAT was to understand the concepts completely. If you truely understand them then you won't easily forget.......I still know this stuff and it has been 4 months since the DAT. You should strive for this kind of knowledge.
7. I firmly believe that if you want something bad enough and you have the discipline then anything is possible. Except for maybe PA.......the first time I took the DAT I got a 17 on PA because I didn't know what they wanted me to do (on the top-front-side part didn't know what the dotted line represented and wasted to much time on the section...so...I had to fill in random answers for the remaining parts). I only lightly prepared for the PA the second time I took the DAT.
After reviewing the kaplan and topscore I didn't practice PA very much......I made and printed out tiny angles in different combos to get in the zone about an hour before the real DAT.

I know what it is like to freak out over this test. Just study as hard as you can and if anyone wants specific advice then feel free to pm me. Good luck!

 

[INFNITE]

Hi everyone,

I know most people in here have successfull averaged 20+ on the academic and PAT section of the DAT. Could you answer the following.

1. What were your DAT scores?

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

1. AA 22, PAT 22, TS 24, Bio 23, GChem 23, Orgo 25, QR 22, RC 19
2. College Textbooks, a Cliffs notes prep book for AP Bio (it's a good bio summary book and helped me a ton), Kaplan's DAT book, Topscore. I also borrowed the Barrons DAT book from the library, but it wasn't that good of a book. I used Kaplans book ALOT to study for orgo. I also used the official DAT booklet from ADEA.
3. Early June, one week after summer break started.
4. Looked through the textbooks, review books, pretty much relearning most of the stuff (i have forgotten a ton of stuff already before I started reviewing). Took a ton of practice exams during the final month, and made sure I master the material that I have trouble with. I probably spent 6 hours per day studying and upped it to 9 hours during the final two~three weeks. Three months total, and took the exam around August 16th?
5. Waste of time....just reading the textbook chapters. I would focus on the review books first and then read up on the chapters when you need more clarification. DAT's materials normally aren't that detailed anyway. I did learn alot from going through the textbooks though, but I felt it was a waste of time. I wish I would've practiced more on reading comprehension.
6. I forgot most of the stuff. Some stuff like biochem related stuff I remember because I took biochem just the semester before, and it goes alot more in depth than general bio. I also just took orgo, so I remember a good amount of it.
7. Yes, you can. If you really focus and learn the stuff, i don't see why you can't do well. It's not like math or engineering where you have to actually use your creative thinking to come up with solutions. If you practice enough on the DAT, you'll be pretty good at it. Even the math section, which asks similar types of questions all the time. PAT section also, practice practice practice. If you practice, you will know the strategy to use when you take the actual test.

 

[burton117]

INFNITE and Geckel...

Good posts... very helpful.

 

[geckel]

INFNITE and Geckel...

Good posts... very helpful.

You are quite welcome burton117. Hey infnite, your scores kick ass......what did your percentile rank say you were for AA?

 

[INFNITE]

thanks, your scores aren't too bad either
I don't remember the specific percentile ranks, but I remember it was above 95%

 

[mochafreak]

Anybody reccommend sudying MCAT material as well in addition to DAT material? (except for Physics stuff, obviously)

One of the pre-dental students here implied that the MCAT review material goes into more detail than the DAT review material, so that's why he scored a 20AA.

Any suggestions?

I'm not going to use the format, because I'm too lazy...and I want to answer burton's question since I think if I studied smarter I would have done a bit better (no complaints though ).

I got a 21AA/23TS/20PAT (23 Bio, 23 GC, 22 OChem, 20 Verbal, 18 Math)

I used the Kaplan online course materials (from eBay), Barron's (for math and PAT), Schaum's Bio, Columbia's High Yield Bio, two different GRE math review books, Top Score, DAT Achiever, Examkrackers, and KSF.

If you want to get a really good score in bio I feel you need to supplement the Kaplan book. I liked Examkrackers bio the most. But, then I used Schaum's for ecology, plants, etc. which aren't covered in Examkrackers. The week or two before the test I used Columbia High Yield which is in outline form and a great refresher for quick studying. I feel that Examkrackers 1001 questions in bio was mostly a waste of time since it is predominantly passage based.

For general chemistry know everything in Kaplan and you will be fine. Examkrackers Chemistry and 1001 questions in chemistry both go into FAR too much detail. IMO using them will be a waste of time better spent elsewhere.

For Ochem know everything in Kaplan. If you're not real strong on the concepts of Ochem (sub and elimination rxns) then Klein's "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" is a great book. I thought that Examkrackers Ochem and 1001 questions books were both quite helpful and not a waste of time for that section.

For math: If you're not good at standardized math tests start studying for the math immediately. I hate math on standardized tests and so I put it off. I'm also a former engineer and I've heard of a couple other engineers who didn't study for it and paid. So, don't blow it off, schools might not look at the math specifically, but they do look at the AA and it'll drag down your AA. I didn't think that Kaplan was sufficient for the math, so at the last minute, I used two GRE books.

Verbal: I you're bad at verbal then Examkrackers verbal is very good since the verbal section on the MCAT is a beast. I didn't really study for the verbal and kinda paid for it a bit.

PAT: For PAT I would start with the explanation/tips section of Barron's, then use Kaplan's, then do the test sections of Barron's. DAT Achiever is very good for everything, but especially for PAT. But, don't waste a pat from dat achiever until you're ready for it...

As far as the digital materials go: I bought KSF right after they came out and at that time they were not worth the time or money. Top Score is the most like the real dat and should be saved for diagnostic purposes IMO. Dat Achiever is awesome, just don't let your scores get you down. Make sure you give yourself time to review the digital tests really well. If you want to do your best go over every question, even the ones you got right.

If I could do the whole thing over again (ugghh) I wouldn't use Examkrackers 1001 questions in bio or general chem, I wouldn't use EK general chem, I'd start studying for the math right away, and I'd give myself time to review the practice tests (it took longer than I thought).

I used a lot of materials and spent a lot of time and money preparing. How long you have to study is an individual thing, I wouldn't be paying a lot of attention to that stat in this thread. Take the test when your ready...it'll pay off.

Good luck guys...keep your eyes on the prize

 

[burton117]

I'm not going to use the format, because I'm too lazy...and I want to answer burton's question since I think if I studied smarter I would have done a bit better (no complaints though ).

I got a 21AA/23TS/20PAT (23 Bio, 23 GC, 22 OChem, 20 Verbal, 18 Math)

I used the Kaplan online course materials (from eBay), Barron's (for math and PAT), Schaum's Bio, Columbia's High Yield Bio, two different GRE math review books, Top Score, DAT Achiever, Examkrackers, and KSF.

If you want to get a really good score in bio I feel you need to supplement the Kaplan book. I liked Examkrackers bio the most. But, then I used Schaum's for ecology, plants, etc. which aren't covered in Examkrackers. The week or two before the test I used Columbia High Yield which is in outline form and a great refresher for quick studying. I feel that Examkrackers 1001 questions in bio was mostly a waste of time since it is predominantly passage based.

For general chemistry know everything in Kaplan and you will be fine. Examkrackers Chemistry and 1001 questions in chemistry both go into FAR too much detail. IMO using them will be a waste of time better spent elsewhere.

For Ochem know everything in Kaplan. If you're not real strong on the concepts of Ochem (sub and elimination rxns) then Klein's "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" is a great book. I thought that Examkrackers Ochem and 1001 questions books were both quite helpful and not a waste of time for that section.

For math: If you're not good at standardized math tests start studying for the math immediately. I hate math on standardized tests and so I put it off. I'm also a former engineer and I've heard of a couple other engineers who didn't study for it and paid. So, don't blow it off, schools might not look at the math specifically, but they do look at the AA and it'll drag down your AA. I didn't think that Kaplan was sufficient for the math, so at the last minute, I used two GRE books.

Verbal: I you're bad at verbal then Examkrackers verbal is very good since the verbal section on the MCAT is a beast. I didn't really study for the verbal and kinda paid for it a bit.

PAT: For PAT I would start with the explanation/tips section of Barron's, then use Kaplan's, then do the test sections of Barron's. DAT Achiever is very good for everything, but especially for PAT. But, don't waste a pat from dat achiever until you're ready for it...

As far as the digital materials go: I bought KSF right after they came out and at that time they were not worth the time or money. Top Score is the most like the real dat and should be saved for diagnostic purposes IMO. Dat Achiever is awesome, just don't let your scores get you down. Make sure you give yourself time to review the digital tests really well. If you want to do your best go over every question, even the ones you got right.

If I could do the whole thing over again (ugghh) I wouldn't use Examkrackers 1001 questions in bio or general chem, I wouldn't use EK general chem, I'd start studying for the math right away, and I'd give myself time to review the practice tests (it took longer than I thought).

I used a lot of materials and spent a lot of time and money preparing. How long you have to study is an individual thing, I wouldn't be paying a lot of attention to that stat in this thread. Take the test when your ready...it'll pay off.

Good luck guys...keep your eyes on the prize

Awesome, Dude!

Sweet scores, btw. Thanks for sharing. Any advice we pre-DATers can get is very much appreciated as I am sure you remember being in our shoes.

Congrats again on the scores.

 

[DoopieVader]

I actually took KAplan online. Saved all the info on PDF files and burned them on a CD but prob will never ever look at it again since I got in.

 

[burton117]

1. 25AA, 24TS, 22PAT
2. TPR MCAT Biological Sciences for Bio, Found online notes for plant bio, Textbooks for G chem and O chem. (I got a 29 in Ochem, reading the textbook helps a lot. I never got an A in any Ochem class.)
3. Studied for 1.5 months, although practiced PAT for a while before
4. Spent 6 hours daily. Eventually read Gchem/Ochem textbooks 3-4 times over. Read TPR bio book in the bathroom
5. Nothing was a waste of time, maybe rereading what an atom was.
6. G chem and O chem were hazy just review and repetition. Bio, I had to teach myself plant bio and ecology. Other than that, I learned new concepts from the TPR MCAT bio book (great detail).
7. Most definitely, its just absorbing material for the sciences. The rest is practice.

Congratulations.. Dude.. Awesome scores!

 

[dmm2654]

I took the DAT 1 month ago for the first time, and got a 17. I too waited to long to take the test. I graduated with a B.S in Bio-Chem in may 2005 and started working in Los Alamos National Labs as a Scientist. I found that I had forgotten everything I learned almost 4 years ago. I wanted to do alot better, and wanted some advice from the vets. I bought kaplan's book and studied it cover to cover and still felt like it didn't cover everything that was on the test.
1. I wanted to know what place to buy practice test from that are most similar to the DAT
2.Also what place to buy a book on the PAT, that gives feedback on the questions in 3D.
3. Any other advice that could put me over the 20 mark!!
4. I wanted also to know how far in Biology I need to study. ex: struct. and func, cell pysh, gentics.
Thanks
Email: [email protected] (please email to this address)

 

[Chrono1984]

- My scores were 20/20/22 (AA/TS/PAT) -21bio 20chem 20ochem 18rc 19qr

- Kaplan blue book, Barrons book, cambells bio, old class text/notes (histo, biochem, intro bio, and ochem).

I took a course through my school that cost 700$ and included the materials above (minus old texts of course) as well as topscore and a few additional tests that my school has.

-I started some real DAT focus about 3 months prior to the test.

-I had a DAT review class on mondays and fridays for 2 hours. My study time fluctuated with my other school work. I would guess I hit around 20 or so hours weekly during the first 2 months. Over my spring break, I studied about 10-12 hours daily. I actually kinda slowed down 2 weeks prior to the test. The last week was just some light review.

- Extra stuff to buy: DAT ACHIEVER!
RIP OFFS: Ace the dat: Full of mistakes and bugs..do NOT buy this. It made me LESS confident because their scale is off too!

- I was clueless in some areas. Example. My diagnostic chemistry section: I got 6/30 questions right. SIX!!!! I simply didn't remember anything...but it all came back quite quickly with a little practice. I have taken quite a few upper lvl Biology courses..which ultimately helped me out quite a bit. Ochem definitely needed some review as well...but if you've taken these classes before, it should just be a matter of time.

- I do believe this test is very managable. Anyone can score 20+ with proper studying

1) Do not freak out during the test, severe anxiety WILL hurt you
2) Everyone is different..figure out what to study and do it
3) Spread your practice exams out over your study time - don't do them all at once (weekly or bi-weekly)
4) If you are in a review class, ask questions.. you are paying money, get as much out of it as you can.
5) DO NOT use your practice tests to predict your score. USE them for review and absorb every answer/explanation.
6) If you have a high GPA, don't think getting low scores is OK. If anything, that low scores will destroy your schools credibility. If I was an adcom, saw a kid with 4.0 and 17s on the DAT, that would raise red flags.

Good Luck! It feels great when you finish!

 

[Rook]

Bump!!

 

[sumozmom]

how often have you all seen
"repeat question"
if you study enought tests can u memorize answers/.?

 

[Yeyyy]

when people say "examkrackers biology" they mean the MCAT one, right? because that's the only one i was able to find online... no DAT or anything

 

[Yeyyy]

also, what's the best way to study/relearn o.chem and g.chem? right now i'm just going to completely go through the kaplan part for both and do as many practice tests as i can get a hold of for those sections

 

[aggie.teacher]

It's finally my turn!!!!

1. What were your DAT scores? Bio - 23, Org - 23, Chem - 22, QA - 19, Reading - 22, PAT - 24

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

Kaplan book (easy, but use it), Topscore (hard, but use it), Barron's (wrong answers, but I think I still benefitted from it), ADA sample test, Schaum's outline for Biology (huge help!). You don't need a prep course. Save time and money.

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

Christmas break 2005, started hitting it hard in February, studied all during Spring Break and took it March 21

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

I studied bio real throroghly, then read through the Kaplan book, started taking tests and worked on the weak areas. I made flash cards with all the sample test questions and went through them over and over again. I'd say I studied 3-4 hours a day on average while working part time and taking 8 hours. Craziness!

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

I didn't use textbooks much. I wish I had gone through the Kaplan book more.

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

I was great with bio and organic but needed to review a lot of gen chem, especially solutions and equilibria. I had to work hard on the math so I wouldn't run out of time. A lot of it was mental, too. I couldn't let a few bad practice test scores deter me. You must press on!

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

Good test-takers will always have an advantage, and the ability to remember random facts from past classes is a key talent that will give you an edge. I can't imagine studying enough to remember every random fact (i.e. - sea urchins' reproductive membrane) Don't let it stop you, if you feel you lack confidence when it comes to test-taking. The more practice tests you take, the better you will learn the game and improve your test-taking abilities!

 

[Thaxil]

!

 

[Thaxil]

how often have you all seen
"repeat question"
if you study enought tests can u memorize answers/.?

That is definitely a bunch of bull$h!t. I would compare that advice to buying 1000s of lottery tickets to improve your chances. Only way to do well on the DAT is to know the material. It start when you take the course. I tutored G-chem and O-chem and I knew the material very well. My DAT scores for those sections where 25 and 27. I am sure there is no way one can memorize the million of possible questions that are possible. The reactions and the methods to solving questions are few, but the possible insignificant changes an examiner can make to a question may not change the answer but appear the different. I took the DAT 2 years ago and don't want to dredge up my O-chem book to give a more specific example.

 

[blankguy]

So just the kaplan blue book is not enough? Practically everybody that has done well has written that they supplement the bluebook with something else. I'm in the process of going over the bio section and organizating the material so that I can make index cards out of them.

 

[Cam-MSU]

So just the kaplan blue book is not enough? Practically everybody that has done well has written that they supplement the bluebook with something else. I'm in the process of going over the bio section and organizating the material so that I can make index cards out of them.

Thats crap, I studied only the kaplan blue book lightly for g and o chem and got a 23 on both. Everyone is different and some need supplemental resources and some just remember the material from the actual course.

 

[aggie-master]

My scores... AA 22 / TS 20 / PAT 18 - Bio 21 / GChem 21 / Ochem 17 / RC 21 / QR 30
I studied a few hours per week for about 5 weeks which got me through the Kaplan Blue Book. At the end of that I took a practice test and made low scores such as 14 on Bio, 16 on GChem, and 16 on Reading. At this point I was 3 weeks out from the real test.

I decided to focus on Biology and Chemistry for those three weeks since they were my weakest subjects and I didn't think I could benefit from "studying" for the RC section. I went over the Kaplan GChem and Bio sections two more times each, then I pulled out my old textbooks and read through them, focusing on the stuff that I didn't know. If I didn't know something, I wrote it down in my spiral notebook to review later. I probably studied 3 hours per day during the week and 12 hours per day on weekends for those three weeks. To bring my RC scores up I just used a tip from this board which was to read the whole passage taking notes on each paragraph to create a "road map" of the passage and use the road map to know where to look for the answer to each question.

The 3 weeks of Bio/GChem studying and road map method took me from an average of 15.3 on those three sections to a 21 on each in the real test.

My QR on my practice test was a 30 so I put no time into it and made a 30 on the real test. The only advice I can give is that if you do a "solve for x" type of problem that you always put your answer back into the original equation and make sure that both sides are equal. Over 1/4th of my problems were solve for x type of problems and you should never get them wrong because you can verify that your answer is correct with that method. It also works for "solve for x in terms of a, b, and c or y" type of problems.

I made an 18 (i think) on my practice Ochem and I never had time to study for it until a few days before the test and I made a 17 on the real thing. I probably should have moved my test back a week to have an Ochem clinic for myself, but I really wanted to just get it over with. Someone that did great on the Ochem mentioned writing down every reaction and memorizing them. I think this idea would have helped me out a lot. I just sucked at knowing the reactions.

I made an 18 on my practice PAT and an 18 on the real PAT. I never put any time into this one either and I think I could have benefited from doing more practice PAT tests. I suggest putting time into this section if you want to score in the 20s like several people on this thread did.

 

[vize]

i dunno if it was just me but all i used was kaplan review notes and topscore... i think topscore only helped me with QR because kaplan QR was ridiculous. i also had other supplies from kaplan because i took the course. the tests and workshops on kaplan helped pllllennnty

 

[DMDorDDS]

I think everyone does a good job talking about how to prepare... but here are some tips on how to take the exam...

utilize the NEXT button...
if you dont know something... skip... skip...skip... why waste time on things that you dont know when you can come back to it...

generally I start the science by BIO, then O Chem, then I come back to G Chem...

with PAT I skip the keyhole and T F E view... and go straight for the easy points...

recheck the list of review items to make sure that you answered all the questions...

use anything within you grasp to help you... I personally used sheets of paper to make sure I did well in PAT

and just be calm... if you get nervous... its over...

 

[dnguyen]

^ ^ I agree with homie's response up there, except for one thing. When you do skip questions you dont know, always fill in an answer, label it with a check mark and then go on to the next problem. Some folks have time issues with this test and if this ever happens to you, at least you dont leave any questions blank. Use the "guessing has no penalty rule" to your advantage.

Personally, when I was studying for the test, I used the Kaplan book, Barrons, and TopScore. I studied for 3 months with the last month purely dedicated to actual practice timed tests. I can't emphasize how important it is to use a stopwatch. You're cheating yourself if you dont time yourself. I woulda gotten 30's across the board if I didnt time myself. I'm being facetious but not entirely. Anyways, you get my point.

Always, when I was studying, I took down notes of everything I didnt have engraved in my head. Knowing the Kaplan book backwards and forwards is key, but why waste time going over stuff that you already know. Organization is key when studying with such large amounts of data. When test time came around, I merely reviewed my notes of "difficult stuff to remember" instead of going over the KBB all over again. That saved me so much time. That time saved allowed me to do all my practice tests and chill at the beach the day before my test.

One last thing, bring trail mix and gatorade to the test...coffee will mess you up. Hope that helps.

____________
AA 21
PAT 23
TS 23

 

[burton117]

bump it up - a great thread

 

[jwilson02]

Originally Posted by mcataz
Hi everyone,

I know most people in here have successfull averaged 20+ on the academic and PAT section of the DAT. Could you answer the following.

1. What were your DAT scores?

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

1. 24 TS 23 AA 21PAT 23 Bio 23 Gchem 25 OChem

2. I used only the 2002 version of the KAPLAN book

3. 1 month and 1/2 before

4. I read that book about 8 times, I studied about 5-6 hours a day on average. I also looked at some mcat stuff.

5. Its a waste of time to read what you already know. It may boost your confidence but your not getting anywhere. Its a waste of time to study when u really dont want to. Its a waste of time to use Barron's book for anything other than the PAT section. Its not a waste of time to ask some dental colleges for practice tests. These are awesome! I wish I had known about the web page that had all the practice tests stuff in the world before I took it. Its that enipps page or whatever. Very good stuff

Also, the kaplan does not do the PAT much justice. Image staring at 4 angles that are exactly the same everytime for 15 questions. This is how the real dat is. I suggest having someone draw angles that are very very similar using a protractor. Be able to discriminate by 5 degrees or less!


6. I had a general understanding of alot of stuff. My bio needed to be brushed up but it came back. There is alot of stuff about plants I did not know

7. To get above 20's in each section, I think you need a combination of test taking abilities and general knowledge. If you know specifics along with that, you will get mid 20's. I personally got a 31 ACT in highschool my freshman year. But that was because I knew how to take a standardized test. The ACT you could eliminate all the worng answers even if you knew nothing about the subject matter.

 

[aranjuez]

Hey everyone,

Check out the link I have in my signature, if you like, for tips on getting a great score.

aranjuez

 

[dentaldentist]

1. What were your DAT scores?

22 bio, 20 chem, 25 ochem, 20 QR, 24 RC, 22 PAT - 22/22/22

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

I took the Kaplan online DAT class and bought Schaum's outline of Biology, Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. I also reviewed my old text books and used the Top Score DAT CD rom to take some practice exams.

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

I started studying about 3.5 months before the exam.

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

A good 1-2 hours a day 4 to 5 days aweek, and then 2-3 hours a day for the last month.

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

I spent a lot of time at first going through my old text books which had way to much info and took forever. I later bought Schaum's outlines and signed up for the Kaplan online class and this really helped me narrow my focus on what I needed. The kaplan class gave me great structure which I really needed since I had been out of college for a few years before deciding on dentistry. The schaum's books were easier to understand and follow than my textbooks and filled in some gaps from kaplan and the top score tests gave me the best exam simulation.

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

I didn't remember a whole lot before studying since it had been a few years since graduating college so I needed more review time than some students who were probably still taking requirements and had just finished classes like organic chemistry.

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

Yes, if you put in the time to learn the material, you can earn a 20. However, someone who is more intelligent or a better test taker may have an easier time, and you probably need some of these talents to be able to get any higher than a 20.

 

[doctor-wanabe]

AA: 21

Bio: 18

Gchem:23

Orgo: 25

RC: 21

QR: 20

PAT: 19

I used Kaplan, but the thing is that you really need to put in at least 3-5 hours of studying/day in order to get the most out of Kaplan. It's expensive: 1300 bucks, but if you have the time and the money I'd say go for it. Oh yeah, I had questions about bone structures and the by-products during cellular respiration, so I'd study those details for Bio. G/Orgo chem on the other hand, you need to read the Kaplan book and do as many practice tests as you can. For the PAT just do a million practice tests, other than that you guys should be fine. Good luck...

 

[Farah_7]

I took my DAT and I'm selling my DAT Destroyer. I'm selling it to 130. shipping free. You know that the original price of the book is 160 wt shipping. SO you are saving about 30 bucks. It is in a totaly new condition. SO you are paying 30 bucks less for a New book indeed. If you are interested leave me a message here or drop me line. <[email protected]>

 

[downlikedisco]

If anyone wants a good book for the bio section, get the Cliff's notes for general biology. It's like $12 at the most. It has a lot of the evolution/taxonomy stuff I didn't think the Kaplan book covered very well. I read it a couple time (it's small) and got a 26 on bio.

 

[vize]

Studying tips, huh? Well, you should ask yourself, "How bad do I want it?" If you want it bad enough, you will study everything you can get your hands on. I only spent a month studying for the DAT and did pretty well: 21AA/21TS/20PAT. I studied kaplan (book and tests) for the whole month for about 5 hours a day and did topscore at the end. There's no absolute study method that is going to get you the perfect DAT score. It has to do with your preferred learning method and the combination of questions that are presented to you on the DAT. I personally feel like I knew everything and could have scored perfectly on the DAT, but the questions were rather difficultly worded. In my opinion, the margin for error is so small that if you get at least a 19 on the DAT you are ready for the dental curriculum. To sum up, study like your life depended on it -- because it does!

 

[GeorgiaDentist]

1. What were your DAT scores?
Bio 21 G Chem 20 Orgo 22 PA 20 Peading Comp 25 Math 25

2. What books/prep courses did you use?
Kaplan Book, Campbell's Bio, College Orgo (Wade)

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?
June-August

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?
Started out lightly, read whole Kaplan book from cover to cover. Went back and took notes on the WHOLE thing, in a little notebook, which I basically memorized. Started taking practice tests about 3 weeks before test. Did ALL TopScore, DAT Achiever, Kaplan in back of book, and ADA's on website. KEY: Go over the ones you got wrong thoroughly, like look it up in your college textbook- chances are you won't really learn your weaknesses by just looking at their answer explanation. Also, look over them again a few days later to make sure you really did learn it. Studied to begin a few hours every few days, right before test 3-4 hours a day,then took a weekend to relax.

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?
Mmm wish I had given myself longer to do the tests because they are really your best tool. I didn't have enough time to go over some sections

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?
Had a pretty good grasp, but was rusty on remembering certain mechanisms- it comes back easier than you think

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?
Hmm to be honest yes you can but ONLY if you have an incredible work ethic. I consider myself a pretty good test taker and I studied a good bit- and I just barely slid in with 20's and above. If you have the discipline, you can def do it!

 

[bruinpredent]

1) (AA 22)

2) Kaplan blue book, practice tests, kaplan organic edge, DAT achiever, Topscore, DESTROYER

3) Started studying beginning of august after summer school, until end of september (little under 2 months)

4) First 3-4 weeks i spent about 4-6 hours a day studying (i was working at this time), then kicked it up to about 8-10 hours the last 3-4 weeks. Went through kaplan once, highlighted important details, went through kaplan again, made flashcards of important topics that were highlighted, took a practice test every week, then one every other day during the last week. Went through the destroyer twice, went through the answer key another 2 times. Studied a bit of schaums.

5) I wish i had spent a bit more time on math and pat...i barely studied math and the PAT i could have taken a few more practice tests. Flash cards are nice, but don't pack too much detail...i ended up not even going over the ones i made for bio, although making them helped me remember a lot of the info.

6) Took a kaplan diag at the beginning of my studying, scored at 18...mainly because of bio and reading. I had taken most of the bio classes the year prior to the exam and over the summer and i retained most of the info, so that helped...gchem and ochem were a nightmare however, and these scores were REALLY low initially (14-15). Reading was never below a 20, math never below an 18, PAT never below a 17 (even on achiever).

7) The test measures what you know, and although there is a lot of information to learn, much of it is rather basic. If you put enough studying into it, you can score atleast a 20. If you want a 22+, you're going to have to really push it, but still its doable.



Best of luck.

 

[slashnroses19]

If anyone wants a good book for the bio section, get the Cliff's notes for general biology. It's like $12 at the most. It has a lot of the evolution/taxonomy stuff I didn't think the Kaplan book covered very well. I read it a couple time (it's small) and got a 26 on bio.

is it this
http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Cliff...=pd_bbs_3/102-7118765-6939356?ie=UTF8&s=books

or this?
http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Cliff...=pd_bbs_2/102-7118765-6939356?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

[koochooloo]

1. What were your DAT scores?

Bio: 21, G. Chem: 21, Organic: 21, RC: 24, QR: 23, PAT: 19, AA: 22

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

Kaplan blue book (mostly) and Barrons...i just read and re-read the Kaplan book until I could picture the pages in my head..the science portion of the test is seriously all memorization

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

I studied hardcore starting May 15 (the day after finals ended)...took the exam May 27

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

Studied alllll day sitting on my bed reading the Kaplan book...with several 30-60 min breaks for food/relaxing...I studied each science for 3 days straight...PAT for one whole day (i skimmed through PAT study material a little bit the summer before)..and QR and RC in one day (math comes to me easy)

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

wish i had more practice PAT problems...but as far as the sciences just memorizing the facts in kaplan worked well for me...barrons taught me to take notes during RC, but on the actual exam i found that not necessary...just pretty much wrote a word for each numbered paragraph regarding its topic..the answers to the questions asked in RC are found word-for-word in the reading, so you dont even really need to read the passage before looking at the questions..dont waste time trying to comprehend the passage b/c no matter what for each question you should refer back to the passage...also several of my questions i knew the answers to w/o reading the passage b/c they were so general (ie. what hormone is secreted by the pineal gland?)

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

i didn't have a FIRM understanding of the material..but a lot of it was already in my head and i needed a refresher..which most of the time required relearning haha

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

for sure

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

 

[koochooloo]

o yea i also spent about 1.5 days taking 3 sample exams...2 paper and 1 computer

 

[phungy]

Bump for a helpful thread!

 

[SoCalDent]

bump, any new input?

 

[zoom12]

1. What were your DAT scores?

Bio: 22, G. Chem: 22, Organic: 25, RC: 21, QR: 26, PAT: 22, AA: 23

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

Kaplan blue book and Campell bio book


3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

May-August

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

I read through kaplan ~3 times and the relevent Campbell chapters once with notes. (I hadn't had a physiology or biochemistry course at the time). In all I studied about 5 hours a week for 3 months and 15 hours a week for the last month with a full out study week before the exam.


5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

Practice tests are the best way I spent my time after memorizing. For me, a lot of the campbell i read was a waste of time since it went into too much detail - but the information came in handy for my courses later on.

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

I had forgot orgo at the time but I enjoyed the subject so it came back quicky (fortunately!), genchem was fresh in my mind as I had just taken pchem, but I was lacking in the knowledge base for bio which I had taken 15 months before the DAT and only intro bio at that. At the begining I felt okay when studying, but the morning of the exam it felt like everything had inconveniently left my memory banks .


7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

Yep, I think that test-taking ability is something that can be worked for in itself! A lot of pre-dents have really good posts about strats in the forums.

 

[rose786]

I'm bumpin this baby for all the folks currently studying.
And for those of you who've recently taken the test and done well, would you mind adding here instead of making a new thread?

 

[Mamona]

I'm bumpin this is great information.

 

[jigabodo]

1. In my predent.com profile below my avatar.

2. DAT Achiever, Topscore, Kaplan Blue Book, Kaplan workshops and subject tests, google and Kaplan Class (not very good, imo).

3. Toward the end of June.

4. 8 hours a day everyday until I take it in August.

5. Reading textbook is a waste of time for me, I just cant learn jack that way.

6. English is my third language and I just came to the states 7 years ago, so my RC sucked quite hard. I also did pretty badly during my first 2 years of undergrad so my Gchem and QR sucked big time too at first. Otherwise, I thought I was OK in other subjects.

7. Yes. I am not the smartest person in the world and with hardwork I was able to pull off a decent score. That along with effective study techniques (different for each person) are more than enough to get above a 20.

Good luck!

Hi everyone,

I know most people in here have successfull averaged 20+ on the academic and PAT section of the DAT. Could you answer the following.

1. What were your DAT scores?

2. What books/prep courses did you use?

3. When did you start studying for the DAT?

4. How did you prepare for the exam? How many hours a day did you study?

5. What study methods were a waste of time? What methods do you wish you spent more time working on?

6. How much material did you remember prior to studying for the DAT? Were you clueless in the beginning or did you feel that you had a firm understanding of the material?

7. Do you believe that you can work your way to a 20 regardless of your intelligence and test-taking ability?

 

[Montserrat]

1. In my predent.com profile below my avatar.

2. DAT Achiever, Topscore, Kaplan Blue Book, Kaplan workshops and subject tests, google and Kaplan Class (not very good, imo).

3. Toward the end of June.

4. 8 hours a day everyday until I take it in August.

5. Reading textbook is a waste of time for me, I just cant learn jack that way.

6. English is my third language and I just came to the states 7 years ago, so my RC sucked quite hard. I also did pretty badly during my first 2 years of undergrad so my Gchem and QR sucked big time too at first. Otherwise, I thought I was OK in other subjects.

7. Yes. I am not the smartest person in the world and with hardwork I was able to pull off a decent score. That along with effective study techniques (different for each person) are more than enough to get above a 20.

Good luck!

Jiga - You responded to and wished a four year old post good luck.

Get some sleep !

 

[jigabodo]

Woah, dated 3-6-2003, totally didnt realize that!

I wasnt even in college back then!

 

[rose786]

It's ok Jiga, your post was helpful.