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So this is one of the most frequent questions when it comes to DAT studying so I hope you find this thread helpful.
Which test materials should I use? Well for test prep materials I already put my 2 cents in (see my FULL BREAKDOWN OF STUDY MATRERIALS: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544826) but when it comes to taking practice tests the two main resources are TOPSCORE and ACHIEVER. People often wonder WHICH SHOULD I USE TOP SCORE OR ACHIEVER?
Yes, there are many posts on this topic and when people start a new thread with this question, people (including myself) respond: Do a search this has been addressed many times. So why am I posting this then? Well aside from the fact that people asked, if you do a search, many of the results are not informative. People just say one or the other and dont explain the pros and cons of each. I will try to address as much as I can here but if you feel that I missed something or am off base please say something. I hope this will be helpful:
The first thing to realize is that both of these are meant to primarily be test simulations and practice tests. Unlike PAT where you can almost exclusively learn the basic concepts and get the rest by taking tests, the sciences are different. While you can (and should) learn a great deal of information from taking the tests, they are just tests and are not intended to be used as your main study guide (like Destroyer, Cliffs, Schaums ) but should be used to get a real feel for the length, order and format of the DAT as well as testing your knowledge to give you an idea of where in your studies you are holding.
Ill start with 7 general points then go through each section:
1) Difficulty: Most people find achiever harder for most sections and dont score as highly overall. For example I scored 18, 19 in Topscore Bio and 19, 17 in Achiever similarly, three 25s in Topscore Orgo and a 23 and an 18 in the two Achiever tests I took. So if you are a person who will get really bumbed by scoring lower than you think you can and are saving your practice for the last week (which ill address soon) I recommend Topscore because the last thing you need the week before your test if you are nervous or not totally confident is a 15. They are both hard and while nothing is a guarantee, a good Topscore mark is not false reassurance.
2) Retake: If you plan on taking the test more than once for whatever reason (I did not) because you want to take these 6 weeks before your test then again the week before then keep in mind that with Topscore you CAN delete your scores and take it again but you CAN NOT with Achiever. (Ive heard you can uninstall then reinstall or something but havent tried it)
(((((* I highly recommend you DO NOT leave your practice tests for the last week. Start them AT LEAST 2 weeks before. I also personally think 3 tests is sufficient for the purpose (I took 5 but think it was a mistake) Once you are comfortable with the length and format stick to studying because its more time efficient. At least for me after I took a practice test I couldnt study for a good chunk of time and it killed a good part of the day because taking it takes over 4 hours itself. So unless youre really gaining a lot from reviewing the tests I feel you can gain more by studying during that time.))))
3) Options (Full/Sections): Topscore gives you the option to take the FULL exam like the real thing but in achiever they dont offer this option. (I may be wrong but on mine I couldnt at least so dont jump all over me if Im wrong on this) The first time I took achiever I didnt have the self-discipline to start the PAT without checking my science scores, I was just so curious. Well on the real thing you dont have this option. I didnt check on my second test but its not the same continuing when you dont know how your doing for sure.
4) Pausing: On Topscore you can pause your exam. While you shouldnt do this because it defeats the purpose of taking a full test, sometimes things happen. I was in my schools library and didnt realize they were closing but it wasnt a problem because I paused it. Yes you can exit achiever and restart it where you left off but its not a real option you must exit the program. (Nothing important really both equal here)
5) Exhibit button: On my screen when I pushed the exhibit button on Topscore the periodic table was not the full size. I couldnt see the whole thing at once without enlarging the screen which I found frustrating every time. (This may be an option somewhere but I couldnt find it) I did not have this problem on Achiever or the real DAT
6) Simulation: I thought Achiever looked more like the real test. The questions each took up a full screen where as in Topscore part of the screen remains gray and the test is in a section of your monitor (like watching a movie in not full screen vs full screen). I know this just a setting and I didnt care to change it but aside from that I still think they both did a great job but I thought achiever was slightly more realistic.
**As a side note here: Both of thee programs use a font that is kind of skinny. The real test is much better, uses thick dark bold looking font, which is easier to read than both of these programs. I was pleasantly surprised by the clarity and crispness (is that a word?) especially in the PAT section of the real DAT.
7) EXPLANATIONS: (Some people dont care much about this and barely review their tests others go through it for an entire day and care a lot about this. Depends how much time you have and what kind of person you are)
Topscore only explains the correct reason. For example: In destroyer as well as other sources they offer an explanation of the correct choice and also show you why some of the other choices are wrong. Topscore just gives a quote about the correct answer so you dont learn as much from each question because the other choices are never discussed. I did however like the fact that they had a direct quote from Campbells in the bio section because the answer was never lost in translation and worded incorrectly. However the down side here is the formality. It easier to take information in when its less formal and sometimes it doesnt address the point so clearly because they are just quoting a paragraph from the book.
Achievers science explanations are pretty good. Not too long and usually easy to follow.
PAT: Achever is much harder. First off Topscore PAT is a joke. Not because its too easy but they reuse the same stuff for all three tests. They give you the top and side view in test one and ask for the front view then just reuse the same image and ask for the top view. This is a terrible way to learn because you are familiar with the object. Yes Achiever is very hard but its great practice because you will feel like the real thing is easy in a way. Topscore hole punching is great! I cant open mine now Ill try later but they had these ¾ folds I explained in my other thread which did appear on the real test. I dont remember if both had half holes but you should also be familiar with those before the real test. Dont base your decision which to buy on PAT because Crack is really the best resource for this.
RC: At least for my version of the DAT both of these were terrible representations of the real thing. I had about 15 tone questions and very few directly in the passage but these are all about being in the passage. From what I hear though different versions do have more search and destroy type questions so at least its practice for speed and endurance at this point of the test. No real favorite in my opinion here
QR: I thought Topscore had like 3 problems that werent that bad but NEEDED a calculator because the answers were so close (The one im thinking of right now is the one with the singles and buckets of tar for the roof its was like 17, 1575 16,1575 and 17, 1576 lol) I have heard that Achiever is more accurate here but I dont know. I didnt think it was so hard on either of my practice test but found the real thing much harder. Its defiantly good to practice timing though because thats an issue many people have trouble with in this section.
So which should you get? Should you get both? Thats up to you but I hope this was helpful and now you can make a more informed decision.
Good luck to you all!!!
For a full breakdown of DAT prep material see my thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544826 and you may also find it helpful to see my good friend and study buddy DRGreens thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544620
******If you found this post helpful please let me know or give it a bump so others can benefit as well
Which test materials should I use? Well for test prep materials I already put my 2 cents in (see my FULL BREAKDOWN OF STUDY MATRERIALS: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544826) but when it comes to taking practice tests the two main resources are TOPSCORE and ACHIEVER. People often wonder WHICH SHOULD I USE TOP SCORE OR ACHIEVER?
Yes, there are many posts on this topic and when people start a new thread with this question, people (including myself) respond: Do a search this has been addressed many times. So why am I posting this then? Well aside from the fact that people asked, if you do a search, many of the results are not informative. People just say one or the other and dont explain the pros and cons of each. I will try to address as much as I can here but if you feel that I missed something or am off base please say something. I hope this will be helpful:
The first thing to realize is that both of these are meant to primarily be test simulations and practice tests. Unlike PAT where you can almost exclusively learn the basic concepts and get the rest by taking tests, the sciences are different. While you can (and should) learn a great deal of information from taking the tests, they are just tests and are not intended to be used as your main study guide (like Destroyer, Cliffs, Schaums ) but should be used to get a real feel for the length, order and format of the DAT as well as testing your knowledge to give you an idea of where in your studies you are holding.
Ill start with 7 general points then go through each section:
1) Difficulty: Most people find achiever harder for most sections and dont score as highly overall. For example I scored 18, 19 in Topscore Bio and 19, 17 in Achiever similarly, three 25s in Topscore Orgo and a 23 and an 18 in the two Achiever tests I took. So if you are a person who will get really bumbed by scoring lower than you think you can and are saving your practice for the last week (which ill address soon) I recommend Topscore because the last thing you need the week before your test if you are nervous or not totally confident is a 15. They are both hard and while nothing is a guarantee, a good Topscore mark is not false reassurance.
2) Retake: If you plan on taking the test more than once for whatever reason (I did not) because you want to take these 6 weeks before your test then again the week before then keep in mind that with Topscore you CAN delete your scores and take it again but you CAN NOT with Achiever. (Ive heard you can uninstall then reinstall or something but havent tried it)
(((((* I highly recommend you DO NOT leave your practice tests for the last week. Start them AT LEAST 2 weeks before. I also personally think 3 tests is sufficient for the purpose (I took 5 but think it was a mistake) Once you are comfortable with the length and format stick to studying because its more time efficient. At least for me after I took a practice test I couldnt study for a good chunk of time and it killed a good part of the day because taking it takes over 4 hours itself. So unless youre really gaining a lot from reviewing the tests I feel you can gain more by studying during that time.))))
3) Options (Full/Sections): Topscore gives you the option to take the FULL exam like the real thing but in achiever they dont offer this option. (I may be wrong but on mine I couldnt at least so dont jump all over me if Im wrong on this) The first time I took achiever I didnt have the self-discipline to start the PAT without checking my science scores, I was just so curious. Well on the real thing you dont have this option. I didnt check on my second test but its not the same continuing when you dont know how your doing for sure.
4) Pausing: On Topscore you can pause your exam. While you shouldnt do this because it defeats the purpose of taking a full test, sometimes things happen. I was in my schools library and didnt realize they were closing but it wasnt a problem because I paused it. Yes you can exit achiever and restart it where you left off but its not a real option you must exit the program. (Nothing important really both equal here)
5) Exhibit button: On my screen when I pushed the exhibit button on Topscore the periodic table was not the full size. I couldnt see the whole thing at once without enlarging the screen which I found frustrating every time. (This may be an option somewhere but I couldnt find it) I did not have this problem on Achiever or the real DAT
6) Simulation: I thought Achiever looked more like the real test. The questions each took up a full screen where as in Topscore part of the screen remains gray and the test is in a section of your monitor (like watching a movie in not full screen vs full screen). I know this just a setting and I didnt care to change it but aside from that I still think they both did a great job but I thought achiever was slightly more realistic.
**As a side note here: Both of thee programs use a font that is kind of skinny. The real test is much better, uses thick dark bold looking font, which is easier to read than both of these programs. I was pleasantly surprised by the clarity and crispness (is that a word?) especially in the PAT section of the real DAT.
7) EXPLANATIONS: (Some people dont care much about this and barely review their tests others go through it for an entire day and care a lot about this. Depends how much time you have and what kind of person you are)
Topscore only explains the correct reason. For example: In destroyer as well as other sources they offer an explanation of the correct choice and also show you why some of the other choices are wrong. Topscore just gives a quote about the correct answer so you dont learn as much from each question because the other choices are never discussed. I did however like the fact that they had a direct quote from Campbells in the bio section because the answer was never lost in translation and worded incorrectly. However the down side here is the formality. It easier to take information in when its less formal and sometimes it doesnt address the point so clearly because they are just quoting a paragraph from the book.
Achievers science explanations are pretty good. Not too long and usually easy to follow.
.......
.Section Breakdown
......
..
SCIENCES: Both are good nothing really to add except that both achiever and topscore have the A) I only B)II only C) I, II and IV
. But dont worry this is one of the worst ways to test knowledge and was not on my test and I havent heard anyone who had this.PAT: Achever is much harder. First off Topscore PAT is a joke. Not because its too easy but they reuse the same stuff for all three tests. They give you the top and side view in test one and ask for the front view then just reuse the same image and ask for the top view. This is a terrible way to learn because you are familiar with the object. Yes Achiever is very hard but its great practice because you will feel like the real thing is easy in a way. Topscore hole punching is great! I cant open mine now Ill try later but they had these ¾ folds I explained in my other thread which did appear on the real test. I dont remember if both had half holes but you should also be familiar with those before the real test. Dont base your decision which to buy on PAT because Crack is really the best resource for this.
RC: At least for my version of the DAT both of these were terrible representations of the real thing. I had about 15 tone questions and very few directly in the passage but these are all about being in the passage. From what I hear though different versions do have more search and destroy type questions so at least its practice for speed and endurance at this point of the test. No real favorite in my opinion here
QR: I thought Topscore had like 3 problems that werent that bad but NEEDED a calculator because the answers were so close (The one im thinking of right now is the one with the singles and buckets of tar for the roof its was like 17, 1575 16,1575 and 17, 1576 lol) I have heard that Achiever is more accurate here but I dont know. I didnt think it was so hard on either of my practice test but found the real thing much harder. Its defiantly good to practice timing though because thats an issue many people have trouble with in this section.
So which should you get? Should you get both? Thats up to you but I hope this was helpful and now you can make a more informed decision.
Good luck to you all!!!
For a full breakdown of DAT prep material see my thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544826 and you may also find it helpful to see my good friend and study buddy DRGreens thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=544620
******If you found this post helpful please let me know or give it a bump so others can benefit as well
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