An Unfair Perspective -- This is BullS#*t!!!

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LetsGo2DSchool

LetsGo2DSchool

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The consensus is that the 2009 DAT was way easier than the current version as attested by many who recently took the exam.

Since DAT scores are good for at least two years at most schools, with some schools accepting DAT scores from 3 years ago, isn't it a bit UNFAIR that an applicant in this cycle who took the exam in 2009 will have higher scores than the current applicant who recently took the exam, thus giving him a significant unfair edge???

That's bulls#*t to the nth degree!

What the heck is going on at ADA??? I mean c'mon, if you're going to make the exam more difficult, it must be done gradually. Instead these turds are going to screw people by essentially getting them rejected in favor of people with "perceived" higher DAT scores when in reality, their scores would be lower if normalized to today's exam.

I'm sure the schools don't realize it either.
 
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Look at it from another perspective: most people with good scores last year are already in dental school.
 
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LetsGo2DSchool said:
The consensus is that the 2009 DAT was way easier than the current version as attested by many who recently took the exam.

Since DAT scores are good for at least two years at most schools, with some schools accepting DAT scores from 3 years ago, isn't it a bit UNFAIR that an applicant in this cycle who took the exam in 2009 will have higher scores than the current applicant who recently took the exam, thus giving him a significant unfair edge???

That's bulls#*t to the nth degree!

What the heck is going on at ADA??? I mean c'mon, if you're going to make the exam more difficult, it must be done gradually. Instead these turds are going to screw people by essentially getting them rejected in favor of people with "perceived" higher DAT scores when in reality, their scores would be lower if normalized to today's exam.

I'm sure the schools don't realize it either.
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I am pretty sure each person that takes the DAT gets a random drawing from about 1,000+ questions. So while someone could get unlucky and get a ton a hard questions someone else might luck out and get an easier test. That being said the ratings like 18, 19, 20 etc are based on a Standardized Curve. They already have tested the questions you take an know what the average is for a individual with that/those DAT questions. So one person might get 27/40 on bio and get a 18 someone else could have different questions and get a 27/40 and get a 16.
 
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LetsGo2DSchool said:
The consensus is that the 2009 DAT was way easier than the current version as attested by many who recently took the exam.

Since DAT scores are good for at least two years at most schools, with some schools accepting DAT scores from 3 years ago, isn't it a bit UNFAIR that an applicant in this cycle who took the exam in 2009 will have higher scores than the current applicant who recently took the exam, thus giving him a significant unfair edge???

That's bulls#*t to the nth degree!

What the heck is going on at ADA??? I mean c'mon, if you're going to make the exam more difficult, it must be done gradually. Instead these turds are going to screw people by essentially getting them rejected in favor of people with "perceived" higher DAT scores when in reality, their scores would be lower if normalized to today's exam.

I'm sure the schools don't realize it either.
Click to expand...

too many stipulations here.... just because few members reported that the 2009 is easier than THEIR exam version from this year does NOT mean the 2009 DATs were easier than 2011s.

besides, they can make the exam as difficult as they want, a score of 17 is the breaking 50% point where half the testees must get above, and the other half below.

With the "easier" examinations, it used to be (for example) missing 4-5 GC problems and your down to a 20. If they decided to really make the test alot harder, thats going to shift the curve such that missing (guessing here) 5-6 questions lands you that same 20. At the end, the exam got harder, but a respectable score is still attainable
 
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dentalWorks said:
too many stipulations here.... just because few members reported that the 2009 is easier than THEIR exam version from this year does NOT mean the 2009 DATs were easier than 2011s.

besides, they can make the exam as difficult as they want, a score of 17 is the breaking 50% point where half the testees must get above, and the other half below.

With the "easier" examinations, it used to be (for example) missing 4-5 GC problems and your down to a 20. If they decided to really make the test alot harder, thats going to shift the curve such that missing (guessing here) 5-6 questions lands you that same 20. At the end, the exam got harder, but a respectable score is still attainable
Click to expand...

exactly, how "hard" or "easy" the test is itself doesn't really matter...it's still the same applicant pool taking the same test as you and you just have to be in the top 40% of it. it maybe benefits a tiny number who are using old dat scores to re-apply this cycle, but if they are re-applicants the first dat probably wasn't too hot so that's irrelevant anyway.
 
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Alright, I feel a lot better now. Makes sense.

But still I would rather have an easier exam in which I can answer all of the questions correct.
 
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LetsGo2DSchool said:
Alright, I feel a lot better now. Makes sense.

But still I would rather have an easier exam in which I can answer all of the questions correct.
Click to expand...

if they make it easier, that means others can get all of the questions right too lol.
 
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How is there any way to even prove this unless someone took the test at least more than a couple dozen times...

Even within the same year, you could have taken it 4x and the difficulty may have varied... but that difficulty may not be because the test is actually 'harder' but rather because it just happened to have tested a concept that you were not as good at.

What I am trying to say is, we will never know 🙂

Also... what the polarbear said, everyone that scored well is already IN. The people who didn't get in are probably retaking anyway... which means that they are facing what everyone this year is going through too.
 
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