2020 vs 2021 DAT Study Materials

[EdEddnEddy]

I want to begin studying for my DAT next year in April, but am concerned about whether there might be changes on the 2021 DAT. Should I buy materials like Bootcamp, DAT Destroyer, and DAT Booster now or is it better to wait a few months for when these versions update in 2021? I don't want to put my time studying the wrong concepts emphasized for the 2020 DAT to find out newer things will be emphasized on the 2021 DAT and have the old information conflict in my brain.

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[FeralisExtremum]

Just as a heads up, the only section that is currently expected to change significantly during 2021 is the biology section.

Outside of that, the test doesn't go through major revisions on an annual basis. Rather, the DAT is continuously updated with new questions while older ones are phased out - but these questions are based on the same fundamental knowledge you should be studying for. The studying and preparation you do now will still be just as effective next year. So resources you purchase for content review (like textbooks) can be purchased now, though I see no benefit in doing so if you don't start until April. Subscription based resources I would definitely save for when you begin studying, because you don't want them to expire months ahead of when you actually need to use them.

Good luck!

 

[EdEddnEddy]

Just as a heads up, the only section that is currently expected to change significantly during 2021 is the biology section.

Outside of that, the test doesn't go through major revisions on an annual basis. Rather, the DAT is continuously updated with new questions while older ones are phased out - but these questions are based on the same fundamental knowledge you should be studying for. The studying and preparation you do now will still be just as effective next year. So resources you purchase for content review (like textbooks) can be purchased now, though I see no benefit in doing so if you don't start until April. Subscription based resources I would definitely save for when you begin studying, because you don't want them to expire months ahead of when you actually need to use them.

Good luck!

I think I worded it weird. I meant studying now for a DAT I plan to schedule for April 2021.

I thought waiting until 2021 to buy the study materials might be more effective because I imagined people making them would take the 2021 DAT Test or find trends in it to update the study materials and match the test better.

Now that you mention changes to the Biology section, that makes me pretty worried honestly, since I recall many people saying the Biology section is the most unpredictable one. Now the standard Cliff's AP Bio Notes, Bootcamp Notes, etc. that everyone espouses here might not be sufficient anymore.

I'd be fine with changes to the section if I was being compared with other 2021 DAT test-takers when I receive my percentile scores. But I remember reading the DAT scores are based on percentiles from 2016 test-takers or something. So despite possibly getting a harder Biology section, I'll be compared with test-takers that never had to deal with that change in the first place. Is that true? I hope you can clarify.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I think I worded it weird. I meant studying now for a DAT I plan to schedule for April 2021.

I thought waiting until 2021 to buy the study materials might be more effective because I imagined people making them would take the 2021 DAT Test or find trends in it to update the study materials and match the test better.

Now that you mention changes to the Biology section, that makes me pretty worried honestly, since I recall many people saying the Biology section is the most unpredictable one. Now the standard Cliff's AP Bio Notes, Bootcamp Notes, etc. that everyone espouses here might not be sufficient anymore.

I'd be fine with changes to the section if I was being compared with other 2021 DAT test-takers when I receive my percentile scores. But I remember reading the DAT scores are based on percentiles from 2016 test-takers or something. So despite possibly getting a harder Biology section, I'll be compared with test-takers that never had to deal with that change in the first place. Is that true? I hope you can clarify.

You're starting pretty early for taking it in April. I would say starting content review now is probably fine (if not overkill), but I wouldn't encourage trying to spend more than 3-4 months max actively studying for the DAT since studying stretched out any longer than that tends to be less effective (and easily forgotten).

The DAT dropped percentiles a few years back, and the scales for the tests are pre-calibrated. I don't think that getting a changed biology section necessarily means a harder biology section - the tests are standardized to avoid this issue. Remember that all the people who take the test for your application cycle will probably be dealing with the exact same challenges as you.

I'd encourage you to use test materials that are kept up to date. I also wouldn't worry about the 2021 biology changes just yet, especially if the ADA hasn't announced anything else about them for two reasons:

1. The ADA is very slow about implementing announced changes to the test. The QR changes didn't get implemented for several years after they were initially announced. They were even considering changes to the biology section many years ago before I took the test, and those ultimately didn't happen (though I have reason to believe biology updates are actually in the works this time).

2. You don't yet know when in 2021 (if at all) the change takes place. It may not even be an issue you have to deal with.

Just keep in mind that there really isn't a 2019 DAT vs a 2020 DAT vs a 2021 DAT. It's all the same test with slow updates to questions over time.

 

[EdEddnEddy]

You're starting pretty early for taking it in April. I would say starting content review now is probably fine (if not overkill), but I wouldn't encourage trying to spend more than 3-4 months max actively studying for the DAT since studying stretched out any longer than that tends to be less effective (and easily forgotten).

The DAT dropped percentiles a few years back, and the scales for the tests are pre-calibrated. I don't think that getting a changed biology section necessarily means a harder biology section - the tests are standardized to avoid this issue. Remember that all the people who take the test for your application cycle will probably be dealing with the exact same challenges as you.

I'd encourage you to use test materials that are kept up to date. I also wouldn't worry about the 2021 biology changes just yet, especially if the ADA hasn't announced anything else about them for two reasons:

1. The ADA is very slow about implementing announced changes to the test. The QR changes didn't get implemented for several years after they were initially announced. They were even considering changes to the biology section many years ago before I took the test, and those ultimately didn't happen (though I have reason to believe biology updates are actually in the works this time).

2. You don't yet know when in 2021 (if at all) the change takes place. It may not even be an issue you have to deal with.

Just keep in mind that there really isn't a 2019 DAT vs a 2020 DAT vs a 2021 DAT. It's all the same test with slow updates to questions over time.

I actually didn't know tests were pre-calibrated now. If the 2021 Biology changes do end up being a thing, would they pre-calibrate based on what they predict the average correct answers might be? I'm not sure how it works if you could explain that.

I do know that others taking the 2021 test will be dealing with the same challenges. Just that when I apply I might be competing with 2019, 2020, etc. test-takers that didn't have to deal with them and maybe got a higher score as a result - for example if our Biology Section ends up becoming more passage-based instead vs. what it was like before. But if they are pre-calibrated I guess it wouldn't matter in the end.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[zkassem]

Just as a heads up, the only section that is currently expected to change significantly during 2021 is the biology section.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know what these changes entail? Is the entire bio section being revamped?

 

[pup567]

I'm selling the 2020 DAT destroyer, math destroyer, and general chemistry destroyer!