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As someone who has taken the DAT twice, used both Bootcamp and Booster, and has experience with both the new and old scoring systems, I wanted to share what I learned that helped me improve my score! To be completely honest, I was really burnt out the second time around and had to shift my focus on studying efficiently, rather than endlessly, and it did wonders. For reference, my first attempt was in November 2024 under the old scoring system (1-30). My second attempt was in March 2025 under the new scoring system (200-600). I went from a 21 to 24. You can find my scores for both attempts (along with my Bootcamp and Booster practice test scores below 🙂
MY SCORES:
AA - 21 → 24 (490)
TS - 22 → 23 (490)
Bio - 23 → 25 (500)
GC - 22 → 24 (500)
OC - 23 → 23 (480)
PAT - 19 → 19 (410)
QR - 21 → 20 (440)
RC - 19 → 26 (510)
RESOURCES USED (for both attempts):
BACKGROUND:
1ST VS 2ND ATTEMPT (Bootcamp vs Booster):
The biggest change I made? Less content review, more active practice.
On my first attempt, I watched nearly every Bootcamp science video but didn’t reinforce the material enough. The second time around, I only watched ~5–6 Booster science videos—only the topics I truly needed. Booster’s updated 2025 content was helpful too.
Key takeaway: Figure out what you know and don’t know—then focus on actively improving your weak areas.
Practice Scores vs Real DAT: My practice scores (from both Booster & Bootcamp) were higher than my actual DAT scores both times. Not sure why, but it shows how unpredictable the DAT can be. I even got some identical Booster questions—but also saw topics I’d never encountered before. You never know what questions you might get on test day, so it's better to be safe than sorry and do your flashcards!!
Booster vs Bootcamp
FINAL TIPS
MY SCORES:
AA - 21 → 24 (490)
TS - 22 → 23 (490)
Bio - 23 → 25 (500)
GC - 22 → 24 (500)
OC - 23 → 23 (480)
PAT - 19 → 19 (410)
QR - 21 → 20 (440)
RC - 19 → 26 (510)
RESOURCES USED (for both attempts):
- DAT Booster (second attempt):
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their practice tests and question banks—I did almost every single question! Their content felt highly representative of the actual DAT. I attribute a huge part of my score increase to this. Also, it’s super cost-effective (especially with their Black Friday sale!). - DAT Bootcamp (first attempt):
Much harder than the real exam (and even harder than Booster in some areas). Great content overall, especially for QR, but I spent too much time watching videos and not enough doing practice. - Anki:
I made flashcards for every missed question (from both Booster’s question banks and practice tests). For questions I couldn’t Anki (like GC/OC questions with images), I dumped them into a Google Doc. Even on busy days, I at least did my flashcards—this was key for reinforcing weak spots and catching misconceptions. - Whiteboard Method:
I wrote/drew tricky concepts on a whiteboard next to my door—something I passed multiple times a day. It helped me ask myself, “Do I actually know this well enough that I’ll remember it on test day” - Review Docs:
As mentioned above, I compiled missed questions (from question banks and practice tests) into Google docs to track weak areas. I would go back and rework them occasionally. (again, repetition is SO important).
BACKGROUND:
- Junior with a 3.8 GPA
- Bio major
- Had taken Biochemistry I before attempt #2 (I found this helpful because I understood the more advanced biology concepts a bit better)
- Took Anatomy/Physiology I + Genetics while studying for the second attempt (also helpful for the same reason mentioned above)
- Took 14 credit hours + worked 8–16 hours/week on weekends
- Study time varied A LOT—anywhere from 20 mins to 5 hours/day (Dec–Mar)
1ST VS 2ND ATTEMPT (Bootcamp vs Booster):
The biggest change I made? Less content review, more active practice.
On my first attempt, I watched nearly every Bootcamp science video but didn’t reinforce the material enough. The second time around, I only watched ~5–6 Booster science videos—only the topics I truly needed. Booster’s updated 2025 content was helpful too.
Key takeaway: Figure out what you know and don’t know—then focus on actively improving your weak areas.
Practice Scores vs Real DAT: My practice scores (from both Booster & Bootcamp) were higher than my actual DAT scores both times. Not sure why, but it shows how unpredictable the DAT can be. I even got some identical Booster questions—but also saw topics I’d never encountered before. You never know what questions you might get on test day, so it's better to be safe than sorry and do your flashcards!!
Booster vs Bootcamp
- Booster felt more representative of the actual DAT in terms of content and question style
- Bootcamp had trickier content overall and will over prepare you; especially helpful for QR
- Booster’s QR is much easier than the real QR section. I ran out of time for QR both times on the actual DAT but would usually finish early on practice tests
- If you have the means, I’d recommend using both—you’ll get an amazing score using either platform as long as you’re retaining what you learn
FINAL TIPS
- Be confidant on test day – I treated my second attempt like another practice test, and it helped calm my nerves!
- Study smart, not just hard → flashcards (or other methods focused on repetition) are more effective than rewatching videos for memory consolidation
- The DAT tests breadth, not depth—focus on covering more and ensure that you truly understand the concepts
- Know your limits to prevent burnout. I was more strategic the second time and focused on my strengths (mainly sciences). As a result, my Bio and GC scores jumped, even though I didn’t spend much time on PAT, RC, or QR.
