ACS Gen Chem 2 test and DAT

[Kahr]

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I just took the ACS exam (80Qs) as a supplemental final for my Gen Chem 2 class, and to be honest, I thought it was quite difficult. (I mean, it felt like I should've read through, not simply practiced problems extensively, every word of each chapter included in my textbook (Brady), and there also seemed to be some strange terminology I'd never heard my professor or text use, which I guess might be considered a normal issue on these types of exams?)

What I'm curious to know is, for anyone familiar with this exam, how comparable is it to the material on the DAT in both breadth and difficulty? Also, when preparing for the DAT, did it seem like the stuff you didn't know was simply due to forgetting stuff already learned, or stuff you never even saw before?

(As a side note, last semester I found the Gen Chem 1 ACS test to be much much easier)

 

[Vicviper]

I took the Ochem ASC Cumulative Final for my Ochem class.... (which contributed HEAVILY to me getting a not so hot grade... but that's another story!) and I thought it was definitely more difficult than the DAT. The DAT doesn't go into quite as much detail as the ACS.

 

[purplepanda]

Don't freak out too much. The best thing to do now is focus on your textbooks for Organic. I read my entire ochem textbook and did really well on the ACS. Then I took a Kaplan practice exam and did really well on Ochem. Now for Gen chem...not the same story. I never opened my book once in CHM 1 and 2...and now, I'm struggling through the ACS, Destroyer, and Kaplan. Moral is read the textbook and you will see an improvement in your ACS and DAT scores.

 

[Vicviper]

Eh, if you've got the Kaplan and Destroyer material, there isn't much need to use your book to study, because the book is much more detailed than the DAT is - I thought Gchem on the DAT was pretty basic and just testing the understanding of a wide variety of big topics.

 

[razblo]

I still remember taking the ACS exam for gen chem... stupid plum pudding model question 😡

 

[purplepanda]

I took gen chem at a CC. I thought I was really really good at it. But since I was not required to take the ACS, I never found out how little I actually knew. I am not blaming the CC I went to. I am blaming myself for not opening the books. ACS is kind of a blessing in disguised because it makes you sit down and think.."what the heck did I just learn over the past two semesters?!" Then when it's time to study for the DAT, you are like...well I know what I messed up on the ACS. I think all general chemistry students should take some sort of ACS or state mandated test to pass because some professors are amazing...but a little too easy on us. For my Gen chem II class, I didn't even have a final. So if it makes you feel better OP, I actually wish I was in your shoes 🙂

 

[Vicviper]

You know, you're right. If you can do really well on an ACS test, I'd say you're just about ready for the DAT in that section.

 

[Kahr]

Thank you all for your replies. I'm a bit less concerned now. I suppose regardless of my performance on the ACS exam I'm going to have to review and study all the material quite a bit intensively before the DAT anyway. I will certainly mention my thoughts on the ACS and DAT once I've taken the latter, hopefully it will be a positive post!