Best Practice Test Material

[clockworkin]

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Hey guys, I am wondering what software makes the best DAT practice test??? More specifically, what softwares emulate the real test setup the most? most accurate as far as scoring compared to read DAT? Thanks

 

[ttdmd]

I am very curious about it too! Especially for the science portion! Somebody please help.

 

[singhb]

Try the checking out DAT Discussion forum.

 

[study girl]

Here is what I did to prepare:

- 2010 Kaplan DAT book, and read the entire science section.
- ACE THE DAT: this one was pretty good. The reading is a lot easier, the PAT is harder, math and the sciences are pretty close to the real thing
- TOP SCORE: This was super close to the real thing.
-Barron's Biology AP: This was the best Biology review that I had.

I designated about 7 weeks to studying for the DAT. However, I procrastinated and ended up only hard core studying the last 2 weeks. The first week I spent reviewing all of my sciences. I read 2 Kaplan books and parts of the AP biology book. I had worked as a TA for the General Biology Class the semester before, so my Biology was pretty secure. For Chemistry, I just did practice problems after practice problems. I also reviewed main concepts. For Organic Chemistry, I also mostly did practice problems. On top of the practice problems, I memorized reactions and made notes about major trends. For reading and math, I really did just take practice tests. It helped to know how to time everything.

I did several PAT practice tests during my spring semester. At first, I was getting like 13's... Like I got 13-16 on like all 6 that I took. I became frustrated and just completely blew it off during my studying. Then about 3 weeks before my test I began to review and everything had just clicked. It became my easiest section.

Here were my scores on the DAT--- They aren't amazing but I felt pretty good about them
-PAT: 20
-Quantitative Reasoning: 18
-Reading: 22
-Biology: 20
-Chemistry: 21
-O Chem: 21
-Academic Average: 20
-Science Average: 21

 

[USC11]

For something near the difficulty and format of the DAT, Topscore really is the closest you're going to get. Crack DAT is also extremely similar in format, but I'd really only use it practicing the PAT section and maybe math. I'd also recommend Achiever for practice. It's definitely a lot harder than the real DAT, but the questions it asks require you to really know the material.

 

[predentduck]

I agree that Topscore was a good representation of what the DAT was going to be like. I only used Topscore and 2 Kaplan DAT review books. I read the two books which really had a lot of the same info in them, did a topscore test, realized I needed to have a lot more committed to memory, rewrote one of the books almost in its entirety as a form of studying, did another topscore test, wrote through a journal rewriting sections that I had trouble with, and took the last topscore exam about 5 days before the exam. I also did the three practice Reading Comprehension exams in the one Kaplan book and received a 20AA 21TS 21PAT 22RC 20Gchem 23Ochem 20Bio and 16QR (ha, not the best QR)

hope that helps good luck

 

[Maygyver]

I would suggest just looking at people's breakdowns and see what they did. I think TopScore was fine.

 

[Technicolor12]

Working through Kaplan blue book, TopScore, and CDP, the TopScore sciences are harder than Kaplan's, and CDP is tougher than the PAT of either of the other two materials.

 

[RSimon]

Kaplan review book and Topscore tests. The achiever is harder than necessary and makes you lose momentum by the low score you will receive. Topscore test are very accurate and maybe slightly harder Science wise than the real one. I saw several identical questions on the real DAT just worded slightly different.

Other than that its all strategy and the only way you figure that out is practicing on several tests.

AA-20

PA-23
RC-25
Bio-20
GC-19
OC-19
TS-20
QR-17