DAT advice

[Penda123]

This was my DAT breakdown:

RC: 17
QR:13
PAT:17
GC: 18
ORG: 17
BIO:17
TS: 17
AA:16

I took the exam at the end of July and will be able to retake the exam at the end of October. Could anyone give advice to whether I should apply now and select to retake or wait until after I have retaken the exam.

I have signed up for the Kaplan face to face class. Has anyone taken the class?

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[Mushibachan]

What resources did you use to study for the July test?

 

[Penda123]

I used DAT destroyer (2009); chads videos; DAT bootcamp. I was scoring in the high 20's on the bootcamp practice test. The exam that I received was way harder. I took the 2007 free exam test of the science sections and did very well. Hoping Kaplan helps.

 

[Mushibachan]

Ahh I see, unfortunately I didn't do the Kaplan course, but perhaps that can help. I am confused because your scores on BC are rather high. I am curious to why your test was "unnecessarily" hard.

 

[510586]

This was my DAT breakdown:

RC: 17
QR:13
PAT:17
GC: 18
ORG: 17
BIO:17
TS: 17
AA:16

I took the exam at the end of July and will be able to retake the exam at the end of October. Could anyone give advice to whether I should apply now and select to retake or wait until after I have retaken the exam.

I have signed up for the Kaplan face to face class. Has anyone taken the class?

How would you approach it differently on a retake then, if you were using all the recommended resources? I'm sorry about the hard test.

 

[510586]

Ahh I see, unfortunately I didn't do the Kaplan course, but perhaps that can help. I am confused because your scores on BC are rather high. I am curious to why your test was "unnecessarily" hard.

Might not be first time BC scores? This is the first breakdown I've seen with such a start contrast in scores. And I remember when I talked to the creators of destroyer, they said that there wouldn't be a major overhaul. If new questions were being added, it would slowly get mixed in. It doesn't seem reasonable to do this extreme of an overhaul. Maybe a photo of the scores would convince me but this seems unrealistic

 

[Mushibachan]

Might not be first time BC scores? This is the first breakdown I've seen with such a start contrast in scores. And I remember when I talked to the creators of destroyer, they said that there wouldn't be a major overhaul. If new questions were being added, it would slowly get mixed in. It doesn't seem reasonable to do this extreme of an overhaul. Maybe a photo of the scores would convince me but this seems unrealistic

Yeah I agree with you.. I feel like this situation must be that 1 exception =/

 

[alexis2010]

I used DAT destroyer (2009); chads videos; DAT bootcamp. I was scoring in the high 20's on the bootcamp practice test. The exam that I received was way harder. I took the 2007 free exam test of the science sections and did very well. Hoping Kaplan helps.

You are using a DAT destroyer version that's 6 years old!!!. Try to get the newest version, it has a lot more practice questions. Also did you use math destroyer for QR? It might be helpful if you post your study strategy, your major, how long you studied for etc...

 

[still in school]

I'm really confused at the HUGE gap between your BootCamp scores and your actual test. Can you elaborate and post scores from BC?

 

[Endeross]

This was my DAT breakdown:

RC: 17
QR:13
PAT:17
GC: 18
ORG: 17
BIO:17
TS: 17
AA:16

I took the exam at the end of July and will be able to retake the exam at the end of October. Could anyone give advice to whether I should apply now and select to retake or wait until after I have retaken the exam.

I have signed up for the Kaplan face to face class. Has anyone taken the class?

I would like to see your practice test scores and know a few various things,

Did you take FULL practice tests? (timed, start of natural sciences, finish the whole test in the allotted under 5 hours including break etc) If so, How many? I see you said on THE bootcamp test, does that mean you just took the 1? Did you retake that test multiple times and base your understanding off the retakes?

Were there sections that you did not complete on the actual exam in time?

How long did you study? What were your study techniques? Be honest, did you UNDERSTAND the answers to the dat destroyer and review the sections of questions you got wrong? Or did you just check the answers and then memorize them again?

I cannot see how anyone could get mid 20's let alone HIGH 20's on multiple bootcamp tests for the first time taking them and get the scores you did on the real thing. I would assume based on your score that all you did was go through the test/s once, look at the answers and do them all again after memorizing the answers without understanding the underlying principles. It's unheard of to do so well on bootcamp and do so poorly on the real DAT.

If you truly did so well previously and think you just got that 1 in a million crazy hard test, I say retake it. Skip the expensive kaplan course. Theres no need. Adversely, if it was a stress related or nerves thing then you need to work on doing practice tests outside your house and in the allowed time so you get timing down and work on relaxing and getting timing down for your tests. The DAT will not be the hardest test you will take in your dental career and if you cannot get your test taking skills down then you are sure to struggle even more when it comes time for board exams etc which have much more of your money and time invested on the line.

Sorry for my brutal honesty but I just do not believe the differences in your practices without some explanation or evidence.

 

[RuffDay]

What is your undergraduate GPA?