DAT changes and study material

[WhiteningStrike]

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Hi everyone,

I have decided to take the DAT in September of this year. I read that the DAT is changing in 2016 with some minor QR and Bio section changes in 2015. Are the changes that big of a deal in 2015?

Also, what are good study materials for the DAT?

Based on what my sister used (who is a current dental student) I was going to use Kaplan as well as the Math destroyer for QR. Do you think this will suffice? Or are there any other materials I should use?

Thank you for the advice.

 

[Scarlet Knight]

Hello @Schaf77 ,

From my knowledge, the changes on the DAT were rather minor where it doesn't really affect the way you prepare for the test (maybe more of an emphasis on a certain type of question, but nothing too drastic). Ari from DAT Bootcamp outlines the changes in the post below. In terms of 2016, I'm not too sure, but I don't see how it would be too different from what current test takers are taking.

http://datbootcamp.com/blog/what-to-know-about-the-2015-dat/

In my opinion, the best resources for the DAT are Cliff Notes and Feralis notes for Biology, DAT Destroyer for the sciences, DAT Bootcamp for all subjects, and Chad's videos for General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. In regards to Kaplan, I took a live online Kaplan course, and while I found their resources helpful, it is a bit pricey, so that is something to consider. I mentioned in my breakdown earlier that I wish I used Math Destroyer for the QR section and I think that would be a wise investment -- I think, like the DAT Destroyer does for your sciences, it can really boost your QR score (which, in my opinion, is more difficult than I initially thought it would be).

Best of luck!

 

[WhiteningStrike]

Thank you Scarlet Knight. I did see what Ari said but I just wanted to confirm from another source. Thanks again for the input, much appreciated.

 

[WhiteningStrike]

Hello @Schaf77 ,

From my knowledge, the changes on the DAT were rather minor where it doesn't really affect the way you prepare for the test (maybe more of an emphasis on a certain type of question, but nothing too drastic). Ari from DAT Bootcamp outlines the changes in the post below. In terms of 2016, I'm not too sure, but I don't see how it would be too different from what current test takers are taking.

http://datbootcamp.com/blog/what-to-know-about-the-2015-dat/

In my opinion, the best resources for the DAT are Cliff Notes and Feralis notes for Biology, DAT Destroyer for the sciences, DAT Bootcamp for all subjects, and Chad's videos for General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. In regards to Kaplan, I took a live online Kaplan course, and while I found their resources helpful, it is a bit pricey, so that is something to consider. I mentioned in my breakdown earlier that I wish I used Math Destroyer for the QR section and I think that would be a wise investment -- I think, like the DAT Destroyer does for your sciences, it can really boost your QR score (which, in my opinion, is more difficult than I initially thought it would be).

Best of luck!

Thank you Scarlet Knight. I did read what Ari said about the changes but I just wanted to confirm from another source. Thanks for the input, much appreciated.

 

[The Dentanator]

I haven't used Chad's videos, but I know that the Kaplan blue book helped a lot for orgo and gen chem, but for Bio I used a version of Alan's notes I found on SDN and thought it helped a lot more than the Kaplan book. I used Feralis' notes too and they were pretty good, but I liked Alan's notes because I could go through them quicker. DAT destroyer is also pretty clutch so you should consider that just as scarlet knight was saying. DAT BC is great too and for the final 2 weeks or so when you should be taking full tests, Topscore is alright. It's pretty good for sciences but too easy on PAT and RC in my opinion. One software I loved was DAT Achiever, but it is not for the faint of heart. It will chew you up and spit you out most of the time, and after seeing such low scores it might lower your morale. If you take notes with it so you can understand each concept/question (especially for sciences) then it will help big time. For Achiever though the RC is the hardest thing you will ever read, and generally is nothing like what you will see on test day. Good Luck in your studies!