DAT done. WTFF X 1000000

[gumdrop16]

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omg wtf. just wtf. all i have to say is WTF. im SO upset. its disgusting. i want to cry but im too pissed to even cry. more like, im in shock.
this was the second time i took my DAT. i did better my FIRST time then i did this time.
THIS TEST WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
i cannot even tell you how hard i thought this test was. i literally have every other question marked in my sciences, NO JOKE. my RC was ALL ETHICAL, 2 passages about ethics, and i had maybe ONE science related passage on like an effing bacteria or some ridiculous microorganism, and even THAT passage was FILLLEDDDDD with tone/inference questions. all my passages were long as shi t. like 25 paragraphs long, i kid u not. is that normal? NO. well, i didnt think so. fml x 2000. on my last dat, from what i rmbr, i swear all of my passages were maybe 11 paragraphs MAX. this time.....i was like wtf????????????? i practicied with topscore RC and scored a 22 and 23 for the 1st 2 tests. i didnt bother with the 3rd test.
pat and qr, i dont have much to say.

todays dat scores :
pat 18
qr 17
RC 19
bio 20
gc SEVENTEEN THATS 17. THATS 1-WTF-7
ochem 20
TS 19
AA 19

my 1st dat, i had 20ts/20aa. BUT my gc was a a 24. and so was my rc. I WENT DOWN, DOWN INTO THE GUTTER. MY SCORES WENT DOWN. I ALREADY SUBMITTED MY APP. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MADDDDDDD. my test was sooooooooo hard.

and i say hard, i studied ALL summer long. i knew destroyer COLD, front and back, every subject (minus qr- thats just wtf in general for me). i did all of chads videos and quizzes. i knew them and understood them all. i just finished my masters in bio. im not a flakey studier, i KNOW my shi t. i got UNLUCKY AS FU CK today and got wiped down by this test. im mainly MAD bc my scores in general went DOWN. this is so embarassing i dont even know what to do with myself. my first DAT was HELLA easier then this. HELLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA EASIER. i have bad luck.

also, does anyone know, how is it chosen which version of the DAT each student takes? is it the proctor who sets u up, who randomly picks a version of the DAT they have at that prometric center or what? how does it work? is it biased? im so confused. I HATE MY LIFE

ps- the reason i retook my dat, was bc i had a subpar gpa from ug, and my pat was a 15 last time, and qr was a 14. to set off my subpar gpa, even with my MS, i wanted /needed to raise my PAT and was aiming for a 22+aa/ts. i want to jump off a cliff and drown.

 

[NDPitch]

First off, I understand the frustration associated with not performing the way you wanted to. Try to take some deep breaths and relax a little. There's nothing you can do about that test now, so try to let it go. The sooner you let it go, the sooner you can start seeing the big picture.

Second, try not to be so hard on yourself. Your scores are still pretty good!! Better than average actually. A total science of 19 is very respectable, most likely the upper 80s in percentile. Your PAT is fine, and from what you said, a major improvement from your last test. You also improved on QR, which is good. A 17 in QR is not the end of the world.

I know GC is probably a knife to the heart, but so is my 17 in RC. Try to look at the big picture. The test was very hard, but you still managed an above average AA and TS. Apply broadly and I think you'll be FINE.

 

[BRZ24]

omg wtf. just wtf. all i have to say is WTF. im SO upset. its disgusting. i want to cry but im too pissed to even cry. more like, im in shock.
this was the second time i took my DAT. i did better my FIRST time then i did this time.
THIS TEST WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
i cannot even tell you how hard i thought this test was. i literally have every other question marked in my sciences, NO JOKE. my RC was ALL ETHICAL, 2 passages about ethics, and i had maybe ONE science related passage on like an effing bacteria or some ridiculous microorganism, and even THAT passage was FILLLEDDDDD with tone/inference questions. all my passages were long as shi t. like 25 paragraphs long, i kid u not. is that normal? NO. well, i didnt think so. fml x 2000. on my last dat, from what i rmbr, i swear all of my passages were maybe 11 paragraphs MAX. this time.....i was like wtf????????????? i practicied with topscore RC and scored a 22 and 23 for the 1st 2 tests. i didnt bother with the 3rd test.
pat and qr, i dont have much to say.

todays dat scores :
pat 18
qr 17
RC 19
bio 20
gc SEVENTEEN THATS 17. THATS 1-WTF-7
ochem 20
TS 19
AA 19

my 1st dat, i had 20ts/20aa. BUT my gc was a a 24. and so was my rc. I WENT DOWN, DOWN INTO THE GUTTER. MY SCORES WENT DOWN. I ALREADY SUBMITTED MY APP. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MADDDDDDD. my test was sooooooooo hard.

and i say hard, i studied ALL summer long. i knew destroyer COLD, front and back, every subject (minus qr- thats just wtf in general for me). i did all of chads videos and quizzes. i knew them and understood them all. i just finished my masters in bio. im not a flakey studier, i KNOW my shi t. i got UNLUCKY AS FU CK today and got wiped down by this test. im mainly MAD bc my scores in general went DOWN. this is so embarassing i dont even know what to do with myself. my first DAT was HELLA easier then this. HELLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA EASIER. i have bad luck.

also, does anyone know, how is it chosen which version of the DAT each student takes? is it the proctor who sets u up, who randomly picks a version of the DAT they have at that prometric center or what? how does it work? is it biased? im so confused. I HATE MY LIFE

ps- the reason i retook my dat, was bc i had a subpar gpa from ug, and my pat was a 15 last time, and qr was a 14. to set off my subpar gpa, even with my MS, i wanted /needed to raise my PAT and was aiming for a 22+aa/ts. i want to jump off a cliff and drown.

You are fine my friend.

 

[gumdrop16]

.

 

[Shazzam]

Another case of someone forgetting that 19's are the average for accepted dental school students. You'll be fine.

 

[gumdrop16]

.

 

[gumdrop16]

Not to mention, the first question of my entire exam was a LAB technique.

 

[NDPitch]

I recommend you take a break from SDN for a while. Seriously, go get some fresh air, work out, work on the remainder of your applications, etc. I know you're mad, but the anger won't get you anywhere right now. I think you'll be fine in the long run. Even if you don't get in with those scores this cycle (even though I think you'll get in), I'd apply with these scores on June 1st next cycle and I think you'll be okay.

 

[aqz]

Seems like nothing you did was representative of the actual test then? If it's cool with you, I think a lot of us would really really appreciate a detailed breakdown of what went wrong with each section.

And no, a 19 isn't bad, but I know that's not how you feel about it. I would be equally pissed off as I have traded my health and my social life for this crap too.

 

[gumdrop16]

.

 

[aznnytezx]

Do you mind sharing the percentiles? That will definitely boosts up your confidence more.

 

[gumdrop16]

.

 

[sbesbesbe]

i'm scared...

 

[magriva]

great scores!

 

[alucidinterval]

would you like some cheese with that whine?

 

[gumdrop16]

would you like some cheese with that whine?

Yes

 

[aznnytezx]

 

[wo5678]

omg wtf. just wtf. all i have to say is WTF. im SO upset. its disgusting. i want to cry but im too pissed to even cry. more like, im in shock.
this was the second time i took my DAT. i did better my FIRST time then i did this time.
THIS TEST WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
i cannot even tell you how hard i thought this test was. i literally have every other question marked in my sciences, NO JOKE. my RC was ALL ETHICAL, 2 passages about ethics, and i had maybe ONE science related passage on like an effing bacteria or some ridiculous microorganism, and even THAT passage was FILLLEDDDDD with tone/inference questions. all my passages were long as shi t. like 25 paragraphs long, i kid u not. is that normal? NO. well, i didnt think so. fml x 2000. on my last dat, from what i rmbr, i swear all of my passages were maybe 11 paragraphs MAX. this time.....i was like wtf????????????? i practicied with topscore RC and scored a 22 and 23 for the 1st 2 tests. i didnt bother with the 3rd test.
pat and qr, i dont have much to say.

todays dat scores :
pat 18
qr 17
RC 19
bio 20
gc SEVENTEEN THATS 17. THATS 1-WTF-7
ochem 20
TS 19
AA 19

my 1st dat, i had 20ts/20aa. BUT my gc was a a 24. and so was my rc. I WENT DOWN, DOWN INTO THE GUTTER. MY SCORES WENT DOWN. I ALREADY SUBMITTED MY APP. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MADDDDDDD. my test was sooooooooo hard.

and i say hard, i studied ALL summer long. i knew destroyer COLD, front and back, every subject (minus qr- thats just wtf in general for me). i did all of chads videos and quizzes. i knew them and understood them all. i just finished my masters in bio. im not a flakey studier, i KNOW my shi t. i got UNLUCKY AS FU CK today and got wiped down by this test. im mainly MAD bc my scores in general went DOWN. this is so embarassing i dont even know what to do with myself. my first DAT was HELLA easier then this. HELLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA EASIER. i have bad luck.

also, does anyone know, how is it chosen which version of the DAT each student takes? is it the proctor who sets u up, who randomly picks a version of the DAT they have at that prometric center or what? how does it work? is it biased? im so confused. I HATE MY LIFE

ps- the reason i retook my dat, was bc i had a subpar gpa from ug, and my pat was a 15 last time, and qr was a 14. to set off my subpar gpa, even with my MS, i wanted /needed to raise my PAT and was aiming for a 22+aa/ts. i want to jump off a cliff and drown.

I feel your pain...to put the effort and money to retake the test only to get a lower score. :-(

At least this time, nothing was below 17. So I guess that is a positive.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[aznnytezx]

Anyways, for all seriousness. If you just finished your masters in Biology, with a great gpa in graduate school. Your chance of getting in is high. You are one of the untraditional applicant.

 

[aqz]

Ok, I guess I'll be "that guy"...based on how your posts are written alone, I'm not getting the impression you're a particularly intelligent person. I knew a lot of whiny people in undergrad that would do terrible on exams and claim they knew the material cold. Guess what...thinking you know the material and actually knowing the material are two very different things.

If you're going to retake, push yourself harder and practice even more. If you're not going to retake, relax because there's really nothing else you can do at this point.

Harsh...but have to agree with the "claiming and knowing" part. I constantly catch myself not knowing something sigh, painful but always better to think that there's always things you haven't went over yet.

Only thing that worries me is the fact that the first time he took it, he got a 24 gc/rc.....

A...24. And my test is in 3 days. Whatever test he took, I better not be getting that one.

 

[vlaura0214]

Wow, that is really unusual that your RC and GC dropped significantly. Did you not study as much as you did the first time for those subjects? Or did you get harder sections? I know my GC section had 7-8 fairly difficult calculation problems that I had difficulty setting up, while my friend got an easier GC section involving less calculations. It is a random toss-up, honestly. Still, it will be fine. Just take a break from SDN and any DAT related activity for a while to cool down. Getting angry about it won't help. Be prepared for questions during interviews about your dat scores change from your first dat--just in case. Don't make too many excuses, or you'll turn them off imo. Just answer maturely, and you'll be fine! Good luck!

@aqz: How you handle taking the test is a significant contributing factor to killing the dat. I thought I bombed my natural science section, but I just pushed through RC and QR. My thinking was "Well, the mistakes I made have already been made. I can't go back and change what I did in sciences, but I can still try my best in these later sections." I think this helped my RC and QR scores exponentially. I thought I didn't know anything, but as you take the test, you'll recognize familiar concepts. "Hey, I actually know this!" And it will get easier. Just stay positive! Good luck on your dat!

 

[drill-and-fill]

Ok, I guess I'll be "that guy"...based on how your posts are written alone, I'm not getting the impression you're a particularly intelligent person. I knew a lot of whiny people in undergrad that would do terrible on exams and claim they knew the material cold. Guess what...thinking you know the material and actually knowing the material are two very different things.

If you're going to retake, push yourself harder and practice even more. If you're not going to retake, relax because there's really nothing else you can do at this point.

👍

I personally know someone at my school who always claims that she got her stuff down cold before every exam, only to get like 70's or 80's on them.

I'm not saying that you're like that, or that you're a whiner, but like Feralis said, there's a big difference between actually knowing the materials and claimingthat you know the stuff.

My advice for you, IF you're retaking DAT again, is to go over the basic conceptual stuff carefully until you get those stuff down cold. Doing destroyer over and over and just memorizing the answers will not really help you; you must know the concepts behind each question. Good luck

 

[aznnytezx]

👍

I personally know someone at my school who always claims that she got her stuff down cold before every exam, only to get like 70's or 80's on them.

I'm not saying that you're like that, or that you're a whiner, but like Feralis said, there's a big difference between actually knowing the materials and claimingthat you know the stuff.

My advice for you, IF you're retaking DAT again, is to go over the basic conceptual stuff carefully until you get those stuff down cold. Doing destroyer over and over and just memorizing the answers will not really help you; you must know the concepts behind each question. Good luck

Exactly, I just finished my physics class with electric field and magnetism. I made a C on first two exams claiming that I knew my materials in and out. Until I really nailed it down on the final, and I made an high A on it. That's when I can finally said I knew my material inside and out. Thank goodness that the final is worth a lot more than the two exams together.

 

[NhuPT]

I hope you will feel better, some schools look at the higher DAT score! Keep that in mind, call the schools or look at the ADA manual to figure out with ones.

In your defense: I did recently read some where (I think it was on ADA website, on some pdf or ppt file) that they are changing the QR part of DAT - less or no trig and instead will introduce data interpretation next year. It might slowly apply on the science section so I do believe you. I thought I bookmarked the link but can't find it, will definitely post it if I find it.

Cheers!

 

[BRZ24]

👍

I personally know someone at my school who always claims that she got her stuff down cold before every exam, only to get like 70's or 80's on them.

I'm not saying that you're like that, or that you're a whiner, but like Feralis said, there's a big difference between actually knowing the materials and claimingthat you know the stuff.

My advice for you, IF you're retaking DAT again, is to go over the basic conceptual stuff carefully until you get those stuff down cold. Doing destroyer over and over and just memorizing the answers will not really help you; you must know the concepts behind each question. Good luck

I agree. The most important thing is to understand the concepts. Do not memorize answers. If you understand the concepts well you will do great. I think the questions on the DAT are meant to test concepts as oppose to memorization.

 

[aqz]

I hope you will feel better, some schools look at the higher DAT score! Keep that in mind, call the schools or look at the ADA manual to figure out with ones.

In your defense: I did recently read some where (I think it was on ADA website, on some pdf or ppt file) that they are changing the QR part of DAT - less or no trig and instead will introduce data interpretation next year. It might slowly apply on the science section so I do believe you. I thought I bookmarked the link but can't find it, will definitely post it if I find it.

Cheers!

Pics or gtfo =(

 

[412smb412]

u did better than your last take... thats what i see... the point is that u don't want red flags.... one red flag was enough for u to retake the test, and now u don't have any. so u succeeded in your overall goal. if u don't get in re-apply and work harder... there is no such thing as being over prepaired for such an exam and im sure u know that!

i can obviously see why ur mad/sad, it makes sense! any1 on this thread who has posted would feel the exact same way if they were in ur scenario but look at the facts, they are more reassuring. the numbers are not bad at all, u don't have much to wry about it from a objective perspective.

 

[dentalgirl16]

I hope you will feel better, some schools look at the higher DAT score! Keep that in mind, call the schools or look at the ADA manual to figure out with ones.

In your defense: I did recently read some where (I think it was on ADA website, on some pdf or ppt file) that they are changing the QR part of DAT - less or no trig and instead will introduce data interpretation next year. It might slowly apply on the science section so I do believe you. I thought I bookmarked the link but can't find it, will definitely post it if I find it.

Cheers!

Do you mean this?

http://www.adea.org/dental_educatio...cuments/DAT Update and Trends _ADEA_2012 .pdf

 

[aqz]

^ Oh whew...not until 2013.

Maybe they slipped in one on gumdrop by accident?

 

[Kingsta2426]

The percentiles will tell you how hard the test was, a ~88% for a 19 AA means it was a hard test. Either way your scores arent THAT bad so just calm down a little.

 

[dentalgirl16]

I don't think your scores are terrible. TS and AA of 19 are considered competitive for most schools, and you did improve on the PAT and QR sections. My suggestion would be to take it again if you have time. If you don't, then move on, work on other aspects of your application, and see what happens. If you get rejected, then at least you will know which part of your application (your DAT) you will need to work on for next time.

Good luck with everything gumdrop16!

 

[NhuPT]

Do you mean this?

http://www.adea.org/dental_educatio...cuments/DAT Update and Trends _ADEA_2012 .pdf

Yes!!!! Thanks dentalgirl16!! I knew I saw it somewhere 🙂

 

[NhuPT]

^ Oh whew...not until 2013.

Maybe they slipped in one on gumdrop by accident?

 

[412smb412]

WAIT... SO if you take the dat in 2014 qr is not counted?????????? thats what it says!?!

 

[two thirty]

This is the last thing I want to read before I take mine tomorrow. And I don't even feel like I know it as well as most of you do.

 

[17271990]

This is the last thing I want to read before I take mine tomorrow. And I don't even feel like I know it as well as most of you do.

Haha you're not alone! Mine is the day after tomorrow. This post just crushed my confidence.

 

[two thirty]

Haha you're not alone! Mine is the day after tomorrow. This post just crushed my confidence.

I guess it's my punishment for taking breaks the last night hah.

 

[sbesbesbe]

I hope you will feel better, some schools look at the higher DAT score! Keep that in mind, call the schools or look at the ADA manual to figure out with ones.

In your defense: I did recently read some where (I think it was on ADA website, on some pdf or ppt file) that they are changing the QR part of DAT - less or no trig and instead will introduce data interpretation next year. It might slowly apply on the science section so I do believe you. I thought I bookmarked the link but can't find it, will definitely post it if I find it.

Cheers!

wait a minute...
is this a good thing or bad thing...?
I don't like the sound of this...

 

[21092109]

WAIT... SO if you take the dat in 2014 qr is not counted?????????? thats what it says!?!

No, it means the new additions to the QR section will not count toward the total QR score. Meaning this doesn't really affect anyone until 2015 when they figure out how to use these types of questions after experimenting on test takers.
Which makes me think those 1/3 hole punches don't actually count toward PAT score. I think we're just being experimented on as well and those questions don't really affect us.. can anyone confirm this? Taking my test in a few days and would rather skip over them instead of staring at them trying figure out what the heck I'm looking at.

 

[aqz]

This is the last thing I want to read before I take mine tomorrow. And I don't even feel like I know it as well as most of you do.

Haha you're not alone! Mine is the day after tomorrow. This post just crushed my confidence.

And mine is on Thursday. Feels like an action potential....all or nothing.

At this point, I don't know whether I want you two to do great so I can feel like I have a chance, or if I want you two to do bad so I can feel prepared for the worst. >_>

 

[peanutmonster]

i basically hope that u feel better because i may or may not be in your shoes by tomorrow....i'm definitely gonna pray a lot

 

[412smb412]

i basically hope that u feel better because i may or may not be in your shoes by tomorrow....i'm definitely gonna pray a lot

based on probablity ur not going to have the same test tmr.

but if there actually was a mistake... like if they gave the test for next year this year well what or how does som1 go about notifying the ada b/c im sure mistakes do happen on their part but the fact that it cost som1 money and something more is disgusting... funny they are supposed to be standardized btu this proves that there is no such thing and that standardized tests are not at all a representation of percentile b/c this guy's percentile seems too high for the scores he acheived..

 

[Blake1e]

Interesting thread, it definitely put some doubt into me.

Though I'm sure it'll wear off by morning.

 

[412smb412]

i guess we'll just have to see...


any1 taking the test tmr? post ur scores when u get em??

 

[17271990]

i basically hope that u feel better because i may or may not be in your shoes by tomorrow....i'm definitely gonna pray a lot

Good luck! Please let us know how it goes!

 

[two thirty]

i guess we'll just have to see...


any1 taking the test tmr? post ur scores when u get em??

I'm taking to tomorrow although I really don't think I'm prepared. Sitting here learning trig values on the last night just like I did for the AP calc exam . Worked last time.

 

[gumdrop16]

I hope you will feel better, some schools look at the higher DAT score! Keep that in mind, call the schools or look at the ADA manual to figure out with ones.

In your defense: I did recently read some where (I think it was on ADA website, on some pdf or ppt file) that they are changing the QR part of DAT - less or no trig and instead will introduce data interpretation next year. It might slowly apply on the science section so I do believe you. I thought I bookmarked the link but can't find it, will definitely post it if I find it.

Cheers!

thats interesting. my QR had one trig question, and the rest honestly were fairly simple. i still only got a 17 though.....but a 17 in qr is good enough for me.

 

[gumdrop16]

.

 

[Toofly01]

Wow. That is unfortunate- sorry you had a difficult version... I can only imagine how it would affect your confidence and thereby make you do even worse... 🙁

I was originally scheduled to take mine 8/28 but pushed it back to 9/4 a couple of weeks ago. Should those of us taking the exam soon be worried? I feel like I've read a couple of similar posts lately... describing how the Bio section had really off the wall questions, PAT was more difficult than CDP, and RC was terribly hard... I'm already feeling slightly overwhelmed, some days I get excited thinking I am making progress and others I feel depressed. Reading this post just terrifies me! 🙁

Oh and I just wanted to wish everyone taking their exam tomorrow and in the upcoming days good luck!!

 

[two thirty]

Wow. That is unfortunate- sorry you had a difficult version... I can only imagine how it would affect your confidence and thereby make you do even worse... 🙁

I was originally scheduled to take mine 8/28 but pushed it back to 9/4 a couple of weeks ago. Should those of us taking the exam soon be worried? I feel like I've read a couple of similar posts lately... describing how the Bio section had really off the wall questions, PAT was more difficult than CDP, and RC was terribly hard... I'm already feeling slightly overwhelmed, some days I get excited thinking I am making progress and others I feel depressed. Reading this post just terrifies me! 🙁

Oh and I just wanted to wish everyone taking their exam tomorrow and in the upcoming days good luck!!

I took mine Tuesday and got a 21/21/19.

Bio wasn't too bad. I had some random questions that Cliffs didn't prepare me for, but it was fair. Got a 22.

RC seemed fine. I honestly studied about 30 minutes total for this section so I don't know what to compare it to, but the first passage was a struggle but I started to figure out how to attack the section and I breezed through the third. Got a 20 here.

The PAT was a lot harder than CDP for me. Granted, I got a 19 and my average score was a 19 throughout studying, but after the 8th test I hadn't broken in the 20's so I really took the time to learn strategies on every section. The only full length test I took after that I got a 22 on. Keyholes were harder. TFE was similar. Angles were easier, HP was about the same. Cubes were easier. Pattern folding was the biggest wtf I've ever seen. All 15 of mine were complex shapes that it was hard to picture. CDP never challenged me on what shape I was forming, just the shading. My real DAT I could barely figure out the shape I was going for. That said, it was light on the shading, but I didn't have any dice or the ones where you just big the big side and go with it. It was 15 complex shapes that I had no practice on.

That said, OP's test is not the norm. I had two GC lab application problems, but one was kind of a safety thing(don't really want to go into detail) that I got right because I remember our lab instructors hilarious first GC lecture on what not to do. The other I had no idea and just guessed and moved on.