DAT Question for Topscore and Achiever users...

[toyotasupra]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I know a lot of you guys are done taking the DATs. For those of you who used Achiever and Topscore, what scores where you guys getting in comparison to the real DAT?

I'll be taking the real DAT in 3 weeks. I was confident yesterday, as I was getting roughly 24/20/19 on the bio, chem, ochem on Topscore.

Today I decided to crack open the Achiever program again... it did not go too well. I hit 17/16/14 on bio, chem, ochem.

Achiever's questions seem to be more complex. Did anyone feel the same way?

So which program is more accurate? I'm having a melt-down. 🙁

 

[dmdluffy]

I know a lot of you guys are done taking the DATs. For those of you who used Achiever and Topscore, what scores where you guys getting in comparison to the real DAT?

I'll be taking the real DAT in 3 weeks. I was confident yesterday, as I was getting roughly 24/20/19 on the bio, chem, ochem on Topscore.

Today I decided to crack open the Achiever program again... it did not go too well. I hit 17/16/14 on bio, chem, ochem.

Achiever's questions seem to be more complex. Did anyone feel the same way?

So which program is more accurate? I'm having a melt-down. 🙁

Yeah Achiever is pretty hard. Take it with a grain of salt, it's not reflective of the difficulty of the DAT

 

[toyotasupra]

Lol nice one piece avatar. Anyway, I went back to look at all the questions I missed on Achiever... the questions aren't exactly tougher, just trickier.

Take test 2, question 25 for example.

Which of the following observations is/are shared features(s) of the leading and lagging strands of DNA replication?

I. RNA priming via a primase
II. Presence of Okazaki fragments
III. Elongation via DNA polymerases

If you speed read, you'll automatically think it's all of the above since they all appear during DNA replication. But on closer inspection, it's asking for shared features; so that would eliminate II. presence of okazaki fragments.

I think Topscore doesn't throw as many of these curve balls so that's probably why my score is higher. 😳

 

[dmdluffy]

Lol nice one piece avatar. Anyway, I went back to look at all the questions I missed on Achiever... the questions aren't exactly tougher, just trickier.

Take test 2, question 25 for example.

Which of the following observations is/are shared features(s) of the leading and lagging strands of DNA replication?

I. RNA priming via a primase
II. Presence of Okazaki fragments
III. Elongation via DNA polymerases

If you speed read, you'll automatically think it's all of the above since they all appear during DNA replication. But on closer inspection, it's asking for shared features; so that would eliminate II. presence of okazaki fragments.

I think Topscore doesn't throw as many of these curve balls so that's probably why my score is higher. 😳

Question seems straight forward. To put you at ease here are my Achiever scores:
Test 1: 17 PAT / 20QR / 18 RC / 17 BIO / 16 GC / 16 OC / 17 TS / 17 AA
Test 2: 20 PAT / 21QR / 17 RC / 16 BIO / 19 GC / 17 OC / 17 TS / 18 AA
Test 3: 20 PAT / 16 QR / 18 RC / 15 BIO / 16 GC / 17 OC / 17 TS / 18 AA
Test 4: 19 PAT / 18 QR / 15 RC / 15 BIO / 16 GC / 17 OC / 16 TS / 16 AA
Test 5: 20 PAT / 16 QR / 17 RC / 15 BIO / 16 GC / 14 OC / 15 TS / 16 AA

Actual DAT:
24 PAT / 20 QR / 24 RC / 20 BIO / 24 GC / 22 OC / 21 TS / 22 AA

Achiever isn't very reflective of the DAT

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

Consensus is...

You'll score 1-2 points higher than your average Topscore exam.
You'll score 4-5 points higher than your average Achiever exam.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

i did 2 points better on the actual test than topscore (18 TS, 20 AA)

and achiever...just wasn't fair. although use it for the PAT

 

[toyotasupra]

Is Achiever easier in the QR section than Topscore?

 

[dantemac]

You should probably look in the DAT section at people's posts who finished the DAT. A lot of them provide their practice and real scores.

The best indicators are the ADA 07 and 09 practice tests. Those scores should match up closely to what you are capable of scoring.

 

[smthngintheway]

While I didn't take topscore, I did take achiever the week before my DATs and I will say that it is way way way harder then the actual DATs so really, it's kinda of a waster of time and money unless you've already utitilzed other studying programs first.

For instance, I got a 25 on my PAT section on the actual DATs. I thought it was easy as hell. The week before, I was taking the PAT section on the achiever and I was literally stumped on some of their questions, just staring at the screen going WTF!?
I think the same can be applied for the RC and other sections (it'll probably vary person to person)

In short: from my own personal experience, I would say to avoid achiever unless you've already fully utilized all your other study options.

 

[shaiboy]

Toss Achiever, it's a POS. Topscore FTW.

 

[Demps]

Consensus is...

You'll score 1-2 points higher than your average Topscore exam.
You'll score 4-5 points higher than your average Achiever exam.

+1

Yep. Don't get discouraged by Achiever. I knew this and I did not bother trying Achiever.

24 Bio in topscore? damn lol.