DAT Retake study strategy

[Xosor001]

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I have seen how well most of you have done. Congrats. Your hard work has paid off. I worked really hard this summer but apparently not hard enough.I took My DAT on Friday and I am very upset with the results.

PAT 16
QR. 16
Rc. 16
Bio. 18
GC. 18
OC. 16
TS. 18
AA. 17

I used chad videos, and crack the DAT to study. I was getting mixed grades 18- 20s and on my practice exams. RC was a little more difficult for me. I thought I was ready and my friend implied that the real thing was easier than the crack the DAT practice. I was expecting a different outcome. I am very upset. Time got the best of me and I personally feel the test was very difficult.The whole situation is frustrating since I just graduated and my plans seem to have crashed : /. What am I gonna do for a whole year !! Other than try to retake this test and reapply.

Can you guys recommend me with a good break down study plan that helped you. Please. How will I know when I am 100% ready. I don't want to retake it until I feel I can get at least a 20 on each section. I know that with hard work and determination it can be done. What is the best way to attack RC. I am second language so it doesn't come as easy but I know it's doable. I have a 3.25 science GPA and a 3.45 overall. I'm relying solely on DAT scores. I am
Very frustrated please give me some feedback and advice guys. And good luck with your applications.

 

[aznnytezx]

I haven't taken the DAT yet, but I know a few thing about life. If you coming into the test thinking it will be easier than the hard work you have been going through (ex. practice materials) then your confidence level was too high. Therefore, you didn't put as much effort towards the end I am assuming? Try to think that the DAT will be harder than your practice materials, therefore you should always be practicing. Try DAT Achiever, maybe that'll tell you how hard the DAT can be. But do not expect a test is easier than the practice exams. Also look at bright side, one year off from school? You can work to pay off dental school so you can claim less loans while in dental school. Taking a break from school for a year isn't bad, just don't give up any hopes.

 

[foreveros]

I have seen how well most of you have done. Congrats. Your hard work has paid off. I worked really hard this summer but apparently not hard enough.I took My DAT on Friday and I am very upset with the results.

PAT 16
QR. 16
Rc. 16
Bio. 18
GC. 18
OC. 16
TS. 18
AA. 17

I used chad videos, and crack the DAT to study. I was getting mixed grades 18- 20s and on my practice exams. RC was a little more difficult for me. I thought I was ready and my friend implied that the real thing was easier than the crack the DAT practice. I was expecting a different outcome. I am very upset. Time got the best of me and I personally feel the test was very difficult.The whole situation is frustrating since I just graduated and my plans seem to have crashed : /. What am I gonna do for a whole year !! Other than try to retake this test and reapply.

Can you guys recommend me with a good break down study plan that helped you. Please. How will I know when I am 100% ready. I don't want to retake it until I feel I can get at least a 20 on each section. I know that with hard work and determination it can be done. What is the best way to attack RC. I am second language so it doesn't come as easy but I know it's doable. I have a 3.25 science GPA and a 3.45 overall. I'm relying solely on DAT scores. I am
Very frustrated please give me some feedback and advice guys. And good luck with your applications.

Just to let you know, that even if you have 10 years to prepare for dat you will never feel that you are 100% prepared. same goes for exams in dental school.

What bothers me the most is that you only relied on crack for everything. No topscore, no achiever and no kaplan. I say you need to re review all your week areas by taking one practice exam every couple of weeks and review the quetions that you get correct and wrong. and understand the topics behind it instead of just saying ohh i just made a silly mistake.

Its hard to get 20 on the practice tests, unlike the real exam. because you will never treat practice exam like the real thing. there are so many factors involved in the real thing. My advice is to take more practice tests and improve on the topics that you keep on getting wrong understand why you answer them incorrectly and solidify on that specific topic.

For rc, most people like to use search and destory, but you need to do enough practice to develop this skill. Half the people who take dat have their second language to be english so you cannot use that excuse. you need to keep practicing and improving on a technique and you will get better. its just matter of time. Make sure that you do everything practice wise, kaplan, topscore, and achiever then after doing all those then only take the real dat.

 

[petro244]

Friend,

Do not be discouraged by your scores. You clearly have a decent understanding of the material you were tested on. Just because you don't score 25-30 like every one else on sdn, doesn't mean there's no hope. Because your scores are just slightly slightly low (still good) hear me out with this recommendation. Get a job in a medical or dental field for this year. Study every night. Just a few hours, since you already know your stuff. If you can, try to get your hands on DAT destroyer. Just get th book with organic, GC, BIO, and QR. do all the problems 3 times through. I did 45 problems at a time. It will kick your ass at first, but will be good for your knowledge. You did good, do not give up on your dream. DO NOT let the other other posts of 25-30 on SDN make you feel inferior, bc your not. They make up the 1-2% of those that take the test, and a lot more than that make it to dental school to become the dentist they dream to be. I took the exam this morning and scored 21 on near all sections. Your hard work will pay off, friend.

Take care.

 

[Xosor001]

Thanks for the encouraging words guys! Off course I am not giving up. This is my dream and I will fight for it. I didn't start following SDN until after the test , which was a huge mistake. There is so many resources and advice here I wish I had then. I have the tools now and I shall use them. Any useful information please post here for me to use it. Good luck in all of your applications guys. When I retake the test you will be the first to know about my success.

 

[aznnytezx]

Here I'll help you out, these are the materials that you'll need.

1. Math Destroyer and DAT Destroyer
2. AP Barrons Biology / AP Cliffs
3. Chad's DAT Videos (Watch the QR, OCHEM, CHEM)
4. DAT QVAULT (Biology)
5. Crack dat pat and reading
6. TopScore (Do about 1 week before your actual exam)

All of this should be less than 500$. which would save you a retake !

 

[Xosor001]

Here I'll help you out, these are the materials that you'll need.

1. Math Destroyer and DAT Destroyer
2. AP Barrons Biology / AP Cliffs
3. Chad's DAT Videos (Watch the QR, OCHEM, CHEM)
4. DAT QVAULT (Biology)
5. Crack dat pat and reading
6. TopScore (Do about 1 week before your actual exam)

All of this should be less than 500$. which would save you a retake !

Hey thanks for the advice. How would you recommend me to start studying? Should I start from 0? Should I use a certain pattern. Complete GC first. Then bio. Then orgo. Which is how I did it the first time. Or should I do them all together ? By the way. What would you recommend for me to improve my sense of urgency while taking tests. ? Thank you for taking time to reply to my posts. Good luck on your endeavors : )

 

[aznnytezx]

I haven't taken the DAT, but planning to with a full course schedule. Just imagine you are studying for finals, do you concentrate one subject a time or do you do all of them together? I usually do all of them together, and alternate. That way works best for me. That way, you are applying the materials everyday rather than just for one or two weeks only. And never touch the materials again. You can't find your weakness that way. That should answer you about pattern.

Should you start from 0? Base on your scores, you should work on PAT, QR, and RC everyday piece by piece. You can always cram science, but you cannot cram those. Those subjects take several practices until you master them. Not saying science doesn't need as much practice, but from your score. Organic chemistry needs practice also. Practicing will help you retain the materials and your mistakes. For the science, you can do like 1 chapter a day for Cliffs/Barrons while you do 3 videos a day for Chad's or something like that.

Improve your sense of urgency while taking tests? Man after saying that, I think you're stressing out way too much. Go get a 60 min - 90 min massage from a professional the day before your DAT. Get your mind to relax, and everything. Usually when I am taking a long exam (3 Hours), I would take a 5 hour energy drink because it is a NO CRASH thing. It usually keeps me focus and alert on the exams, so I can be prone to mistakes.

Last but not least, if you're not scoring well on the practice exams. Then POSTpone your exam. It only costs 25$, and 25$ saves you 350$ in the future. It is better to be ready, than hurting yourself more because of another exam.

 

[youknowthedrill]

There is an 8 week study plan posted as a "sticky" at the top of the DAT forum.

 

[predent325]

Don't be too discouraged! I feel like your problem was that you didnt use Cliffs or the DAT Destroyer! those were the two most important test materials that I used this summer. Crack the PAT was really good! Also, my RC was weak in the beginning too, but then I used Crack the reading and read random science journals to build up skills of reading dense articles really fast. Crack the reading was definitely simpler than the real DAT reading passages, but it was a great way to build up my timing, which is key on a test like this. Also, you should look at the year as a positive. You will have a lot of experience compared to other applicants, which my you stick out a lot to certain schools. Even more importantly, you have a year to review the material! Reviewing my notes and practicing problems were the only reason I did good, and now you have plenty of time to improve. I just want to say that I pushed my test back a week because I wasnt confident that I would get over a 20 in every section. Only take the exam when you know you studied the material the best you could. It is nice to be a little confident when you walk in, but realize that the DAT didn't really have harder questions than practice. It was more that youre nervouse because you know this is the real thing so that makes the test seem more difficult than any practice you ever done.

 

[Xosor001]

How did you study with the destroyer ? I just bought it from someone. It's just questions and answers. You just did the problems and studied the answers ? I have ordered cliffs as well. I am planning on starting to study as soon as I have everything and following that 8 week program. Maybe I can take it before the deadline. Do you guys think I am rushing or it's a good try? If i don't feel ready I'll just wont take it, but that should be plenty of time. I feel a somewhat concerned since 7 schools already have my appellations and they are just waiting for my DAT scores : /. I feel cornered

 

[toyotasupra]

Do all the questions on Destroyer and you will be amazed at how much you know after completing each section.

Do not spend more than 8 weeks studying for the DAT. I spent 3 months the first time around and could not recall the stuff I learned the 1st and 2nd month. 😀

I would recommended just studying 4 weeks TOPS! That way you actually remember the stuff. Good Luck. I'm retaking my DAT in 2 days. I just finished Destroyer and just going through it again since my memory seems to get reformatted every 2 weeks.

 

[predent325]

I am going to have to disagree with the person above me. I took 2-3 months of my summer studying for the DATs, and it went really well. I think you should go through the material at least once or twice in one month. Then, for the next month, you should be reviewing what you learned and going through the destroyer.
I studied the material then the destroyer once. Then, i did chad's videos then i did the destroyer again. You should go through the destroyer questions at least twice while understanding and taking notes on the answers each time you go through it. Also, don't worry if you get a lot wrong the first time because the questions are hard, and they are meant to learn from.

 

[NDPitch]

Try not to think of a "year off" as a bad thing. You can do many things during that time. To be honest, before you go searching for a job, I'd seriously recommend making your "job" studying for the DAT retake (if you can afford to do so). Take 2 or 3 months and pretend that studying for the DAT is your job. Spend 40 hours a week studying and take lots of practice tests. Everyone else will be at work during that time anyway, so you won't exactly be missing out on much.

This will leave you some time on nights and weekends to take your mind elsewhere, which is important in my opinion. Then, if you achieve the results you're looking for after your retake (which will most likely be the case if you spend that kind of time studying), you will be way ahead on the game for next year's cycle. You'll be able to round out your ECs, your DAT will already be completed, and you can submit your application the day the cycle opens. You'll also have time to relax and maybe do some traveling (you won't have any time for that once in school).

For the record, I graduated three years ago. I've been working full time since then, but I think that period of time was important for me. I gained professional experience that perhaps made me stand out in the applicant pool. I also had the opportunity to travel and spend a lot of time with my family. Those three years flew by for me - I can't believe it's been that long to be honest. But I currently have three interviews coming up and I'm ready to get this ball rolling!

Summary - use your year off to your advantage - don't think of it as a negative. You can do many great things during this time.

 

[toyotasupra]

Previously, I had used Biology, Chem, and Ochem college books to study. (BAD BAD IDEA! WAY MORE COMPLEX THAN THE DAT AND WASTED TIME LEARNING THINGS I DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW) I also coupled those books with Achiever and Topscore. When I went to go take the DAT, I barely managed 17's and 18's across the board because I had a wealth of useless materials in my head.

PA 18
QR 17
RC 18
Bio 18
Chem 17
Ochem 17
17 AA/TS.

Second time around, I said F-it no more bull**** book studying. I used DAT Destroyer STRAIGHT UP and NOTHING ELSE. I went through the book 2x in 4 weeks, while working a FULL TIME GRAVEYARD FOOD CHEMISTRY JOB! I ended up with a 19 AA/TS on my second retake.

PA 21
QR 19
RC 20
Bio 19
Chem 20
OChem 19
19 AA/TS (Although realistically, this number is closer to 20 but DAT does it's weird rounding junk)

Conclusion:
PA +3
QR +2
RC +2
Bio +1
Chem +3
Ochem +2

Not a bad deal for $150 and 4 weeks of your life!!! 😉

 

[Xosor001]

Thank you for the advice guys.

 

[Xosor001]

By the way. I already have a part time job. 30-32 hours a week. I can't stop working or I'll become homeless : /. No parents support unfortunately. I Usually have 3 days off and the rest of the day to study when I get off work, I know I can do it. I'm capable. I Just didn't use the right materials the first time. Im just a little stressed out since I'm 25. All my friends are getting married and have good jobs, are getting accepted to schools, and I feel like I failed and have no options : /. I will not give up. Will retake it. Should I try to retake it in december before the cycle is over ? Or should intake my time and take it early spring of next year ?

 

[awaitsimpatient]

Thanks for the encouraging words guys! Off course I am not giving up. This is my dream and I will fight for it. I didn't start following SDN until after the test , which was a huge mistake. There is so many resources and advice here I wish I had then. I have the tools now and I shall use them. Any useful information please post here for me to use it. Good luck in all of your applications guys. When I retake the test you will be the first to know about my success.

If you can retake, Do it..🙂, I am 99% convinced that i will not retake a 4th time but there still .01% that tells me "DO IT AGAIN"... GOOD LUCK