DAT retake?

[Xosor001]

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So 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 20s and 19s on my practice exams. Except for RC, I am second language so this section is a little harder 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.

I obviously need a retake. But the real question is, should I retract my application? Should I give it a shot? Should I do the retake in late November ? I have already submitted my applications and the schools are just waiting for my DAT scores. My overall GPA is 3.5 and my Science is 3.25. The whole situation is frustrating since I just graduated and my plan seems to have crashed : /

 

[foreveros]

So 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 20s and 19s on my practice exams. Except for RC, I am second language so this section is a little harder 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.

I obviously need a retake. But the real question is, should I retract my application? Should I give it a shot? Should I do the retake in late November ? I have already submitted my applications and the schools are just waiting for my DAT scores. My overall GPA is 3.5 and my Science is 3.25. The whole situation is frustrating since I just graduated and my plan seems to have crashed : /

So you had a bad day, or you didnt prepare right. its ok. You definitely need to retake the dat. You scores are below average. your gpa is average.

You cannot use the excuse that RC is second language and its ok to get get bad score. Many schools look at RC score as weeding out factor and need to be atleast an 18. Many students who take dat have english as their second language. so this means its completely doable. If you just concentrate on preparing correctly may be using different study approach it might be better. Dont be soo quick to retake. Make sure you are going to do good before you retake.

If you want better advice on what you did wrong, you might want to post your study schedule, or how you studied what practice material did you use, and how did you review your practice tests once finishing them., etc... basically tell us how you studied we can advice you on how to improve it.

 

[Xosor001]

I had studied the whole Kaplan Blue Book last fall since I was planning to take it back then. I had to take some extra credits during the spring so I stopped studying. Once school was over the way I did it was Chad videos. The whole QR section first, then GC, OC and Bio. I took my own notes and used them to review afterwards. I would also skim through my College Bio 1 & 2, and my human anatomy book. I bought the crack the DAT software and started taking practice exams. Each exam I would go back and review what I got wrong. I started getting 15s and 16s an at then end I would get 19s and 20s,except for RC. PAT was always my best section and so was QR. I felt good the day before the test, my last whole test I took was PAT 20/ QR20/ Bio 19/ RC 18. My friend had used crack the DAT to study and she said the real thing seemed easier and I should be fine. I had high hopes getting into this test. The whole thing seemed a little complicated. Specially the questions in bio were not direct but kind of application questions. I did horrible in PAT, everything felt so slow and by the time I was doing cube counting I had like 10 minutes left. It hadn't happened to me in the practice tests. RC had 2 very scientific passages. One about protons, one about some
Intestinal bacteria and one about hurricanes which was the easy one. I would like to find a method of study that is very efficient and a way to help me build and master a sense of urgency while taking the test.

 

[zzzinn]

I just took DAT today and got the exact same topics of RC as you got: proton, hurricane, and Helico B. When I started 3rd passage, I had only 10minutes left so I guessed most of questions and ended up with 16......
I am just curious if we got the same questions on the rest of sections.

 

[magriva]

You should retake it! However, I encourage you to apply.

 

[jhc83]

I suggest you retake it. You have a great shot this cycle with your gpa.
However, you should let the schools know that you are are retaking it sothat they dont reject you before they receive your new scores.

 

[Xosor001]

I just took DAT today and got the exact same topics of RC as you got: proton, hurricane, and Helico B. When I started 3rd passage, I had only 10minutes left so I guessed most of questions and ended up with 16......
I am just curious if we got the same questions on the rest of sections.

Well i actually felt PAT was somewhat hard. In Angle ranking some questions were a very close call. I also some top front end where very tricky. Bio had some tricky questions with applied topics. QR had many trigonometry problems. However I think the main factor was time. And we have to develop a sense of urgency!

 

[Xosor001]

You should retake it! However, I encourage you to apply.

even though I am planning on retaking it. Do you think it would be a good idea to apply to some schools and email other schools letting them know that I am planning on doing a retake?

 

[Xosor001]

I suggest you retake it. You have a great shot this cycle with your gpa.
However, you should let the schools know that you are are retaking it sothat they dont reject you before they receive your new scores.

Thanks for the advice. I actually applied very early however had not taken my DAT. I had emailed the schools letting them know about my situation. Now I am not happy with my scores. As you have read from my post I was expecting a different outcome. Do you think it would Hurt me to email them again and let them know I'm retaking it. My retake would probably be at the end of November becoming of December it feels kind of late. What do you think ? Is it better to apply late with a higher score or early with an average score.

 

[zzzinn]

I'm on the same boat with you!
I really want to know it!
which one is better? Average score with early application? or higher scores with very late app?
anyone suggetion?