Done with DAT-- lower sciences, should I retake?

[Schnitzels]

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To preface my scores, I've been out of school for 2 years now and my sciences were rusty. I am working full time and had difficulty finding solid blocks of time to study. Standardized tests have always been a challenge for me. After a preliminary test of scores all in the 15-17 range, here's how the DAT panned out for me:

PA 20 88.1 percentile
QR 19 81.8
RC 21 80.1
Bio 20 87.4
GC 17 49.3 😱 This had been my strongest science on all practice tests.
OC 18 64.2 🙁 I struggled with OChem, so I didn't expect a great score
TS 18 64.5
AA 19 75.3

So, the gen chem really took me by surprise. I had always done well with this section in the practice tests. I was used to more calculations with gas laws, mole fractions, percent yields, etc. I had very few (maybe 3 total) calculation questions. The rest were all conceptual which I had not prepared for and was rusty on, although they were not difficult questions in retrospect.

Going into the test I was most concerned with Bio and QR since people seem to saying these sections have become more difficult. I used Destroyer, Kaplan, and TopScore (no time for Achiever) and felt they adequately prepared me for these sections.

So, honestly, do you think the 17 in GC and 18 on OC are going to hold me back? 😕 I really don't want to take the test again, especially since I had such a hard time balancing it with 50 hour work weeks. I appreciate your input!

 

[xtractime]

the 17 and 18 are really hard to tell if they will hold you back. there are plenty of people that get in with a 17/18 thrown in the mix. you are a non-traditional applicant so ADCOMs might see your case differently. they will take into consideration of your long work hours, ethnicity, supporting a family, etc.

 

[thefifthbeatle]

hey man you are fine...you are good..nice

 

[small]

Solid scores, congrats! Spank your interviews (which you'll get) and no worries! Nice work coming back into it all; go non-traditional students!

 

[Schnitzels]

Thanks for the feedback. I got so worried about the GC and OC scores since everyone who rocks the DAT posts their kick @ss scores here. You rarely hear from the people who did about average. I appreciate the vote of confidence!

 

[Hokie08]

are the percentiles that people list after their scores the percent of the questions they got right in the sections or how their scores compared to others taking the test?

 

[Schnitzels]

The percentile is how you do compared to others who have taken the test, so if you fall in the 75th percentile, you performed better than 3 out of 4 people who took the test.

 

[vhh007]

you should be okay as long as you have a strong GPA, you might not be competitive at the schools that really favor the DAT but I'm sure your application will get good look at assuming everything else is strong. good luck!

 

[alltheway]

I recommend studying to take the test again in the near future to be on the safe side instead taking a chance and waiting a whole when you could have taken the DAT again and done much well.