Easiest way to raise your Academic Average! Advice to the average test taker

[Axiomatician]

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Hey!

So I have been done with my DAT for almost 2 weeks! Wow... Feels incredible.

I just want to say something to the people who have not taken the test yet...

If you want to skip a bunch of backstory of explanation,

SKIP TO THE NEXT BOLD SECTION

If you are 7-10 days from your DAT, this information doesn't apply apply to you. By now you should know your weaknesses and try to strengthen them as much as you can.

Anyway, whether you are 3 weeks out from your test, or 8 weeks, I fell that this is some of the best advice I can give for raising your Academic Average

My scores on the DAT were nothing special, especially on this forum, but were respectable, I feel.
21 - A.A., 19 T.S., and 22 PAT.
I personally want to think that my lowish TS score may scare off some dental schools, but with it being a 19, basically average, I would like to think my 21 - A.A. would just make me stand out more, and the 22 in PAT would prove that I have a strong ability to visualize. Now its time to get into the matter at hand...

One of the most common themes I see is people getting scores between 19-22 Academic Average, but with EXTREMELY LOW Q.R. scores. Tons of people say they are proud of their 18 in Q.R.
I DO NOT mean to bully anyone, but MATH Destroyer can really help you! An 18, while not a horrible score, is not strong at all, and compared to your 23 in Bio, 21 in Gen Chem, and 24 in Organic, one has to wonder Why you only got a 19 or 20 A.A... 🙄🙄

GET MATH DESTROYER! Ok, I am not advertising for @orgoman22 , I promise. MATH Destroyer is what I personally used.
Seriously. About 4 weeks out, I knew that my Q.R. would be in a decent place because of MATH Destroyer. I consistently got 18's in DBC, maybe one or two 19's. But I worked almost all of the MATH Destroyer tests. I got a 21 in Q.R., and this was after I had to go to the bathroom at the end of RC with 5 minutes before my QR started, which basically gave me heart palpitations, not to mention I was so over it, because I felt so confident about the whole test thus far.

So, what does this mean? I'll tell you... It's hard to get a 30 in Bio. In fact, near impossible. If I am being honest, a 30 in Bio undoubtedly is correlated with hard work.. BUT, theres luck there. Theres no way someone can learn the entirety of Biology and be 100% prepared for the Bio section. If you get a 30, KUDOS, seriously, I am not discrediting you, but if you're being honest with yourself, you could say that you genuinely didn't know everything and could even go and find stuff you weren't 100% sure on.

What dose this mean for the Average Test Taker, then? Someone like me, who was a chemistry major, who had recently had Genetics, but was not strong in ANY other Biology at the start of my 11 week study time?
It means that it would be even harder for me to make the 21+ that I was da*n bound determined to make. There is a logarithmic relationship between the time you study/how much you learn and the score you get. While there are anomalies, like people who just go through Kaplan and make a 24+ on Bio, only because it was extremely simple, as well as the other extreme case, where someone could potentially Memorize all of Cliff's and have a good understanding of some extra's found in Feralis' notes, only get a 19 because they get everything they weren't 100% on, and had a ton of stuff they never saw.

Compared to Biology, the chemistries are MUCH EASIER to make 30's in. Now, I don't just mean 30's. I mean because of the amount of possible topics on the Chemistries, it is generally easier to do better on those compared to Biology. Said another way: The time you put into Biology to get a 20, could potentially get you a 22+ in either of the Chemistries. I am a firm believer in this! Personally, I only got a 19 in GC, which was extremely disappointing after getting a 23/23/26/22 in D.A.T. Bootcamp's Chemistry section in the Full Length tests #'s 2,3,4, and 5. Yeah, unbelievable right? That, I feel is an anomaly, but I want to state that I spent less time on Gen Chem than I did Biology, and honestly, I spent more time on Biology that both of the Chemistries combined, only to get my lowest score, an 18, in Biology.

Q.R. is the best section for Individual Score vs Effort In

Compared to:
1) The Sciences
2) Perceptual Ability
3)Reading Comprehension

Quantitative Reasoning is the easiest section to raise your score! If you want a 30 in Biology, get ready to devote 500+ hours to Biology alone. If you want a 23+, be prepared to devote at least 200 solid hours to Biology...

But for QR, well, a 20+ is NOT HARD to get. Trust me! I was awful at algebra, and STILL AM. But I learned how to go well in QR. a 21 may not be relevant to some, but I know this is a strong score. If you want to bump your AA, make sure your lowest score isn't QR!

With MATH Destroyer, all 17 Tests are important! Getting benefit from them directly relates to how you use them. SO here's how I think everyone should be using MATH Destroyer:

Don't time yourself. At least not until you are feeling really comfortable. Take your 1st test and don't think about the time, just the problems. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART is reviewing destroyer. This is true for the regular destroyer as well. Take your time with it. I recommend reviewing right after, with no more than say a 30 min break, at most. This way, the way you thought about solving the problem and some of your techniques are fresh. When you review your missed problems, you will remember the mistakes that led you down the wrong path. You will also more easily recognize the types of problems you tend to miss most often.

Now, when you are taking the test, this is what I recommend to do. Get a clean piece of paper for your answers, and number it with 20 problems in two separate columns. While you take the test, mark ones you are unsure about. Mark total guesses, as well. Make sure you have a separate piece of scrap paper thats different from your answer sheet. This makes it more organized, and also somewhat mimics the real DAT. If you get problems right, for instance, some trig simplifications that were total guesses, or even tricky inequality problems that you weren't sure on what to do, but got to the point where you could make educated guesses and happened to get it right. Make sure you go over these, as well as the incorrect ones that you grade one you've finished taking it.

Use as many MATH Destroyers as you can! BUT... Don't just try to do one per day, or one every two days. Do not set goals this way. Make sure you understand it. Setting goals and finishing them, no matter what, was my biggest mistake in studying. I overestimated what I could do, literally, all the time, up until a few days before my test. 3-5 Math Destroyers per week is a healthy number, I feel.

I am TIRED of seeing all these smart people on this forum blow off 19-21 Academic Averages, but were happy that they managed to get a 19 in QR. The "I'm not a math person and I just can't understand it" should not be 20+% of this forum, which is seemingly is. If I can get a 21 in QR, you can too.

Trust me. Put the time in, it is well worth it! The Q.R. section is weighted the same as Biology for your Academic Average. Don't be that guy that makes a 23+ SNS and doesn't even make a 20 in QR. QR is the section that almost everyone can EASILY bring up if they work on it.

Good luck to everyone taking it, and make sure to practice QR to get that A.A. up!

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I kind of agree with your points in the sense that QR isn't too terribly difficult, you just need to practice consistently. However, I think RC is hands down one of the easier sections. I got a 18 and a 20 respectively on my 2 bootcamp tests and a 25 on the real thing. The real test was MILES easier than what I was used too, and I know which questions I got wrong because the passage was simply too wordy and difficult to decrypt. However, my questions were mostly in order, while I know some people are not so lucky. Math on my test I found very unlike bootcamp, yet I got a 19, the max I scored on any bootcamp practice test, and the same score as the final 3 tests I took. However, it was definitely harder. It really is the luck of the draw, but overall I agree that math is easy to "lock in" a 19-20 given that you just practice a month or so out from test day

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

Really interesting stuff. And bro I totally agree with you about math. HOW DO SO MANY PEOPLE GET UNDER A 20!!? QR is honestly one of the easiest sections. Quite frankly I will be eternally salty I didn't get a 26+ in it

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

I kind of agree with your points in the sense that QR isn't too terribly difficult, you just need to practice consistently. However, I think RC is hands down one of the easier sections. I got a 18 and a 20 respectively on my 2 bootcamp tests and a 25 on the real thing. The real test was MILES easier than what I was used too, and I know which questions I got wrong because the passage was simply too wordy and difficult to decrypt. However, my questions were mostly in order, while I know some people are not so lucky. Math on my test I found very unlike bootcamp, yet I got a 19, the max I scored on any bootcamp practice test, and the same score as the final 3 tests I took. However, it was definitely harder. It really is the luck of the draw, but overall I agree that math is easy to "lock in" a 19-20 given that you just practice a month or so out from test day

I think reading is more luck based. I took the DAT twice and the math wasn't hard at all either time. My reading was fair but not completely in order and not the biggest joke either. I think my test was literally the most medium difficulty test they could come up with lmfao not even kidding.

 

[Axiomatician]

I think reading is more luck based. I took the DAT twice and the math wasn't hard at all either time. My reading was fair but not completely in order and not the biggest joke either. I think my test was literally the most medium difficulty test they could come up with lmfao not even kidding.

Again, a lot of people don't realize, is that there is more luck than one would want to believe. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out the grading and scores as well as percentiles... I hate to say it, but it does all come down to luck. Prepare your absolute best, but you could get a curveball. You actually WILL get a curveball, at least in one section, and hopefully the one you got was one of the 10 out of 45 potential curveball ideas you actually studied and remember. Its a numbers game, at the heart of it, and theres a point where they just want to see hard work and dedication, not someone who should go into Theoretical Physics or Population Genetics... We want to be dentists, and all the dentists I've ever gone to, I cared more about their kindness and finesse, rather than how much Organic they knew 20 years ago. My 2¢.

 

[Charles_Darwin]

Again, a lot of people don't realize, is that there is more luck than one would want to believe. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out the grading and scores as well as percentiles... I hate to say it, but it does all come down to luck. Prepare your absolute best, but you could get a curveball. You actually WILL get a curveball, at least in one section, and hopefully the one you got was one of the 10 out of 45 potential curveball ideas you actually studied and remember. Its a numbers game, at the heart of it, and theres a point where they just want to see hard work and dedication, not someone who should go into Theoretical Physics or Population Genetics... We want to be dentists, and all the dentists I've ever gone to, I cared more about their kindness and finesse, rather than how much Organic they knew 20 years ago. My 2¢.

Fun fact, the 2 cents phrase comes from back in the old days when people used to mail their advice / suggestions / complaints to government officials. Stamps were 2 cents.

My real life friends aren't interested in my fun facts

 

[Axiomatician]

I kind of agree with your points in the sense that QR isn't too terribly difficult, you just need to practice consistently. However, I think RC is hands down one of the easier sections. I got a 18 and a 20 respectively on my 2 bootcamp tests and a 25 on the real thing. The real test was MILES easier than what I was used too, and I know which questions I got wrong because the passage was simply too wordy and difficult to decrypt. However, my questions were mostly in order, while I know some people are not so lucky. Math on my test I found very unlike bootcamp, yet I got a 19, the max I scored on any bootcamp practice test, and the same score as the final 3 tests I took. However, it was definitely harder. It really is the luck of the draw, but overall I agree that math is easy to "lock in" a 19-20 given that you just practice a month or so out from test day

Also, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but my reading was EXTREMELY difficult. I am beyond pleased that my highest score was in RC with a 24.
Like, I guarantee it was harder than most everybody else's. I didn't have much trouble with it, thankfully, but the amount of scientific language throughout reminded me of reading Graduate level mathematics books. (I used to have a deep interest in analysis and non-Euclidian geometry, so thats where the comparison was from.) Sometimes you just look at it and wonder what the H*** you're looking at. Is it a joke? A drawing? Interpretive dance choreography? Basically, my reading section was about as flabbergasting as James Joyce, as if you had never heard of him, but in a scientific manner. Tones of complex questions, and this is coming from me, someone who read On The Origin Of Species in 9th grade for my book report, who made a 32(iirc) on my science portion of my last ACT without studying it... Yeah...

 

[DC206R]

RC is something you can't really study too crazy for. Also, it may come down to the subject of the passages. Some were boring and made it that much worse to get through it.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

Also, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but my reading was EXTREMELY difficult. I am beyond pleased that my highest score was in RC with a 24.
Like, I guarantee it was harder than most everybody else's. I didn't have much trouble with it, thankfully, but the amount of scientific language throughout reminded me of reading Graduate level mathematics books. (I used to have a deep interest in analysis and non-Euclidian geometry, so thats where the comparison was from.) Sometimes you just look at it and wonder what the H*** you're looking at. Is it a joke? A drawing? Interpretive dance choreography? Basically, my reading section was about as flabbergasting as James Joyce, as if you had never heard of him, but in a scientific manner. Tones of complex questions, and this is coming from me, someone who read On The Origin Of Species in 9th grade for my book report, who made a 32(iirc) on my science portion of my last ACT without studying it... Yeah...

Damn you got unlucky on reading haha! I suppose DATs are kind of luck of the draw but you also have to realize if they make it harder than it should be it's probably scaled accordingly. Also, umm ACT and SAT are such huge jokes that almost no one really needs to study more than one practice test just to see what it is (in my honest opinion, stuff is remedial haha).Can always study for a full year for the DAT 😉. Then we can attempt to beat Feralis sensei xDD

 

[DMikes]

Keep in mind that the difficulty of each DAT is scaled. i.e., a 21 may be 30 questions correct in one test vs 35 in another, so luck doesn't play as large a role as some people may believe. Sure, you may get an extra question on a topic you're familiar with... but chances are it's a topic others are also familiar with.

You are correct, though, and it is something I have said for awhile; your best bets to raise your AA are the chemistries and math. I would concentrate moreso on the chemistries still, though, since dental schools really care about those... Especially more than QR.

Funny thing about my RC... a couple questions in one passage required prior knowledge of something that happened before I was even born... Talk about rattled.

 

[super frank]

Not all tests are created equal. However, I still agree with you. Many people, including myself, don't take QR seriously and it usually ends up working against us. If you want to end up with a 25+ AA you really need to have a strong QR score.

 

[Rand627]

I dislike the idea that the DAT "comes down to luck". Like DMikes said, your tests are scaled. You're saying that your RC was really hard. It was really hard for the other people that got the same passage, and they either scored better or worse than you and your score is reflective of that.

You definitely can't remove luck as a factor. It's possible that you study 99/100 things and you get 5 questions on that 1 thing that other people just happened to study for. But comes down to luck? I don't buy that.

 

[Axiomatician]

Keep in mind that the difficulty of each DAT is scaled. i.e., a 21 may be 30 questions correct in one test vs 35 in another, so luck doesn't play as large a role as some people may believe. Sure, you may get an extra question on a topic you're familiar with... but chances are it's a topic others are also familiar with.

You are correct, though, and it is something I have said for awhile; your best bets to raise your AA are the chemistries and math. I would concentrate moreso on the chemistries still, though, since dental schools really care about those... Especially more than QR.

Funny thing about my RC... a couple questions in one passage required prior knowledge of something that happened before I was even born... Talk about rattled.

I've no doubt that each DAT is scaled appropriately. I've spent a lot of time playing with numbers and had a lot of sleepless nights since my DAT thinking about how they really score it. You know they have each student's self reported GPA on file? There's just no telling what all we may not have a clue about. I also am very aware of percentiles and how they factor scores... Luck is a huge part, especially in regard to the sciences, namely Biology. All over, though, I feel that luck is more significant than one would want to let on.

I've heard it said that student who made a 22 on one test could have made a 25 on another DAT given that day, and that another student who made a 22 on that second test would have only made a 20 on the first student's original test. All tests are not made equal, and that is the exact reason why there is the luck at the end of the road... You could get lucky and make a 25. You may have been unlucky, though, because there was one test where the guy that made a 30 actually knew less than you overall, and you just got a test that wasn't representative of neither his, nor your, knowledge.

 

[DC206R]

Sure luck is a part of it since you can't learn everything that well in depth. You may get random questions that you know and do well. Or get tested on things you didn't study a ton of.

 

[nonociceptors]

Funny thing about my RC... a couple questions in one passage required prior knowledge of something that happened before I was even born... Talk about rattled.

Either the questions didn't require prior knowlege but you think they did, or someone ****ed up big time making that test. Or it's something that literally everybody knows so in that case it shouldn't have rattled you.

 

[DMikes]

Either the questions didn't require prior knowlege but you think they did, or someone ****ed up big time making that test. Or it's something that literally everybody knows so in that case it shouldn't have rattled you.

Yeah it really could've just been me missing it I suppose, but I looked explicitly for those questions for probably around 20-25 minutes. For one of them it asked what "_____ was best known for," yet ____ was only mentioned once, in one sentence, in passing.

Either I was blind, illiterate, or neither.

 

[HChoudhary1]

This is great advice, and definitely manageable. I take my test in less than 2 weeks., any particular formulas/style of question I should for sure know? Anything that caught you off guard? Were the questions the typical algebra, conversions, trig, probability, age, permutation, etc.?

 

[8_man]

In terms of time investment to score payoff, I think OCHEM and CHEM are right up there with math. 1 and a half birds with one stone imo.

 

[Axiomatician]

This is great advice, and definitely manageable. I take my test in less than 2 weeks., any particular formulas/style of question I should for sure know? Anything that caught you off guard? Were the questions the typical algebra, conversions, trig, probability, age, permutation, etc.?

MATH Destroyer will prepare you for it all. Know MATH Destroyer.

 

[8_man]

This is great advice, and definitely manageable. I take my test in less than 2 weeks., any particular formulas/style of question I should for sure know? Anything that caught you off guard? Were the questions the typical algebra, conversions, trig, probability, age, permutation, etc.?

Know every and any conversion regarding volume, distance and weight. The big ones (in my opinion) are
-ounces to pounds
-pounds to kilograms
-centimeters to inches
-miles to feet
-miles to km
-liquid ounces to cups to pints to quarts to gallons to liters

As for trig, I wouldn't expect anything beyond the basics
opposite, adjacent, hypotenuse stuff (the usual nonsense)
tanx=sinx/cosx
secx=1/cosx
cscx=1/sinx

As for geometry... practice tests tend to love their ellipses. Too wordy to explain and I'm feeling lazy.

Permutations and probability questions are as usual. There's not much a question-writer can do to make it nasty.