how did you prepare for the DAT? (wo the prep course) and how did you do on the exam?

[sallycinnamon]

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hi all,

i was wondering if any of you who didn't take a prep course for the DAT could tell me how you prepared for the exam...
how much time did you spend studying?
what prep books did you buy? how are they helpful?
how did you do on the real thing?
what schools have you applied and been accepted?
Thanks a bunch!

- sallycinnamon 😀

 

[DesiDentist]

The prep course was a way to get the review materials and the stuff in their library. That is it. I took all the prereq. classes and now I'm using the kaplan review book and other books to cram for my exam in Late July. Hope this helps.

DesiDentist

 

[DMD DOC]

I studied the following way:

- Got the Kaplan MCAT Book and studied the O. Chem and Biology sections
- Got the TopScore DAT CD-ROM and took the computer exam
- Did not study the PAT section at all
- Spent about 5-10 hours a week for 2 weeks

Final Result: 21 Academic / 21 Science / 18 PAT

 

[racemic01]

Kaplan review book. If you know the material in that, you'll do well. Didn't take the class, because I felt I'd do just as well studying on my own. Although one nice thing about the class are the practice tests.

Studied off and on for a few months. Then studied hard ~8hrs/day for a little over a week. Spent the day at the bookstore reading Kaplan. Didn't buy it. Scored very well - over 20 in everything.

 

[gradM.S.]

Hey There,
The way that I studied for the test was that I fisrt bought the big Kaplan book with the CD that is offered at Barnes and Nobles. I then went back to my ochem, gchem, and general bio books. I would read a section in the kaplan book and then go back to my text book and read the relevant topic and take notes. It took me about a month and a half to feel comfortable with the information. I then bought the top score pro CD and took its three tests as well as the one test on the kaplan CD. If I was to take the test again I would study for it the same way and save myself a 1000 dollars that I don't have in the first place. A couple of my interviewers last year were impressed by the fact that I achieved the scores that I got without a prep course. My scores were 17PAT/20Science/20Academic. My Pat score is the lowest because I did not spend sufficient time reviewing it. And my academic would have also been higher if i prepped myself better for the math. The practice tests do not do it justice compared to the actual exam. Good luck!

 

[The Extractor]

I studied at Kaplan for about 6 or seven weeks. The first few weeks I studied 4-5 hours a day on the weekdays. Then the last part I studied 8 hours a day. The last week up until the test I took practice tests at Kaplan and used the top score CD. I scored 23/20 (23 science). I think I overstudied for the test. You probably could do fine studying a month for it

 

[deciduous]

I went to college

Then I crammed for a day

20/20/18 🙂

 

[Kung Foo]

The Extractor - That is one crazy Avator... you and the Crazy Tooth Pullin' Machine should get together and star in a movie to frighten small children someday....... <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> j/j

 

[liliajlk]

I read the Barron's guide to the DAT and took all of the tests that came with it. I also took all three of the TopScore tests and the test that came with the DAT application. I didn't really study all that much. Maybe a few hours a day from the time my finals ended in the middle of May until I took the test the first week of June. 21 Overall/21 PAT.

 

[babohead]

I didn't take Prep course but I bought kaplan review book (from kaplan prep course) from Ebay. It didn't really help that much though because it was very similiar to the red kaplan book that I already bought from the bookstore.
Go over the red review book (science questions are not as detailed as you might think on real DAT). I didn't really study much for reading and MAth just because there aren't that much to study for those tests. Well, just to make this short, you should just study the red book (go through it twice), then take Topscore tests. When you have some questions, then you should go through the textbooks. HOpe this helps 🙂