How many times did you read the Kaplan book before u felt ready?

[Tooth Fixer]

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How many times did you read the Kaplan book before u felt ready to take the DAT?

1) How did u break down your studying?
did you read a section like all of chem then next day reall all bio chaps a day untill u finished all your sections? Then start the practice problems? Then redo it all over again?

2) Just need some advice on how to get the max out of 4-6 hours of studying a day for a few months. Thanks guys

 

[gatszu]

How many times did you read the Kaplan book before u felt ready to take the DAT?

1) How did u break down your studying?
did you read a section like all of chem then next day reall all bio chaps a day untill u finished all your sections? Then start the practice problems? Then redo it all over again?

2) Just need some advice on how to get the max out of 4-6 hours of studying a day for a few months. Thanks guys

I read 5 chapters of ochem one day, 5 of bio the following & 5 of gchem the next, then back to ochem. after reading the 5 chapters, i worked on practice problems, mainly the kaplan subject tests.

 

[ackbar]

none and none. Didn't read any books, just took it cold. Honestly, if you retained even the vaguest of knowledge from your UG science classes, and have a modicum of test-taking capacity, 20+ is easy. DAT is not a hard test in terms of scope of knowledge.

 

[Utes]

ackbar,

Dude, that had to have been the worst advice ever given on SDN. Just take it cold because you should be able to remember enough to get a 20+??? I was in my pre-dental advisors office yesterday and they have the national averages for each section of the DAT for all of 2004... each section was around 16 with I believe a high of 18 for Reading Comprehension. Clearly it is not easy to get 20+ without studying.

 

[ackbar]

ackbar,

Dude, that had to have been the worst advice ever given on SDN. Just take it cold because you should be able to remember enough to get a 20+??? I was in my pre-dental advisors office yesterday and they have the national averages for each section of the DAT for all of 2004... each section was around 16 with I believe a high of 18 for Reading Comprehension. Clearly it is not easy to get 20+ without studying.

yeah but national averages for anything are really really low because people are stupid or they haven't taken the classes before jumping into the DAT. I said if you have a modicum of test taking abilities AND retain knowledge from your past classes, you'll be more than fine. The difficulty of the DAT lies not in the scope of the questions, but rather the act of producing in a time, and pressured environment. Ergo, good test takers never have any problems with it.

20s is not hard to get unless you're ill prepared.

 

[DICK]

ackbar,

Dude, that had to have been the worst advice ever given on SDN. Just take it cold because you should be able to remember enough to get a 20+??? I was in my pre-dental advisors office yesterday and they have the national averages for each section of the DAT for all of 2004... each section was around 16 with I believe a high of 18 for Reading Comprehension. Clearly it is not easy to get 20+ without studying.

Those averages include those idiots who always take the test each year, clearly, our society here on SDN is 'upper class'. Do not talk of those 'filths', not on SDN, please

jk

You see where I'm getting at? 16 National average - don't even go there!

 

[Utes]

Oh of course, I see the light now. You guys are posting on the DAT Discussion board because there is no need to study for it right?

SDN has more than its fair share of overachievers. No, not everyone will get a 20 if for no other reason that the exam is standardized. Do you need to study? Of course and anyone giving advice not to study isn't your friend and they aren't trying to help you. I pointed out the national average not to say someone with a 16 is going to get in, but to show that you need to study to get good scores. I take it everyone on here agrees with that as you're spending your time reading a message board solely devoted to helping you prepare and helping others prepare for the DAT.

Take practice exams, know the scope of the exam and try your best to master those sections. As others have said, you'll likely never "feel" ready to take it, but also you shouldn't take it if you aren't truely prepared.

 

[r0entgen]

Oh of course, I see the light now. You guys are posting on the DAT Discussion board because there is no need to study for it right?

SDN has more than its fair share of overachievers. No, not everyone will get a 20 if for no other reason that the exam is standardized. Do you need to study? Of course and anyone giving advice not to study isn't your friend and they aren't trying to help you. I pointed out the national average not to say someone with a 16 is going to get in, but to show that you need to study to get good scores. I take it everyone on here agrees with that as you're spending your time reading a message board solely devoted to helping you prepare and helping others prepare for the DAT.

Take practice exams, know the scope of the exam and try your best to master those sections. As others have said, you'll likely never "feel" ready to take it, but also you shouldn't take it if you aren't truely prepared.

i dont think ackbar ever suggested that you don't study...he just responded to the original poster's questions....

and it's true, if you properly retain what you learned in your pre-dental classes, there is no point in studying because the DAT doesn't really go into in-depth details...of course, if you didn't retain a damn thing, you'll need to study...

as for me, i spent about a week studying for mine...and i just kept reading the kaplan book over and over and doing practise tests with topscore.

no one can really give you a strategy though...you need to devise your own..everyone studies differently...since you've been through atleast 3 years of undergrad, i sure hope you do have a study method...or else i don't know how you got through the 3 years..

 

[DrTacoElf]

The spine on mine was non-existant when I was done. The book was literally in pieces 😀

I generally studied sections per day. Like bio/chem and if i became bored i tossed in another like PAT.

 

[beannaithe]

I read it back to front about 4 times. One time was the weekend before the DAT. Usually read 2 -3 sections per day. (Along with all of my class notes and Barrons.) I took the book test twice and the computer one once.

I still didn't feel ready when I walked into the test...but if you study enough and keep your wits about you, then you will be find when you take the test. Just slow downa nd make sure to check your work when you take the test.

Godo luck!

 

[IcemanDDS]

I havnt finished the kaplan book yet. I find myself falling asleep...








But seriously I feel like I know most everything in that book, but once it comes to taking a test I ask myself "now what germ layer was that again..."

 

[Xedfingers]

I totally agree with IcemanDDS Kaplan is a dry read... 😴

I'm taking it a lil bit at a time...

Does anyone think that the flashcards are worth making for this test?? I'm not going to lie, I was one of the students that memorizes and regurgitates material for a test and I'm scared that I won't comprehend all the material the Kaplan Bluebook has in it......

Let me know!

 

[IcemanDDS]

Well I'm afraid if you made flashcards for material in the Kaplan book you'd have a stack 3 feet high and not have enough time to go through them before the test. I'd just go through the book, grasping the main concepts, then go through again and focus on details. Rinse and repeat... 😛

 

[Blackstars]

I totally agree with IcemanDDS Kaplan is a dry read... 😴

I'm taking it a lil bit at a time...

Does anyone think that the flashcards are worth making for this test?? I'm not going to lie, I was one of the students that memorizes and regurgitates material for a test and I'm scared that I won't comprehend all the material the Kaplan Bluebook has in it......

Let me know!

Hey hice motto. Did you write it. If you didn't you might want to give credit to the person. As a matter of fact I know you did not come up with that statement. STOP THE PLAGLARISM

 

[Bonkers29]

for anyone that can help me out with this:

what is the difference between the Kaplan Course 'Review Notes' that you get with the Classroom course and the "Kaplan Blue book" that I've been hearing a lot about on here?!?! is there any difference?? thanks!