Improving my reading comp score?

[Beagle]

I have taken 3 reading comprehension tests and each time, I score 17/18.
I want to improve my score. Here is the thing--whenever I do the reading passages which are Biology based, I do very well and get every answer correct. However, when it comes to reading passages dealing with dentistry, I get many answers wrong. I think the main reason is because I am very familiar with biology, but not at all with dental terminology!
Anyway, to improve my score, should I just continue to practice more and more tests,and eventually my score will improve? Or should I start reading some dental material on my own to make myself more familiar with the subject?
Are most of the reading comp on the DAT dental or Biology related? Seems like all the practice exams are dental related, with maybe one bio passage. Any suggestions?

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[tinker bell]

17/18 is a good score. However, to do well, there is only one thing to do: PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND PRACTICE.
Sorry if that's not the thing you want to hear.
T

 

[ehop242]

Tinker bell is right, it's all practice. I would whole heartedly recommend practicing using dental journals, like those printed by the ada. Find something that is way over your head. You should be able to find these in your campus library. Read journals like this, and magazines like science, discover, and american scientist. I didnt have a dentistry related passage. I did, however, have a 28 letter organic molecule. no lie. i couldnt comprehend a paragraph. so i switched techniques. i knew that since i couldnt read this stuff, i should save the time and just try to pick out the answers to questions. it worked out okay, and i ended up with a 22 for the section. good luck!

 

[racemic01]

(Anyone else have the sponge oocyte passage?)

2 of my passages last yr were bio, 1 dental. It dealt with AIDS and was easy. I wouldn't read journal articles unless you're having trouble getting through it on time. I'd do more practice tests. 17/18 is good. My difficult passage was about Sponge oocyte developement?! No amount of bio journal article reading would have helped there.

If anything, I'd study sponge oocytes if I were you. I've seen 1 person here take the DAT THIS yr and have that SAME passage.

Ehop, if you're reading this, how did you have time to count the 28 atoms? <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[Beagle]

Heeh thanks racemic...if I have time, I'll check out sponge oocytes...What an odd topic!!!

 

[diente]

Hey Racemic,
I also had the sponge oocyte passage as well as the AIDS one. I think the key for the reading comp section is to have a piece of scratch paper already numbered before you begin each essay. As you read each paragraph, write down a few key words or ideas for each paragraph. That way when you are answering questions, you don't need to waste time trying to hunt down where you saw it. This worked for me, I got a 27 score. Hope this helps.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I had the oocyte passage as well, and took the test only 3 weeks ago. I didn't practice for the reading section at all (literally!) and by following the strategy that diente used, I earned a 24. In fact, I finished all of the passages with 20 minutes to spare. Don't try to comprehend what you are reading because that isn't what you're being tested on. The questions will be simple to pull out of the paragraphs if you simply know which paragraph the term or concept lies/originated in. Nobody is going to ask you understand or can regurgitate any of the reading material -- just answer the questions by looking directly at the answers in the passage. It's as simple as that! Good luck!

-G