Just Took Kaplan Diagnostic

[ajlst11]

I have read a bunch of other people who have posted their same ideas, results, but I wanted to post mine and ask some important questions. It was an abbreviated test with 100 Science questions (Normal) 30 PAT (1/3) 34 RC (2/3) and 20 QR (1/2). I wish it was full length, but I guess it was short, didn't know until I got there LOL!

So here are my scores-

Bio- 13 =WTF
GChem- 18
OChem- 14 =WTF
PAT- 25
RC-18
QR-27

Tot Sci- 15
AA-18
PAT-27

So these scores are very up and down, but the average wasn't terrible. However, how realistic is this exam? It is short and it is Kaplan, who has easy PAT, I have heard. But the Bio is awful, so I need a lot of work here. The ochem is bad as well. I was happy with GChem and the rest of the sections. I have not studied AT ALL for the test, except PAT with CrackDAT. My CrackDAT scores have been 24,26,25 (Only took 3 tests). But the Kaplan diagnostic had two PAT questions with wrong answers, they must have messed them up. These are the two I missed, figures. But anyone with information about this test validity and its comparrison with the real DAT, please help me out with any comments or ideas on where I should begin studying for this test! Thanks in advance.

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[DientesEsponja]

I took the Kaplan Diagnostic too and I got much lower scores (especially bio) than I did when I took other practice tests and subject area tests. I thought that the bio section was especially hard and all over the place (which I am sure it can be on the real DAT too...many people say that it's "random") but I'm a bio major and there were 2-3 things I had never even heard of. I've heard that they make the Diagnostic super weird anyway so that you'll score low in some places & buy their test prep. Anyway, I would say don't worry too much about it. Just study hard and take lots more practice tests. Good luck!

 

[Vicviper]

I'd definitely have to say that those are very impressive diagnostic scores. For the PAT if you've been working with CrackDAT you should be able to slaughter Kaplan DAT, but also the actual DAT PAT can be much harder (though I hear slightly less difficult than Crack). Just about everyone gets like 14/15 on all of the sciences on the Kaplan Diagnostic, I'm pretty sure it's made to do that on purpose.

I think the most telling scores are the RC and QR, though, maybe 3-5 points less for the QR just because of the fewer number of questions that you had (since QR is really a test against time). Take one of their real practice tests and that will give you a much better idea! Keep up the good work.

 

[jay47]

I teach for Kaplan and administer the diagnostic AND have taken the real test. Here is my take on the diag.

Math is WAY easier on the diagnostic, I don't know why they made is so easy. The rest of the practice tests with Kaplan make it much harder, like the real thing. I would expect your score to go down there on the real thing because the diag is a joke with math compared to the real thing. In addition, you have to use dry erase boards on the real thing, it stinks.

As far as sciences, almost all of my students had averages close to that. They are a little harder than the real test, however, I think that they are fairly accurate.

PAT on the diag is also way easier than on the real thing. Expect that score to drop a few points (this is assuming you took the real thing right now, without any more studying, not that you are incapable of scoring a 25). And yes, the stupid diagnostic has a few errors on PAT, I've tried sending in errata before, but they haven't changed it yet.

Overall, your scores are good. The real test is longer, harder and a little more straightforward than the Kaplan diagnostic. However, I only had one student in a class of 25 students score 18 on the diag.

Like Vic said, take a real Kaplan practice test online and that is a much closer approximation of what you would score. I think you are in good shape considering you just took the diagnostic.

I just had 3 students take the real thing (within the past 2 weeks). This is how their scores compared to the Kaplan final:

Kaplan Final: Real Test:
18 18
17 18
19 19

If you are in the course, be sure to take all of the practice tests for real, I think they do a good job (as good a job as possible for such a crazy test) approximating the real test.