Kaplan exams vs Topscore

[supera]

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Hi🙂,
Ive been taking kaplan and topscore exams because my DAT is a week away from now.
I am getting higher scores in Topscore, and I feel much more comfortable with wordings and question types in Topscore.
I thought kaplan exams should be easier but is it just me? I feel like kaplan's questions are worded harder and calculations are bit trickier. Sometimes it feels like their questions are harder because some questions asking something that's out of actual focus.
You might say its not a big difference and I am getting scared of weird facts but I am just worried about my upcoming DAT lol.
I am averaging 1-2 points higher in topscore. How is it like for everyone else here? plus I averaged 20~22 TS in topscore. Any probable score estimations for my real DAT here?

 

[Philippines03j]

Hi🙂,
Ive been taking kaplan and topscore exams because my DAT is a week away from now.
I am getting higher scores in Topscore, and I feel much more comfortable with wordings and question types in Topscore.
I thought kaplan exams should be easier but is it just me? I feel like kaplan's questions are worded harder and calculations are bit trickier. Sometimes it feels like their questions are harder because some questions asking something that's out of actual focus.
You might say its not a big difference and I am getting scared of weird facts but I am just worried about my upcoming DAT lol.
I am averaging 1-2 points higher in topscore. How is it like for everyone else here? plus I averaged 20~22 TS. Any probable score estimations for my real DAT here?

Not really enough info to make a score estimation but it sounds like you will be fine 😀

 

[Golfguy]

I'm doing exactly the same (taking both Kaplan and Topscore), and noticing exactly the same trends as you mention. Some of the Kaplan stuff is harder than destroyer, and I believe their full-length exams are a bit harder than Topscore. My test is in a week too, and yes, the nerves are starting to set in.

 

[supera]

oh then it's not just me feeling in that way,
I just took another kaplan(i think it was full length 1) and scored
Bio/GC/OC
19/20/20
I thought GCs and OCs were harder than topscore again. I still have two more kaplan full lengths to go😛
Good luck with your week golfguy! we are on a same boat lol

 

[flin5845]

I am in that same boat as well. According to to consensus, Topscore is the overall best practice to judge your progress. I have noticed people say that the RC on topscore is not that good because it is mainly S&D. Also it seems like topscores PAT is crappy quality and the real DAT is a better quality.

However, I am using topscore and kaplan too. I have averaged about 2 points higher as well (kaplan~18 and topscore~20). I have only taken 2 kaplan and 2 topscore.

I have 10 days left to study....aiming for a 19-20!

 

[Golfguy]

It's good that others understand how this test consumes your life. I want it back.

I'm shooting for a 20 or above, and I'll be content.

Kaplan scores are 20 AA
Topscore 21 AA (only took test 1 so far)

CDP is all over the place 18-23

Qvault 19-23 as well (average around 21)

I'm not sure how to spend my remaining hours, but I know I've got to get my QR scores up (scoring 15-17). Math Destroyer is eating me for breakfast happy gilmore style.

 

[flin5845]

It's good that other understand how this test consumes your life. I want my life back.

I'm shooting for a 20 or above, and I'll be content.

Kaplan scores are 20 AA
Topscore 21 AA (only took test 1 so far)

CDP is all over the place 18-23

Qvault 19-23 as well (average around 21)

I'm not sure how to spend my remaining hours, but I know I've got to get my QR scores up (scoring 15-17). Math Destroyer is eating me for breakfast happy gilmore style.

I have heard mixed reviews about Qvault. Some say it is helpful and some say not so much. I hear that if you are in the 18-20 range with Qvualt though, you should be set on Biology

My CDP has been between 20-23 the last about 4 or 5 test. Some are harder than others but if you are getting about 20 on most of the CDP, you should be able to get a 20 on the real thing too, from what others have said.

You should get at least a 20 with the scores you are posting. Just dont let QR get too out of had and lower your AA.

My trouble spots are biology and QR. Biology I have been going though Cliffs and Barrons, but My scores are 17-19 with my practice test. For QR it is just practice i am getting 18-20 on QR (some of it is luck) but going though the math destroyer is key.

 

[supera]

haha good luck to you too flin5848
My main issues are BIO and RC,
I averaged 18-19 all ten datQvault(never broke 20s...don't like that😡)
However, it is weird that I got into 20s in 2 of my topscore exam and kaplan.
I don't what's indicated here...

For RC, it is just super random for me, I am ranging in between 16-19 which is droping down my AA. I tried vcviper's RC method for the first time, but realized I was running out of my time. So now I just try to read the whole thing first then move on to the questions. Any suggestions or ideas?

 

[DDS25]

It's tricky, since you're saying Topscore and Kaplan scores are the same.

From my experience in the past, my kaplan scores were NOT representative at all of my first attempt at the DAT. I got a score much worse.

However, now that ive started with TopScore, they seem to be more on par of what scores generally turn out to be.
Sometimes theyre even a few points lower, so a 20 on topscore could mean anything from a 19/20 - 23/24! (generally speaking of course)

 

[soosoolhastam]

Kaplans exams have some ridiculous questions. The natural sciences integration workshop B still gives me nightmares..

 

[LetsGo2DSchool]

Here's the hidden truth which is directly related to the Kaplan Exams Conspiracy Theory...

Kaplan boasts a bogus guarantee that if you score lower on the actual DAT vs. their Diagnostic exam which is administered on Day One of their course without any instruction, then you are entitled to a full refund. Hello??? Anyone who does zero prep work will inevitably score higher on the actual DAT after weeks/months of studying.

To go one step further, in order to make sure this bogus guarantee works in their favor they intentionally make the initial Diagnostic exam to be much more difficult than is necessary. Then, to mask this ploy they make sure the other practice exams (Midterm & Final) are just as difficult to maintain the consistency; otherwise it would be too obvious.

Thus, Kaplan's exams are not representative of the actual and will be more difficult than TopScore.

 

[Golfguy]

Here's the hidden truth which is directly related to the Kaplan Exams Conspiracy Theory...

Kaplan boasts a bogus guarantee that if you score lower on the actual DAT vs. their Diagnostic exam which is administered on Day One of their course without any instruction, then you are entitled to a full refund. Hello??? Anyone who does zero prep work will inevitably score higher on the actual DAT after weeks/months of studying.

To go one step further, in order to make sure this bogus guarantee works in their favor they intentionally make the initial Diagnostic exam to be much more difficult than is necessary. Then, to mask this ploy they make sure the other practice exams (Midterm & Final) are just as difficult to maintain the consistency; otherwise it would be too obvious.

Thus, Kaplan's exams are not representative of the actual and will be more difficult than TopScore.

Interesting....

I certainly agree with the difficulty though. They have some seriously stupid questions that they throw in there.

 

[flin5845]

Kaplans exams have some ridiculous questions. The natural sciences integration workshop B still gives me nightmares..

IM SO GLAD IT WAS NOT JUST ME!!

I just took that thing and am devastated. It was incredibly hard, and after doing the destroyer 1.5 times, I thought I was starting to get the hang of it, but nope not at all. The chem had crazy calculations, biology was pretty specific and some things on ochem I have never seen....

I guess I should just brush it off and not let it get to me.

 

[FROGGBUSTER]

Question: are Kaplan's full-length tests integrated into the website? Or do you download a program like you do for Topscore?

 

[flin5845]

Question: are Kaplan's full-length tests integrated into the website? Or do you download a program like you do for Topscore?

Integrated into their website.

 

[hasanein4u]

I know It's an old thread... but I was looking for a fair comparison between Kaplan and Topscore
I have one kaplan left and then 3 topscore so I was looking for something helps and I found it here!! I am getting round 19 in Kaplan and I want to get to 20 in my next test and then will start with topscore

 

[drill-and-fill]

lol it's funny that you revived this old thread... because I just took the Kaplan final and I did really bad... killed my confidence.

From what I've been reading on SDN so far though, Topscore is really representative of the real deal so if I were you, I would stick with Topscore more.

 

[hasanein4u]

lol it's funny that you revived this old thread... because I just took the Kaplan final and I did really bad... killed my confidence.

From what I've been reading on SDN so far though, Topscore is really representative of the real deal so if I were you, I would stick with Topscore more.

I am going to take the last Kaplan full test in two days and then I will work on the Topscore