Kaplan Online or DAT Destroyer?

[skiphotsauce]

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Maybe this has kind of been answered already, but it would be much easier and of great help if I could get your input on this. My schedule will give me 4-6 weeks to study for the DAT. I plan on using either the Kaplan Online or the DAT Destroyer in combination with the Crack DAT PAT.

My question is which way is better, Kaplan Online or DAT Destroyer? Or are there good aspects and bad aspects to both?

Thanks for the help!

 

[gentile1225]

well this is a tough call. i'm not really sure about how much the kaplan online course is, but it definitely helped me out. on the other hand, i also used destroyer and found them both to be of great value. kaplan is very good to go over some basic concepts and review some stuff, whereas destroyer is meant to use towards your later parts of studying when you're brushing up on everything.

i recommend them both so its a tough decision. id say think about it, and dont rush to take the dats. 4-6 weeks isn't too much time to study but it can be done if you have a solid foundation already.

 

[doc3232]

Kaplan online:
-lots of material.
-everything you need to know.
-not many hard/tricky questions (which don't come up anyway).

Destroyer:
-overkill on all sections
-lots of questions, but won't take long to go through

very few questions from destroyer came up on my gchem. Destroyer was too hard for this section. kaplan online helped me with 2 questions for gchem that I know of that came up on my real test.
Destroyer is ok for bio and I liked it for ochem. Kaplan online will cover everything IMO.

good luck

 

[alanan84]

Save your money and go with Destroyer. It will overprepare you which is what you need for the DAT.

 

[a1pha]

If money is not an issue then without a doubt do kaplan online. Kaplan questions are way more indicative of what's actually on the DAT. Destroyer is overrated and it doesn't over-prepare you...it prepares you for things you VERY rarely see on the actual test. With limited time, kaplan is the easy choice.

 

[skiphotsauce]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

I've heard the kaplan, however, doesn't prepare you well for the PAT and DAT destroyer doesn't have PAT work. should I still use the Crack DAT PAT?

 

[gentile1225]

kaplan pat is horrible, i definitely recommend crack dat pat. definitely comparable to the real thing. what do you plan on using for qr?

 

[skiphotsauce]

Kaplan online has QR, so I assume that.

 

[achilles2]

Seriously people who bash kaplans online material are not giving you good advice.

I am saying nothing about the classes but in terms of what they provide for you online it is the SINGLE best resource you can get....period

No one gives as many practice questions along with subject tests and full tests.


I give a huge amount of credit to kaplan for my DAT score. The online material was critical you really need just a sheer volume of questions.

Destroyer is a great resource but it does not replace full length practice tests and subject tests.


Now how you use the online material can make or break you. What I did was take each test or group of questions then print out the answers and I went to wiki and went over each one. How you study is what makes the difference the resource can't put in the wrench time for you.

If you can afford both then def do it destroyer is great for conditioning you to a higher standard and practicing conversions without a calculator. But you need raw practice questions make no mistake.




NOTE:

The one area kaplan is VERY weak in is PAT. But I see you got crack which I never used myself but I have heard nothing but good things about. DO NOT DEPEND ON KAPLAN FOR PAT!!!!! Its other sections are on point tho.

Hope this helps

 

[JayhawkDental]

I took notes on the Kaplan book; read my biology book front to back and took notes; took the tests from TopScore; and finally used the PAT section of Barrons (only PAT portion).
Sometimes I think the best way to study the science portion of the DAT is to go through textbooks by following the outline provided by ADA. Good luck!

 

[umkc09]

DAT Destroyer is the better choice.

 

[illbirz]

I would take kaplan class rather than online. Cuz i believe discussing the subject helps remember them more than just goin over it by urself. Then again every1 is different. I was debating between the class or online and i went with class. SO if you were to choose between online and destroyer, id go with destroyer. And if you had to go with class or destroyer, id go BOTH. 😀

I think whoever is studying for the DAT, they should have the destroyer as one of their arsenal. Even if you go through it once, its explanations show tricks and helpful ways to remember particular sections of bio.

GOODLUCK!

 

[Persevere13]

instead of online just get the Blue Book, the online has great stuff but it's SO expensive - so w/ the $ you saved by not going w/ online you can get a destroyer - problem solved.