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If you prepared for the MCAT already and did average, are you somewhat prepared for the DAT? thanks everyone
mcat vs. DAT -- question about PREP for DAT
- Thread starter amoxicillin
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amoxicillin said:
If you prepared for the MCAT, then you would spend less time studying for the DAT because many stuff overlap somewhat. However, just because you did average on the MCAT does not mean that you are prepared for the DAT. (and vice versa). Since the format of the MCAT is different from that of the DAT, I would suggest you to take a look at some of the DAT prep. materials. Good luck.
Regards,
Dentalist
Don't forget about the PAT portion, which the MCAT doesn't cover. I thought it was challenging, so you might want to take a look at that. There's no essay or Physics section on the DAT, either...and like Dentalist said, the format is different and some sections on the DAT aren't as detailed as those on the MCAT (ie: Org. Chem).
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I have not taken the DAT yet but took the MCAT 2 years ago and performed really well (perfect 15 in some sections). I would say the reading is a lot easier on the DAT. A LOT. It is hard to compare the science sections because you read a short passage on the MCAT and answer questions about that whereas on the DAT it is all just a single question with an answer. The material is similar but the format is way different. (Yes, I know the MCAT has just Q and A's, too, but I think the majority of questions are from passages.) At this point I do not feel adequately prepared for the DAT, but if I had just taken my MCATs, I would feel good about it -- except I would brush up on my quantitative reasoning. That stuff I hadn't had since high school!
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hey,
I've taken the Mcats twice...and the Dat this past November. This is what I think about the two..... The MCAT is more like a marathon...and the DAT like a sprint... when I first saw the DAT format..I thought it was going to be easy to do well honestly...but the more I studied for it...the more I thought it'd be hard to do really really well on it ( ~ 30+ MCAT score comparatively speaking)
THe Mcat's questions are much more conceptually based and you have to understand the science material on a more fundamental level rather than just being good at rote memorization. Because of that I think you can do really well on the MCAT bio w/out having memorized EVERY bit of info.....but not on the DAT bio because it is VERY specific in the info it asks...you either know it...or don't...there are no passages to help you discern the correct answer.
The DAT is basically an entire test of those blocks of 5 "non passage based questions". The reading comp on the MCAT is excruciatingly hard IMHO to get a 10 or higher.... the DAT reading comp is much easier...just read and find the answer within the passages...no critical thinking, no implied reasoning..etc
Although the DAT in general doesn't require as much critical thinking as the Mcat, all of the memorizing you have to do for the DAT can take a toll on you...and while it may be somewhat easy to get about a 20...its hard to get scores progressively higher (21,22 etc) because the margin of error is so small...it can get really frustrating because you can't afford to make a single mistake..
I also found that some of the DAT questions on the actual test were written pretty poorly. I'd expect at least 1-2 DAT bio questions that just don't make sense at all...
I think Examkracker books (compared to Kaplan's set) were great for the MCAT type of questioning...while the Kaplan books do a good job for the DAT. Relying on EK books solely for the DAT will definately not cut it...
I think 2months of solid studying bout 3-4 hrs a day will prep you enough for the DAT...
I've taken the Mcats twice...and the Dat this past November. This is what I think about the two..... The MCAT is more like a marathon...and the DAT like a sprint... when I first saw the DAT format..I thought it was going to be easy to do well honestly...but the more I studied for it...the more I thought it'd be hard to do really really well on it ( ~ 30+ MCAT score comparatively speaking)
THe Mcat's questions are much more conceptually based and you have to understand the science material on a more fundamental level rather than just being good at rote memorization. Because of that I think you can do really well on the MCAT bio w/out having memorized EVERY bit of info.....but not on the DAT bio because it is VERY specific in the info it asks...you either know it...or don't...there are no passages to help you discern the correct answer.
The DAT is basically an entire test of those blocks of 5 "non passage based questions". The reading comp on the MCAT is excruciatingly hard IMHO to get a 10 or higher.... the DAT reading comp is much easier...just read and find the answer within the passages...no critical thinking, no implied reasoning..etc
Although the DAT in general doesn't require as much critical thinking as the Mcat, all of the memorizing you have to do for the DAT can take a toll on you...and while it may be somewhat easy to get about a 20...its hard to get scores progressively higher (21,22 etc) because the margin of error is so small...it can get really frustrating because you can't afford to make a single mistake..
I also found that some of the DAT questions on the actual test were written pretty poorly. I'd expect at least 1-2 DAT bio questions that just don't make sense at all...
I think Examkracker books (compared to Kaplan's set) were great for the MCAT type of questioning...while the Kaplan books do a good job for the DAT. Relying on EK books solely for the DAT will definately not cut it...
I think 2months of solid studying bout 3-4 hrs a day will prep you enough for the DAT...
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Buddy in my opinion, I think the DATs are way easier and WILL prepare you for them.
I got in the 97th-98th percentile for some of my scores and higher on the DAT versus that compared to MCAT (88th-92nd percentile)..and I studied a lot less for the DAT than MCAT. Just make sure you study for the PAT.
I got in the 97th-98th percentile for some of my scores and higher on the DAT versus that compared to MCAT (88th-92nd percentile)..and I studied a lot less for the DAT than MCAT. Just make sure you study for the PAT.
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Content-wise? Probably the DAT. The MCAT has a harder reading section and contains physics questions, whereas the DAT's major difference is the PAT, which doesn't require as much preparation. They're also tacking on all of that biochem, sociology, and psych crap onto the MCAT soon. I have no idea how comparable the shared sections are, but the DAT is definitely more straight memorization as opposed to conceptual. It is worth mentioning that the ADEA is trying to make biology (and math?) questions more concept-based, but whether this increases or decreases the difficulty of them remains to be seen.
