Hey everyone! I just took my DAT last weekend and I want to share how I was able to score a 27 AA by studying with DAT Bootcamp. I really hope this advice helps all of you score well and be able to get into the Dental School of your choice!
Score Breakdown:
Perceptual Ability: 28
Quantitative Reasoning: 28
Reading Comprehension: 23
Biology: 23
General Chemistry: 30
Organic Chemistry: 30
Total Science: 27
Academic Average: 27
General Study Plan: I had heard good things about DAT Bootcamp, and decided to make the investment for the 90-Day Program. It cost me $450 (I got a small discount for using an influencer code to purchase), which may sound pricey, but it is far cheaper than comparable programs, and from my experience, much better quality. DAT Bootcamp comes with an 8-week study schedule, and I decided to follow that to guide my studies which I thought was a great choice! I already had a lot of recent experience with organic chemistry, and I felt confident in my reading and math skills, so while I still did some practice problems when recommended by the schedule, I didn’t take the time to watch the videos on them. I mainly focused on General Chemistry, Biology, and the PAT. I’ll break down each section more specifically, I hope this helps!
Perceptual Ability (28): I was honestly shocked by this score! My highest practice test using DAT Bootcamp for the PAT section was a 24, so I way outperformed my expectations here. Most of my practice tests hovered around 20-22 for the PAT. You guys cannot sleep on your studies here! Don’t neglect practicing EVERY DAY for the PAT. What I did was essentially 15 questions of each type every day, timed to make sure I could do it in an hour. At first, I was WAY over one hour, but by practicing every day I could see myself getting better and better. DAT Bootcamp is great because they have PAT generators which essentially allow for unlimited practice. Hole punching and cubes I found to be easy quickly. Keyhole, TFE, and pattern folding were harder but you CAN master these!! Practice until you don’t miss. I could never seem to get the hang of angle ranking, the week before the test I was still missing 10/15. So focus on your strengths here! I definitely think the DAT PAT was easier than the Bootcamp PAT. So it prepares you well.
Quantitative Reasoning (28): Again, I am very surprised here. My practice QR sections scored me around 20-23 typically. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time doing these, I think just doing the practice tests and learning from what you missed is the way to go. You can always study more of a certain question type that you are struggling on too. I thought the DAT QR was a lot easier than the Bootcamp QR. Which, again, is what I like so much about Bootcamp. It makes test day feel a lot less stressful.
Reading Comprehension (23): While I’m still very proud of this score, I was expecting a little bit better as I had scored a 30 two separate times on my practice tests, and rarely below a 25. I thought the difficulty was almost exactly the same from Bootcamp to the DAT. One thing that threw me off was that on test day, the computers took a lot longer to load, and the scrolling mechanism for the passages was glitchy, oftentimes scrolling all the way up or down, making it hard on occasions to analyze the passage. Bootcamp does a fantastic job of making the format look just like the real test, but Bootcamp was a lot smoother than the real test. However, that could be just due to my specific location, but it was worth mentioning. I would recommend doing all the sample passages and practice tests, but not really worrying about it apart from that. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the different strategies, just focus on taking the test how it feels best to you. I personally just read the whole passage, while answering questions where I could. Once I read the whole passage, I just skimmed to find answers to the remaining questions.
Biology (23): I am very happy with this score! I think Bio was my weakest subject, since there is so much material to cover. I haven’t taken physiology yet, so I had to learn all of that from Bootcamp, which does a great job of giving you both written study notes, video lectures, and a plethora of practice material for each subject. I followed their study schedule strictly with my bio content, then went back and reviewed my weak areas with their quizlets later on. You need to invest a lot of time into this to make sure you have an understanding of the material, I personally think it is worth investing a significant portion of your time into bio, as long as you feel comfortable in a couple of other sections. I thought Bootcamp was pretty representative of the DAT.
General Chemistry (30): I am probably most proud of this one! I was scoring low 20’s (which is still good) with Bootcamp, but I was able to do even better on test day. While taking the test, I thought it felt a lot like the Bootcamp tests, but looking back it may have been a touch easier on the real thing, especially since I had such a drastic change in scores going from practice to the test. Dr. Mike, the chemistry instructor on Bootcamp does a FANTASTIC job explaining the material. I took gen chem nearly four years prior to the DAT, but the Bootcamp videos brought me up to speed relatively quickly. I did all the practice bank questions, and then after that, I just learned from my mistakes on practice tests without much additional study.
Organic Chemistry (30): I am obviously pleased with this score, but not surprised. Ochem has always been my strong section. I just finished ochem in school before taking the test, so I didn’t have to spend any time reviewing or learning the concepts. I did the practice problems and learned from my mistakes in tests, but I felt it was pretty straightforward on the DAT, much easier than my university’s course. I think Bootcamp’s practice material was slightly more difficult than the real test, which, again, will prepare you well.
Overall Advice: I have three last pieces of advice. First, if you study with Bootcamp, TAKE ALL THE TESTS! Those, as it tells you, are most representative of the real thing, and it will give you a good sense of your strong and weak points. Take all ten! And make sure, as the study guide says, to take half of them as a full-length and distraction-free practice test. That way, you won’t be feeling fatigued at all on test day, it will feel comfortable. Second, Make sure to get in a routine. I highly recommend the Study Schedule that comes with DAT Bootcamp, but whatever you do, stick to a schedule. And not just about the content of what you will study that day, but an overall routine. I studied during the summer and I was not in classes, so my day typically looked like breakfast and gym in the morning (8-11 ish), head up to the library to study (11-4 ish), then work or go out with friends in the evening (after 5pm). Doing this every day really got me in a good study flow which helped a lot. Lastly, Take breaks! It is good to go a day or two without studying intensely every so often. I found that that seemed to clear my mind, and I would perform better resting than overworking myself. I didn’t do any studying for the last 24 hours before the test. Anyway, I highly recommend Bootcamp to help you and I wish you all the best luck in your dental journey. Let me know if you have any questions!
Score Breakdown:
Perceptual Ability: 28
Quantitative Reasoning: 28
Reading Comprehension: 23
Biology: 23
General Chemistry: 30
Organic Chemistry: 30
Total Science: 27
Academic Average: 27
General Study Plan: I had heard good things about DAT Bootcamp, and decided to make the investment for the 90-Day Program. It cost me $450 (I got a small discount for using an influencer code to purchase), which may sound pricey, but it is far cheaper than comparable programs, and from my experience, much better quality. DAT Bootcamp comes with an 8-week study schedule, and I decided to follow that to guide my studies which I thought was a great choice! I already had a lot of recent experience with organic chemistry, and I felt confident in my reading and math skills, so while I still did some practice problems when recommended by the schedule, I didn’t take the time to watch the videos on them. I mainly focused on General Chemistry, Biology, and the PAT. I’ll break down each section more specifically, I hope this helps!
Perceptual Ability (28): I was honestly shocked by this score! My highest practice test using DAT Bootcamp for the PAT section was a 24, so I way outperformed my expectations here. Most of my practice tests hovered around 20-22 for the PAT. You guys cannot sleep on your studies here! Don’t neglect practicing EVERY DAY for the PAT. What I did was essentially 15 questions of each type every day, timed to make sure I could do it in an hour. At first, I was WAY over one hour, but by practicing every day I could see myself getting better and better. DAT Bootcamp is great because they have PAT generators which essentially allow for unlimited practice. Hole punching and cubes I found to be easy quickly. Keyhole, TFE, and pattern folding were harder but you CAN master these!! Practice until you don’t miss. I could never seem to get the hang of angle ranking, the week before the test I was still missing 10/15. So focus on your strengths here! I definitely think the DAT PAT was easier than the Bootcamp PAT. So it prepares you well.
Quantitative Reasoning (28): Again, I am very surprised here. My practice QR sections scored me around 20-23 typically. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time doing these, I think just doing the practice tests and learning from what you missed is the way to go. You can always study more of a certain question type that you are struggling on too. I thought the DAT QR was a lot easier than the Bootcamp QR. Which, again, is what I like so much about Bootcamp. It makes test day feel a lot less stressful.
Reading Comprehension (23): While I’m still very proud of this score, I was expecting a little bit better as I had scored a 30 two separate times on my practice tests, and rarely below a 25. I thought the difficulty was almost exactly the same from Bootcamp to the DAT. One thing that threw me off was that on test day, the computers took a lot longer to load, and the scrolling mechanism for the passages was glitchy, oftentimes scrolling all the way up or down, making it hard on occasions to analyze the passage. Bootcamp does a fantastic job of making the format look just like the real test, but Bootcamp was a lot smoother than the real test. However, that could be just due to my specific location, but it was worth mentioning. I would recommend doing all the sample passages and practice tests, but not really worrying about it apart from that. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the different strategies, just focus on taking the test how it feels best to you. I personally just read the whole passage, while answering questions where I could. Once I read the whole passage, I just skimmed to find answers to the remaining questions.
Biology (23): I am very happy with this score! I think Bio was my weakest subject, since there is so much material to cover. I haven’t taken physiology yet, so I had to learn all of that from Bootcamp, which does a great job of giving you both written study notes, video lectures, and a plethora of practice material for each subject. I followed their study schedule strictly with my bio content, then went back and reviewed my weak areas with their quizlets later on. You need to invest a lot of time into this to make sure you have an understanding of the material, I personally think it is worth investing a significant portion of your time into bio, as long as you feel comfortable in a couple of other sections. I thought Bootcamp was pretty representative of the DAT.
General Chemistry (30): I am probably most proud of this one! I was scoring low 20’s (which is still good) with Bootcamp, but I was able to do even better on test day. While taking the test, I thought it felt a lot like the Bootcamp tests, but looking back it may have been a touch easier on the real thing, especially since I had such a drastic change in scores going from practice to the test. Dr. Mike, the chemistry instructor on Bootcamp does a FANTASTIC job explaining the material. I took gen chem nearly four years prior to the DAT, but the Bootcamp videos brought me up to speed relatively quickly. I did all the practice bank questions, and then after that, I just learned from my mistakes on practice tests without much additional study.
Organic Chemistry (30): I am obviously pleased with this score, but not surprised. Ochem has always been my strong section. I just finished ochem in school before taking the test, so I didn’t have to spend any time reviewing or learning the concepts. I did the practice problems and learned from my mistakes in tests, but I felt it was pretty straightforward on the DAT, much easier than my university’s course. I think Bootcamp’s practice material was slightly more difficult than the real test, which, again, will prepare you well.
Overall Advice: I have three last pieces of advice. First, if you study with Bootcamp, TAKE ALL THE TESTS! Those, as it tells you, are most representative of the real thing, and it will give you a good sense of your strong and weak points. Take all ten! And make sure, as the study guide says, to take half of them as a full-length and distraction-free practice test. That way, you won’t be feeling fatigued at all on test day, it will feel comfortable. Second, Make sure to get in a routine. I highly recommend the Study Schedule that comes with DAT Bootcamp, but whatever you do, stick to a schedule. And not just about the content of what you will study that day, but an overall routine. I studied during the summer and I was not in classes, so my day typically looked like breakfast and gym in the morning (8-11 ish), head up to the library to study (11-4 ish), then work or go out with friends in the evening (after 5pm). Doing this every day really got me in a good study flow which helped a lot. Lastly, Take breaks! It is good to go a day or two without studying intensely every so often. I found that that seemed to clear my mind, and I would perform better resting than overworking myself. I didn’t do any studying for the last 24 hours before the test. Anyway, I highly recommend Bootcamp to help you and I wish you all the best luck in your dental journey. Let me know if you have any questions!
