My DAT scores...and your input please.

[bgraham]

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Ok, so I took the DAT this morning. I have to say I was displeased with getting five questions about enzymes on the biology section and four difficult trig questions in the QR. The reason I scored poorly in the QR is mostly due to lack of time...had to guess on about the last six. I also was surprised in how difficult the questions were compared to all the practice tests. The practice tests were usually getting me a score of around 18-20.

BIO: 17 73.0
GC: 17 57.9
OC: 25 99.4
PA: 19 91.2
RC: 23 95.3
QR: 14 33.5 😡

TS: 19 86.8
AA: 19 86.2

Now, Im going to ask what you think about retaking. I know I most likely will, however my AA and PAT are good scores. I have a 4.0 overall and science GPA. I also have worked at a dental laboratory for 4 years. I was also chosen as SIU-Edwardsville Freshman of the Year due to academics and community involvement. So, Im just not sure whether a 14 will kill me.

Applying to: SIU, Marquette, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, UIC

 

[rip921]

Your bio and gen chem scores are on the low end of the scale but they will do, but sad to say this but your QR is going to really hurt you....your other scores are good, but I would think that you should retake it and really study hard for QR

 

[Joeybag]

Your bio and gen chem scores are on the low end of the scale but they will do, but sad to say this but your QR is going to really hurt you....your other scores are good, but I would think that you should retake it and really study hard for QR

Not that you probably care, but I took the DAT last year, and I remember the same thing happening on Bio w/ lots of enzyme questions. Not only that, none of them were basic, I too ended up w/ a 17 on bio, which was much worse than expected. I recommend retaking it just b/c you know what to expect/you'll be more comfortable. It's not that bad studying the second time around.

 

[Blackstars]

Ok, so I took the DAT this morning. I have to say I was displeased with getting five questions about enzymes on the biology section and four difficult trig questions in the QR. The reason I scored poorly in the QR is mostly due to lack of time...had to guess on about the last six. I also was surprised in how difficult the questions were compared to all the practice tests. The practice tests were usually getting me a score of around 18-20.

BIO: 17 73.0
GC: 17 57.9
OC: 25 99.4
PA: 19 91.2
RC: 23 95.3
QR: 14 33.5 😡

TS: 19 86.8
AA: 19 86.2

Now, Im going to ask what you think about retaking. I know I most likely will, however my AA and PAT are good scores. I have a 4.0 overall and science GPA. I also have worked at a dental laboratory for 4 years. I was also chosen as SIU-Edwardsville Freshman of the Year due to academics and community involvement. So, Im just not sure whether a 14 will kill me.

Applying to: SIU, Marquette, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, UIC

Good work on the DAT, I would not retake it I were in your position, AA19 and 4.0 GPA is excellent, you'll not have any problem getting into dental school.

Can you give us samples of some the the enzyme questions you talked about.

Thanks

 

[dat_student]

Ok, so I took the DAT this morning. I have to say I was displeased with getting five questions about enzymes on the biology section and four difficult trig questions in the QR. The reason I scored poorly in the QR is mostly due to lack of time...had to guess on about the last six. I also was surprised in how difficult the questions were compared to all the practice tests. The practice tests were usually getting me a score of around 18-20.

BIO: 17 73.0
GC: 17 57.9
OC: 25 99.4
PA: 19 91.2
RC: 23 95.3
QR: 14 33.5 😡

TS: 19 86.8
AA: 19 86.2

Now, Im going to ask what you think about retaking. I know I most likely will, however my AA and PAT are good scores. I have a 4.0 overall and science GPA. I also have worked at a dental laboratory for 4 years. I was also chosen as SIU-Edwardsville Freshman of the Year due to academics and community involvement. So, Im just not sure whether a 14 will kill me.

Applying to: SIU, Marquette, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, UIC

Freshman of the year @ your university. 4.0 GPA. Community involvement. 4 yr exp. in the field of dentistry. Excellent RC & O'Chem scores. very very good. Congrats ! Great job. Compared to poor Dat_Student with his poor & miserable academic achievements, you seem to have a better shot @ it but it's best to contact "SIU, Marquette, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, UIC" and ask their opinions because they are the ones who will make decisions.

 

[mochafreak]

Not that you probably care, but I took the DAT last year, and I remember the same thing happening on Bio w/ lots of enzyme questions. Not only that, none of them were basic, I too ended up w/ a 17 on bio, which was much worse than expected. I recommend retaking it just b/c you know what to expect/you'll be more comfortable. It's not that bad studying the second time around.

What type of enzyme questions...specific questions about Vmax, Km, etc. or specific questions about certains enzymes like carbonic anhydrase does what?

 

[mg777]

Depends which school is your top choice, call your schools and tell them your scores being sure to mention the 14 QR as well your GPA and other key points of your app. You'll want them to point you in the right direction. Remember, Some schools require at least a 15 on all sections. good luck 👍

you'll not have any problem getting into dental school.

 

[Divineimpetus]

Ok, so I took the DAT this morning. I have to say I was displeased with getting five questions about enzymes on the biology section

What kind of questions were they?

 

[bgraham]

Thank you everyone for your input. I'll be calling my schools to find out about the crappy 14 on QR. In regards to the enzyme questions, two that I specifically remember were, "What happens when an enzyme is done with its reaction etc..." and the other one I can remember off the top of my head dealt with how enzymes affect nerves in your muscles. But I cant remember the specific question. I will say though that I probably studied the most for Biology, and really nothing that I studied helped. I read Kaplans Blue Book twice and Schaums once. I also had Biology flashcards. The questions I had on my biology exam were off the wall except for about 4 really easy genetics questions.

I studied the least for QR and Organic Chem. Obviously studying the least for QR = Not a good decision, however the DAT's QR section was 10x harder and more work than any practices I had taken.

The Organic Chem section was soooo easy it was scary. 90% of the questions were basic synthesis/reaction chemistry. Also, I had a question regarding Markovnikov Addition/ Anti Markovnikof. It'd be a good idea to know what reactions add A.M.A (ex: Hydroboration). Also, I had 0 Biochemistry questions. If you did well in Organic in college and remember it, dont study too much honestly.

I must have made dumb mistakes in the Gen Chem section, cuz I thought I did pretty darn well. But who knows.

Thanks again for your input and positive attitude towards my chances. I'll keep you updated on what I decide to do. 🙂

 

[SunnyD0119]

does anyone knwo the answers to those enzyme questions??
off the top of my head i figure that the production of enzymes stops once the rxn is over but i could be wrong

 

[drengineer]

What type of enzyme questions...specific questions about Vmax, Km, etc. or specific questions about certains enzymes like carbonic anhydrase does what?

carbonic anhydrase does what? Crap i don't remember seeing this anywhere in my bio book.

 

[mochafreak]

carbonic anhydrase does what? Crap i don't remember seeing this anywhere in my bio book.

Carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the formation of carbonic acid from carbon dioxide and water after carbon dioxide diffuses into RBC's from the plasma. Therefore, it's important for transport of carbon dioxide and the acid-base balance of the blood (since the carbonic acid dissociates into H+ and HCO3-).

Didn't mean to freak you out...now if someone could give me some idea of what "enzymes affecting the nerves in muscles" might mean I'd be super happy. 😉

 

[Blackstars]

Thank you everyone for your input. I'll be calling my schools to find out about the crappy 14 on QR. In regards to the enzyme questions, two that I specifically remember were, "What happens when an enzyme is done with its reaction etc..." and the other one I can remember off the top of my head dealt with how enzymes affect nerves in your muscles. But I cant remember the specific question. I will say though that I probably studied the most for Biology, and really nothing that I studied helped. I read Kaplans Blue Book twice and Schaums once. I also had Biology flashcards. The questions I had on my biology exam were off the wall except for about 4 really easy genetics questions.

I studied the least for QR and Organic Chem. Obviously studying the least for QR = Not a good decision, however the DAT's QR section was 10x harder and more work than any practices I had taken.

The Organic Chem section was soooo easy it was scary. 90% of the questions were basic synthesis/reaction chemistry. Also, I had a question regarding Markovnikov Addition/ Anti Markovnikof. It'd be a good idea to know what reactions add A.M.A (ex: Hydroboration). Also, I had 0 Biochemistry questions. If you did well in Organic in college and remember it, dont study too much honestly.

I must have made dumb mistakes in the Gen Chem section, cuz I thought I did pretty darn well. But who knows.

Thanks again for your input and positive attitude towards my chances. I'll keep you updated on what I decide to do. 🙂

Thanks a lot that was very helpful, about the genetics questions, could you give us some examples. I really suck in genetics.

Thanks

 

[elz787]

Ok, so I took the DAT this morning. I have to say I was displeased with getting five questions about enzymes on the biology section and four difficult trig questions in the QR. The reason I scored poorly in the QR is mostly due to lack of time...had to guess on about the last six. I also was surprised in how difficult the questions were compared to all the practice tests. The practice tests were usually getting me a score of around 18-20.

BIO: 17 73.0
GC: 17 57.9
OC: 25 99.4
PA: 19 91.2
RC: 23 95.3
QR: 14 33.5 😡

TS: 19 86.8
AA: 19 86.2

Now, Im going to ask what you think about retaking. I know I most likely will, however my AA and PAT are good scores. I have a 4.0 overall and science GPA. I also have worked at a dental laboratory for 4 years. I was also chosen as SIU-Edwardsville Freshman of the Year due to academics and community involvement. So, Im just not sure whether a 14 will kill me.

Applying to: SIU, Marquette, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, UIC

Did you take the Kaplan class?

 

[peace2c]

Thank you everyone for your input. I'll be calling my schools to find out about the crappy 14 on QR. In regards to the enzyme questions, two that I specifically remember were, "What happens when an enzyme is done with its reaction etc..." and the other one I can remember off the top of my head dealt with how enzymes affect nerves in your muscles. But I cant remember the specific question. I will say though that I probably studied the most for Biology, and really nothing that I studied helped. I read Kaplans Blue Book twice and Schaums once. I also had Biology flashcards. The questions I had on my biology exam were off the wall except for about 4 really easy genetics questions.

I studied the least for QR and Organic Chem. Obviously studying the least for QR = Not a good decision, however the DAT's QR section was 10x harder and more work than any practices I had taken.

The Organic Chem section was soooo easy it was scary. 90% of the questions were basic synthesis/reaction chemistry. Also, I had a question regarding Markovnikov Addition/ Anti Markovnikof. It'd be a good idea to know what reactions add A.M.A (ex: Hydroboration). Also, I had 0 Biochemistry questions. If you did well in Organic in college and remember it, dont study too much honestly.

I must have made dumb mistakes in the Gen Chem section, cuz I thought I did pretty darn well. But who knows.

Thanks again for your input and positive attitude towards my chances. I'll keep you updated on what I decide to do. 🙂

Listen to my advice... go get DAT Achiever. This is the software I noted to be carrying many questions directly close to the real DAT with good explanations coming along. I believe you must have got the same set of test I sat for.

The enzyme question came out almost like carbon copy to the one I've seen in test 2 of DAT Achiever. And the answer is " The enzyme will detach from its end product and is ready to be reused". Several others like the extinction of the cheetah population, the analogous structure of a heme group, ... are what I can quote you with.

If you'd seen the maths from this software, your QR would not have gone that bad. Correct me if I'm wrong:

Calculate the largest capturing area of a corral fronting a river, the minimum amount of sales made from selling kids ticket given the two other known values from the proceeds of adults and senior tickets, set of angles in a triangle if the largest one is so and so larger than the smallest one and twice the value of the second largest one, ... not to mention those of the simpler ones.

You do not learn alone from practice tests of course, but a good guide should at least carry something challenging & relevant to the real thing and prompt you to study harder on the right things within syllabus outlined by the ADA.

 

[bgraham]

Listen to my advice... go get DAT Achiever. This is the software I noted to be carrying many questions directly close to the real DAT with good explanations coming along. I believe you must have got the same set of test I sat for.

The enzyme question came out almost like carbon copy to the one I've seen in test 2 of DAT Achiever. And the answer is " The enzyme will detach from its end product and is ready to be reused". Several others like the extinction of the cheetah population, the analogous structure of a heme group, ... are what I can quote you with.

If you'd seen the maths from this software, your QR would not have gone that bad. Correct me if I'm wrong:

Calculate the largest capturing area of a corral fronting a river, the minimum amount of sales made from selling kids ticket given the two other known values from the proceeds of adults and senior tickets, set of angles in a triangle if the largest one is so and so larger than the smallest one and twice the value of the second largest one, ... not to mention those of the simpler ones.

You do not learn alone from practice tests of course, but a good guide should at least carry something challenging & relevant to the real thing and prompt you to study harder on the right things within syllabus outlined by the ADA.

We definately had the same set of questions. Everyone you mentioned above I had on my exam. The Genetics questions are really easy. Learn your punnett squares for each type of cross (dihybrid, test cross, reciprocal test cross). Also know H-W equilibrium, and factors that cause a population to diverge, ex: genetic drift. This will get you all the genetics points.

I called SIU- SDM, and they said they will have no problems with my scores. As she put it, "We look at AA, PAT, and TS. You have 19's in all 3 so dont worry." Angela also said that if your going to get a low score, QR is the place to do it.

Thanks everybody.

 

[Comet208]

Didn't mean to freak you out...now if someone could give me some idea of what "enzymes affecting the nerves in muscles" might mean I'd be super happy. 😉

acetylcholineesterase degrades Ach in the synapse after the AP allowing the muscle to relax.

 

[mochafreak]

acetylcholineesterase degrades Ach in the synapse after the AP allowing the muscle to relax.

Cool, I knew that...unfortunately after taking DAT achiever test I tonite I've discovered several things I don't know.

 

[peace2c]

Cool, I knew that...unfortunately after taking DAT achiever test I tonite I've discovered several things I don't know.

The ACH question came out in mine and bgraham's real test may be found in Q39 of SNS2 of DAT Achiever.

Guess you have either missed it yourself or not been able to come to this test in the software yet. Trust me, no other guides I have seen carry that much of similarly real DAT questions as this awesome program does. Together with your textbook and/or lecture notes, it will prove to be a cutting edge tool in helping you stay signficantly beyond the national mean. 👍 👍

 

[gabrielmeraz]

Look,
I happened to get a 14 on MATH and a 17 on the PAT with a 3.60 overall GPA and 3.76 Scince GPA and applied middle of January for the class of 2009 and still whined up with admission invites at Marquette, BU, NYU, and USC. Dude! Don't worry with your scores, I think you're in good shape 😉 Why take it again???

 

[mochafreak]

The ACH question came out in mine and bgraham's real test may be found in Q39 of SNS2 of DAT Achiever.

Guess you have either missed it yourself or not been able to come to this test in the software yet. Trust me, no other guides I have seen carry that much of similarly real DAT questions as this awesome program does. Together with your textbook and/or lecture notes, it will prove to be a cutting edge tool in helping you stay signficantly beyond the national mean. 👍 👍

I haven't come to that question in DAT Achiever yet...I knew the function of Ach from using Examkrackers MCAT Bio, which will drill such knowledge into your head. In fact, I got all the physio questions on test I correct...my problem is protists, ecology, and behavior. I do think that DAT Achiever is a well done program, and I like the analysis and detailed reports. 😉