New features in DAT Test?

[RSD2014]

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Hey guys, I'm new to the forum but have been reading your posts and find them very helpful.

I recently purchased the DAT Achiever and found there are now strikethrough feature for eliminating answer choices and highlighting feature for RC.

I personally think it would help so much in the Reading comprehension section, but would it make the test harder and less factual?
Also the addition of a calculator in QRT could change the game a little.

Has anyone recently taken the DAT exam verify this?

Thanks. 🙂

 

[redchesus]

Well the calculator won't be available until March so we won't know how they've changed the questions to make it fit yet (if at all)

I can only imagine these features making the test taker's life easier. You could always NOT use them...

 

[Impulse155]

Wait... there adding a calculator to the DAT?
Will the math be harder? I would rather go easier math and no calculator haha.

And what do you mean with the RC thing?

ANd lastly, on the DAT can you use a calculator on the science section?

 

[crew09]

DENTAL ADMISSION TEST (DAT) 2010 PROGRAM GUIDE
http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_guide_2010.pdf

Page 40 (Last Page)

IV. Quantitative Reasoning (40)
(Calculator available on computer screen, effective 3/2/2010; see image below)

It seems like the 'windows standard calculator' will be available only for the QR section.

 

[Impulse155]

DENTAL ADMISSION TEST (DAT) 2010 PROGRAM GUIDE
http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_guide_2010.pdf

Page 40 (Last Page)



It seems like the 'windows standard calculator' will be available only for the QR section.

I feel like thas the worst route they could have went. What if you are a slow typer? You have to manually click the buttons on the calculator. Going to waste so much time. They should just let you bring a scientific.

 

[hausee]

expect to hear a lot of keyboard noise after March...

 

[crew09]

Thought I'd share this info. I emailed the ADA Department of Testing Services. Here's my email and their response:

1. Will the onscreen calculator only be present for the Quantitative Reasoning section? Yes
2. If so, due to this change will Exam Constructors increase the difficulty of the QR section as compared to the past? Yes
3. If it's also available for the General Chemistry section, will it increase/change those questions? Not available.

🙁

Good news is it's not affecting Gen Chem. Bad news is QR will be adjusted based on the availability of a calculator.

In reality though, I suspect a person who actually aims to do well and preps for QR will do relatively well with or without a calculator.

At least I hope so...lol

 

[dent2638]

Thought I'd share this info. I emailed the ADA Department of Testing Services. Here's my email and their response:

1. Will the onscreen calculator only be present for the Quantitative Reasoning section? Yes
2. If so, due to this change will Exam Constructors increase the difficulty of the QR section as compared to the past? Yes
3. If it's also available for the General Chemistry section, will it increase/change those questions? Not available.

🙁

Good news is it's not affecting Gen Chem. Bad news is QR will be adjusted based on the availability of a calculator.

In reality though, I suspect a person who actually aims to do well and preps for QR will do relatively well with or without a calculator.

At least I hope so...lol

Has anybody figured out if they will be rolling out a new version of the exam on March 2? Planning a test date, but I think I'd rather have an easier QR without the calculator ...

 

[Impulse155]

Thought I'd share this info. I emailed the ADA Department of Testing Services. Here's my email and their response:

1. Will the onscreen calculator only be present for the Quantitative Reasoning section? Yes
2. If so, due to this change will Exam Constructors increase the difficulty of the QR section as compared to the past?Yes
3. If it's also available for the General Chemistry section, will it increase/change those questions?Not available.

🙁

Good news is it's not affecting Gen Chem. Bad news is QR will be adjusted based on the availability of a calculator.

In reality though, I suspect a person who actually aims to do well and preps for QR will do relatively well with or without a calculator.

At least I hope so...lol

Well there goes getting a 30 on the QRT section haha.
How much harder can they make it though. I feel like same questions just bigger numbers. The calculator isnt a trig/scientific calculator. All it does is add/sub/mult/divide/sqr root

 

[crew09]

Weird, I got another email from the ADA director saying the difficulty of the QR section will NOT change.

Also, on the SDN Test Prep DAT Destroyer forum Dr. Romano/Nancy n Steen say they talked to the ADA and the difficulty will not change.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=692650 post #23

I think at this point it's useless thinking about stuff out of our control and to just focus on the prep.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[hausee]

they can make more words problem and that will take you more time.

Well there goes getting a 30 on the QRT section haha.
How much harder can they make it though. I feel like same questions just bigger numbers. The calculator isnt a trig/scientific calculator. All it does is add/sub/mult/divide/sqr root

 

[razblo]

IMO a calculator should have always been an option because if you think about it if you're doing "complicated" math problems in your real life (stuff more complicated than $50 - $32 = $18) then you would typically use a calculator or at least have one available for you to use.

 

[dent2638]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum but have been reading your posts and find them very helpful.

I recently purchased the DAT Achiever and found there are now strikethrough feature for eliminating answer choices and highlighting feature for RC.

I personally think it would help so much in the Reading comprehension section, but would it make the test harder and less factual?
Also the addition of a calculator in QRT could change the game a little.

Has anyone recently taken the DAT exam verify this?

Thanks. 🙂

Back to the OP - regarding strikethrough to eliminate answer choices... I also have found that feature very useful on Achiever. Either I completely missed it on my first DAT, or it is not available at all. I'm assuming the latter - anyone know for sure?

 

[predentduck]

I took the exam two weeks ago and I too did not have the option for striking out answer choices

 

[bergoshe]

IMO a calculator should have always been an option because if you think about it if you're doing "complicated" math problems in your real life (stuff more complicated than $50 - $32 = $18) then you would typically use a calculator or at least have one available for you to use.

I feel like this is inaccurate. All of the math problems I had could be rounded (albeit not always totally easy to do so, it generally worked) to come up with some ballpark figure that was very close to an answer choice. Am I remembering this lightly?

 

[Voi]

just took it this week and RC didn't have strike through, but you could highlight the passage

 

[RSD2014]

just took it this week and RC didn't have strike through, but you could highlight the passage

Voi
On the Real DAT, did the your highlights go away, when you click Next?

 

[Impulse155]

Whats the difference between strikethrough and the highlighting feature of the RC section?
And can you highlight only bits and pieces of a sentence
For example:
The dog is red.
Lets say I only want to highlight "red" can you do that?
And seriously, who has a red dog.

 

[xsynaesthesianx]

I just took my DAT this morning...I didn't even realize there was a calculator tool until the last question for QR!!!! LOL

The practice tests I used (Achiever, Crack Dat, Kaplan (2009-2010)) don't have a calculator tool, so I wasn't looking for it.

 

[MrBeans]

I just took my DAT this morning...I didn't even realize there was a calculator tool until the last question for QR!!!! LOL

The practice tests I used (Achiever, Crack Dat, Kaplan (2009-2010)) don't have a calculator tool, so I wasn't looking for it.

I found the calculator to be helpful, but it was quite sluggish. It almost made me want to not even bother with it.