Not-your-usual DAT scoring question.

[Kane]

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Here's my question:

Is the DAT scored against current statistics?

Meaning, if I had taken the DAT five years ago and got an AA of, say, 18. Then I took the exam again and performed exactly the same, would the AA score, necessarily, be 18? Or, like I ask above, does it depend on the current performance statistics of all test-takers?

I tried to search this question to no avail, so be kind, please. Plus, I'm new here.

Hi, by the way. 🙂

 

[Leeuwenhoek]

Here's my question:

Is the DAT scored against current statistics?

Meaning, if I had taken the DAT five years ago and got an AA of, say, 18. Then I took the exam again and performed exactly the same, would the AA score, necessarily, be 18? Or, like I ask above, does it depend on the current performance statistics of all test-takers?

I tried to search this question to no avail, so be kind, please. Plus, I'm new here.

Hi, by the way. 🙂

Hi, welcome to SDN.

The DAT scores are representative of the current test takers for that particular exam. I.e. you are compared to those you write with. To simplify, if there were 100 people including yourself writing the exam five years ago and most were strong academically, and you performed the way you did and received a score 18 AA, and if you were to write it now in a group of 100 people, and perform the same and 99 other people are much weaker then your score could be much higher, or if the 99 people are much stronger then your score could also drop.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kane]

It does help, thanks.

I'm a "special" case, you see. I was in Maryland's program 15 years ago and was drawn away by the desire to explore a different career. But now not receiving my DDS is a regret of mine, I want to finish what I started.

But I need to take the prereqs again along with the DAT and re-apply.

Now, 15 years ago, the applicant pool was not as strong as it is now. (The early 90's was the nadir in applicants.) So I'm concerned that my DAT scores might be giving me false confidence. I got a 20 on the PA section, for instance. What would that score be today?

PS: I know I should have put this post in the "DAT" section. I tried to edit it, but couldn't shift it's location.

 

[speedy3816]

It does help, thanks.

I'm a "special" case, you see. I was in Maryland's program 15 years ago and was drawn away by the desire to explore a different career. But now not receiving my DDS is a regret of mine, I want to finish what I started.

But I need to take the prereqs again along with the DAT and re-apply.

Now, 15 years ago, the applicant pool was not as strong as it is now. (The early 90's was the nadir in applicants.) So I'm concerned that my DAT scores might be giving me false confidence. I got a 20 on the PA section, for instance. What would that score be today?

PS: I know I should have put this post in the "DAT" section. I tried to edit it, but couldn't shift it's location.

Hi, I'm not sure if anyone could actually answer that... it's not like money and inflation, where one could compute past value and current value, ect... however, I would just go out and get the most recent DAT prep material you can get your hands on (such Kaplan Blue Book, DAT Achiever, and other software programs...), and just study hard 👍 If you don't mind me asking, what was it that drew you away from d-school? If you don't want to answer on the forum, feel free to PM me. Thanks, and good luck!

 

[Kane]

Thanks. We'll see...

And I'll share my background soon enough, I guess. I want to get a little more familiar with the surroundings, if that's okay.

Kane

 

[Leeuwenhoek]

Now, 15 years ago, the applicant pool was not as strong as it is now. (The early 90's was the nadir in applicants.) So I'm concerned that my DAT scores might be giving me false confidence. I got a 20 on the PA section, for instance. What would that score be today?

Although the applicant pool is probably stronger and definitely much larger, this shouldn't affect you negatively. You still have an advantage in that you have written it once before. You just need to study hard and do current practice exams, as the content/format may have changed from 15 years ago.

Again, it is impossible to tell how your scores compare from one exam to another. If you got a 20 in the PA section five years ago, and all the question were exactly the same today it still would not matter as the scores are reflective of the current pool of people writing the exam. You are ranked with the current test takers for that sitting.

Good luck to you.

 

[Kane]

When you say "that sitting"...do you mean the average performance for, say, the last 12 months?

 

[Leeuwenhoek]

When you say "that sitting"...do you mean the average performance for, say, the last 12 months?

For example, I wrote the Canadian DAT. It is offered twice a year. If I wrote the November DAT, my performance would be ranked with every other person in Canada who wrote the same November DAT. Any comparisons of scores with other exams are not a direct reflection of performance, because the question changes on the exam as well as the strength of the test taking population.

 

[Kane]

I see. But in the US, we take the exam independently at different computer centers, on any day.

 

[prez_al]

For example, I wrote the Canadian DAT. It is offered twice a year. If I wrote the November DAT, my performance would be ranked with every other person in Canada who wrote the same November DAT. Any comparisons of scores with other exams are not a direct reflection of performance, because the question changes on the exam as well as the strength of the test taking population.

That's true... the Canadian DAT scores you depending on how well you do relative to everyone else (like anything over 20 is in the 90th percentile, but then again, no one ever gets a 30 in anything from the score reports I recieved), while the American one can only standardize the results depending on how many responses you get correct. That's actually better in a way since it could possibly be easier to score those 20s... Just my opinion.

 

[Kane]

bump.

any thoughts on the above?

k

 

[Kane]

bump.

any help on this?

is the (US) DAT score measured against the average of all test-takers from, say, the past 12 months??