Please Help/Guide. Took the DAT yesterday. Scored Well, but 1 section had computer problem????

[tigoe]

Hello All,

This is my first post on here. Please help and guide me as only I could leave that exam with more stress and drama than when I first walked in.

I felt confident going through the entire exam and felt I had been doing a good job. It came down to the last 5 minutes of QR where Im almost home free. And my god damn computer monitor went black. I sat there for 15 seconds hoping it would come back on (because it had previously went black and then came back on immediately after). Then after the 15 seconds I went bat **** crazy and found an instructor who had to help figure out the problem and then reconnected all of the cables in the back of the computer for the monitor. When the test comes back on the screen I have under 1 minute left (55 seconds) to literally try and finish the QR section where all I had time to do was click CCCCCCCCCCCCC for any of the questions I didnt get to even attempt.

My scores ended up being:

PAT : 20
QR : 16
RC : 21
Bio : 21
GC : 20
OC : 19
TS : 20
AA : 19

oGPA: 3.8 sGPA: 3.63

And now I am ****ing terrified that I wont be accepted because I can be filtered out by having a 16. The testing guy said he had to write up a report, but I am not sure what the hell happens from here. My AA could have been a 20-21 if not for the 16, and it wasn't even my fault. I ended up losing an entire 5 minutes waiting for the screen to come back online.

I studied hard for this test, I don't want to have to retake it because of a computer error on their part that completely screwed over my grades.

If you have any guidance, anybody to contact in terms of ADA/Prometric, or any information at all about what I should do, I really do appreciate anything you guys can help me with. Happy holidays everyone

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[1ysh]

I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with the stress! I think while the instructor was fixing the problem you should have automatically been given another opportunity, but I'm confused as to why they let you finish the exam under 1 minute. I know 5 min can make a big difference, so if I were you, I would immediately report it to the proctor or call the ADA to request another test. I understand it will be hard to have to go through the whole test prep mode again but, since you studied hard for it, you should already be ready for it. Explain that you need a second chance because of what happened during the QR section, say that you ended up with an unfair 16 that can automatically filter you, and ask if you could just retake that section. I wish you the best of luck with this!

 

[tigoe]

I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with the stress! I think while the instructor was fixing the problem you should have automatically been given another opportunity, but I'm confused as to why they let you finish the exam under 1 minute. I know 5 min can make a big difference, so if I were you, I would immediately report it to the proctor or call the ADA to request another test. I understand it will be hard to have to go through the whole test prep mode again but, since you studied hard for it, you should already be ready for it. Explain that you need a second chance because of what happened during the QR section, say that you ended up with an unfair 16 that can automatically filter you, and ask if you could just retake that section. I wish you the best of luck with this!

Thanks for the reply. Do you think the scores are still potentially good enough to get in somewhere if I were to try and explain what happened with QR? I would honestly hate to have the rest of my scores voided because I am happy with them and think they are good enough with my GPAs to get in somewhere. I would love for them to somehow have some letter or sticky attached to my scores for schools to see. I don't want to continue emailing the DAT testing problem email and then have my scores ultimately completed voided. I am unsure what to do from here.

 

[ncide]

I only got through about half of the QR section without putting any answers for the rest of the questions and also had a 16. Still got in and had plenty of interviews, I think around 8 or so interviews. I had a 20AA/21TS average so it's similar to yours. The QR is the least important section. You'll be fine.

 

[tigoe]

I only got through about half of the QR section without putting any answers for the rest of the questions and also had a 16. Still got in and had plenty of interviews, I think around 8 or so interviews. I had a 20AA/21TS average so it's similar to yours. The QR is the least important section. You'll be fine.

Do you think I should make it a point to attempt to reach out to the DAT Testing email? My scores are still competitive enough where if they were completely voided I would honestly be kind of annoyed/sad. Thanks for your response. Do you think I go through the application process with these scores and then hopefully explain my situation?

 

[887194]

I would contact the ADEA and speak to them. They maybe able to let you rewrite the QR section. But definitely call them.

 

[Lau Sang]

Did you fill out the survey at the end of the test about the experience of the testing site?

They'll probably let void the test and take an entirely different DAT. They might have you retake it up to 90 days later though because they wouldn't want you getting the same questions/reading passages. But grats, cause you just got the best, most realistic practice test you could have gotten.

 

[Jlm50]

I wouldn't want to retake the DAT. QR is the least important section of the DAT. I got a 16 and I interviewed at 2 schools (so far) and have gotten accepted at both. My AA was 18 and my TS 19

 

[tigoe]

Did you fill out the survey at the end of the test about the experience of the testing site?

They'll probably let void the test and take an entirely different DAT. They might have you retake it up to 90 days later though because they wouldn't want you getting the same questions/reading passages. But grats, cause you just got the best, most realistic practice test you could have gotten.

I don't want the scores to be voided though, because I think the scores are competitive as is to a degree and may allow me admission into some schools along with my GPAs and rest of application. I would almost prefer that the last 5 minutes of the test didn't completely ruin the rest of the test and have me retake it. I just hope I can still get in as is, and my scores have like an official note rather than a retake.

 

[kimball]

I think you will be okay, TS score is good and you can just call schools individually. Like most said QR is the least looked at score, I had 6 interviews with a 17 QR by the way.


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[ProspectivePostPreDent]

They really don't care that much about your math.

 

[Mterres]

I received 6 interviews and 3 acceptances with a 19AA 20 TS and 16 QR. Don't worry too much about it.

 

[doc toothache]

I don't want the scores to be voided though, because I think the scores are competitive as is to a degree and may allow me admission into some schools along with my GPAs and rest of application. I would almost prefer that the last 5 minutes of the test didn't completely ruin the rest of the test and have me retake it. I just hope I can still get in as is, and my scores have like an official note rather than a retake.

A variation of mom's note about the dog eating the homework.

 

[tigoe]

A variation of mom's note about the dog eating the homework.

Can't tell if this was just a joke, or some condescending comment trying to state my situation didn't actually happen. Would love to know though.