Rank of biology topics in term of importance for DAT?

[KoonS]

Hello guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, can you please rank biology topics in term of importance for DAT?
Like which topics you get asked the most? which topics we need to know by heart?
Im only have 3 weeks left to study, but biology is just too overwhelming atm, and I don't get the concept down very well.
Thanks in advance for input, it would help me greatly.

1. chemistry
2. cells
3. cellular respiration
4. cell division
5.heredity
6. molecular genetics
7. animal form and function (human physiology)
8.photosynthesis
9. animal reproduction and development
10.ecology
11.animal behavior
12.biological diversity
13.evolution
14.plants

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[FeralisExtremum]

I'd advise against this strategy - you never know which material or topics will end up getting emphasized on the exam. There is no set rule about how much of each is covered. It's best to learn it all, as overwhelming as it may be.

 

[KoonS]

I'd advise against this strategy - you never know which material or topics will end up getting emphasized on the exam. There is no set rule about how much of each is covered. It's best to learn it all, as overwhelming as it may be.

yeah, I am studying all topics, just want to know which topic I should focus/know more in details conceptually?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

yeah, I am studying all topics, just want to know which topic I should focus/know more in details conceptually?

All of them.

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Hello guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, can you please rank biology topics in term of importance for DAT?
Like which topics you get asked the most? which topics we need to know by heart?
Im only have 3 weeks left to study, but biology is just too overwhelming atm, and I don't get the concept down very well.
Thanks in advance for input, it would help me greatly.

1. chemistry
2. cells
3. cellular respiration
4. cell division
5.heredity
6. molecular genetics
7. animal form and function (human physiology)
8.photosynthesis
9. animal reproduction and development
10.ecology
11.animal behavior
12.biological diversity
13.evolution
14.plants

All of the above are fair game on the DAT!

Nancy

 

[GBP12]

Hello guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, can you please rank biology topics in term of importance for DAT?
Like which topics you get asked the most? which topics we need to know by heart?
Im only have 3 weeks left to study, but biology is just too overwhelming atm, and I don't get the concept down very well.
Thanks in advance for input, it would help me greatly.

1. chemistry
2. cells
3. cellular respiration
4. cell division
5.heredity
6. molecular genetics
7. animal form and function (human physiology)
8.photosynthesis
9. animal reproduction and development
10.ecology
11.animal behavior
12.biological diversity
13.evolution
14.plants

I'm in the same boat and just can't memorize it all, I slacked off in the beginning of my study schedule and now there's just way too much info to memorize.

I would focus on the bolded and make sure you know them well. Read the sections in AP Cliffs a few times and just know em. The rest I would kind of skim over and have a general idea.

Some other topics I think might be useful to know would be microscopes and germ layers.

Obviously you should know everything like feralis and orgoman said but you don't need to if you aren't shooting for an amazing score. I would be happy with a 17 in bio since my biology GPA is high so that's why I am just focusing on the major subjects I believe will be on there and skimming the rest.

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

I would be happy with a 17 in bio since my biology GPA is high so that's why I am just focusing on the major subjects I believe will be on there and skimming the rest.

Might want to be careful with that - a high biology GPA is not necessarily going to make up for a low bio DAT score. If anything, it will make adcoms question how rigorous your school's curriculum was.

 

[GBP12]

Might want to be careful with that - a high biology GPA is not necessarily going to make up for a low bio DAT score. If anything, it will make adcoms question how rigorous your school's curriculum was.

And a high GPA is not going be to nullified by one lower score on the DAT.

And going with that logic, why would a high bio score make up for a low biology GPA? Since most people seem to think that.

 

[PlasmaMembrane]

And a high GPA is not going be to nullified by one lower score on the DAT.

And going with that logic, why would a high bio score make up for a low biology GPA? Since most people seem to think that.

A high bio GPA with a notably low Bio score like a 17 is likely going to take a lot of weight out of what would have been an impressive bio GPA. It will cast some doubt on whether your courses were actually challenging enough for doing well in them to be considered an accomplishment.

Most people with low science GPA's that are still applying have an upward trend where they pulled their academics around and took it more seriously. They can use this upward trend to make up for the GPA a bit ("I wasn't focused on school and didn't know what I wanted to do so I did poorly initially"), and then an impressive performance on a standardized test like the DAT can reinforce that they have really turned themselves around and learned the material.

When you fail to score well on a standardized portion of the DAT, it reflects poorly on your actual biology knowledge. The whole point of administering standardized tests like the DAT is so that schools can get some objective gauge on how well you really grasp the material, without the endless variations and influencing factors from students attending many different universities with different course structures, exams, and professors.

Nobody should ever be aiming for a 17. That's 3 point lower than the average TS of an accepted dental student. A high bio GPA will not in any significant way "make up" for it. It will just do the reverse - weaken the credibility of your high GPA.

 

[cacajuate]

Remember there is 10 more question on bio section, having that score lower really lowers your TS.