The Myth Revisited

[planetmrmr]

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For all those who say this years DAT is harder than last years:

This year BIO - 20 -87.4 percentile
Last year BIO - 20 - 94.5

This year OC - 25 - 98 percentile
Last year OC - 25 - 99.4

This year RC -21 - 80.2
Last year RC -21 - 87.7

This year TS - 21 - 91.3
Last year TS - 21 - 96.5

This year AA:21 = 91.5 percentile
Last yeat AA:21 = 96.6

I cant find other comparible data but it seems like more people are doing better this year than last year.

 

[Saber tooth]

Maybe people are just getting smarter...lol

 

[alalha]

or maybe the this year's % is determined by comparing how the people did last year, and last year's % calculated from the data of 2 years go. This would makes more sense cause, say, the January people won't have any people to compare with when they are basing the % on the same year's result.

exactly how i think

 

[doc toothache]

or maybe the this year's % is determined by comparing how the people did last year, and last year's % calculated from the data of 2 years go. This would makes more sense cause, say, the January people won't have any people to compare with when they are basing the % on the same year's result.

There must be an impenetrable line separating December 31 and January 1 and God forbid ADA should cross it to compare test results.

 

[LNinlove]

I think that DAT scores are obviously inflated and we will start seeing a down-trend in DAT scores for a few cycles...

 

[dddoch]

"For each standard score, the tables shown below provide an estimate of the proportion of examinees receiving the
same and lower scores. For example, an examinee obtains a standard score of 17 on the Quantitative Reasoning Test.
Table I shows that 76.4 percent of the examinees received standard scores equal to or lower than 17. 'The tabled values
are based on the performance of examinees who were administered the DAT prior to the current testing period and
should be considered only estimates of the examinees' performance on the current test."

This is what it says on the ADA website. This confirms that the reason why this year's % is lower than last year is because this year's % is based on last year's test results. Sure, it could include some results from this year too, but I bet it will be mostly (if not all) based on last year's results.

 

[RozhonDDS]

For all those who say this years DAT is harder than last years:

This year BIO - 20 -87.4 percentile
Last year BIO - 20 - 94.5

This year OC - 25 - 98 percentile
Last year OC - 25 - 99.4

This year RC -21 - 80.2
Last year RC -21 - 87.7

This year TS - 21 - 91.3
Last year TS - 21 - 96.5

This year AA:21 = 91.5 percentile
Last yeat AA:21 = 96.6

I cant find other comparible data but it seems like more people are doing better this year than last year.

those percentiles are only based on the 100 people who took the exam before you, which means in 3 weeks you could go take the exam and your percentile would be much higher or much lower depending on how the 100 people before you did on the exam.

 

[doc toothache]

For all those who say this years DAT is harder than last years:

This year BIO - 20 -87.4 percentile
Last year BIO - 20 - 94.5

This year OC - 25 - 98 percentile
Last year OC - 25 - 99.4

This year RC -21 - 80.2
Last year RC -21 - 87.7

This year TS - 21 - 91.3
Last year TS - 21 - 96.5

This year AA:21 = 91.5 percentile
Last yeat AA:21 = 96.6

I cant find other comparible data but it seems like more people are doing better this year than last year.

These figures are considerably different from those published by the ADA. Where did yours come from?

 

[planetmrmr]

These figures came from actual dat test score reports. But either way others made a good point. One must still keep in mind the more recent sky rise of test scores since June.

 

[doc toothache]

My point was that the Jan tests has to be compared to previous year's result, although I don't think it will be compared to December's result only. You actually proved my point - you have to compare with last year's result at least for the Jan exams.

But why do I get the feeling that you are always sarcastic and rude to others when you disagree with something (usually something regarding statistics). There are other ways to explain things.

Of course you will deny that again..

The percentages have secondary importance compared to the actual scores. Moreover, the only percentage distribution that is critical is the one reported by the ADA at the end of the calendar year.

Whatever perceived rudeness you may have seen, you can rest assured that it was unintentional. As for the sarcasm… Unfortunately, when the personality traits were being doled out the amount appropriated was triple, if not quadruple, the intended dose. However, if you read the posts carefully you will notice that sarcasm is not dispensed indiscriminately. It is usually reserved for cases in which the comments border on the arrogant and in those cases where definitive and unequivocal assertions have no basis in fact. Science teaches us to substantiate our opinions and conclusions with evidence. It is not enough to assert that a 1 M NaCl solution has a pH anything other than neutral. It demands that we prove our position with a reference to a reliable source or proof by calculation. In case of DAT statistics, it is not enough to claim that the DAT has gotten harder or easier. It demands to see the presentation of the evidence.

 

[doc toothache]

Are you OK?😱

And, of course, you are genuinely interested.