This needs to be settled NOW...

[Oprah]

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Over the past week or so, I've noticed that SDN'ers want to find the best study material for the DAT, and are asking for the advice of others. I will reiterate, what works for others, may not work for you. Find out what others recommend right here.

This forum is dedicated to all study material or guides available on the market to use for the DAT (I can't believe I'm starting this thread, there is so much information available on previous threads, oh well).

 

[Oprah]

TOP THREE (so far)

1) Kaplan Blue Book (I agree - should be priority, but not to be used alone)

2) Top Score - I've just ordered a copy from amazon.com (can't wait to take test and post results here)

3) ExamKrackers

from what I've read and gathered from previous posts, I believe these are the top three, but lets stick around, and see if anything changes, or if other review materials get any mentions!


Hope this forum helps those that are just starting to get materials together to prepare for the DAT.

Do you think this thread should be shifted to the pre-dental forum? most of those people there have allready studied for, and taken the DAT - maybe they would have better input, and we could get a larger poll...

is there anyway for a moderator to take care of this?

thanks!

 

[Comet208]

I must also add: a physiology textbook to study the many ssystems. Kaplan book doesnt seem to cover everything in those areas.

 

[Oprah]

I must also add: a physiology textbook to study the many ssystems. Kaplan book doesnt seem to cover everything in those areas.

thank you for your input comet, i agree, kaplan seems way too basic for the kind of detail the actual DAT goes into regarding 'animal form/function'

instead of a physiology text book (like berne and levy's), which would be way too detail oriented, I would suggest something like Schaum's outlines - their anatomy/physiology section is excellent - may be lengthy, but to the point!

 

[Comet208]

I used Totrtora's A&P book.... very easy and inclusive textbook.

 

[*Tooth*fairy*]

I must also add: a physiology textbook to study the many ssystems. Kaplan book doesnt seem to cover everything in those areas.

Yes my Physiology book was helpful as well. I wouldn't have done well on the Bio without it.

Kaplan books I would only advise as supplements to your texts, they just don't tell the whole story on thier own. I also used Shaum's bio notes but again only as supplemental--I found them to be helpful with development.

Barron's DAT I found to be excellent for the PAT- they give you hints and tips and take you step by step, and actually teach you how to do them. They taught me a nice little trick for the angles I remember.
Barron's was also very good in teaching the reading comp, again going step by step...the best part was it was so cheap, I picked it up at my school bookstore for $30

Practice Tests:

Kaplan's CD was by far the best for practice testing, especially in the sciences, it even covered plant phys which is on the test. The Kaplan practice tests cover more than their practice books and I found them to be realistic. Get as many as you can, even if you have to buy a pass to their library, I wish I had done that, would have been worth the money!
Barron's Practice Tests: They had numerous errors with wrong answers, esp in the bio and chem parts. Some questions were realistic, some were unrelated.
TopScore: The PAT was wayyyyy to easy. The sciences were a bit too hard, and some questions were irrelevant. However, every little bit still helps and I would still recommend it, just be aware of the deficiencies.

I used these methods and studied for about a month from october to november(while taking a full course load incl. biochem and physio etc) I studied every single day after school and every sat and sun straight without going out at all except when I had to study for school tests.

Results: AA=20, Science=20, Reading=21, PAT=17(would have been 15 without the Barron)

I really hope this helps anyone who is studying or having a hard time. Just study study like crazy, I studied so much I would dream about Chemistry. I lived and breathed the DAT and it paid off for me, and it will for you too!

 

[Oprah]

Yes my Physiology book was helpful as well. I wouldn't have done well on the Bio without it.

Kaplan books I would only advise as supplements to your texts, they just don't tell the whole story on thier own. I also used Shaum's bio notes but again only as supplemental--I found them to be helpful with development.

Barron's DAT I found to be excellent for the PAT- they give you hints and tips and take you step by step, and actually teach you how to do them. They taught me a nice little trick for the angles I remember.
Barron's was also very good in teaching the reading comp, again going step by step...the best part was it was so cheap, I picked it up at my school bookstore for $30

Practice Tests:

Kaplan's CD was by far the best for practice testing, especially in the sciences, it even covered plant phys which is on the test. The Kaplan practice tests cover more than their practice books and I found them to be realistic. Get as many as you can, even if you have to buy a pass to their library, I wish I had done that, would have been worth the money!
Barron's Practice Tests: They had numerous errors with wrong answers, esp in the bio and chem parts. Some questions were realistic, some were unrelated.
TopScore: The PAT was wayyyyy to easy. The sciences were a bit too hard, and some questions were irrelevant. However, every little bit still helps and I would still recommend it, just be aware of the deficiencies.

I used these methods and studied for about a month from october to november(while taking a full course load incl. biochem and physio etc) I studied every single day after school and every sat and sun straight without going out at all except when I had to study for school tests.

Results: AA=20, Science=20, Reading=21, PAT=17(would have been 15 without the Barron)

I really hope this helps anyone who is studying or having a hard time. Just study study like crazy, I studied so much I would dream about Chemistry. I lived and breathed the DAT and it paid off for me, and it will for you too!

thank you

 

[DIRTIE]

Before I took the DAT I hadn't even taken a human physiology course. I was kind of nervous about the whole thing. I literally memorized the biology flashcards from Kaplan. That was my highest score (21) and I know that is why I got accepted to dental school. In my opinion the three most important sections on the dat that schools might single out and look at are biology, reading, and organic chemistry. Of course all schools are different but if you do fairly well on those sections than you are good to go. I really felt like the flashcards for bio and organic from Kaplan were excellent, reading is just a shot in the dark.

 

[dentalman80]

The KSF Review is new, but don't undermine it. I just downloaded the software its by far the best I have seen. I posted a thread on my review of it on this forum. It took me 45 secs to download, register, and authenticate and run the program. Each software title is only like 12 MB which is compressed, once fully loaded it is like 250 MB.

dentalman80

 

[buddy4321]

The KSF Review is new, but don't undermine it. I just downloaded the software its by far the best I have seen. I posted a thread on my review of it on this forum. It took me 45 secs to download, register, and authenticate and run the program. Each software title is only like 12 MB which is compressed, once fully loaded it is like 250 MB.

dentalman80

I agree w/ d-man. I was signing up for dental apps on www.adea.org and I noticed their link there. I had never heard of them, it was late in the evening (when i'm an sporadic buyer), bought it. I got an email, but the keys weren't working (apprently, there was some technical issues w/ the emails), however I called the 1877-5-DATPAT number and someone got back to me and gave me fresh keys. The guy told me that their ad wasn't supposed to go online until Mid june but adea started it up june 1.

Anyways, I got everything to work, and my DAT is June 15, i guess I was lucky because I really needed some practice exams and I agree with dman it is definately worth it. The PAT is very good, i heard some horror stories about the PAT the angle ranking is screwed up and stuff, and on kaplan they have perfect angles (which is not the case on the real deal).

I bought PAT I since I wanted to test it out, plus after paying $1,100 for applications and $900 for kaplan another $50 or a $100 didn't seem like too much.

If KSF review was a stock I would consider it a "STRONG BUY". The randomization feature is awesome.

good luck guys, and pray for me June 15th, i'll try to post my experience.

buds

 

[Oprah]

I agree w/ d-man. I was signing up for dental apps on www.adea.org and I noticed their link there. I had never heard of them, it was late in the evening (when i'm an sporadic buyer), bought it. I got an email, but the keys weren't working (apprently, there was some technical issues w/ the emails), however I called the 1877-5-DATPAT number and someone got back to me and gave me fresh keys. The guy told me that their ad wasn't supposed to go online until Mid june but adea started it up june 1.

Anyways, I got everything to work, and my DAT is June 15, i guess I was lucky because I really needed some practice exams and I agree with dman it is definately worth it. The PAT is very good, i heard some horror stories about the PAT the angle ranking is screwed up and stuff, and on kaplan they have perfect angles (which is not the case on the real deal).

I bought PAT I since I wanted to test it out, plus after paying $1,100 for applications and $900 for kaplan another $50 or a $100 didn't seem like too much.

If KSF review was a stock I would consider it a "STRONG BUY". The randomization feature is awesome.

good luck guys, and pray for me June 15th, i'll try to post my experience.

buds

thank you for you input, and best of luck on june 15th (even though you won't need it!).

In terms of review material, i would have to say this thread has helped put KFS review on the map, anyone else have anything positive on this product?

 

[dentalman80]

the question people should ask is why people shell out $1000 for Kaplan? Is it for the classes? I don't think so, is it for the book...no you can buy it online or get it from a friend. The reason is because kaplan had these tests on paper you could check out and use only in their facilities. What made these tests worth it was their explanations. Topscore doesn't have explanations, they just throw a question and answer and if it is a tough question there is little hope for you to find the answer and why the answer is what it is. Especially, when you are taking the test a week or two before your real exam which most people do.

So having a test with full explanations right after you take the exam is invaluable. It gets you to remember facts you wouldn't not have time to look for. Remember its easy to create hard exams, but its even harder to create good exams with explanations. I feel like they didn't throw something together, but actually researched, developed and made sure that we were getting a good quality product. Plus w/ DSL and high speed internet access a 12 MB download is like 20 seconds worth. CD's are out, downloads are in.

dm80

 

[dentalman80]

Other than this software I recommend Columbia Review's HIGH YIELD SERIES. These books are great. They have biology, chemistry and organic chemistry.

My arsenal contains:

High Yield biology.....A+
High Yield chemistry.... B+
High Yield organic chemistry....B+
ExamKrackers....B
Topscore....B-
The KSF Review Dental Suite....A+

dm80

 

[divertete]

I would like to get rid of my DAT study materials if anyone's interested. It's good stuff, trust me, and I'll sell it cheap. I'm moving and I do NOT want to bring it with me. Just send me a PM and I'll tell you what I have!

 

[Oprah]

i am very suprised to find that schaum's is not getting that many mentions, is there a problem with that series?

 

[DesiDentist]

i am very suprised to find that schaum's is not getting that many mentions, is there a problem with that series?

Schuams are good guides for classes in my opinion. However, i think they are a little too much for review purposes. First of all they usually don't have multiple choice questions, the questions they do have have the answer underneath and of course you will glimpse at that as soon as you read the question.

Just my opinion, however I own many of them.

DesiDentist

 

[Oprah]

Schuams are good guides for classes in my opinion. However, i think they are a little too much for review purposes. First of all they usually don't have multiple choice questions, the questions they do have have the answer underneath and of course you will glimpse at that as soon as you read the question.

Just my opinion, however I own many of them.

DesiDentist

thank you for your response, but i feel confident that i can complete the schaum's studying by end of july and take the dat (also practicing dat's from kaplan, topscore, etc)

my question is, even though it maybe detailed, if i do get that stuff down - don't you think i can score in the 20's range (across the board)?

your input would be greatly appreciated

thanks

 

[DesiDentist]

thank you for your response, but i feel confident that i can complete the schaum's studying by end of july and take the dat (also practicing dat's from kaplan, topscore, etc)

my question is, even though it maybe detailed, if i do get that stuff down - don't you think i can score in the 20's range (across the board)?

your input would be greatly appreciated

thanks

Oh, Definately. If you feel that you know Schuams i think you will be on top of it. My reference to Schuams was like a quick review (2-3 weeks before your DAT), Schuams takes time to go through since it is dense, its not a review book, but condensed text book, in my opinion. Good luck with your preparations.

DesiDentist

 

[dat_student]

Other than this software I recommend Columbia Review's HIGH YIELD SERIES. These books are great. They have biology, chemistry and organic chemistry.

My arsenal contains:

The KSF Review Dental Suite....A+

dm80

I am wondering what makes you think KSF is A+ and more solid study guides are below B!!!! KSF is full of errors.

 

[Comet208]

I agree w/ d-man. I was signing up for dental apps on www.adea.org and I noticed their link there. I had never heard of them, it was late in the evening (when i'm an sporadic buyer), bought it. I got an email, but the keys weren't working (apprently, there was some technical issues w/ the emails), however I called the 1877-5-DATPAT number and someone got back to me and gave me fresh keys. The guy told me that their ad wasn't supposed to go online until Mid june but adea started it up june 1.

Anyways, I got everything to work, and my DAT is June 15, i guess I was lucky because I really needed some practice exams and I agree with dman it is definately worth it. The PAT is very good, i heard some horror stories about the PAT the angle ranking is screwed up and stuff, and on kaplan they have perfect angles (which is not the case on the real deal).

I bought PAT I since I wanted to test it out, plus after paying $1,100 for applications and $900 for kaplan another $50 or a $100 didn't seem like too much.

If KSF review was a stock I would consider it a "STRONG BUY". The randomization feature is awesome.

good luck guys, and pray for me June 15th, i'll try to post my experience.

buds

Sounds like what you would hear on a commercial!

 

[Darby_O'Gill]

I am wondering what makes you think KSF is A+ and more solid study guides are below B!!!! KSF is full of errors.

It's because dentalman80 is a salesman for KSF. We found this out in another thread. He has also created other sites that he has panhandled business for. I wouldn't believe anything he says about KSF. Let's wait until someone with 500+ posts or 1000+ posts buys and it and gives us their opinion.

 

[dmf]

Bump - this is a great thread

 

[luder98]

It's because dentalman80 is a salesman for KSF. We found this out in another thread. He has also created other sites that he has panhandled business for. I wouldn't believe anything he says about KSF. Let's wait until someone with 500+ posts or 1000+ posts buys and it and gives us their opinion.

I have 500+ posts. I'm thinking about trying out KSF. You want to buy it for me? I'll let you know my honest opinion. 😉

I just purchased acethedat (for PAT and Math) last week. Not too happy with some questions and answer choices though. I did Kaplan and Topscore inside out. Compared to the two, acethedat has one or two harder questions per section of each test. (My opinion of course)

 

[KSF_Review]

Dear Luder98,

If you are interested in trying our product please contact us at [email protected] and/or 1-877-5-DAT-PAT. We have updated the interface, added more questions, and improved the functionality. We would be very interested in your thoughts so you could share with this board. Also, we extend this invitation to Darby O'Gill as well. This is not to prove anything, but to get your honest opinion about our software our goal is to develop the best source out there and we know how frustrating it can be for a predental student studying for the DAT. Most of our staff was in your same shoes as well.

Best regards,

The KSF Review

I have 500+ posts. I'm thinking about trying out KSF. You want to buy it for me? I'll let you know my honest opinion. 😉

I just purchased acethedat (for PAT and Math) last week. Not too happy with some questions and answer choices though. I did Kaplan and Topscore inside out. Compared to the two, acethedat has one or two harder questions per section of each test. (My opinion of course)