To take or not to take, that is the question

[toothbrushpjs]

Hey,
I have been studying for the DAT for about 6 weeks now and am scheduled to take it on monday. I have taken 3 kaplan practice tests and crack dat pat and science. In PAT i have been doing well anywhere from 20-22 , QR 18-20, RC 18-21, But on the sciences I just choke Bio av 16, genchem av 15, ochem avg 14. I have gone through all the material and my scores in gen chem have actually gone down since I focussed on just that the past few days.
I got some time off to just study for this and I don't think I would be able to get that time off again to put the same amount of work in. So do I take it and possibly do better( good enough), take it and do poorly and retake it in 3 months, or not take it and take it in 3 months.
I have always been a horrible test taker and I don't know anyone who can give me any sort of advise on this topic.
I have a 3.47 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA + over a thousand hours of dental work + a x ray license and other extracurriculars.

I feel like all of the options suck and have been prety down on myself and will really be pretty devistated if all the work I've put in was for nothing.

I have no doubt in my mind that this is what I want to do with my life and feel pretty confident that if I just got an interview somewhere, that would be pretty obvious to see, and maybe increase my chances of getting in.

Anyway I would have to cancel by wednesday at noon and would love to hear some opinions.

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[MrBeans]

Hey,
I have been studying for the DAT for about 6 weeks now and am scheduled to take it on monday. I have taken 3 kaplan practice tests and crack dat pat and science. In PAT i have been doing well anywhere from 20-22 , QR 18-20, RC 18-21, But on the sciences I just choke Bio av 16, genchem av 15, ochem avg 14. I have gone through all the material and my scores in gen chem have actually gone down since I focussed on just that the past few days.
I got some time off to just study for this and I don't think I would be able to get that time off again to put the same amount of work in. So do I take it and possibly do better( good enough), take it and do poorly and retake it in 3 months, or not take it and take it in 3 months.
I have always been a horrible test taker and I don't know anyone who can give me any sort of advise on this topic.
I have a 3.47 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA + over a thousand hours of dental work + a x ray license and other extracurriculars.

I feel like all of the options suck and have been prety down on myself and will really be pretty devistated if all the work I've put in was for nothing.

I have no doubt in my mind that this is what I want to do with my life and feel pretty confident that if I just got an interview somewhere, that would be pretty obvious to see, and maybe increase my chances of getting in.

Anyway I would have to cancel by wednesday at noon and would love to hear some opinions.

Personally, I would wait and hold off.

Your sciences are one of the most important aspects of the DAT, and if you are getting averages in the 14's on Kaplan ochem you are not ready to take the test.

You may be more prepared than you realize for general chemistry, as the Kaplan chemistry tends to be harder than the real test. Although, an average of 15 in gen chem is not a lot to brag about.

PAT averages of 20-22 on Kaplan tests may seem like good numbers, but in actuality Kaplan PAT is much too easy compared to the real DAT. So, I would spend additional work on this section as well using materials like Top Score, Achiever, and Barron's. If you're getting 20-22 PAT in Crack DAT PAT, I hear that's really good; if this is the case you're doing great!

RC and QR look pretty good! Those are the two hardest subjects to improve upon, so you're doing alright there!

Take the Top Score Pro DAT practice tests for a better diagnostic of your score (and as a study aid), as Kaplan is not very representative in GC (too hard) or PAT (too easy).

I don't want to be a black cloud, but overall you need more time to study. I would cancel the test for Monday. Putting your test off for 6 more weeks, and using this time for intense focused study, will pay off more than having to take it again.

 

[solstice]

Did you take kaplan tests in its entirety or individual section.

As poster above said, take top score tests each in its entirety as if you are in real test and see how you do.

I personally do not think 3 tests is even enough for you to see what you are missing. It is better to study some more than rush and take the test with average or lower than average score. What are you going to do with not so good score? retake when you have a choice of study 4-5 more weeks and takes it ONCE with good scores?

 

[toothbrushpjs]

thanks guys, I pretty much knew that I should hold off but I just needed to accept it. I'll take it sometime in may.

 

[OU11BB]

get your sciences to 18+ consistently across the board on practice tests. then you will probably be ready.

 

[dentalWorks]

I usually tell people that practice exam scores don't dictate how they score on the real DAT..... but your case is a little different cause, your scoring VERY low on the sciences. Scoring 16 and less means your missing ALOT of basic questions and that should be a red flag.

I would reschedule if i was you for just another month. May I suggest you buy DAT destroyer and Cliff's AP Biology and just hit those 2 very hard. I really believe this should solve your science scores. 1 month of solid DAT destroyer + AP biology (atleast 2-3 times each book) will do wondering for your scores

 

[Maygyver]

All good posts so far. It sounds like you sort of agreed that you should push it back. I think for the most part, if you feel really uncomfortable taking it, then it is good to push it back. However, you will probably never feel completely ready for it. I would suggest getting the topscore exams to help with timing and provide another sort of measure when you feel more comfortable with the sciences. Good luck!!

 

[BruinDentist]

I studied using the Kaplan program as well, and in my opinion, the science section of the practice tests are much harder than the actual DAT. Here is my progression of scores:

Diagnostic: Bio:16 GC:16 OC:18
Midterm: Bio:18 GC:19 OC:19
Final: Bio:21 GC:18 OC:19
DAT: Bio:20 GC:23 OC:28

Needless to say, I thought that the Natural Sciences section of the actual test was easy compared to the Kaplan tests. That being said, your practice test scores are fairly low, so I would wait until you score around 18 in each before you take the DAT. Also, like someone else mentioned, Kaplan's PAT is easier than the actual DAT's version, especially the angles. Try using another source for that section.