Top Score vs. real DAT, please respond

[lovedentistry]

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Hi guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, how do you compare the general chemistry section in Top Score with the one on the real DAT. I don't find the problems hard, but the calculations are very time consuming and I never have enough time left for O Chem. (it takes me 30 min to do bio, ~40 G Chem and 20 min O Chem). Some people say that on the DAT all of the molecular weights are given and the calculations are not that bad, is this true?
Also how you compare the whole science sections with the real thing. I know that bio is very random, but is the level about the same as Top Score? How about O Chem?
And lastly, how about the QR section. I always struggle with the time on this section, but the problems seem pretty straight forward and easy to calculate. Is there a fear amount of arithmetic problems on the real thing or it is mostly word problems?
I would really appreciate it if someone answers my questions, my DAT is in a week. I did ok on my last Top score, but I don't know if that is a good indication that I am ready. I want to buy the achiever too, although most people say the scores are depressing.
Thank you and best of luck.

 

[Chemboy23]

I took the DAT today, and I tutored GC for four years. I made a 16 in this section, it was ridiculously hard. I've never seen about 10 of the questions they asked here.

QR - main problem is time constraint and that dumb ass calculator. It's hard to clear and it lags.

 

[Veloce]

Hi guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, how do you compare the general chemistry section in Top Score with the one on the real DAT. I don't find the problems hard, but the calculations are very time consuming and I never have enough time left for O Chem. (it takes me 30 min to do bio, ~40 G Chem and 20 min O Chem). Some people say that on the DAT all of the molecular weights are given and the calculations are not that bad, is this true?
Also how you compare the whole science sections with the real thing. I know that bio is very random, but is the level about the same as Top Score? How about O Chem?
And lastly, how about the QR section. I always struggle with the time on this section, but the problems seem pretty straight forward and easy to calculate. Is there a fear amount of arithmetic problems on the real thing or it is mostly word problems?
I would really appreciate it if someone answers my questions, my DAT is in a week. I did ok on my last Top score, but I don't know if that is a good indication that I am ready. I want to buy the achiever too, although most people say the scores are depressing.
Thank you and best of luck.

I got a decent amount of arithmetic problems. Do the Math destroyer and you will get 18+ Math destroyer is harder than the real thing.

Gchem was real simple on my test. All of the MW's are given. I didn't use the periodic table more than twice. Alot of my problems were simply setting up the equations as the answers were formatted before you do the arithmatic. I didn't have to calculate most of them out.

Bio is about like topscore, maybe easier but more random. Most of the questions on the DAT were you knew it or you didn't, they weren't too tricky.

 

[lovedentistry]

I only have the DAT destroyer and I am doing the math from there, hopefully it is similar to the Math Destroyer. I am also using Kaplan online, but the math problems seem very difficult, because they are mostly word problems. I really hope the destroyer is sufficient for Math and O Chem.
Thanks for the help. I know that the only thing that can help me know is just review as much as I can in the next few days becuase many people made it clear that you never know what to expect on the test day.

 

[calicarbocation]

Hi guys,
for those of you who have already taken the DAT, how do you compare the general chemistry section in Top Score with the one on the real DAT. I don't find the problems hard, but the calculations are very time consuming and I never have enough time left for O Chem. (it takes me 30 min to do bio, ~40 G Chem and 20 min O Chem). Some people say that on the DAT all of the molecular weights are given and the calculations are not that bad, is this true?
Also how you compare the whole science sections with the real thing. I know that bio is very random, but is the level about the same as Top Score? How about O Chem?
And lastly, how about the QR section. I always struggle with the time on this section, but the problems seem pretty straight forward and easy to calculate. Is there a fear amount of arithmetic problems on the real thing or it is mostly word problems?
I would really appreciate it if someone answers my questions, my DAT is in a week. I did ok on my last Top score, but I don't know if that is a good indication that I am ready. I want to buy the achiever too, although most people say the scores are depressing.
Thank you and best of luck.

Gen Chem on DAT is easier in calculations than on the TopScore for sure!!! Everytime I did a practice test on TopScore I felt kinda weak in that area, but it ended up being my highest score on the real thing. I just made sure I learned how to do all the Gen Chem questions I missed and understand why I missed them.
I thought Bio was more challenging on the real DAT than on TopScore, and I thought the orgo was pretty tricky especially since I didn't have much time left after Bio/Chem....
QR section involves basically all the exact questions from Math Destroyer...I've done like over 200+ questions to practice and I noticed that some of the DAT questions were nearly identical, the only difference being the number values. I know I only got a 17 on this section but I have a feeling I would have bombed it so much if I hadn't at least had that practice. (Last time I did math was junior year in high school so it's like a thing of the past for me)

What's weird for me is that I got the exact same AA score on my DAT as I did on my TopScore #3 test.....and I had taken it like 4 days earlier. So if you're happy with your AA from TopScore, it's a good sign you will do well.

 

[dwallin]

I took the DAT yesterday, in all fairness Kaplan was good, I liked having the tests and whatnot, but even at that, I don't feel like they're the best tests, just because my scores were so inconsistent, 17-20AA. Overall I would say topscore is the best analysis of how you'll do on the real DAT, I got 19's on all three topscore tests and got a 20AA yesterday on the real DAT. In my experience it turned out to be a great tool. One thing I would HIGHLY recommend is to study generally, for all the sciences. Make sure you conceptually understand the math you are doing in gen chem, and you should do just fine. Good luck!

 

[dwallin]

Also-as far as math goes, be confident and don't waste time. Everyone says their math on the real DAT was all word problems, I had maybe 10-12 word problems (maybe more it's hard to remember really haha) but I had a few basic algebra solve for x kind of problems as well I had a handful of trig, but they weren't bad as long as you knew some basic identities (sin2x=2sinxcosx type things) you should do fine on the trig. On gen chem yeah I think the molecular weights were given, they were fairly basic problems, but they definitely ARE NOT just "gimme's" so make sure you know your shiz, it's nothing complicated, but either you understand the problems or ya don't. Good luck to you!

 

[lovedentistry]

thank you, thank you so much for the detailed explanations....I just want it to be over already...

 

[nyr201]

for gchem were the questions straightforward? and the set ups as answer choices were they all really similar or does the right answer just stick out?

 

[promolion]

i wondered the same thing. i did better. dun worry