Unsuccessful Dat stories and/or advice???

[AM4EVA]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So congrats to everyone on their success on the DAT exam.
I plan to take mine in a few months and have been using these forums to gain enough knowledge about the exam. However i feel that while it is VERY inspirational and VERY much needed to know how ppl have conquered this beast...i feel that it is equally important to know the other side, meaning those who did not do well on the exam the first time.
If there are any folks out there that could please contribute to this discussion please tell me what you learned from the experience? did you use little resources? was your study time short and you just rushed into the exam? in other words what would your advice be if you could do it all over again?

i also feel that since the DAT is a standardized exam it must have some threshold like for instance with the MCATs cuz it just is sooo hard to get over a 34?
but on these forums it is hardly discussed like this; from what i have read, is the dat exam more about mastering the content (and conceptual ideas) as much as possible and then regurgitating and being as calm as possible throughout the exam?
also comparing to the mcat experience again, correct me if im wrong please, but i feel like more ppl do worse on the mcat (or at least they talk about it more)...versus here i feel like more ppl do well on the dat. again maybe ppl who did bad on the dat dont really talk about it... idk...i am extremely nervous about this exam and feel like it is just tooo good to be true for me to do well on it since im just not a good standardized test taker.

i am sorry if i have rambled on and on its just that i wanted to hear some stories from those who did not do well the first time and then what they did differently

Thank you in advance

 

[BRZ24]

So congrats to everyone on their success on the DAT exam.
I plan to take mine in a few months and have been using these forums to gain enough knowledge about the exam. However i feel that while it is VERY inspirational and VERY much needed to know how ppl have conquered this beast...i feel that it is equally important to know the other side, meaning those who did not do well on the exam the first time.
If there are any folks out there that could please contribute to this discussion please tell me what you learned from the experience? did you use little resources? was your study time short and you just rushed into the exam? in other words what would your advice be if you could do it all over again?

i also feel that since the DAT is a standardized exam it must have some threshold like for instance with the MCATs cuz it just is sooo hard to get over a 34?
but on these forums it is hardly discussed like this; from what i have read, is the dat exam more about mastering the content (and conceptual ideas) as much as possible and then regurgitating and being as calm as possible throughout the exam?
also comparing to the mcat experience again, correct me if im wrong please, but i feel like more ppl do worse on the mcat (or at least they talk about it more)...versus here i feel like more ppl do well on the dat. again maybe ppl who did bad on the dat dont really talk about it... idk...i am extremely nervous about this exam and feel like it is just tooo good to be true for me to do well on it since im just not a good standardized test taker.

i am sorry if i have rambled on and on its just that i wanted to hear some stories from those who did not do well the first time and then what they did differently

Thank you in advance

Il post on this thread in 14 days LOL.

 

[Msmouth]

I don't know squat about MCAT except that I'm thankful for PAT over physics...... The national average for the DAT is 17, so when you come on SDN you will see most that post their scores are not representative of the average test taker.
We can learn a lot from these outliers (aka DAT killers). I'm glad they post their breakdowns, this way us average folks can have a fighting chance.
I take mine in 17 days...UGH! I hope I can do well enough to get into one of my schools.

 

[Swoops]

Alright, so I wouldn't say that I was unsuccessful, but I definitely didnt get the score I wanted. I ended up with a TS 19, AA 19, RC 20, PAT 19, BIO 20, OC 18, GC 19 QR 19. Average scores. So here is what hurt me. 1.) I feel that I was more worried about how much I studied as opposed to how efficiently I was studying. People tend to say I studied 10-12 hours a day in the last couple weeks, and I'm sure they do. Based on this, I tried to do the same thing. But I found that I was brushing through things all day, and not really trying to grasp new material. In the end, I think I could have done all that studying in 4-6 hours if I was really focused and efficient in my studies. 2.) SDN will make you crazy. While looking at breakdowns gives you a TON of inspiration and ideas, don't let your expectations get to high and always try to ignore when people say "ochem was easy," and "Bio was super random," it can get in your head and make you really nervous (BIO for me bases on people saying its hard and random) or it can make you over look subjects like I did for ochem: huge mistake. 3.) stay calm... This test is hard, but it's not hard to get a decent score. Staying calm makes it easier to manage time and a positive outlook makes studying less dreadful. 4.) Destroyer: go through it more then once and memorize roadmaps..I didn't and it hurt me. 5.) I let math freak me out a ton, and spent way too much time on it. Manage your time the best you can and realize that return on investments to some sections. Mark the ones you know and skip the ones that confuse you right away. You only have to get so many right to get a 18/19 which is sufficient for most Dental schools(talking about QR). Ok and lastly this is my biggest regret. While BIO is extremely broad, it is full of really easy questions. I feel like on my test I either knew it right away, or I had no clue. I studied a ton for this section and feel I could have done just as well studying half as much. It's important to realize that USUALLY people with 22AA/TS + get their high scores from the two chem sections. Don't let BIO cast a shadow on these sections, chad+destroyer only works if you put in ample time and concentration. So what I am saying is...spend ALOT of time on GC and OC so you can ensure higher scores on them, rather then focusing on sections you can only do so much about. Hope this helps someone out there. Believe in yourself.

 

[LaughingGas]

Luck plays a big part of your scores as well. Also there are tons of breakdown but only yourself know that what's the best studying habits. I see people that study regularly and contain their material fairly well by the test day. I cram materials in short time but takes me a good amount of time to make notes. Some other study for 3 weeks straight and do better than most of us. Knowing which study habit maximizes your effectiveness is important

 

[Stacker]

I don't know squat about MCAT except that I'm thankful for PAT over physics...... The national average for the DAT is 17, so when you come on SDN you will see most that post their scores are not representative of the average test taker.
We can learn a lot from these outliers (aka DAT killers). I'm glad they post their breakdowns, this way us average folks can have a fighting chance.
I take mine in 17 days...UGH! I hope I can do well enough to get into one of my schools.

National average = 17
SDN average = >20

 

[BRZ24]

]Luck plays a big part of your scores as well[/SIZE]. Also there are tons of breakdown but only yourself know that what's the best studying habits. I see people that study regularly and contain their material fairly well by the test day. I cram materials in short time but takes me a good amount of time to make notes. Some other study for 3 weeks straight and do better than most of us. Knowing which study habit maximizes your effectiveness is important

Absolutely right. I don't even think "DAT" should be considered a standardized test anymore.

 

[wb1]

National average = 17
SDN average = >20

Thank you! SDN avg is more like 24+ (from the last couple that I saw). This got me worry and want to workharder. I also heard of stories of people who former pre-dent.....[let you fill in their stories].

Aim for the sun, if you miss you will at least land on Mars or some other planents.
Good luck everyone and please post more success stories! You can only inspire us 👍

 

[chax1]

Mars is 141,600,000 miles away from the sun.... thats a pretty large margin of error... lololol sorry! I'm trolling ya. You're exactly right, aim high but be realistic.

 

[aqz]

Aim for the sun, if you miss you will at least land on Mars or some other planents.

I agree.

Best motivational quote ever. 👍