what is your RC score ?

[beom75]

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hello.
today I had an rejection mail from boston.
so I asked what my weakness is.
I am international student. so my reading is little bit slow. I got 18 in RC. is that bad?

first DAT : bio :21 gc :21 oc: 19 RC: 16 QR:24 PA: 18
second DAT : bio 20 gc :21 oc:18 RC:18 OR:25 PA: 19
GPA : 3.45 sGPA : 3.47

 

[MC4]

Rc=27

 

[Cold Front]

Rc 15

 

[Future DDS]

RC 16

I don't think your rejection is because of your RC score. Your weakness is probably from other fields (personal statement, volunteering, etc).

 

[jillmatic]

i had a 23 in RC - but an 18 shouldn't be the reason you didn't get in. did boston tell you it was too low?

 

[Rezdawg]

24

The key on that thing is to not read the passage...Look at the question and search for the answer. Dont waste time reading the passage and then reading the questions.

 

[mitosis]

21
I did the opposite - I was getting 15's with the Kaplan method. I started taking more time reading the passages and was able to answer quite a few questions w/o having to refer back to the passage.

anyhow, an 18 is very respectable.

 

[beom75]

Rc 15

did you get 15 on RC ? and got accepted at BU ?

 

[iviikoivi]

22


The finance passage rocks 👍

 

[beom75]

i had a 23 in RC - but an 18 shouldn't be the reason you didn't get in. did boston tell you it was too low?

yes. today I emailed BU. I said that I plan to reapply to BU for 2011. what is my weakness ? so I can make up for this.

he/she emailed back " Thank you for your interest in Boston University. You should aim to score a 19 or above on the reading comprehension DAT's. English proficiency is a very important part of success in dental school, and in the profession of dentistry."

 

[Cold Front]

did you get 15 on RC ? and got accepted at BU ?

yeah... 🙂

P.S. English is not my first language, but had A's in my English undergrad classes. I am not sure if that made up for the low rc score.

 

[Rezdawg]

21
I did the opposite - I was getting 15's with the Kaplan method. I started taking more time reading the passages and was able to answer quite a few questions w/o having to refer back to the passage.

anyhow, an 18 is very respectable.

Kaplan's method is horrible, good switch.

 

[r0entgen]

24

The key on that thing is to not read the passage...Look at the question and search for the answer. Dont waste time reading the passage and then reading the questions.

exactly what i did. 23 here...

it's not like we can remember what we read anyway...the passages are way too detailed...reading them is just a waste of time.

 

[Coolfishdent]

RC= 29.... it was my best section 🙂

I read the passages. I didn't take Kaplan so I didn't think about not reading the sections. I'm just a fast reader.

 

[sarahkate235]

RC = 26

I also read the passages.

 

[Toothdoc2b]

Kaplan's method is horrible, good switch.

I really dont understand how the passage difficulty can vary so much. Both times I used the Kaplan method... first time...24.... second time... 19...

Could I have possibly forgotten how to read?

 

[jokerjoe12]

15 and in 6 dental schools

 

[howui3]

24

The key on that thing is to not read the passage...Look at the question and search for the answer. Dont waste time reading the passage and then reading the questions.

RC = 22

That method works for some, I read the passage and then knew exactly where things were so that I can quickly scroll to the right place.

For me, scanning the passage does not help at all. So I took 5-8 min to read the passage and then I would go to the questions. Having read the passage and with good short term memory I could find exactly where the info is so I can answer the questions.

Note for the future test takers: try both ways and see which one gives better results and then stick with it. Practice makes high DAT scores.

 

[IndDent]

RC = 25

Listen to Howui's advice. Take maximum 8 minutes to read each passage and then answer the questions. Don't read for depth, just read to make a mental note of where each subtopic is located in the passage. That way when the quesiton asks you about a particular subtopic, you know where to jump to real quick and pull out the answer. DAT RC does not require critical thinking or understanding the tone of the author like MCAT...so it will be relatively easy to improve if you just practice.

Find some articles in The Econmist or New Yorker and read them, learn to make mental maps. Do maybe 3-4 articles a week, till you take your exam. I gaurantee you will improve tremendously.

Best,
IndDent

 

[MC4]

27 - I also read the passages. I can answer most outright but I do go back and look up some of the answers. Usually I know where in the passage they will be located since I read it.

 

[Mustt Mustt]

18 first time and 19 second time. I am non native speaker so I was scared when I took it first time.

 

[jaerob]

26.

But 18 is not a horrible score. They said that you need at least a 19? Are the other areas of your application very strong?

 

[Lefty7]

RC 26

I used the break to number 2 pieces of paper from 1-30 to cover all possible paragraphs. As I read I quickly wrote down key terms (especially specific or difficult vocabulary) next to each number corresponding to the paragraphs. I read for basic understanding and the numbered outline really helped to find the answers to specific questions very quickly. I wouldn't recommend any other way.

 

[howui3]

RC 26

I used the break to number 2 pieces of paper from 1-30 to cover all possible paragraphs. As I read I quickly wrote down key terms (especially specific or difficult vocabulary) next to each number corresponding to the paragraphs. I read for basic understanding and the numbered outline really helped to find the answers to specific questions very quickly. I wouldn't recommend any other way.

This is the way Kaplan teaches (i'm a dat teacher there), to make outlines for the passage so that you can orient yourself when it comes time for questions.

This method is good and with practice will get you great scores. But if you are having trouble and with practice not getting better, there are other methods to try. If you have a good short term memory then read the passage and you will have the outline in your head. If you are good at skimming then do that, while others might find not reading the passage and going right for the questions works the best.

Regardless of the method, use one that works and keep practicing, but if you are not getting the results you want, look at other options and other methods. Remember when you try a new technique you will be very slow at fist, only after mastering it will you see results.

Good luck.

 

[hockeydentist]

24

The key on that thing is to not read the passage...Look at the question and search for the answer. Dont waste time reading the passage and then reading the questions.

is this guy on the money or what.....

I see your defending your school with pride.

 

[JohnUNLV]

RC = 25

I skimmed through the passage, which allowed me to answer several questions without searching, and it also helped me search for the rest of the answers because I could remember in what general area that subject was.

 

[PDizzle]

RC 26

I used the break to number 2 pieces of paper from 1-30 to cover all possible paragraphs. As I read I quickly wrote down key terms (especially specific or difficult vocabulary) next to each number corresponding to the paragraphs. I read for basic understanding and the numbered outline really helped to find the answers to specific questions very quickly. I wouldn't recommend any other way.

I got only a 22 but this is the way I did it as well. I didn't take Kaplan, I just thought it was the best way to do it.

This method was getting me 26-28's on practice exams..not sure what happened on test day!!!

 

[mochafreak]

20 for me...maybe you should look at the examkrackers verbal books. The RC on the MCAT is super hard and if you practiced with those your score would most likely improve.

 

[drengineer]

RC: 22

I just made an outline and then read the questions. This made the navigation much easier.

 

[geckel]

I got a 21 both times I took the DAT. I just quickly read the passages and then answered all the questions.........if I was not absolutely positive that I was correct then I marked it. Finished with about 7-10 minutes to spare and went back to the passages to verify the marked questions in sequential order. I probably marked from 6/10 to about 3/10 per passage. Basically I was rushed the whole way through. On my second DAT I was asked questions that could only be answered by infering info from specific facts scattered through out the whole damn passage. You gotta read it to answer those.

Everyone seems to have their methods......I suggest trying it different ways on your practice tests to see what works best for you.

 

[miravyn]

27; I loosely followed Kaplan's technique. I made a simple map for each passage. For easier passages, I just looked for the answers.

 

[coral2005]

I did the best on RC, even though it was the ONLY section I didn't study for!!!

Weird, isn't it??

 

[aaaphrodite]

22...

ran out of time at the end and had to make educated guesses on several questions...

for Kaplan's technique... who has the time to make little outlines for each paragraph? i barely had enough time to read the passage once! when i ran out of time i had to read the questions first and try to find answers in the passage w/o reading it entirely.

 

[aphistis]

RC= 29.... it was my best section 🙂

I read the passages. I didn't take Kaplan so I didn't think about not reading the sections. I'm just a fast reader.

Ditto everything. Same score, same testing technique.

 

[everest]

22


The finance passage rocks 👍

21 and thanks goodness to this very finance passage I pre-learned from DAT Achiever considering English being not my native language... 👍 👍