Why do the people who do bad on the DAT do bad?

[artvandelay786]

What is the difference between the people who score well on the DAT versus score badly? I'm sure that the people who study for the DAT and do badly probably study for the same amount of time.

Is it because of using the wrong resources/materials? Is it because of test-day jitters?

Most people on SDN seem to only study 1-2 months and use a few resources and do really well (80-90 percentiles) but what about those people in the 0-80 percentiles?

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[Shazzam]

This is something I think about constantly. I'd assume most people don't study for 2 months or as intensely as suggested on these boards. In addition to this, people come into the test from varying backgrounds, some people have their sciences down hard and study for 1-2 months and decimate the test while people who start from scratch can drop the ball if they don't study hard enough. You also got the people who study something but don't really understand what it is they're doing. They see a question and remember how to do it, but the second you change the wording of the question or alter what you're asking of them, they fail to answer correctly. Finally, the time the person puts in needs to be quality study time, put in massive hours =/= putting in quality hours. Quality > Quantity

However, all of these problems can be deflected by using practice exams prior to taking the DAT (Topscore, Achiever) so I'm not quite sure how people go into it knowing where they stand.

 

[dental24]

Good question. It all depends on what and how you study. THE QUALITY!
Person A: Studies for 2 months, great materials, but gets Test Day jitters, awful night sleeping, tired during DAT. Seem to lose confidence in their answer for a question they've seen multiple times
Person B: Studies on and off for 2 months cant get the hang of how to study even though they have great materials
Person C: Has great materials, studies for 2 months but is overconfident on some sections and underestimates those section on the real DAT
Person D: Actually gets a hard version of the DAT in terms of BIO, GC, PAT...(Rmr that some ppl come out with a 99% with a AA of 21, this seems as if the test was prob hard)
Person E: Cant afford great materials, relies on college notes for 2 months
Person F: Studies and practices for 2 months but is a horrible test taker (meaning you break out in an anxiety attack...ive had a friend who has done this before)

AND THE LIST GOES ON!

Point is that everyone studies in a different way even if it is the same duration. I agree w/Shazzam that QUALITY is key!

I started studying since May (2-3hrs a day), June (4hrs a day), July (9hrs/day) since my DAT is in August. I've understood what Quality actually means here. I wake up realizing that I have to kill that Beast-DAT. lol It feels good to know that I'm actually learning and getting things done every day. It sounds nerdy, but I look forward to studying as my Exam date gets near

 

[tomhrxbfg]

I agree with Shazzam...I had strong science background (had courses like immunology, physiology, anatomy, vertebrate relationships, pathology, pharmacology, etc) so literally I only studied for PAT section, while doing some practice questions on the science section (mainly on Ochem and Bio since I forgot some of the sections there). My total prep time is around 1 month (only used Topscore, qvault, KBB, CDP), but about half of those I slacked off and was surfing nets, reading novels, checking out steam deals lol...So maybe 2 full week study only and I scored 98percentile (nothing to brag about, just to point out people have different background and the time they study can be misleading). And I had some previous testing experiences (2 times MCAT, 1 time GRE, 1 time OAT) so I wouldn't really stress out on the test day.

 

[artvandelay786]

My confusion stems from the fact that the test - really - is not that hard. If you put in the time and learn the material at a fairly basic level, you have a very high chance of doing well. That's why I don't understand why so many students do poorly on it. But I agree with you all, there are A LOT of factors which determine performance such as lack of sleep, confidence, etc.

 

[jeffity]

Tons of variables...

Even if you assume everyone studies the same amount of time using the well-known materials, that doesn't quite put everyone on equal ground. Here are some things I've observed that can have an effect:

- Responsibilities besides studying. Working? Taking classes? Taking care of a family? These can either be distracting for some, or help others be smart with the time they do have to study.

- Too many study materials. It can happen. You get a laundry list of material off SDN and it can be inundating. Trying to get through it all can become the end goal rather than really understanding and learning it all.

- Kaplan. Not saying it's good or bad. Too many people just take it because it's what they assume everyone does. In my experience, I've noticed it's usually people who aren't SDN types and who come from or have money. They treat it like this is all they need. Then they shown up on SDN looking for advice on a retake.

- Study smarter, not harder! Step back and evaluate yourself. Adapt your studying and materials as needed. The 8-week plan is really awesome, but it's not perfect for everyone out of the box.

- Some people are just too intimidated by it all. With a few exceptions, we've all had the pre-reqs. For the most part, this stuff is in our brains or we should have the foundation to grasp and learn it quickly. If you fill your mind with fear and intimidation, it helps nothing. You can't freak out if you don't get your 12 hours one day. Or panic as you count down (3 weeks, 2 weeks, 10 days, 1 week, reschedule!). Or cry yourself to sleep when you see the 25s rolling in on SDN. A little nervousness can be a good thing. But fear...that's no good.

- Studying for too long! This goes with being afraid of the DAT. Of course it depends on the person, but studying for 6+ months is not the most effective way of going about it.

- Practice tests. Do them. If you've never practiced with the clock ticking and a crappy marker with just a mouse, you're just looking to piss yourself on test day. These are good times to benchmark your studying and adapt your preparation too. Don't take them week 1, but don't save them for the week before the test either.

Many, many more things affect the end result. These are just some ideas.

 

[Josh779]

- Too many study materials. It can happen. You get a laundry list of material off SDN and it can be inundating. Trying to get through it all can become the end goal rather than really understanding and learning it all.

These are all great responses, but i've never heard someone explain this one the way you did. Very insightful! I've probably fell victim to this one because I always see what all the high scores use and I try to duplicate their regimen ...with 9 days left still so much to do!