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You Clark, NJ Prometric DAT Experience, feedback please
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Fine for me. They have lockers by the main desk and they give you a key for it. You put all your crap there. Nothing goes into the computer room except what they give you. And your clothes if you are lucky 😉.
I got there half an hour early and was able to start my test then. I guess they don't care if it isn't busy. I don't recall having any problems with any of the staff there. The head set they give you to block out noise sucked and I actually took it off halfway through. No computer problems.
I got there half an hour early and was able to start my test then. I guess they don't care if it isn't busy. I don't recall having any problems with any of the staff there. The head set they give you to block out noise sucked and I actually took it off halfway through. No computer problems.
I'm pretty sure all testing centers assign you 2 laminated sheets of paper and a non-erasable marker.
they told me to go downstairs and eat. it took the elevator sometimes like 2 minutes to come. i didn't care that they told me not to eat in the hallway. i went out around the corner and grabbed my granola bar and munched and drank my gatorade.
as for the test center experience. they were ok. didn't like the people there. maybe i had a diff staff. they seemed slow and pretty rude actually. not like that bothers me cuz i could care less way other people talk to me when i have an exam thats a lot more important. it's a pretty big testing center and when i went in for my exam i was the first one in. the hallway outside was loud as hell and i could hear everything going on. it was like an elementary school just gathering and talking. i wanted to slap the staff silly and tell them to shut up.
i guess it depends on where u are seated too though. i was seated one closest to the window and the first one in. so i guess that didn't help. the headphones did nothing to drown out the noise and so i was just pissed a little bit and couldn't concentrate for the first like 20 minutes.
The Clark location isn't in a building that is dedicated solely to Prometric. It is located in an office building along with other businesses. However, I took my DAT on a Saturday, so all the other offices were closed and the only people I saw that day were there to take tests.
They have ample parking in their parking lot. I arrived very early and sat in my car to look over my notes. I remember a cop drove through the parking lot as I was sitting there, so it's relatively safe. I remember I thought it was weird there were residential houses and neighborhoods like right across the street. Just not what I expected. It was also relatively easy to get to because it's not too far once you get off the parkway.
I thought I was going to see a bunch of other people taking their DATs or MCATs, but as far as I could tell, I was the only one taking the DAT. I saw older people, I saw 8 year olds, I saw people my age. It was interesting. There are two separate rooms that have the testing computers in them. In the room I tested in, there were the little kids taking their tests and people taking tests where they typed a lot. Have no idea what test that was. There were multiple cameras aimed at you. The chair was comfortable enough. I was glad I wore long sleeves and jeans, even though it was June. I got two laminated boards and a black marker. I did not like the laminated boards. It smudged. But I sucked it up.
They were short staffed during my 15min break. So the one employee had to handle both the test takers getting fingerprinted to get in and the ones trying to check out. It ate up a lot of my 15 min.
When I finished, I did the survey because I did not know it was the optional survey. Otherwise I would have declined so I could just see my scores. But I did the survey and it just went to the desktop after I was done. So the employee had to go in and fix my computer. After a while, my scores popped up and I smiled. I noticed the employee looking at me through the window and saw her examine my scores that got printed out at her computer.
You do not get pencils or paper or pens. You cannot bring those things in. You bring your ID with you. And I did take in a tissue from their tissue box, just in case.
Overall, I did not enjoy my experience. I am not sure what could be done to help make taking a 4 hour test that determines the rest of your life more enjoyable. But trying to be a dentist isn't easy.
Make sure you study a lot. Don't underestimate the DAT. Good luck to all future test takers
And when I took it, I ate in the waiting area and I ate right in front of the lockers. I ate a banana and I ate my cliff bar. The employees were talking about their chinese take out orders, so I guess they cut me slack since they were hungry too 🙂
They have ample parking in their parking lot. I arrived very early and sat in my car to look over my notes. I remember a cop drove through the parking lot as I was sitting there, so it's relatively safe. I remember I thought it was weird there were residential houses and neighborhoods like right across the street. Just not what I expected. It was also relatively easy to get to because it's not too far once you get off the parkway.
I thought I was going to see a bunch of other people taking their DATs or MCATs, but as far as I could tell, I was the only one taking the DAT. I saw older people, I saw 8 year olds, I saw people my age. It was interesting. There are two separate rooms that have the testing computers in them. In the room I tested in, there were the little kids taking their tests and people taking tests where they typed a lot. Have no idea what test that was. There were multiple cameras aimed at you. The chair was comfortable enough. I was glad I wore long sleeves and jeans, even though it was June. I got two laminated boards and a black marker. I did not like the laminated boards. It smudged. But I sucked it up.
They were short staffed during my 15min break. So the one employee had to handle both the test takers getting fingerprinted to get in and the ones trying to check out. It ate up a lot of my 15 min.
When I finished, I did the survey because I did not know it was the optional survey. Otherwise I would have declined so I could just see my scores. But I did the survey and it just went to the desktop after I was done. So the employee had to go in and fix my computer. After a while, my scores popped up and I smiled. I noticed the employee looking at me through the window and saw her examine my scores that got printed out at her computer.
You do not get pencils or paper or pens. You cannot bring those things in. You bring your ID with you. And I did take in a tissue from their tissue box, just in case.
Overall, I did not enjoy my experience. I am not sure what could be done to help make taking a 4 hour test that determines the rest of your life more enjoyable. But trying to be a dentist isn't easy.
Make sure you study a lot. Don't underestimate the DAT. Good luck to all future test takers
And when I took it, I ate in the waiting area and I ate right in front of the lockers. I ate a banana and I ate my cliff bar. The employees were talking about their chinese take out orders, so I guess they cut me slack since they were hungry too 🙂
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Lot's of ppl say that their calculators are slow, but what does that actually mean? Like does it take time to calculate? Or is there lag everytime you click on something?
And I really hope theres a squareroot function b/c thats what I use for some of these destroyer problems
And I really hope theres a squareroot function b/c thats what I use for some of these destroyer problems
I was so worried about taking it at Clark because I got a different answer everytime I called to see if I would be using laminated sheets or paper and pencil (sometimes they told me they couldn't answer the question, another time they told me laminated sheets, and another time they told me 100% pencil and paper). Well it was a laminated sheet (you get 2) and 2 really thin pens, I was worried about this because I studied and practiced with a pencil and paper but i was SO FINE. You have the 15 min tutorial and i set up my sheets then. If you need a new laminated paper they will give it to you but only once you've used up both sides of both papers. I made it through PAT and sciences until the break to swtich for the new laminated sheets. Also, I found myself spitting on my hand and rubbing it in to erase when I was nervous I was running out of space. The people who worked there were ok, some were really nice and others seemed liek they hated their job. You have these big headphones to put on to block out noise and I brought my own ear plugs and they let me use those as well (I would recommend using both). It's sort of annoying when you have to go to the bathroom or leave they full body scan you and then take your ID and have you signature but it's ok just try to go before the test because I had to run out during a section because I had to pee so bad! haha ok sorry for the extensive post but before my test I was looking for something about Clark and couldn't find it so hopefully i've answered all questions
