Preparing for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) can be really overwhelming. There are a lot of resources out there, and it can be hard to know where to start. When studying for the DAT, organization and preparation is key. Here are the 4 things that you should do to really hit the ground running!
Sign up for the Exam
Before you start studying, you should register for the test. Having a date for the exam will really keep you motivated. If you find that you need more time, you can always push back the date, but make sure you have it set to give yourself about 2-3 months to study.
Purchase your Materials
Next, you should purchase your materials. Personally, the only thing that really helped me was DAT Bootcamp. I practically worship DAT Bootcamp at this point. It has tons of practice problems, notes, video lectures, tips, and practice exams. Also, the staff were super attentive and really went above and beyond whenever I needed help or had a question.
I also tried DAT Destroyer for general chemistry and math, but I don’t recommend it. If you aren’t familiar with DAT Destroyer, its claim to fame is that it’s MUCH harder than the real test. The idea is to give problems that are so challenging that the real DAT is a breeze.
Personally, I felt like the problems were too different from the real types of exam questions, so I didn’t use it very much. DAT Bootcamp is already harder than the real test, so DAT Destroyer is pretty excessive.
Make a DAT Study Schedule
DAT Bootcamp provides a free study schedule on their website. The schedule is for two months of studying, but I had three months in the summer to study. To adjust the schedule, I gave myself Saturday AND Sunday off, instead of only one day a week. I also gave myself breaks on holidays (Father’s day, July 4th, etc.) and my birthday. Finally, I added a week to catch up if I got behind.
I liked the DAT Bootcamp schedule, but for some people, it’s really not their style. You can find a lot of ways to change the schedule through the Student Doctor Network.
Join the DAT Bootcamp Facebook Group
I’ve met a lot of people with mixed feelings about the Facebook group, but I personally loved it. The group is filled with people making study groups, giving study tips, and encouraging each other.
The most common reason that people didn’t like it was that people post their scores… a lot. For me, this was really inspiring. Instead of aiming for a 20 or 21AA, I started aiming for 23s, 24s, and 25s. This made me work a lot harder and expect a higher score for myself.
But for some people, this is more overwhelming than helpful. A lot of the scores posted are really high, so it can make people more stress themselves out about scoring in a normal range. I would recommend joining the group to see if it’s helpful.Then, if you decide that it isn’t for you, leave it behind.
Conclusion
Once you sign up for the test, purchase your materials, make a schedule, and join the Facebook Group, you’ll be ready to crush the DAT!
The next step is to have a good study technique! To see what I did to score a 23AA, check out my other post here!
