Crack The DAT Review
Rating: ★★★★★
Crack the DAT has made their mark on the DAT prep industry with their top notch review material for the Perceptual Ability Test. Hundreds of pre-dental students have had enormous success while using this software for this section of the DAT.
Although Crack the DAT is best known for their PAT material, their course not limited to only that section and they do offer quality test prep material for the entire DAT.
Overview
Crack the DAT consists of testing software and limited review material to provide you with “your prescription for success” on the DAT. It emulates the same platform interface and actual testing conditions that you will experience on test-day. It will help familiarize you with the DAT as well as help you to estimate and predict what your DAT scores will be like.
Crack the DAT software can be downloaded on either a Windows or Mac computer. The software is available for instant download upon purchasing. There is no expiration date on the software and you have unlimited use of it! You are also provided with free updates to your software as newer versions are released. Periodically check for updates on your software to make sure that you have the most current version of the software.
The newest update to Crack the DAT enables the user to compare their answers to those of other Crack the DAT users and see where they stand among the rest. It also provides you with a breakdown of each question along with the distribution of all users for that question. This feature is only available on the Royal Flush Editions and the Ultimate DAT Bundle Package. There are a variety of editions and packages offered by Crack the DAT, so we will take a look at each section of the DAT and find out what is offered.
Pros
1. Exam-Identical Software
The practice exams and simulations are presented in the same computerized format you will see on your test day including the proper time limits, break policies, and rules for moving through the exam content. This familiarizes you with the Dental Admission Test format and helps build your confidence so you will crush it on your actual exam day.
2. Practice Questions
With literally thousands of practice questions and up to 10 full-length practice tests you will have plenty of problems for practice and to become familiar with the format that you will see on the actual DAT.
3. Analysis Report
For each test you take you will receive an analysis report which gives a breakdown in categories of all the questions. This comprehensive analysis will help you to analyze your strong and weak subject areas, show you how much time you spent on each question, how many times you changed your answer, and a myriad of other tools that will assess your overall testing strategy. There will also be video and written explanations for each answer. You have the capability to compile random questions from all tests into a new test to take and you can take all of the tests as many times as you’d like. This analysis report is a great resource to help you formulate a strategy for success on the DAT.
4. Explanations
The written and video explanations are well-done and extremely informative. These are great features to access after completing a practice test. You will learn a lot from them in order to increase your scores and excel on the DAT. Take advantage of them and you will see improvement in your scores.
5. Money Back Guarantee
Crack the DAT offers a 100% money back guarantee on all of their Royal Flush Editions and both of their DAT Bundle Packages. If you score a 14 or below on the sections that you have prepared with Crack the DAT, then you are entitled to get your money back. Send in your Exam Score Report and proof that you have taken all of the practice tests and they will credit you back the amount that you have invested for that section. You can even keep the software.
6. Free Trial
You can download the software on either your Windows or Mac computer for free in order to take a shortened DAT practice test. I’d recommend doing it before you make your purchase in order to see what Crack the DAT is like and if you think it will benefit you. The free demo contains the identical exam simulation software and you will receive an analysis report upon completion of the test with your scores.
7. Customer Service
They have very good customer service and are attentive to your needs. They have the option to receive live chat support on their website. The quality of customer service by a company is a reflection of the company and its product as a whole in my opinion.
Cons
1. Price
These materials are some of the more expensive DAT review materials on the market today.
2. Supplemental Study Material Suggested
These practice tests and additional features available with Crack the DAT are exceptional resources to use while preparing for the DAT; however, I feel that supplemental materials are still necessary, especially for the Sciences section of the DAT. Practice tests and explanations of the answers cannot fully prepare you for this section. I’d recommend a good resource like Chad’s Videos, Kaplan, The Princeton Review, or choose from others to prepare for the Sciences. Once you have studied from these materials and have a foundation in them you should use Crack DAT SCIENCES to test your knowledge.
3. Accessibility
The software can be downloaded and used without internet connection, however, in order to view the video explanations of the answers and update your software an internet connection is necessary. Also, the software can only be used for 2-3 weeks off-line before it is required to connect to the internet in order to renew another 2-3 weeks of off-line usage. Therefore, it is better to always have an internet connection available while using the software.
My Suggestion
Crack the DAT is an exceptional resource and if you can afford to drop some money on it then it is worth the cost. It has high quality practice tests that will give you the most realistic experience in order to adequately prepare for the DAT. It is loaded with additional features to teach and help explain difficult concepts.
Crack the DAT has a great track record and thousands of pre-dental students have had greater success on the DAT because of it. Generally, students have scored within 1 point of their Crack DAT PAT test compared to the actual PAT test and 1-2 points higher on the Crack DAT READING and Crack DAT SCIENCE tests compared to the actual tests. The questions are slightly more rigorous than the actual DAT and students tend to score 1-2 points higher on the actual DAT than they do on the Crack the DAT tests.
If money isn’t an issue then I would purchase one of the Ultimate DAT Bundle Packages from Crack the DAT along with some supplemental materials for the Sciences. If money is an issue then I would purchase just Crack DAT PAT along with a more comprehensive resource. I’d even consider purchasing the Crack DAT MATH and Crack DAT READING editions as well.
Additional Information
Upgrades: Free upgrades are only available with an Ultimate DAT Bundle Package. You are able to upgrade your current program to a different version in order to gain more practice questions and features at any time. For example, if you purchase the Crack DAT PAT Ace edition, but decide later that you would like to upgrade to the Bundle Package then the upgrade is only the price difference between the two packages and a $10 upgrade support fee. Your previous purchase of the Crack DAT PAT Ace Edition is credited towards the Bundle Package that you upgraded to.
Timing on Tests: You are able to change the time allotted to you on the tests from their normal times that they would be on the actual DAT. This could be helpful in order to work on increasing your speed for certain sections to make sure that you will be able to finish all of the questions on a section before the time runs out.
Canadian DAT PAT: The Royal Flush Edition and the Ultimate Package both offer review materials for the Canadian DAT PAT. They contain an overview of the Canadian PAT as well as tutorials on soap carving.
Crack the DAT Pre-Dental Scholarship: Four scholarships totaling $2000 are awarded each year to applicants that are at least juniors in college or have graduated and are enrolled full-time seeking a career in dentistry. Applicants are reviewed by the Crack the DAT scholarship committee and awarded based on scholar merit, community service and financial need. Send all required documentation in ONE email delivered to [email protected]
- 1-2 page essay on why you deserve the Crack the DAT Scholarship
- Resume or CV
- Unofficial Transcript (GPA needs to be above 3.0)
- 2×2 Picture
- DAT Score Report (optional but recommended)
- Short Video Clip introducing yourself (optional but recommended)
- Scholarship deadline: September 30 at 5:00 PM EST of each year
- $1000 scholarship
- $600 scholarship
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ASDA: Members of ASDA receive a 10% discount off of all Crack the DAT purchases.
Browser: Crack the DAT recommends that you use Internet Explorer or Safari to download and run the software.
Activation: They also recommend that you do not have any external hard drives, iPods, or removable devices connected to your computer during activation of your license key. Also make sure that any antivirus, security or firewall programs installed on your computer are fully disabled prior to activating your license key. Once your order has been placed, you will receive an instant automated email with a license key or you can instantly obtain the license key by logging into your account. If you purchased a Bundle Package then make sure to enter your license key into the “Bundle Package” box.
Crack DAT PAT
The granddaddy of them all, the biggest and best that Crack the DAT has to offer. There are three different editions available to help prepare you for the PAT. There are 3D interactive models and explanations with each edition. The 3D models will allow you to rotate and manipulate the objects to help you better understand how to tackle complex PAT problems. These are some of the best tools I’ve seen in a review source and are very helpful for understanding the subtests of the PAT.
There are also several sections that you can get additional practice in such as angle ranking, hole punching, and cube counting. There is a practice mode and a competition mode. The competition mode is only available in the Royal Flush Edition or as part of the Ultimate DAT Bundle Package; It allows you to compete against fellow users and if you score high enough then you’ll get your name on the leaderboard. The analysis report that you’ll receive after completing practice tests will notify you of concepts in which you are strong or weak in and provide you with statistical data that will help you in formulating a strategy to improve your PAT score.
Here’s an overview of what is available with each edition for Crack DAT PAT:
- King Edition:
- 5 Perceptual Ability Exams
- 450 Questions
- 3D Interactive Models & Explanations
- Ace Edition:
- 10 Perceptual Ability Exams
- 900 Questions
- 3D Interactive Models & Explanations
- Revolutionary Cube Explanations
- Free Updates to New Versions
- Royal Flush Edition:
- 3 Hours of PAT Tips, Tricks & Strategy HD Videos
- 10 Perceptual Ability Exams
- 900 Questions
- Video Walkthrough Guides for Each Single Question in HD Quality
- 3D Interactive Models and Explanations
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- 5000 Angle Ranking Questions
- 5000 Hole Punching Questions
- 5000 Cube Counting Questions
- Competition Mode & Leaderboard
- Soap Carving Video Tutorials
- Novel Pattern Folding Explanations
- Revolutionary Cube Explanations
- Priority Support
- Score Guarantee
- Unlimited Updates to New Versions
Crack DAT MATH
Crack DAT MATH has plenty of practice exams for the Quantitative Reasoning section of the DAT in order to get you prepared and comfortable for the real thing. These are very similar in difficulty and are great exams to use. There are also helpful video explanations in addition to written explanations with each edition that are conducted by a tutor on a whiteboard. There are only two editions available for Crack DAT MATH.
- Ace Edition:
- Simulate 10 Math DAT Exams
- 400 Math Questions with Answers
- 10 Hours of Video Explanations
- Calculator for new QR format
- Royal Flush Edition:
- Simulate 25 Math DAT Exams
- 1000 Math Questions with Answers
- 20 Hours of Video Explanations
- Videos in Full Screen
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- Calculator for new QR format
- Priority Support
- Score Guarantee
- Free Updates to New Versions
Crack DAT SCIENCE
Crack DAT SCIENCE is in my opinion the weakest area of the Crack the DAT materials for the DAT, but it is still an exceptional resource to use. This is one area; however, that requires much more studying and knowledge, so I would recommend additional resources for this section. Once you have established a solid foundation in the sciences I would use these practice exams and video explanations to test your knowledge and identify areas to improve upon. There are two editions available for Crack DAT SCIENCE.
- Ace Edition:
- 5 DAT Science Exams
- 500 Questions
- 15 Hours of Video
- Royal Flush Edition:
- 20 DAT Science Exams
- 2000 Questions
- 40 Hours of Video
- Videos in Full Screen
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- Priority Support
- Score Guarantee
- Free Updates to New Versions
Crack DAT READING
This is a great resource to use as it is one section that doesn’t require any prior knowledge; only effective test taking strategies and plenty of practice, which is exactly what Crack DAT READING can give you. There are also two editions available for this test.
- Ace Edition:
- Simulate 5 Reading DAT Exams
- 15 Reading Comprehension Passages
- 250 Questions w/ Detailed Explanations
- Royal Flush Edition:
- 6 Hours of Strategical Videos
- Simulate 10 Reading DAT Exams
- 30 Reading Comprehension Passages
- 500 Questions w/ Detailed Explanations
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- Priority Support
- Score Guarantee
- Free Updates to New Versions
Ultimate DAT Bundle Packages
The Ultimate DAT Bundle Packages provide you with all the practice tests you need to be ready for the DAT. There are two packages available and in my opinion the Ace Package alone has enough practice tests for you to prepare for the DAT. But if you feel like you need the additional practice and extra features that come with the Ultimate Package then go for it and you’ll have PLENTY of practice questions and tests to go over in preparation for the DAT.
Ace Package:
- 900 Questions with User-Interactive Explanations
- Novel Pattern Folding Explanations
- 400 Math Questions with Answers
- 10 Hours of VIDEO Explanations
- On-screen calculator for new QR format
- 15 Reading Comprehension Passages
- 250 Questions with Detailed Explanations
- 500 Questions with Detailed Explanations
- 15 Hours of VIDEO Explanations
-
- Create Random Tests
- PRIORITY Support
- Free Updates to Newer Versions
- Score/Moneyback Guarantee
Ultimate Package:
- 3 Hours of PAT Tips, Tricks and Strategy Videos
- 900 Questions with Interactive Models
- 900 Video Walkthroughs for each PAT question
- Videos in Full Screen
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- 5000 Angle Ranking BONUS Questions
- 5000 Cube Counting BONUS Questions
- 5000 Hole Punching BONUS Questions
- Competition Mode & Leaderboard
- Soap Carving Video Tutorials
- Revolutionary Cube Counting Explanations
- Novel Pattern Folding Explanations
- BONUS Hole Punching Grid Printout Guide
- 1000 Math Questions with Answers
- 20 Hours of VIDEO Explanations
- Videos in Full Screen
- On-screen calculator for new QR format
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- 6 Hours of Strategical Videos
- 30 Reading Comprehension Passages
- 500 Questions with Detailed Explanations
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- 2000 Questions with Detailed Explanations
- 40 Hours of VIDEO Explanations
- Videos in Full Screen
- Compare your Scores to Peers
- Create Random Tests
- PRIORITY Support
- Free Upgrades with New Features
- Score/Moneyback Guarantee