Preparing for the DAT or OAT means more than knowing Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Math, Reading Comprehension, and Perceptual Ability. You should also know what to expect when you arrive at the testing center.
After years of working with DAT and OAT students, one piece of advice I strongly recommend is simple: become familiar with the Prometric testing environment before your actual exam.
There are two resources students can use to do this: the Prometric Test Drive and the free Prometric online tutorial.
PROMETRIC TEST DRIVE: EXPERIENCE THE TESTING CENTER BEFORE EXAM DAY
Prometric offers a Test Drive that allows you to experience the testing-center process before taking your actual DAT or OAT.
The Test Drive currently costs $30 for a 30-minute appointment.
For $30, I think this is particularly worthwhile for a student who has never taken an exam at a Prometric testing center or who gets anxious in unfamiliar testing environments.
You can visit a Prometric testing center before your actual exam and become familiar with the location, check-in process, testing room, workstation, and general testing environment.
This also gives you an opportunity to see whether you are comfortable with that particular testing center. You can sit at a computer and become familiar with the testing setup and general computer-based testing experience.
You will NOT be given actual DAT or OAT questions during the Test Drive. The questions and activities are there to help familiarize you with the computer-based testing experience.
Knowing where you are going and what the process feels like removes several unnecessary unknowns from DAT or OAT test day.
FREE PROMETRIC ONLINE TUTORIAL
When you open the tutorial, you may see a screen asking for an 8-character HTML Keycode. The demonstration code ABCD1234 should already appear in the box. Click OK to continue into the tutorial.
You do not have to visit a testing center to begin familiarizing yourself with Prometric's computer-testing environment.
Prometric also provides a free online tutorial that demonstrates features of the computer-based testing system, including the timer, navigation, scrolling, and other screen features.
Again, this is not a DAT or OAT practice exam. You will not be answering actual DAT or OAT questions. The purpose is to become familiar with how the computer testing environment works.
I recommend going through the tutorial before your exam, even if you decide not to schedule a Test Drive.
WHY THIS MATTERS
You spend months preparing for the academic content on the DAT or OAT. Exam day should not be the first time you think about the testing environment itself.
Where do I go?
What does the testing screen look like?
Where is the timer?
How do I navigate between questions?
What does the workstation feel like?
What should I expect when I arrive at Prometric?
Those are unnecessary unknowns.
The Prometric Test Drive can give you firsthand experience at a testing center, while the free online tutorial can familiarize you with the computer interface before you ever walk through the door.
ONE MORE IMPORTANT TEST-DAY REMINDER
Before your exam, carefully read the current official DAT or OAT Candidate Guide and Prometric's test-day instructions. Testing policies and procedures can change, so students should always rely on the current official information for their examination.
If you experience a significant problem during your actual exam, do not simply wait until after the examination to raise the issue. Follow the current procedures in your official candidate guide and notify testing-center staff when the problem occurs.
PREPARATION SHOULD INCLUDE THE EXAM-DAY EXPERIENCE
You cannot eliminate every surprise on test day, but you can eliminate some of the avoidable ones.
Study the sciences. Practice the math. Work on your Reading Comprehension. Prepare for PAT if you are taking the DAT and Physics if you are taking the OAT.
But also take a little time to learn how the testing environment works.
The free Prometric tutorial takes very little effort, and for students who want firsthand experience before the real exam, the $30 Prometric Test Drive can be a worthwhile addition to their preparation.
Walk into Prometric knowing not only the material you studied, but also what to expect when you get there.
Dr. Jim Romano
DAT Destroyer | OAT Destroyer
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