The DAT stands as one of the toughest medical exams, often requiring a prep course for success.
The problem: with numerous options available, picking the ideal one can be daunting.
But don’t worry. We’ve evaluated and tested some of the best DAT prep courses to compile a comprehensive review, ranking the top 5 options.
This guide will help you make a well-informed choice suited to your needs.
So, without further ado, let’s get in.
Which DAT Test Prep Is Right For You?
The right DAT prep course depends on your study preferences and budget. However, we’ve tested the courses on all fronts and found the following:
- Best Overall: DAT Bootcamp (use “testpreppal10” for 10% OFF)
Although the number of offerings is quite identical to DAT Booster, DAT Bootcamp edges past DAT Booster in terms of the quality of video lessons.
They have put some serious effort into video production and quality. Doctor Mike’s videos are especially detailed and well-explained.
So, even with a slightly higher price, DAT Bootcamp is a better choice if you want high-quality video lessons.
- Best Value For Money: DAT Booster (use “testpreppal” for 10% OFF)
DAT Booster offers the most number of practice tests and questions among all courses reviewed in this article. Plus, they offer highly representative test questions and actual test simulations.
All of this with amazing videos and a higher score guarantee.
- Best For Live Classes: Kaplan DAT
While The Princeton Review also offers live lessons and high-quality course books, Kaplan DAT beats it in numbers.
More live hours, more practice questions, and more full-length tests.
All of this is offered at less than half of Princeton’s price.
Comparison Table
DAT Bootcamp | DAT Booster | Princeton Review | Kaplan DAT | DAT Cracker | |
Study Type | On-demand Videos | On-demand Videos | Live Classes | Live + Recorded | Only Practice Tests |
No. Of Videos/Hours | 3,550+ | 3,000+ | 55 Hours | 210 Hours | -- |
Practice Tests | 60 | 80+ | -- | -- | 55+ |
Practice Questions | 11,000+ | 8,900+ | 4,600+ | 7,000+ | 1,400+ |
Course Books | ✘ | ✘ | Yes | Yes | ✘ |
Tutoring | Only Chat | Only Chat | Paid option available | Paid option available | ✘ |
Full-Length Practice Tests | 10 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
Higher Score Guarantee | ✘ | Yes | Yes | Yes | ✘ |
Access Period | 90 days | 90 days | Varies (75-85 days usually) | 90 days | 180 days |
Mobile App | Yes | Yes | Yes | ✘ | Yes |
Free Trial | Yes | Yes | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Price | $499 | $399 | $1,699 | $699 | $99 |
Best DAT Prep Course In 2024
1. DAT Bootcamp
Bootcamp has one of the largest sets of representative practice tests, questions, and video lectures among all the competitors.
But it’s also an amazing all-in-one package.
Pricing
DAT Bootcamp offers two packages: Bootcamp Pro and Bootcamp Plus.
Bootcamp Pro costs $499 and offers 90-day access to all the course material, while Bootcamp Plus costs $1,199* and extends the access to 180 days with five additional full-length practice tests for each module.
*Discounted Price: $899
Main Offerings
Bootcamp Pro | Bootcamp Plus | |
Study Type | On-demand Videos | |
Practice Tests | 60 | 90 |
Practice Questions | 8,800+ | |
No. Of Videos | 3,500+ | |
1-on-1 Tutoring / Support | Via Chat and Facebook | |
Prometric Mock Exams | 10 Full-length Tests | 15 Full-length Tests |
Higher Score Guarantee | ✘ | |
Mobile App | Yes | |
Access Period | 90 Days | 180 Days |
Price | $499 | $1,199 |
Depth Of Coursework
One of the most notable features of the DAT Bootcamp is its depth of coursework.
There are tons of video lessons, notes, flashcards, bio bites, cheat sheets, and training games.
Amazing Video Lessons
Bootcamp invests a lot in video production and hence offers high-quality videos with great content, where every tutor explains complex topics with slides, animations, and hand-drawn illustrations.
Bootcamp also offers an amazing collection of Dr. Mike’s Videos in the Chemistry modules. These are so good and popular that they have a separate tab named after the tutor, “Dr. Mike’s Videos.”
Practice Questions and Tests
You get to practice 8,800+ questions with 60 practice tests. And you get 30 more practice tests when you get the Bootcamp Plus.
Not only are these questions massive in number, but they are also highly representative of the actual DAT exam.
Moreover, the Question Bank is especially helpful as it also features written and video explanations of each question below it.
Intelligent Bookmarking
Bootcamp lets you tag questions based on how well you understand them.
For instance, if you feel confident answering a particular question every time, you can tag it green (Mastered). Or, you can tag them yellow or red if you don’t understand them well.
DAT Bootcamp Pros & Cons
– Two packages with shorter and longer access periods.
– Huge set of practice questions.
– Mobile application available.
– Vast collection of detailed videos, including Dr. Mike’s extraordinary collection.
– Intelligent colorized bookmarking for effective revision.
– No live classes or printed material.
– No higher score guarantee.
For an in-depth look at all of its offerings, feel free to check out our DAT Bootcamp review.
2. DAT Booster
DAT Booster has recently done major upgrades to its website design and course content.
Their website proudly says, “Updated For 2024.”
Now you get enhanced custom illustrated videos, better test simulation, a mobile app, and many other features.
Pricing
DAT Booster has gone from offering just one package to two packages now:
- Premium Membership for $399
- Premium Membership Max for $699
Premium Membership gives you 90-day access to course content, while the Max version gets you 180 days plus additional practice tests and priority support.
Main Offerings
Premium Membership | Premium Membership Max | |
Study Type | On-demand Videos | |
No. Of Videos | 3,000+ | |
Practice Tests | 80+ | |
Practice Questions | 8,900+ | |
Access Period | 90 days | 180 days |
1-on-1 Tutoring / Support | Yes | Priority Support |
Full-Length Practice Tests | 10 | |
Higher Score Guarantee | Yes | |
Mobile App | Yes | |
Price | $399 | $699 |
Video Lessons With PAT Specialty
DAT Booster comes packed with nearly 300 subject-specific videos. These custom-illustrated videos are highly detailed and offer in-depth explanations of each topic.
PAT videos are the highlight of their video offerings. Why?
Well, many don’t know this, but DAT Booster initially started as PAT Booster, centering solely on perceptual ability.
Now, despite broadening their program to cover comprehensive DAT preparation, their core proficiency remains in perceptual ability. Hence, Booster offers extraordinary PAT videos.
Practice Tests with Simulation
DAT Booster features nearly 9,000 practice questions, which are not only highly representative of the actual exam but are also designed similarly to the real DAT at the Prometric Center.
How?
It introduces a deliberate delay of 2 seconds between questions and when accessing the review function.
This delay replicates the pacing and interface experience of the actual exam, helping users familiarize themselves with the real test environment. (Plus, they have even improved it more in 2024 to look exactly like the real DAT.)
Also, being PAT specialists, DAT Booster offers a robust PAT generator and analyzer tool to enhance your PAT expertise specifically.
The interesting part? You can create an infinite number of PAT problems with this tool!
Higher Score Guarantee
The course comes with a Higher Score Guarantee, which means you’ll get a refund if your official score doesn’t improve.
DAT Booster Pros & Cons
– Upgraded website with enhanced speed, design, and interface.
– Massive collection of subject-specific DAT videos.
– Generous number of practice tests and questions.
– Special PAT videos and generator tool.
– Higher score guarantee.
– Mobile app.
– No live classes or printed material.
What else do they offer? Read our complete DAT Booster Review.
3. Princeton Review DAT
The Princeton Review offers one of the most robust and intense DAT study programs.
They are perfect for students who like the feel of studying directly from a tutor and not watching recorded lessons.
Pricing
You can either buy their live online course or take their tutoring package. Their DAT course is known as DAT 20+ and comes at a high price tag of $1,699.
See their upcoming course schedules and choose the one that suits you best.
Or, you can buy their tutoring packages. You’ll pay $1,800 for DAT Targeted (10 hours) or $5,000 for DAT Comprehensive (30 hours).
Main Offerings
Here’s what DAT 20+ gets you.
Study Type | Live Online Classes |
Total Hours | 55 |
Course Period | Varies as per Schedule 2.5 months usually |
Supplementary Chemistry Videos | Yes |
Course Books | Yes |
Practice Questions | 4,600+ |
1-on-1 Tutoring | Paid available |
Full-Length Practice Tests | 4 |
Higher Score Guarantee | Yes |
Mobile App | ✘ |
Price | $1,699 |
Extraordinary Live Classes
Princeton offers a generous 55 hours of live classes. This is the second-highest number of live hours among their competition and falls just behind their closest rival, Kaplan.
What sets Princeton apart isn’t just the quantity but also the quality of their live sessions.
Instead of relying on a single instructor with generalized knowledge, they adopt a subject matter expert approach.
This means you’ll benefit from a rotation of 3 to 5 experts leading sessions, ensuring a diverse range of insights.
DAT Prep Books
Besides giving you a digital classroom environment, Princeton also gives you a physical “touch” of it. Yes, you get DAT prep books delivered to you within 7 to 10 days via UPS’s delivery service.
This collection of study material includes the following:
- DAT Textbook: 880+ pages
- DAT Workbooks: 500+ pages of practice
- In-Class Compendium: 180+ pages of drills
- 3-D Practice Kit for Perceptual Ability Test
Higher Score Guarantee
Princeton Review offers a really bold guarantee: a score of 20 or higher on the DAT. It’s a promising assurance, especially if you’re familiar with the scores required for admission into reputable dental schools.
However, to qualify for the assured 20 score, you must already have a baseline score of at least 17 on the DAT. So, make sure to read the full terms and conditions before buying the course.
Princeton Review DAT Pros & Cons
– Intensive live classes with real-time feedback from tutors.
– Printed study material.
– Team of subject matter experts.
– Higher score guarantee.
– Great overall course structure.
– Expensive.
– Fewer practice problems.
For a complete review of the features, read our complete breakdown of DAT 20+ by The Princeton Review.
4. Kaplan DAT Prep
Kaplan has recently revamped their DAT prep offering, which included redesigning the platform and adding more study hours.
Currently, they have four different pricing plans. Let’s review them quickly.
Pricing
Kaplan’s basic DAT course is called Limitless Prep 3 Months and costs $699. This includes the following:
- 70 hours of classes per month
- 7000+ practice tests
- 7 full-length simulated tests
- DAT prep book
The next variant of the same package costs $999. On top of the basic features, it gives you additional access for 3 months (6 overall) and also adds 1 hour of personalized expert coaching.
Then, there’s the 12-month variant; it costs $1,599, includes all the basic offerings, and adds 3 hours of personalized coaching.
Finally, they have a customizable tutoring package. It includes the basic package and lets you add 5 to 40 hours of private coaching.
Main Offerings
Study Type | Live Online Classes + Recorded | ||
Total Hours/Classes | 70 hours/month | ||
Course Books | Yes | ||
Practice Questions | 7,000+ | ||
Full-Length Practice Tests | 7 | ||
Higher Score Guarantee | Yes | ||
Mobile App | ✘ | ||
1-on-1 Tutoring Hours | Paid Available | 1 | 3 |
Access Period | 3 Months | 6 Months | 12 Months |
Price | $699 | $999 | $1,599 |
Live Online Classes
All of the DAT packages include live online classes. However, Kaplan takes a different approach by providing flexible drop-in-style classes instead of fixed live class schedules.
They present over 70 hour-long interactive sessions monthly, granting you the freedom to attend based on your availability.
Instead of adjusting your schedule to fit Kaplan’s, you have the liberty to select and attend sessions that align with your preferred days and times.
Besides this freedom to drop in any time, Kaplan also lets you access the recording of these live sessions. Amazing, isn’t it?
Free Offerings
We know you can’t try out Kaplan’s video lessons or access other prep material.
But Kaplan offers for free what others don’t.
You can take a full-length practice test.
This will take you about 3 hours. Once completed, Kaplan will show you how you performed, allowing you to identify your areas of weakness and strength.
Plus, they also offer a free consultation to help you decide the best course option for yourself.
Money-Back Guarantee
With all the live classes, prep books, and practice material, it’s no surprise that Kaplan also has a higher score guarantee.
Kaplan DAT Pros & Cons
– Both Live classes and recorded sessions.
– Free to join classes at your choice.
– Printed material (DAT prep book).
– Higher score guarantee.
– Offers 1-on-1 tutoring.
– Expensive.
– No free trial.
Our detailed Kaplan DAT Review will help you learn more about it.
5. DAT Cracker
DAT Cracker doesn’t exactly qualify as a DAT course, but it makes our list because of the sheer value it offers.
What do we mean? You’ll know in a minute as we break down its main features.
Incredibly Low Pricing
DAT Cracker is the lowest-priced course on our list and costs just $200. Plus, it is almost always available for 50% off.
Why is it so cheap?
Well, it doesn’t feature any video lessons, prep books, or learning material.
It’s just a resource for attempting practice tests.
Main Offerings
Study Type | Practice Tests Only |
Total Hours/Classes | None |
Practice Tests | 55+ |
Practice Questions | 1,400+ |
Full-Length Practice Tests | 5 |
Mobile App | Yes |
Access Period | 6 Months |
Price | $200 * Almost always available at $99 |
Excellent Practice Resource
Practice. Practice. Practice. That’s the whole idea behind DAT Cracker.
Yes. DAT Cracker is a comprehensive collection of 55 DAT and PAT practice tests dedicated to enhancing your preparation through extensive practice.
There are no video lessons or other prep material, just practice tests, which you can attempt as many times as you like and improve your performance over time.
Problem Explanations and Analytics
Well, DAT Cracker doesn’t just leave you at the mercy of practice.
It offers detailed explanations called “DAT Rationales” for each problem and explains why a certain choice is correct.
Plus, it serves as a precise diagnostic tool by consistently tracking your progress and pinpointing areas needing improvement.
Mobile App and Support
Surprisingly, this humble practice tool also offers iOS and Android apps. This means you can access these tests anywhere and take them as many times as you like.
One drawback, however, is that the mobile app membership is different from the website membership.
So, when you buy it on the Play Store or Apple Store, you get mobile access only, and it doesn’t save your test results. (I wouldn’t complain about it if I paid only $99.)
Also, DAT Cracker claims to offer 24/7 support. So, like other highly paid DAT prep courses, they are just a message away.
DAT Cracker Pros & Cons
– Cheaper than all competitors.
– Practice-oriented resource to enhance your test-taking skills.
– Mobile app available.
– Excellent value for money.
– No videos or study notes.
Want to know more? Check out our DAT Cracker Review.
What Are The Top Features To Look For In A DAT Prep Course?
Now that we’ve rounded up five of the best DAT prep courses, let’s walk you through the factors you need to consider before choosing one.
Study Type (Live or Recorded)
The study type, live or recorded, impacts your DAT prep experience a lot.
Live classes offer real-time interaction and structure, fostering immediate clarification and accountability.
Recorded sessions, in contrast, offer flexibility for self-paced learning and repeated review.
But there’s no right or wrong choice between them. Choosing one depends on your learning style and schedule preferences.
Course Material
Consider the number and depth of lessons or live classes offered—more extensive coverage often indicates a more comprehensive course.
Similarly, valuable supplementary materials like study notes, flashcards, quizzes, and printed books enhance learning by providing varied ways to reinforce concepts and test knowledge.
Courses with a rich array of these resources offer flexibility in studying and cater to diverse learning styles, enabling better retention and understanding of DAT concepts.
Practice Tests & Questions
DAT practice tests are super important!
Look for courses offering a substantial number of practice questions and full-length tests—quantity matters for comprehensive preparation.
However, it’s equally crucial to prioritize quality over quantity. Seek courses that provide questions mirroring the actual DAT exam, ensuring they simulate the test’s difficulty level and format accurately.
While evaluating cost, look out for any discounts, trial periods, or payment plans that might make a high-quality course more accessible within your budget.
Higher Score Guarantee
This is not necessary, but a Higher Score Guarantee offered by DAT prep courses signifies a strong belief in their content and study materials.
Essentially, this assurance demonstrates the course provider’s commitment to your success and their willingness to stand behind the quality of their prep material.
Such guarantees often come with specific conditions, but they reflect a sincere belief in the efficacy of the course’s content to help you achieve your desired score.
So, yes. It’s definitely a thing to look at.
Secondary Features
Beyond the core offerings, secondary features can greatly impact your DAT prep experience.
Consider these additional aspects:
- Study Schedule: Check for structured schedules or flexible options to suit your pace.
- Access Period: Look for longer access durations for extended study or review.
- Mobile App: See if they offer a mobile app for convenient access.
- Tutoring: Check for available tutoring or one-on-one support.
Value For Money
Don’t just look at “prices.” They might not reveal the full picture when it comes to choosing a DAT prep course.
Consider the overall value for money instead.
Some courses might be more expensive but provide comprehensive content, expert instruction, and a range of practice materials.
Others might be more budget-friendly but could lack certain features or depth in content.
So, it’s essential to strike a balance between affordability and quality.
FAQs
What is the best DAT resource?
Honestly speaking, all DAT resources we’ve reviewed have some unique features that others don’t offer. Also, the answer truly depends on your preference.
Still, overall we believe DAT Bootcamp is the best DAT resource out there.
Is a DAT prep course worth it?
Yes. A DAT prep course is definitely worth it. These courses give you a structured pathway to preparation with video lessons and a bundle of practice questions to enhance your test-taking skills.
How much does a DAT prep course cost?
A DAT prep course can cost anywhere from $100 to nearly $2,000 and above if you want one-on-one tutoring. The average prices are between $300 and $700, by the way.
