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- Jun 27, 2012
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Just took the DAT, really glad this whole ordeal is finally over. Hopefully this is the last time I have to take this test. The exam was intense, but easier than I had expected, although one thing that really messed me up during the exam was my excruciating urge to pee. (Ill go into details later if anyone cares to read, so you dont make the same mistake I made). Ive been reading these forums throughout my studying so I feel compelled to write this breakdown and also to bring some sort of closure to this journey. Although my scores arent that high, this is going to be a pretty detailed write up and hopefully help some of you. I honestly felt like I could have gotten higher scores on a couple of the sections if my urge to pee wasnt so agonizing during the exam, but Ill take a 21.
A little background, Im currently a senior expecting to graduate next spring. 3.5 GPA, sGPA probably just shy of 3.5. I took the summer off and spent about 2.5 months studying for this test. During this time, I had no school, did some volunteering at a dental clinic and took breaks here and there. I was pretty consistent about keeping track of what I studied. I made a spreadsheet to help keep record of what I studied each day which helped tremendously.
Here's the breakdown.
BIO: Cliffs AP Bio, Barrons, little bit of Kaplan, QVT, Destroyer Bio and lots of youtube videos, Barrons Flashcards(useless). This section is random, a lot of concepts. I honestly dont know how one can effectively study for this section in a short period of time. I didnt start studying for bio until last three weeks which was stupid considering how weak I was at bio. I didnt know much about plants, photosynthesis, embryology, menstrual cycle, endocrines, etc. After reading Cliffs the first time, it did not help me at all with the concepts, I just got even more confused. So then I read Barrons which was better at explaining concepts. Cliffs was definitely good for its breadth and a great read AFTER youve grasped the major concepts. I started doing QVT after reading these and averaged pretty low. I did destroyer once and googled things that I didnt know. During the last week of studying, I started watching a lot of youtube videos. Bozeman Biology and Savages Science Tutorials are very good and pretty comprehensive. I wish I had found out about their videos sooner. Together their videos hit home on most concepts youll need to know. Theyre better for DAT bio than Khans Academy. Khans videos are detailed but they take too long to watch since he draws, and he doesnt cover a lot of areas in biology. I have attached a word doc of some youtube videos which helped me, especially the menstrual and embryology videos. Theyre also great to watch during breaks.
GC: Destroyer, Chads videos, Qvault. Did destroyer 2.5 times, which was an overkill because questions on the DAT arent remotely as hard as destroyer questions. Use it as a learning tool. Chads videos was by far the best investment. I watched his videos 2 times and did his quizzes 3 times. Qvault is good for that confidence boost once you go through destroyer and chads. On the real test, youre given the molecular weight for many calculation questions that require it. Most calculation answer choices will be in parenthesis format.
OC: Destroyer, Chads videos, Qvault. Did destroyer 2 times, and all the questions that I had gotten wrong another time. Chads videos and quizzes are essential and arguably enough for this section since the real test was easier. I felt like Ive wasted a lot of much time studying a million reactions/reagents that I didnt need for the test. Qvault is good for that confidence boost.
PAT: CDP. CDP is money. I would have gotten at least a 24 on this section if I didnt have to pee so badly. I guessed on a third of my pattern folding questions because I had to end the test early in order to pee. I ended PAT section with 8 minutes left on the clock!!! It was either that or me pissing myself. Keyholes and TFE are both easier on the real DAT. CDP will prepare you well for this. Have FAITH in CDP and just allow it to train your brain. I started off averaging 16 and 17 on the CDP and was kinda frustrated, then eventually hit 20s. Sections like holepunch and cube counting will improve with practice and you should not lose points on these. Watch the line of symmetry method on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ud0ZX0eEFA. This method is fool proof and becomes second nature after a few practice runs. Cube counting is easier on the DAT. I first tried doing that 1,2,3,4,5 table but I was making too many mistakes and taking wayyyy too much time so I changed it up. Once you do enough problems on CDP, the 5, 4, 1 and 0 sided cubes become very easy to recognize and count, you should be able to count them in seconds. The tricky part about cube counting are the 2 and 3 sided cubes. After taking a few tests on CDP, analyze your test and find out which sized cubes youre having problems with( for me it was 2 and 3 sided cubes). On the real DAT, I just marked every question that asked for 2 sided and 3 sided cubes and planned to do them a second time after Im done with the last section (which didnt work out as planned since I had end early to pee).
RC: My RC is low, which was what I predicted. I did 3 CDR reading tests and averaged 18. CDR was pretty good in terms of format. I wish I had practiced more on CDR since its actually a good software for RC. So after emptying the hoover dam during my 15 min break, I was still kinda distraught about what had just happened. I was forced to end the PAT with 8 precious minutes on the clock. That said, I went into RC with a dented psyche. I could not concentrate at all. This section was a nightmare. My articles were on bone fracture, bacterial resistance and herbal medicine. I should probably have read up on these topics prior since so many other SDNers were getting these essays. If you get these 3 passages, search and destroy will probably work because I only saw a few tonality questions. I didnt have an effective study plan for this section. I dont know how I could have improved on this section. English is my second language and Im not an avid reader. Im worried about this score might the cutoff for many schools. Does anyone know if 18 RC is too low?
QR: I did QR destroyer, Math destroyer and qvault once each. Do destroyers first to learn. Then Qvault to get your timing down. The biggest advice I can give on this section is TIMING, TIMING, TIMING. The more problems you do, the better you become at calibrating how much time youll need to solve a given problem. Qvault will help you with this. I felt this section was not designed to be finished by an average test taker. There are probably 4 or 5 questions that I skipped even though I knew how to solve but decided not to knowing they were going to take too long. Go through all the problems first, mark the lengthy ones and solve the fast ones.
Qvault and CDP scores during studying, I did not take any practice tests.
Qvault BIO: 16, 18, 20, 17, 19, 16, 18, 19, 18, 19. AVE 18
Qvault GC: 20, 20, 22, 24, 22, 20, 19, 20, 21, 26. AVE 21.4
Qvault OC: 19, 20, 24, 18, 21, 20, 22, 22, 21, 24. AVE 21.1
Qvault QR: 21, 19, 23, 21, 21, 21, 22, 25, 22, 23. AVE 21.8
CDP: 16, 17, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 21, 21, 21
CDR: 17, 17, 19
Going into the exam, I was under the impression that we get the 15 min break after the Natural Sciences section. I didnt know that you actually get the 15 min break after PAT. I ate a lot of fruits before the exam which was a bad idea because about an hour into natural sciences section, I developed a strong urge to pee. By the time I started ochem section, the urge to pee was already getting pretty bad. Once I got to angle ranking section of PAT, the urge got really bad. Then pattern folding okay pattern folding, its traumatic even thinking about this right now. At this point my urge to pee had become UNBEARABLE, I could not focus, my hands and legs were trembling. I remember looking at the clock, 8 minutes left and I was on question 84 and I said **** it, selected all C's for the last 5 or 6 questions and bolted to the restroom. Needless to say, I never got to review the questions I marked. Just by freak of nature, 3 days before my DAT, I had a bad dream about having to use the restroom really bad during the test. I should have heeded this warning. If I had to take the DAT again, I would wear a diaper next time.
Here's a word doc has some links to youtube videos that's helped me with bio.
View attachment Youtube biovides.docx
Just took the DAT, really glad this whole ordeal is finally over. Hopefully this is the last time I have to take this test. The exam was intense, but easier than I had expected, although one thing that really messed me up during the exam was my excruciating urge to pee. (Ill go into details later if anyone cares to read, so you dont make the same mistake I made). Ive been reading these forums throughout my studying so I feel compelled to write this breakdown and also to bring some sort of closure to this journey. Although my scores arent that high, this is going to be a pretty detailed write up and hopefully help some of you. I honestly felt like I could have gotten higher scores on a couple of the sections if my urge to pee wasnt so agonizing during the exam, but Ill take a 21.
A little background, Im currently a senior expecting to graduate next spring. 3.5 GPA, sGPA probably just shy of 3.5. I took the summer off and spent about 2.5 months studying for this test. During this time, I had no school, did some volunteering at a dental clinic and took breaks here and there. I was pretty consistent about keeping track of what I studied. I made a spreadsheet to help keep record of what I studied each day which helped tremendously.
Here's the breakdown.
BIO: Cliffs AP Bio, Barrons, little bit of Kaplan, QVT, Destroyer Bio and lots of youtube videos, Barrons Flashcards(useless). This section is random, a lot of concepts. I honestly dont know how one can effectively study for this section in a short period of time. I didnt start studying for bio until last three weeks which was stupid considering how weak I was at bio. I didnt know much about plants, photosynthesis, embryology, menstrual cycle, endocrines, etc. After reading Cliffs the first time, it did not help me at all with the concepts, I just got even more confused. So then I read Barrons which was better at explaining concepts. Cliffs was definitely good for its breadth and a great read AFTER youve grasped the major concepts. I started doing QVT after reading these and averaged pretty low. I did destroyer once and googled things that I didnt know. During the last week of studying, I started watching a lot of youtube videos. Bozeman Biology and Savages Science Tutorials are very good and pretty comprehensive. I wish I had found out about their videos sooner. Together their videos hit home on most concepts youll need to know. Theyre better for DAT bio than Khans Academy. Khans videos are detailed but they take too long to watch since he draws, and he doesnt cover a lot of areas in biology. I have attached a word doc of some youtube videos which helped me, especially the menstrual and embryology videos. Theyre also great to watch during breaks.
GC: Destroyer, Chads videos, Qvault. Did destroyer 2.5 times, which was an overkill because questions on the DAT arent remotely as hard as destroyer questions. Use it as a learning tool. Chads videos was by far the best investment. I watched his videos 2 times and did his quizzes 3 times. Qvault is good for that confidence boost once you go through destroyer and chads. On the real test, youre given the molecular weight for many calculation questions that require it. Most calculation answer choices will be in parenthesis format.
OC: Destroyer, Chads videos, Qvault. Did destroyer 2 times, and all the questions that I had gotten wrong another time. Chads videos and quizzes are essential and arguably enough for this section since the real test was easier. I felt like Ive wasted a lot of much time studying a million reactions/reagents that I didnt need for the test. Qvault is good for that confidence boost.
PAT: CDP. CDP is money. I would have gotten at least a 24 on this section if I didnt have to pee so badly. I guessed on a third of my pattern folding questions because I had to end the test early in order to pee. I ended PAT section with 8 minutes left on the clock!!! It was either that or me pissing myself. Keyholes and TFE are both easier on the real DAT. CDP will prepare you well for this. Have FAITH in CDP and just allow it to train your brain. I started off averaging 16 and 17 on the CDP and was kinda frustrated, then eventually hit 20s. Sections like holepunch and cube counting will improve with practice and you should not lose points on these. Watch the line of symmetry method on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ud0ZX0eEFA. This method is fool proof and becomes second nature after a few practice runs. Cube counting is easier on the DAT. I first tried doing that 1,2,3,4,5 table but I was making too many mistakes and taking wayyyy too much time so I changed it up. Once you do enough problems on CDP, the 5, 4, 1 and 0 sided cubes become very easy to recognize and count, you should be able to count them in seconds. The tricky part about cube counting are the 2 and 3 sided cubes. After taking a few tests on CDP, analyze your test and find out which sized cubes youre having problems with( for me it was 2 and 3 sided cubes). On the real DAT, I just marked every question that asked for 2 sided and 3 sided cubes and planned to do them a second time after Im done with the last section (which didnt work out as planned since I had end early to pee).
RC: My RC is low, which was what I predicted. I did 3 CDR reading tests and averaged 18. CDR was pretty good in terms of format. I wish I had practiced more on CDR since its actually a good software for RC. So after emptying the hoover dam during my 15 min break, I was still kinda distraught about what had just happened. I was forced to end the PAT with 8 precious minutes on the clock. That said, I went into RC with a dented psyche. I could not concentrate at all. This section was a nightmare. My articles were on bone fracture, bacterial resistance and herbal medicine. I should probably have read up on these topics prior since so many other SDNers were getting these essays. If you get these 3 passages, search and destroy will probably work because I only saw a few tonality questions. I didnt have an effective study plan for this section. I dont know how I could have improved on this section. English is my second language and Im not an avid reader. Im worried about this score might the cutoff for many schools. Does anyone know if 18 RC is too low?
QR: I did QR destroyer, Math destroyer and qvault once each. Do destroyers first to learn. Then Qvault to get your timing down. The biggest advice I can give on this section is TIMING, TIMING, TIMING. The more problems you do, the better you become at calibrating how much time youll need to solve a given problem. Qvault will help you with this. I felt this section was not designed to be finished by an average test taker. There are probably 4 or 5 questions that I skipped even though I knew how to solve but decided not to knowing they were going to take too long. Go through all the problems first, mark the lengthy ones and solve the fast ones.
Qvault and CDP scores during studying, I did not take any practice tests.
Qvault BIO: 16, 18, 20, 17, 19, 16, 18, 19, 18, 19. AVE 18
Qvault GC: 20, 20, 22, 24, 22, 20, 19, 20, 21, 26. AVE 21.4
Qvault OC: 19, 20, 24, 18, 21, 20, 22, 22, 21, 24. AVE 21.1
Qvault QR: 21, 19, 23, 21, 21, 21, 22, 25, 22, 23. AVE 21.8
CDP: 16, 17, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 21, 21, 21
CDR: 17, 17, 19
Going into the exam, I was under the impression that we get the 15 min break after the Natural Sciences section. I didnt know that you actually get the 15 min break after PAT. I ate a lot of fruits before the exam which was a bad idea because about an hour into natural sciences section, I developed a strong urge to pee. By the time I started ochem section, the urge to pee was already getting pretty bad. Once I got to angle ranking section of PAT, the urge got really bad. Then pattern folding okay pattern folding, its traumatic even thinking about this right now. At this point my urge to pee had become UNBEARABLE, I could not focus, my hands and legs were trembling. I remember looking at the clock, 8 minutes left and I was on question 84 and I said **** it, selected all C's for the last 5 or 6 questions and bolted to the restroom. Needless to say, I never got to review the questions I marked. Just by freak of nature, 3 days before my DAT, I had a bad dream about having to use the restroom really bad during the test. I should have heeded this warning. If I had to take the DAT again, I would wear a diaper next time.
Here's a word doc has some links to youtube videos that's helped me with bio.
View attachment Youtube biovides.docx
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