Hi all! I am new to SDN and have noticed that a lot of people post their breakdowns after they have taken the DAT, so I thought "Why not?”
First of all, I thought it would give some hope to people who are not majoring in biology or chemistry, and prove that they can do okay in these sections nonetheless!
Secondly, I am excited with my scores and that I am done for good with the DAT, and I want to share my excitement with more people, since my family and friends probably have had enough in the past few hours!
(Um, and sorry this will probably be so long, I can be pretty verbose. If you do take the time to read it, thank you; but if you don't I will never know and it won't hurt my feelings
)
Here is my breakdown:
PAT: 21
QR: 25
RC: 25
BIO: 20
GC: 22
OC: 21
TS: 21
AA: 23
I know my QR and RC helped my AA a lot, but I am still very happy with my science scores! I am probably the proudest of bio, even though it is my lowest, because I had to study my butt off to know anything.
Basically my study plan was this: since mid-September, I studied once or twice during the weekdays for a few hours, then usually 3 hrs on Saturdays. I took last week off as I had finals, then studied lightly Saturday and Sunday; this last week leading up to the test I studied 8-10 hrs Mon, Tues, and Wed. Yesterday I only went through some note cards in the morning then relaxed the rest of the day. I think my total study hours were around 100.
As for study materials, I will share what was most helpful for me:
PAT: Someone gave me a few Kaplan books (2009, I think; my school library also happened to have these, which surprised me), and they were good at giving just a basic introduction to everything. I took one of the DAT Bootcamp practice tests and saw what I needed to work on for it, and then just found random practice online to improve. TFE is hardest for me, but the exam was easier than the practice, though I think it was still probably my worst section.
RC: I went through the three practice tests from Kaplan and found the difficulty on par with the actual DAT (pretty easy). I also did one Bootcamp test. My method was to start reading the section, then after I had read about half, I went ahead and started in on the questions, subsequently just “search and destroy” after that. Ended with a good 10 minutes left to check some I was unsure on. Overall, I think just practicing by reading scientific materials should be effective. I have also always been a competent reader, so that played a part in my score.
QR: I admit I did not study for this section because I assumed I would do well (which is not being cocky - I am a solid mathematician). I was caught off guard by a question about standard deviation, so a knowledge of basic statistics is required. I haven't taken a statistics course yet, so I think I should have looked into this. However, I am very pleased with a 25. Be sure to really be on top of your algebra and geometry skills. Oh, and also know the rules of probability. I could see where some word problems would give difficulty, so make sure to practice writing down what the question is asking for, and thinking “what do I know” and “what do I need to know”.
BIO: I followed the advice of many people and bought Cliff's AP Bio book...and it saved my life! I have only taken 3 bio classes so far as an undergraduate (I am a junior), and was pretty much in the dark about plants, ecology, and anatomy and physiology. Reading through this definitely helped a lot.
GC: I used my GC notes from when I took the class. It was pretty standard, a good balance of conceptual and calculation questions. One should review EVERYTHING, especially redox and thermodynamics!
OC: Again, I used my notes from when I took OChem. Focusing on reactions turned out to be key.
Overall, I think Bootcamp was really helpful for simulating the test, and Kaplan gives a good intro on most subjects, though it is not by any means comprehensive. I also took the 2007 DAT, but neglected to time myself; however, I highly suggest taking it because it is an actual DAT exam after all! Oh, and I was lucky to have found a shortened online practice test from Kaplan that was free (!!) and was pretty accurate in the layout of the exam. It was offered on Wednesday and I discovered it on Monday! It had the full, 100 question science section, but only 1/3 the PAT, 2/3 the RC, and 1/2 the QR. I think they offer them periodically, and I highly recommend it if one falls before your test date, even though it is not a full exam.
I would say that one doesn't have to spend a lot of money on study materials to do well, as I only bought the Cliff's book ($5) specifically to study for the DAT; but I already had invested money into my gen chem and ochem books and classes from past semesters, so I guess that counts too! HOWEVER, I do not think one has to buy any courses, videos, or practice tests to do well. There are plenty of free resources available.
Well, I guess that is all! If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. And I am confident that anyone who has not yet taken the DAT can do well! Just find a way to study that works for you.
(Just a side note: I think that even though the studying seems like so much for one test, I can honestly say that you reap huge rewards just from learning so much!)
Oh, and I guess my proof of scores should follow, as that seems to be standard:
First of all, I thought it would give some hope to people who are not majoring in biology or chemistry, and prove that they can do okay in these sections nonetheless!
Secondly, I am excited with my scores and that I am done for good with the DAT, and I want to share my excitement with more people, since my family and friends probably have had enough in the past few hours!
(Um, and sorry this will probably be so long, I can be pretty verbose. If you do take the time to read it, thank you; but if you don't I will never know and it won't hurt my feelings
)Here is my breakdown:
PAT: 21
QR: 25
RC: 25
BIO: 20
GC: 22
OC: 21
TS: 21
AA: 23
I know my QR and RC helped my AA a lot, but I am still very happy with my science scores! I am probably the proudest of bio, even though it is my lowest, because I had to study my butt off to know anything.
Basically my study plan was this: since mid-September, I studied once or twice during the weekdays for a few hours, then usually 3 hrs on Saturdays. I took last week off as I had finals, then studied lightly Saturday and Sunday; this last week leading up to the test I studied 8-10 hrs Mon, Tues, and Wed. Yesterday I only went through some note cards in the morning then relaxed the rest of the day. I think my total study hours were around 100.
As for study materials, I will share what was most helpful for me:
PAT: Someone gave me a few Kaplan books (2009, I think; my school library also happened to have these, which surprised me), and they were good at giving just a basic introduction to everything. I took one of the DAT Bootcamp practice tests and saw what I needed to work on for it, and then just found random practice online to improve. TFE is hardest for me, but the exam was easier than the practice, though I think it was still probably my worst section.
RC: I went through the three practice tests from Kaplan and found the difficulty on par with the actual DAT (pretty easy). I also did one Bootcamp test. My method was to start reading the section, then after I had read about half, I went ahead and started in on the questions, subsequently just “search and destroy” after that. Ended with a good 10 minutes left to check some I was unsure on. Overall, I think just practicing by reading scientific materials should be effective. I have also always been a competent reader, so that played a part in my score.
QR: I admit I did not study for this section because I assumed I would do well (which is not being cocky - I am a solid mathematician). I was caught off guard by a question about standard deviation, so a knowledge of basic statistics is required. I haven't taken a statistics course yet, so I think I should have looked into this. However, I am very pleased with a 25. Be sure to really be on top of your algebra and geometry skills. Oh, and also know the rules of probability. I could see where some word problems would give difficulty, so make sure to practice writing down what the question is asking for, and thinking “what do I know” and “what do I need to know”.
BIO: I followed the advice of many people and bought Cliff's AP Bio book...and it saved my life! I have only taken 3 bio classes so far as an undergraduate (I am a junior), and was pretty much in the dark about plants, ecology, and anatomy and physiology. Reading through this definitely helped a lot.
GC: I used my GC notes from when I took the class. It was pretty standard, a good balance of conceptual and calculation questions. One should review EVERYTHING, especially redox and thermodynamics!
OC: Again, I used my notes from when I took OChem. Focusing on reactions turned out to be key.
Overall, I think Bootcamp was really helpful for simulating the test, and Kaplan gives a good intro on most subjects, though it is not by any means comprehensive. I also took the 2007 DAT, but neglected to time myself; however, I highly suggest taking it because it is an actual DAT exam after all! Oh, and I was lucky to have found a shortened online practice test from Kaplan that was free (!!) and was pretty accurate in the layout of the exam. It was offered on Wednesday and I discovered it on Monday! It had the full, 100 question science section, but only 1/3 the PAT, 2/3 the RC, and 1/2 the QR. I think they offer them periodically, and I highly recommend it if one falls before your test date, even though it is not a full exam.
I would say that one doesn't have to spend a lot of money on study materials to do well, as I only bought the Cliff's book ($5) specifically to study for the DAT; but I already had invested money into my gen chem and ochem books and classes from past semesters, so I guess that counts too! HOWEVER, I do not think one has to buy any courses, videos, or practice tests to do well. There are plenty of free resources available.
Well, I guess that is all! If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. And I am confident that anyone who has not yet taken the DAT can do well! Just find a way to study that works for you.
(Just a side note: I think that even though the studying seems like so much for one test, I can honestly say that you reap huge rewards just from learning so much!)
Oh, and I guess my proof of scores should follow, as that seems to be standard:
