Cameron Kimble
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Hey everyone, my name is Cameron, and I just recently completed the dreaded DAT. If you interested in how I received my scores continue reading below!
Scores:
So, to begin, the easiest answer to the question, “how do you perform well on the DAT?”, is simply time and effort. As expected, nothing is going to come easy, especially considering the DAT is a cumulation of many of the common courses that of you have likely been harassed by for the recent years, it definitely is no joke. Now, moving forward with the rest of my “DAT breakdown”, remember everyone has different strategies and skill sets so take it with a grain of salt. I began studying throughout the summer right after my Spring semester which gave me around three months till my test date. The first thing I did was hunt down all of my old notes, tests, and textbooks from my past three years of college. I used these materials to get an idea of things I had forgotten or never learned in the first place to give myself a solid understanding of what I needed to invest time into learning/relearning. After I identified these topics, I began watching videos on YouTube and reading end of the chapter summaries in the back of my textbooks in order to strengthen my knowledge on my areas that were lacking. After about a month of spending about 1 to 5 hours a day, a few days a week doing the above, I decided I need a little more practice than I originally thought. I ended up purchasing DAT Booster which did exactly what I needed, something to PROVIDE PRACTICE. I took my first timed test, and I got a 21 AA which gave me a baseline of where I was at and how much work I needed to do in each subject. I then used the extra questions that are offered which divide each subject into topics where I could really focus more on the areas that I was still not performing great on. Moving forward, I continued to do a practice test or two then did follow up studying of questions/topics that I missed each week. So, moral of the story I basically recommend focusing on the STUFF YOU DO NOT KNOW and don’t waste time reviewing things you DO know. If you put the time and effort into things that are difficult for you, everything will work out. This test is not easy, but it is not impossible, so study, test yourself, and then study the areas you still do not know.
PAT: The only resource I used was the PAT Booster, which provides 10 timed tests (questions are very similar to the real DAT), multiple tiered test banks on each section within the PAT (aka keyhole, TFE, angle-ranking, hole-punching, cube counting, and pattern folding), generators for each section, and a series of mini video lessons that give ideas to help understand how to solve these types of problems. I recommend starting by completing the mini video lessons and start practice on the generators/tiered test banks as early as possible. Then, once you have an idea of what each section is about, I’d advise taking a timed test to get a baseline of where you are at. Continue practicing sections that are difficult for you (don’t worry mostly everyone is bad at keyhole lol) and really try to hone your skills. The best way to go about the PAT is just simply to spend time practicing and learn from your mistakes/failures. I spent around an hour a day for about 2 months which is a lot to prepare just for the PAT, but it did not just click for me like it does for some people.
QR: I did not spend much time on the section, due I had a solid understanding of basic math. I mainly practiced doing problems like combined work problems, probability, and rememorized equations that I had forgotten since my last math class (which was years ago). I knew coming into studying for DAT what my areas that were weak in QR and likely many of you will too. If you do not, I recommend using the extra questions on DAT Booster which divide the QR section into topics such as algebra, geometry, probability, applied mathematics, statistics, etc. to identify where you need to focus. After identifying troubled areas, you could use videos to help on DAT Booster or simply on YouTube whichever is more efficient/convenient for you. Continue to practice and there is nothing on this section that can surprise you. In my opinion, the QR section is the easiest due to there is only a limited type of questions that can land on the DAT, so learn the basics and you will be fine!
Reading Comp: I seriously did not study for this section at all, and I am a SLOW reader. The only thing I did was do the 10 timed tests offered on DAT Booster and just went with it. The majority of you likely read faster than me and I still managed a 23 by utilizing a something similar to a strategy called Search and Destroy (suggested by DAT Booster). The way I completed the RC was to skim read (trust me I did not read anywhere close to every word) each passage for about 5 minutes then spent roughly 15 minutes answering the questions that correspond to the passage. This strategy worked for me, but it definitely is stressful when the DAT asks things like was is the author’s tone or meaning behind… blah blah, when you’ve only read a few sentences of each paragraph. I think if you can read and COMPREHEND each passage in a reasonable amount of time, let’s say 10 minutes maximum, then read it. If not, find a strategy that you think will work for you and practice it on the timed tests. Once you are proficient at whatever style/strategy, make sure you stick to it on the real DAT.
BIO: I 100% spent the most time on this section and I’m a biology major lol. I began the summer reading my old notes, power points, and course material in attempts to see what I needed to focus on. I then used spark notes (free biology notes) to read over topics I had forgotten or was never taught. I struggled in areas such as embryology, plants, animal behavior, physiology, etc. due to never having a course on them. Once I realized my troubled areas, I would spend my free time watching videos on DAT Booster or YouTube (typically khan academy, Bozeman science, or ninja nerd) to learn these topics in a quick, efficient manner. I also recommend making charts (sometimes there things online) or taking notes on the topics you are not confident with and simply memorize it. Remember there is no quick solution to learning the enormous number of topics that can be asked on Bio section of the DAT, so be smart and know the basics of each, but every little detail is often unnecessary. So, hit the timed tests hard on DAT Booster, then use the extra problems to hone your skills on difficult topics and spend extra time studying those same topics over and over.
Gen. Chem/Org. Chem: I had a solid understanding of both Gen and Org Chem coming into the test due to be a chemistry tutor at my university. So, with that being said, I recommend taking time to write up a list of all the topics within Gen. Chem and Org. Chem then write down any equations, rules, and notes that will help you remember them. I believe with subjects like these the most important thing to success is the ability to identify what type of problem you are being faced with. There are an enormous number of topics in both Gen. and Org. Chem so if you can narrow down to the correct topic based of a few words, reagents, and/or information provided you are already ahead. After getting a basic idea of each subject, I would begin by taking the timed tests to identify topics that you need to work on. I believe the most useful tool for me to hone my skills was the organic chemistry tutor on YouTube. DAT Booster also provides video lessons which are also great. An additional bit of advice for Org. specifically, is to make a sketch or chart of correlated reactions/topics to really help you memorize the finer details. I believe these sections truly just requires practice, and don’t worry the difficulty of questions and calculations are usually kept to a minimum. If you need more help/practice I recommend, the David Klein Organic Chemistry Textbook and the Raymond Change General Chemistry Textbook (you can download free pdfs online).
Scores:
- Perceptual Ability = 21
- Quantitative Reasoning = 27
- Reading Comprehension = 23
- Biology = 30
- Gen. Chem = 27
- Org. Chem = 27
- TS = 28
- AA = 27
So, to begin, the easiest answer to the question, “how do you perform well on the DAT?”, is simply time and effort. As expected, nothing is going to come easy, especially considering the DAT is a cumulation of many of the common courses that of you have likely been harassed by for the recent years, it definitely is no joke. Now, moving forward with the rest of my “DAT breakdown”, remember everyone has different strategies and skill sets so take it with a grain of salt. I began studying throughout the summer right after my Spring semester which gave me around three months till my test date. The first thing I did was hunt down all of my old notes, tests, and textbooks from my past three years of college. I used these materials to get an idea of things I had forgotten or never learned in the first place to give myself a solid understanding of what I needed to invest time into learning/relearning. After I identified these topics, I began watching videos on YouTube and reading end of the chapter summaries in the back of my textbooks in order to strengthen my knowledge on my areas that were lacking. After about a month of spending about 1 to 5 hours a day, a few days a week doing the above, I decided I need a little more practice than I originally thought. I ended up purchasing DAT Booster which did exactly what I needed, something to PROVIDE PRACTICE. I took my first timed test, and I got a 21 AA which gave me a baseline of where I was at and how much work I needed to do in each subject. I then used the extra questions that are offered which divide each subject into topics where I could really focus more on the areas that I was still not performing great on. Moving forward, I continued to do a practice test or two then did follow up studying of questions/topics that I missed each week. So, moral of the story I basically recommend focusing on the STUFF YOU DO NOT KNOW and don’t waste time reviewing things you DO know. If you put the time and effort into things that are difficult for you, everything will work out. This test is not easy, but it is not impossible, so study, test yourself, and then study the areas you still do not know.
PAT: The only resource I used was the PAT Booster, which provides 10 timed tests (questions are very similar to the real DAT), multiple tiered test banks on each section within the PAT (aka keyhole, TFE, angle-ranking, hole-punching, cube counting, and pattern folding), generators for each section, and a series of mini video lessons that give ideas to help understand how to solve these types of problems. I recommend starting by completing the mini video lessons and start practice on the generators/tiered test banks as early as possible. Then, once you have an idea of what each section is about, I’d advise taking a timed test to get a baseline of where you are at. Continue practicing sections that are difficult for you (don’t worry mostly everyone is bad at keyhole lol) and really try to hone your skills. The best way to go about the PAT is just simply to spend time practicing and learn from your mistakes/failures. I spent around an hour a day for about 2 months which is a lot to prepare just for the PAT, but it did not just click for me like it does for some people.
QR: I did not spend much time on the section, due I had a solid understanding of basic math. I mainly practiced doing problems like combined work problems, probability, and rememorized equations that I had forgotten since my last math class (which was years ago). I knew coming into studying for DAT what my areas that were weak in QR and likely many of you will too. If you do not, I recommend using the extra questions on DAT Booster which divide the QR section into topics such as algebra, geometry, probability, applied mathematics, statistics, etc. to identify where you need to focus. After identifying troubled areas, you could use videos to help on DAT Booster or simply on YouTube whichever is more efficient/convenient for you. Continue to practice and there is nothing on this section that can surprise you. In my opinion, the QR section is the easiest due to there is only a limited type of questions that can land on the DAT, so learn the basics and you will be fine!
Reading Comp: I seriously did not study for this section at all, and I am a SLOW reader. The only thing I did was do the 10 timed tests offered on DAT Booster and just went with it. The majority of you likely read faster than me and I still managed a 23 by utilizing a something similar to a strategy called Search and Destroy (suggested by DAT Booster). The way I completed the RC was to skim read (trust me I did not read anywhere close to every word) each passage for about 5 minutes then spent roughly 15 minutes answering the questions that correspond to the passage. This strategy worked for me, but it definitely is stressful when the DAT asks things like was is the author’s tone or meaning behind… blah blah, when you’ve only read a few sentences of each paragraph. I think if you can read and COMPREHEND each passage in a reasonable amount of time, let’s say 10 minutes maximum, then read it. If not, find a strategy that you think will work for you and practice it on the timed tests. Once you are proficient at whatever style/strategy, make sure you stick to it on the real DAT.
BIO: I 100% spent the most time on this section and I’m a biology major lol. I began the summer reading my old notes, power points, and course material in attempts to see what I needed to focus on. I then used spark notes (free biology notes) to read over topics I had forgotten or was never taught. I struggled in areas such as embryology, plants, animal behavior, physiology, etc. due to never having a course on them. Once I realized my troubled areas, I would spend my free time watching videos on DAT Booster or YouTube (typically khan academy, Bozeman science, or ninja nerd) to learn these topics in a quick, efficient manner. I also recommend making charts (sometimes there things online) or taking notes on the topics you are not confident with and simply memorize it. Remember there is no quick solution to learning the enormous number of topics that can be asked on Bio section of the DAT, so be smart and know the basics of each, but every little detail is often unnecessary. So, hit the timed tests hard on DAT Booster, then use the extra problems to hone your skills on difficult topics and spend extra time studying those same topics over and over.
Gen. Chem/Org. Chem: I had a solid understanding of both Gen and Org Chem coming into the test due to be a chemistry tutor at my university. So, with that being said, I recommend taking time to write up a list of all the topics within Gen. Chem and Org. Chem then write down any equations, rules, and notes that will help you remember them. I believe with subjects like these the most important thing to success is the ability to identify what type of problem you are being faced with. There are an enormous number of topics in both Gen. and Org. Chem so if you can narrow down to the correct topic based of a few words, reagents, and/or information provided you are already ahead. After getting a basic idea of each subject, I would begin by taking the timed tests to identify topics that you need to work on. I believe the most useful tool for me to hone my skills was the organic chemistry tutor on YouTube. DAT Booster also provides video lessons which are also great. An additional bit of advice for Org. specifically, is to make a sketch or chart of correlated reactions/topics to really help you memorize the finer details. I believe these sections truly just requires practice, and don’t worry the difficulty of questions and calculations are usually kept to a minimum. If you need more help/practice I recommend, the David Klein Organic Chemistry Textbook and the Raymond Change General Chemistry Textbook (you can download free pdfs online).
