PAT 17 (38.4%) :| :/ 
:'( T_T
QR 20 (88.3%)
RC 23 (90.4%)
BIO 19 (75.3%) :|
GC 22 (89.2%)
OC 19 (67.1%) :|
TS 20 (82.8%)
AA 21 (91.3%) :/ :/ :/
----If you continue reading my ridiculously long breakdown, you will know why I have unhappy faces next to my scores. No I'm not trying to brag or anything, I am genuinely scared and uncertain about my scores and whether or not I will have to retake so please read the entire thing before judging me.... Thanks.-----
~Hi all! So I took my DAT today and wanted to give back to the community that helped me so much. First off, I know my scores are nothing stellar and to be honest, I feel pretty depressed and bummed out at the moment. I really expected to do better. I'm no super genuis or anything, just an average student who works hard. So, I'll begin with the breakdown, followed by some commentary after!
BIO: For this section, I really recommend just using Ferali's notes, you can search for it in the forum. I spent about a week to a week and a half reading up on the KBB and Cliff's AP but it really wasn't worth it in the end. KBB was almost useless in my opinion. Honestly, I would have been better off just not getting the expensive KBB and Cliff's and instead just studying Ferali's notes. Bio is a really broad section and there's so much material that could show up on there though it's not super specific. It's honestly the luck of the draw on the difficulty and topic of questions you get. I spent the last 2 weeks before my exam cramming using Q Vault and Bootcamp for Bio. I didn't go over every single test but they did help test my knowledge. In terms of difficulty, I would say the Bio was pretty representative of both Q Vault and Bootcamp. So if money is no problem, I would go with getting both, but starting to use them a LOTTTTTT earlier than I did. But, if you were to choose, go with Bootcamp since it is valuable for other sections too, which I will explain later.
Feralis (10/10)
Bootcamp (9/10)
Q Vault (8/10)
GC: Okay, for this section, I didn't score as well as I had hoped. I think it was just a combination of test anxiety, panic, and just the particular test I got being harder than what I had seen. I cannot stress enough for this section and OC to get CHAD'S CHAD's CHAD's! He pretty much covers everything you need to know and the quizzes are good practice. I kind of blew off this section and didn't spend as much time as I should have to have done well. If you ask me, watching a guy lecture sure beats sitting at a desk with your book and just reading. He can be quite funny at times so it helps you to keep focus! I had Q Vault for GC too and also Bootcamp. I would recommend both, but CHAD'S is a must. After that, you can go with whichever you really want but again Bootcamp seems like the best value to me. Though having both can't hurt and will only help you more in the end given that you give adequate attention and time to studying the material.
CHAD'S (10/10)
Bootcamp (10/10)
Q Vault (10/10)
OC: For this section, man I was really shocked at how hard the problems were for my test. I had gone through every OC in Bootcamp and scored in the upper 20s consistently and even made a perfect 30 on my practice test. I had heard from others that OC was simple but boy was I in for a shock. Some of the stuff on there was really random. But I probably just got unlucky. However, for this section I again stress CHAD'S, he covers all the basis needed, granted that you won't get stuck with a weird test like mine. Pretty disappointed with this section but what can I say....luck is definitely a factor on the DAT. I had enough time for everything but I just couldn't figure out the answer.So yeah, study CHAD's and use Bootcamp to practice. I also had Destroyer but I didn't really look at it cause the first few problems were really hard so I gave up..lol. But if you have time and the will, go ahead and supplement CHAD's and Bootcamp with the Destroyer to get exposed to more info that might show up on the real deal.
CHAD'S (10/10)
Bootcamp (10/10)
Destroyer????? <<< just use it if you have time!
PAT: http://dkmg2azsloi0e.cloudfront.net/images/smilies/mad.gifOkayyyy, this section.... uhhh... -_______- I used Crack DAT PAT initially given all the great feedback people had been giving it. I was so ready. I took about 6 out of the 10 from CDP (I got the Ace edition, I believe) and the lowest I scored was an 18 but that was because it was my first time and I hadn't gone over any strategies yet. So I had just taken it to see what the deal was. After learning about the PAT section through various Youtube sources and getting familiar with strategies such as the line counting section and the lien of symmetry for hole punches, I took the rest of the PAT tests and did pretty well. Scoring about a 20 on average. Then I took a Bootcamp one and suffered. The Line counting method for Top Front End didn't work and I was so bummed. I had read that it was supposed to work but also that the PAT section has been progressively harder. Probably because the test makers have figured out the techniques and now want students to actually picture the image instead of relying on tricks. So yeah... I was also not really good at angle ranking. But the rapid eye technique as well as the slope and laptop ones helped. On the real DAT, the angles were pretty darn close in size. I would say about 3 degrees within each other so yeah. It was tough but I probably did well on that compared to the other sections. The keyholes were like op and complex. I took about 3 minutes longer than I usually do on it and then went to TFE, where I was just about to quit.... The line counting method did not work. It worked for like 2 of them then the rest I had to visualize. I freaked at how hard it was and that combined with test anxiety did not yield good results. I had to rush on hole punching. But that wasn't bad at all, there were some 1/3 folds but it wasn't difficult. I missed 1 at most at that section. But then came cube counting. I had really weird structures taht played illusions on you... the cubes were floating...which really ticked me off and time was ticking. I had to rush through that and went to pattern folding with only 4 minutes left. I ended up having to guess on a bunch of them. So all in all, I probably missed most of the questions from TFE, cube counting and pattern folding. Out of all of Bootcamp and CDP, I had never taken a PAT section that hard....I expected it to be on par, easier, or just a tad harder but I was blown away by it... So for this section, I recommend just getting help on strategies through searching this forum and Youtube. Then supplement that with a bunch of practice tests. Again, CDP was really easy compared to Bootcamp and a lot easier than the real DAT. So, if I had to do it again I wouldn't waste my time or money. I heard Achiever has some pretty hard ones so possibly try that. KBB ones are a joke.
Youtube+Forum!!!http://i50.tinypic.com/17cuib.gif
Practice Practice Practice!!!! http://edge.studentdoctor.net/images/smilies/thumbup.gif
Bootcamp <<<Might as well since you have it!
RC: Okay for this section, all I did to prepare was do 1 Bootcamp test on it. I ended up scoring a 22 on that so I would say it's pretty representative of what you will get on the real DAT. If the search and destroy method isn't just natural or easy for you, I suggest using Youtube and looking up strategies to help you do better and manage your time on this section. Reading a lot of books regularly and being familiar with vocab could also help with your reading speed. I've always been a relatively fast reader so I ended up with 15 minutes left on this section and just sat there for 10 minutes before hitting the end button with 5 minutes to go and just going ahead and finishing up with QR. The questions weren't that difficult but they're also not very straightforward. It's similar to the kind of thinking required on AP LIT, AP Lang and the SAT Critical Reading section. So if you're pretty comfortable with that stuff, you'll be fine. Just do AT LEAST ONE practice RC to test out your strategy and your time management. Then you should be all set to go!
Bootcamp (or any other practice test) <<<for practice!
QR: Soooooo, I'm not the best at Math but I'm also not that bad either so I was kind of surprised at my score. I had taken 1 Topscore test and 1 Bootcamp one. (I only used Topscore for that....maybe I should have used it more...but oh well) And on Topscore I had scored a 22 and on Bootcamp a 23. So I was expecting something around there. But yeah, it's not that straight forward or maybe just because I was too tired from the rest of the test. It doesn't help that it is the last section and I was starving despite having eaten a granola bar during break. But for this I would recommend watching CHAD'S to get a gist of the material and supplementing with Math Destroyer to go over all the question types that could show up. The Math Destroyer also has a few pages of important formulas and such you should know. I took a quick glance at the 1st practice test. Should have spent more time preparing for QR to be honest. I really just blew it off cause I have always done well in math whether it be algebra, geometry or calculus so yeah. But a variety of factors probably played their role and thus I got a 20. So yeah. Spend some time on math and DO NOT DISREGARD it like I did. Take off your time studying for BIO and distribute it evenly (cause there's only so much you can do for Bio given it's randomness).
CHAD'S (10/10)
Math Destroyer (9/10) <<<should have used this....
Bootcamp (9/10) the real one was a bit harder I felt
TopScore (9/10)<<< it's okay, but I think just Bootcamp should be enough UNLESS you want more practice.
~After finishing, I was literally shaking from nervousness and anxiety. The computer froze for about 15 seconds which made it so much worse waiting for my scores and when they did, my heart fell because the first thing I saw was the 17 and the accompanying 38.4%. At that moment I honestly felt like just running out and disappearing. I had to hold back tears of frustration. Sorry for the rant, but in all honesty I was just really disappointed in myself and extremely upset that my particular PAT was so darn hard...I just thought "it's not fair, I was so confident...."
So, overall, my TS score was a 20. I guess it's okay. I'm not overly excited about it and my AA was 21... So, I'm here asking for you opinion on how I did. Like I mentioned before, I'm no genius (but I do have very high standards for myself) but I am genuinely concerned due to my pitiful PAT score of 17. I feel like that could kill any chance of dental school for me and force me to RETAKE the exam. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely study earlier and utilize the practice tests like Bootcamp early in the game and consistently use that to gauge where I am and not cram them 2 weeks before DAT-Day. I studied for a bout 3 months but there were a lot of gaps since I had things randomly come up thus my schedule wasn't very uniform and was all over the place.
~So, the question is: How are my scores and what are my chances of getting interviews and accepted? I have a GPA of about 3.72 and a Science GPA around 3.7 as well. I'm only really concerned because of the PAT score which just really wants to make me cry in a corner. I'm INTERESTED in applying to the Houston Dental School (UTHealth School of Dentistry) and UTHSCSA (the San Antonio one). And any other ones in Texas. I'm interested in what PAT scores they accept cause I read that some like high PAT's while others don't care and care about other subjects like RC or something.
P.S Thanks for bearing with me and pretty much my long rant. I sincerely hope it will help someone out and please don't hesitate to ask me for any clarifications on anything. I wish everyone the very best. God Bless
:'( T_T QR 20 (88.3%)
RC 23 (90.4%)
BIO 19 (75.3%) :|
GC 22 (89.2%)
OC 19 (67.1%) :|
TS 20 (82.8%)
AA 21 (91.3%) :/ :/ :/
----If you continue reading my ridiculously long breakdown, you will know why I have unhappy faces next to my scores. No I'm not trying to brag or anything, I am genuinely scared and uncertain about my scores and whether or not I will have to retake so please read the entire thing before judging me.... Thanks.-----
~Hi all! So I took my DAT today and wanted to give back to the community that helped me so much. First off, I know my scores are nothing stellar and to be honest, I feel pretty depressed and bummed out at the moment. I really expected to do better. I'm no super genuis or anything, just an average student who works hard. So, I'll begin with the breakdown, followed by some commentary after!
BIO: For this section, I really recommend just using Ferali's notes, you can search for it in the forum. I spent about a week to a week and a half reading up on the KBB and Cliff's AP but it really wasn't worth it in the end. KBB was almost useless in my opinion. Honestly, I would have been better off just not getting the expensive KBB and Cliff's and instead just studying Ferali's notes. Bio is a really broad section and there's so much material that could show up on there though it's not super specific. It's honestly the luck of the draw on the difficulty and topic of questions you get. I spent the last 2 weeks before my exam cramming using Q Vault and Bootcamp for Bio. I didn't go over every single test but they did help test my knowledge. In terms of difficulty, I would say the Bio was pretty representative of both Q Vault and Bootcamp. So if money is no problem, I would go with getting both, but starting to use them a LOTTTTTT earlier than I did. But, if you were to choose, go with Bootcamp since it is valuable for other sections too, which I will explain later.
Feralis (10/10)
Bootcamp (9/10)
Q Vault (8/10)
GC: Okay, for this section, I didn't score as well as I had hoped. I think it was just a combination of test anxiety, panic, and just the particular test I got being harder than what I had seen. I cannot stress enough for this section and OC to get CHAD'S CHAD's CHAD's! He pretty much covers everything you need to know and the quizzes are good practice. I kind of blew off this section and didn't spend as much time as I should have to have done well. If you ask me, watching a guy lecture sure beats sitting at a desk with your book and just reading. He can be quite funny at times so it helps you to keep focus! I had Q Vault for GC too and also Bootcamp. I would recommend both, but CHAD'S is a must. After that, you can go with whichever you really want but again Bootcamp seems like the best value to me. Though having both can't hurt and will only help you more in the end given that you give adequate attention and time to studying the material.
CHAD'S (10/10)
Bootcamp (10/10)
Q Vault (10/10)
OC: For this section, man I was really shocked at how hard the problems were for my test. I had gone through every OC in Bootcamp and scored in the upper 20s consistently and even made a perfect 30 on my practice test. I had heard from others that OC was simple but boy was I in for a shock. Some of the stuff on there was really random. But I probably just got unlucky. However, for this section I again stress CHAD'S, he covers all the basis needed, granted that you won't get stuck with a weird test like mine. Pretty disappointed with this section but what can I say....luck is definitely a factor on the DAT. I had enough time for everything but I just couldn't figure out the answer.So yeah, study CHAD's and use Bootcamp to practice. I also had Destroyer but I didn't really look at it cause the first few problems were really hard so I gave up..lol. But if you have time and the will, go ahead and supplement CHAD's and Bootcamp with the Destroyer to get exposed to more info that might show up on the real deal.
CHAD'S (10/10)
Bootcamp (10/10)
Destroyer????? <<< just use it if you have time!
PAT: http://dkmg2azsloi0e.cloudfront.net/images/smilies/mad.gifOkayyyy, this section.... uhhh... -_______- I used Crack DAT PAT initially given all the great feedback people had been giving it. I was so ready. I took about 6 out of the 10 from CDP (I got the Ace edition, I believe) and the lowest I scored was an 18 but that was because it was my first time and I hadn't gone over any strategies yet. So I had just taken it to see what the deal was. After learning about the PAT section through various Youtube sources and getting familiar with strategies such as the line counting section and the lien of symmetry for hole punches, I took the rest of the PAT tests and did pretty well. Scoring about a 20 on average. Then I took a Bootcamp one and suffered. The Line counting method for Top Front End didn't work and I was so bummed. I had read that it was supposed to work but also that the PAT section has been progressively harder. Probably because the test makers have figured out the techniques and now want students to actually picture the image instead of relying on tricks. So yeah... I was also not really good at angle ranking. But the rapid eye technique as well as the slope and laptop ones helped. On the real DAT, the angles were pretty darn close in size. I would say about 3 degrees within each other so yeah. It was tough but I probably did well on that compared to the other sections. The keyholes were like op and complex. I took about 3 minutes longer than I usually do on it and then went to TFE, where I was just about to quit.... The line counting method did not work. It worked for like 2 of them then the rest I had to visualize. I freaked at how hard it was and that combined with test anxiety did not yield good results. I had to rush on hole punching. But that wasn't bad at all, there were some 1/3 folds but it wasn't difficult. I missed 1 at most at that section. But then came cube counting. I had really weird structures taht played illusions on you... the cubes were floating...which really ticked me off and time was ticking. I had to rush through that and went to pattern folding with only 4 minutes left. I ended up having to guess on a bunch of them. So all in all, I probably missed most of the questions from TFE, cube counting and pattern folding. Out of all of Bootcamp and CDP, I had never taken a PAT section that hard....I expected it to be on par, easier, or just a tad harder but I was blown away by it... So for this section, I recommend just getting help on strategies through searching this forum and Youtube. Then supplement that with a bunch of practice tests. Again, CDP was really easy compared to Bootcamp and a lot easier than the real DAT. So, if I had to do it again I wouldn't waste my time or money. I heard Achiever has some pretty hard ones so possibly try that. KBB ones are a joke.
Youtube+Forum!!!http://i50.tinypic.com/17cuib.gif
Practice Practice Practice!!!! http://edge.studentdoctor.net/images/smilies/thumbup.gif
Bootcamp <<<Might as well since you have it!
RC: Okay for this section, all I did to prepare was do 1 Bootcamp test on it. I ended up scoring a 22 on that so I would say it's pretty representative of what you will get on the real DAT. If the search and destroy method isn't just natural or easy for you, I suggest using Youtube and looking up strategies to help you do better and manage your time on this section. Reading a lot of books regularly and being familiar with vocab could also help with your reading speed. I've always been a relatively fast reader so I ended up with 15 minutes left on this section and just sat there for 10 minutes before hitting the end button with 5 minutes to go and just going ahead and finishing up with QR. The questions weren't that difficult but they're also not very straightforward. It's similar to the kind of thinking required on AP LIT, AP Lang and the SAT Critical Reading section. So if you're pretty comfortable with that stuff, you'll be fine. Just do AT LEAST ONE practice RC to test out your strategy and your time management. Then you should be all set to go!
Bootcamp (or any other practice test) <<<for practice!
QR: Soooooo, I'm not the best at Math but I'm also not that bad either so I was kind of surprised at my score. I had taken 1 Topscore test and 1 Bootcamp one. (I only used Topscore for that....maybe I should have used it more...but oh well) And on Topscore I had scored a 22 and on Bootcamp a 23. So I was expecting something around there. But yeah, it's not that straight forward or maybe just because I was too tired from the rest of the test. It doesn't help that it is the last section and I was starving despite having eaten a granola bar during break. But for this I would recommend watching CHAD'S to get a gist of the material and supplementing with Math Destroyer to go over all the question types that could show up. The Math Destroyer also has a few pages of important formulas and such you should know. I took a quick glance at the 1st practice test. Should have spent more time preparing for QR to be honest. I really just blew it off cause I have always done well in math whether it be algebra, geometry or calculus so yeah. But a variety of factors probably played their role and thus I got a 20. So yeah. Spend some time on math and DO NOT DISREGARD it like I did. Take off your time studying for BIO and distribute it evenly (cause there's only so much you can do for Bio given it's randomness).
CHAD'S (10/10)
Math Destroyer (9/10) <<<should have used this....
Bootcamp (9/10) the real one was a bit harder I felt
TopScore (9/10)<<< it's okay, but I think just Bootcamp should be enough UNLESS you want more practice.
~After finishing, I was literally shaking from nervousness and anxiety. The computer froze for about 15 seconds which made it so much worse waiting for my scores and when they did, my heart fell because the first thing I saw was the 17 and the accompanying 38.4%. At that moment I honestly felt like just running out and disappearing. I had to hold back tears of frustration. Sorry for the rant, but in all honesty I was just really disappointed in myself and extremely upset that my particular PAT was so darn hard...I just thought "it's not fair, I was so confident...."
So, overall, my TS score was a 20. I guess it's okay. I'm not overly excited about it and my AA was 21... So, I'm here asking for you opinion on how I did. Like I mentioned before, I'm no genius (but I do have very high standards for myself) but I am genuinely concerned due to my pitiful PAT score of 17. I feel like that could kill any chance of dental school for me and force me to RETAKE the exam. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely study earlier and utilize the practice tests like Bootcamp early in the game and consistently use that to gauge where I am and not cram them 2 weeks before DAT-Day. I studied for a bout 3 months but there were a lot of gaps since I had things randomly come up thus my schedule wasn't very uniform and was all over the place.
~So, the question is: How are my scores and what are my chances of getting interviews and accepted? I have a GPA of about 3.72 and a Science GPA around 3.7 as well. I'm only really concerned because of the PAT score which just really wants to make me cry in a corner. I'm INTERESTED in applying to the Houston Dental School (UTHealth School of Dentistry) and UTHSCSA (the San Antonio one). And any other ones in Texas. I'm interested in what PAT scores they accept cause I read that some like high PAT's while others don't care and care about other subjects like RC or something.
P.S Thanks for bearing with me and pretty much my long rant. I sincerely hope it will help someone out and please don't hesitate to ask me for any clarifications on anything. I wish everyone the very best. God Bless
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