I took my DAT. Finally. Summer. Can. Start.
Warning: this will be a very lengthy message that comprises of my DAT experience.
PAT: 24
QR: 23
RC: 22
Bio: 20
GC: 23
OC: 23
TS: 22
AA: 22
Comparisons:
Real DAT: 20bio / 23GC / 23Orgo / 22RC / 22Math / 24PAT
Topscore 1: 16bio / 20GC / 17Orgo / 23RC / 22Math / 20PAT
Topscore 2: 16bio / 19GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 19Math / 20PAT
Topscore3: 17bio / 20GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 22Math / 21PAT
ADA2007: 17bio / 29GC / 29Orgo (way to easy)
ADA2009: 17bio / 23GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 20Math / 22PAT
DatQvault Bio: 14-16s for all 10 exams
Math Destroyer: averaged 31/40 correct
CrackDatPat: consistent 20s-21s
Material used:
Cliffs AP, KBB, CDP, CDRC, Chad, Destroyer, DatQvault-bio, Topscore, ExamKrackers MCAT Osmosis(Each resource is worth every penny)
Background:
I am from NYC and attend a state university. I am a Biology major with a 3.5gpa. I have never received an A in any biology course, but I do very well in Chemistry courses (go figure). My study habits are terrible. I won't study until 3 days before an exam and cram during all nighters and somehow manage to get a bit better than the average. So...I retained nothing from my courses, and had to restudy everything.
This is my first time studying on my own for a standardized exam. And I knew it was going to be a cruel summer (9weeks). I started studying for Chem and Orgo first, then Bio. Between the sciences, I would squeeze in either a PAT, MathDestroyer, or RC practice exam each day. Then, when I was getting consistent scores in Pat/Math/RC, I did less practice, but didn't dismiss them all together.
I averaged 7-8 hours of studying a day. For 9 weeks, I wake up at 10am, work out, eat breakfast, and get to the library before noon and study until 3pm. At 3, I eat lunch/socialize for an hour, and study again from 4- 7pm. Eat dinner, head back home and study until 1am. Make sure to eat right and get enough sleep consistently. Of course there were days where I slipped up and gave into hanging out with a friend or two. But I always made up the studying hours.
Review:
I listened to ExamKrackersOsmosis on my ipod during my commute to and from the library (15mins) and managed to listen to all the material (bio, chem, orgo) three times. These guys are so clear and helpful. It is a good investment to make ($200)
Bio:
Cliffs AP, Kaplan Blue Book, Chad, Destroyer, DatQvault, Topscore, ExamKrackersMcatOsmosis
Biology was my weakest and will always be. I did not start studying for biology till after I was done reviewing GC and OC. Diving into the bio section of the exam, I thought I was done for. There were a handful (like 5) random questions I didn't see before. The Qvault questions are golden. The difficulty is similar, but the Taxonomy is much more indepth. They give you a nice condensed chart with all the Phylums which should be sufficient. I started with Cliffs and Kaplan Blue Book, reading a chapter a day (the same topic in both books to supplement the material) and write out a condensed 1 page of diagrams/notes. Make sure you understand everything. That took about 2 weeks. I also supplemented them with Chad Videos. Also, taking notes. Then I did Destroyer Bio twice, taking notes on every question.
Chemistry and Orgo:
Chad, Destroyer
CHAD IS THE MAN!!!!! I watched a chapter a day. Take good notes, and do his quizzes after the videos. I did the Destroyer book twice over making sure I knew all the reactions. The roadmaps are golden.
PAT:
CrackDatPat.
That was the only resource I used. All the sections are just a slight bit easier than the real PAT. But the scoring is also harsher. The angles are much more obvious on the real PAT, and I always got 50% of the angles wrong. I did a PAT exam every 3days, alternating with RC and Math.
RC:
CrackDatRC.
The real RC was a lot more dense. CDRC had too many tone questions. TopScore is better. I mostly used Search and Destroy and it worked for me. I am a horrible reading person (got a 580 on reading on my SAT), so it's not really an understanding type of section. It's more of a "read as fast as you can and find the answer." I did an RC practice every 3days, alternating with PAT and Math.
Math
Math Destroyer
I can do math, and this was a section I worried least about. The math on the DAT is a lot easier than the Math Destroyer. Definitely know your conversions and equations from the MathDestroyer though. Topscore is also very representative. I did a math destroyer exam every 3 days, alternating with PAT and Math
After reviewing all the sciences (which didn't happen at the same time), I moved onto Destroyer problems. I had about 3weeks before my exam date, and allocated the questions so that I would complete the Destroyer twice, leaving the last 5days for review. Again, I cannot stress this enough. Make sure you know why you got a question wrong and why the other choices are incorrect. The real bio is easier than the real exam, but then again, it's so random. My tip is: make sure u know the big topics (cellular respiration, photosynthesis, embryology) and don't sweat the small things. The chances of it popping up vs. you taking the time to memorize it is probably not worth it. If you have all the time in the world, go for it.
Last 3 weeks:
I finished reviewing all the material within 5weeks and practiced questions and continued reviewing for the last 3. I took full length practice exams and spread them out over the last 3 weeks, taking my last one 4days before my exam. I took were: 3 from Topscore, 2007ADA, and 2009 ADA. I never broke a 17 for Bio in any of these which made me very discouraged. But don't be. Learn from your mistakes. At this point, I was getting consistent scores for PAT, Math, and RC, so I'll do one of each per week. I also felt comfortable with Chem and Orgo, so I concentrated mostly on Bio.
Unlike many, I studied till the last night before my exam. It did make me anxious, but I rather study than sit around and watch a movie.
I knew taking the DAT was an one-shot deal for me since retaking it would not be an option if I wanted to apply this cycle. I wanted to be free of distractions, so I decided to stay at my school and study at the library there. I had a couple friends who were either studying for their DAT, MCAT, or Nursing exams, so I had people to talk to and freak out with haha. Don't shut yourself from the world. Keep socializing with people. They keep you sane and happy. There were some days, where I could only get 3 hours of studying done, which is okay. Just don't go an entire day with nothing. Some days, I wanted to cry, and I kept on wanting to push my exam back a week. You have to remember: just because it's a Friday doesn't mean you can go out and party every Friday! (maybe every 3rd Friday) However, it's nice to take a few hours off and watch a movie, or have lunch with a friend, or go shopping if you feel burnt out. Keep Calm and have your inner voice constantly tell you this is what you want.
Goodluck all. Do ask if you have any questions.
Warning: this will be a very lengthy message that comprises of my DAT experience.
PAT: 24
QR: 23
RC: 22
Bio: 20
GC: 23
OC: 23
TS: 22
AA: 22
Comparisons:
Real DAT: 20bio / 23GC / 23Orgo / 22RC / 22Math / 24PAT
Topscore 1: 16bio / 20GC / 17Orgo / 23RC / 22Math / 20PAT
Topscore 2: 16bio / 19GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 19Math / 20PAT
Topscore3: 17bio / 20GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 22Math / 21PAT
ADA2007: 17bio / 29GC / 29Orgo (way to easy)
ADA2009: 17bio / 23GC / 20Orgo / 22RC / 20Math / 22PAT
DatQvault Bio: 14-16s for all 10 exams
Math Destroyer: averaged 31/40 correct
CrackDatPat: consistent 20s-21s
Material used:
Cliffs AP, KBB, CDP, CDRC, Chad, Destroyer, DatQvault-bio, Topscore, ExamKrackers MCAT Osmosis(Each resource is worth every penny)
Background:
I am from NYC and attend a state university. I am a Biology major with a 3.5gpa. I have never received an A in any biology course, but I do very well in Chemistry courses (go figure). My study habits are terrible. I won't study until 3 days before an exam and cram during all nighters and somehow manage to get a bit better than the average. So...I retained nothing from my courses, and had to restudy everything.
This is my first time studying on my own for a standardized exam. And I knew it was going to be a cruel summer (9weeks). I started studying for Chem and Orgo first, then Bio. Between the sciences, I would squeeze in either a PAT, MathDestroyer, or RC practice exam each day. Then, when I was getting consistent scores in Pat/Math/RC, I did less practice, but didn't dismiss them all together.
I averaged 7-8 hours of studying a day. For 9 weeks, I wake up at 10am, work out, eat breakfast, and get to the library before noon and study until 3pm. At 3, I eat lunch/socialize for an hour, and study again from 4- 7pm. Eat dinner, head back home and study until 1am. Make sure to eat right and get enough sleep consistently. Of course there were days where I slipped up and gave into hanging out with a friend or two. But I always made up the studying hours.
Review:
I listened to ExamKrackersOsmosis on my ipod during my commute to and from the library (15mins) and managed to listen to all the material (bio, chem, orgo) three times. These guys are so clear and helpful. It is a good investment to make ($200)
Bio:
Cliffs AP, Kaplan Blue Book, Chad, Destroyer, DatQvault, Topscore, ExamKrackersMcatOsmosis
Biology was my weakest and will always be. I did not start studying for biology till after I was done reviewing GC and OC. Diving into the bio section of the exam, I thought I was done for. There were a handful (like 5) random questions I didn't see before. The Qvault questions are golden. The difficulty is similar, but the Taxonomy is much more indepth. They give you a nice condensed chart with all the Phylums which should be sufficient. I started with Cliffs and Kaplan Blue Book, reading a chapter a day (the same topic in both books to supplement the material) and write out a condensed 1 page of diagrams/notes. Make sure you understand everything. That took about 2 weeks. I also supplemented them with Chad Videos. Also, taking notes. Then I did Destroyer Bio twice, taking notes on every question.
Chemistry and Orgo:
Chad, Destroyer
CHAD IS THE MAN!!!!! I watched a chapter a day. Take good notes, and do his quizzes after the videos. I did the Destroyer book twice over making sure I knew all the reactions. The roadmaps are golden.
PAT:
CrackDatPat.
That was the only resource I used. All the sections are just a slight bit easier than the real PAT. But the scoring is also harsher. The angles are much more obvious on the real PAT, and I always got 50% of the angles wrong. I did a PAT exam every 3days, alternating with RC and Math.
RC:
CrackDatRC.
The real RC was a lot more dense. CDRC had too many tone questions. TopScore is better. I mostly used Search and Destroy and it worked for me. I am a horrible reading person (got a 580 on reading on my SAT), so it's not really an understanding type of section. It's more of a "read as fast as you can and find the answer." I did an RC practice every 3days, alternating with PAT and Math.
Math
Math Destroyer
I can do math, and this was a section I worried least about. The math on the DAT is a lot easier than the Math Destroyer. Definitely know your conversions and equations from the MathDestroyer though. Topscore is also very representative. I did a math destroyer exam every 3 days, alternating with PAT and Math
After reviewing all the sciences (which didn't happen at the same time), I moved onto Destroyer problems. I had about 3weeks before my exam date, and allocated the questions so that I would complete the Destroyer twice, leaving the last 5days for review. Again, I cannot stress this enough. Make sure you know why you got a question wrong and why the other choices are incorrect. The real bio is easier than the real exam, but then again, it's so random. My tip is: make sure u know the big topics (cellular respiration, photosynthesis, embryology) and don't sweat the small things. The chances of it popping up vs. you taking the time to memorize it is probably not worth it. If you have all the time in the world, go for it.
Last 3 weeks:
I finished reviewing all the material within 5weeks and practiced questions and continued reviewing for the last 3. I took full length practice exams and spread them out over the last 3 weeks, taking my last one 4days before my exam. I took were: 3 from Topscore, 2007ADA, and 2009 ADA. I never broke a 17 for Bio in any of these which made me very discouraged. But don't be. Learn from your mistakes. At this point, I was getting consistent scores for PAT, Math, and RC, so I'll do one of each per week. I also felt comfortable with Chem and Orgo, so I concentrated mostly on Bio.
Unlike many, I studied till the last night before my exam. It did make me anxious, but I rather study than sit around and watch a movie.
I knew taking the DAT was an one-shot deal for me since retaking it would not be an option if I wanted to apply this cycle. I wanted to be free of distractions, so I decided to stay at my school and study at the library there. I had a couple friends who were either studying for their DAT, MCAT, or Nursing exams, so I had people to talk to and freak out with haha. Don't shut yourself from the world. Keep socializing with people. They keep you sane and happy. There were some days, where I could only get 3 hours of studying done, which is okay. Just don't go an entire day with nothing. Some days, I wanted to cry, and I kept on wanting to push my exam back a week. You have to remember: just because it's a Friday doesn't mean you can go out and party every Friday! (maybe every 3rd Friday) However, it's nice to take a few hours off and watch a movie, or have lunch with a friend, or go shopping if you feel burnt out. Keep Calm and have your inner voice constantly tell you this is what you want.
Goodluck all. Do ask if you have any questions.
Last edited:
SAME here!
