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Hi all, just had my D-day today, and it feels great to take this humangus beeg step. Ive been a long time lurker around the forum. Time to give back to the community and pay it forward with my own DAT experience. 
Results:
23 BIO
26 GC
27 OC
24 PAT
23 RC
24 QR
25 TS
25 AA
Timed Runs
I used Bootcamp and qVault for full timed runs to practice my pacing. I had 5 full timed runs, with the rest broken up as diagnostics. Overall practice average is on par with my results. Bootcamp definitely has the most detailed explanation to learn from in all sections. qVault biology has great explanations, but PAT answers could use more elaborations.
The more timed runs you practice, the more comfortable you are in that testing center. Overall Id say its not about which test vault having the most representative questions, but more about having exposure to as many different question types as possible. I would have used Achiever but I didnt have enough time. My study timeline was from July 26th to October 21st while working 30 hours a week.
Bio
I read KBB to get an exposure to the breadth of topics, then nail down the details with Feralis Notes. Lather, rinse, repeat to make it stick. Feralis includes Cliffs contents, so its a coin-flip whether or not you want to get it separately. I recommend printing a paper copy of Feralis to make your own notes within it. My exam was overall represented by all the study materials I used, but there was one odd question phrased like an RC. Its probably testing the overhaul that we heard about.
GC and OC
Its old news, but get Chads videos. Take detailed notes when viewing his videos, go through the quizzes, and you should have the concepts drilled in your head. Destroyer is a great supplemental tool to reinforce the details. These two resources are enough to prepare you for both sections. My exam was straightforward with question styles similar to both Bootcamp and qVault.
PAT
Practice, practice, and more practice. This is the only shortcut. Id say use CDPx10 as a primer, then delve into the other packages. Angle is my weakest area, and I used a combination of the hill and rapid eye techniques. This is definitely a skill you can develop. I feel like my actual exam questions overlaps with all the materials used, so if you can get your hands on these materials, do!
RC
I supplemented this weak area of mine with CDRx5 in addition to the other materials. My experience is that RC is all about accumulating good reading habits in your studying, slacking, and whatnot. I bought print copy of Scientific America and read it like Hank Schrader. On my exam I spent no more than 8 minutes to read through each section before answering. Its what worked for me. The key is dont dwell on any questions, and pace yourself to 20 minutes per passage.
QR
Math Destroyer is about the only thing you need to prepare for this section. The formula sheet in there is a great primer, and dont hesitate to add your own to the blank spaces! I went through each one under timed condition to get used to the mental stress. This definitely helped on test day, especially since this is the last section. I did encounter few analysis-type questions, so QR is changing, but its manageable.
General Reflection
Dont sulk when you get a bad practice score! You are learning the mistakes now so you dont make it where it counts: in the test center. Get as much experience as you can with the DAT resources.
Take disciplined breaks and get your sleep in. Mental fortitude is probably the single most important factor to manage throughout the studying process for me. Dont skimp on this!
Time management wise, what worked for me was to do one subject in 1.5 to 2 hour blocks. This is about as much as I can concentrate before I get distracted.
Just a thought, but if you have access to multiple resources, mix their sections for your timed runs. For example: science section from BC, PAT from CDP, RC from CDR, and QR from qVault. This gets you used to having different question styles thrown at you.
One thing I would have liked in prep materials is to have all 100 science questions in one go like the actual DAT. My pacing was pretty good for the individual sections, but it felt weird to go through all 100 questions in one go for the first time today. I dont know if Achiever or CDS are like this.
Dont dwell on any question. If you cant figure it out within 15 to 20 seconds, take an educated guess, mark it, and come back to it later. Its not worth it to lose time on other questions.
A special note on Bootcamp. Not only are the exams great, it also has a great support system behind it. Ari compiles an amazing array of DAT experience in the Bootcamp blog. Read it, absorb it, learn it, and destroy the DAT. Practice the Angle Ranking Generator every day. Ten to twenty minutes a night will build up an aptitude for this section. Sign up for the DAT Question of the Day. This bite-size practice is great to keep your mind focused. I live in Vancouver, BC, so this was great to wake up to every morning at 6:29 am sharp. Oh and they dont cost a single penny.
Must-have materials
Bootcamp, Chads, qVault, DAT/Math Destroyer, and CDP. Total cost: ~$850. Definitely worth every penny.
CDR is optional I feel; I didn't get Achiever due to time constraint, so I cant comment.
Summary
I cant say enough thank you to SDN for sharing all the stories, resources, tips, and experiences. It feels great to not have to find the time to study the DAT, especially while working 30 hours a week. Working and studying sucks, but sometimes real life isn't so kind.
Even though I always liked the dental field, I never felt confident in pursuing it. I graduated in 2012 and my gpa is pretty dismal, 3.03 sGPA and 3.04 sGPA, mostly due to immaturity back in university. I just handed in my application last week, since I didn't even think Id apply this cycle five months ago. So now I gotta wait and see. Now the question is: what are my chances? XD
Results:
23 BIO
26 GC
27 OC
24 PAT
23 RC
24 QR
25 TS
25 AA
Timed Runs
I used Bootcamp and qVault for full timed runs to practice my pacing. I had 5 full timed runs, with the rest broken up as diagnostics. Overall practice average is on par with my results. Bootcamp definitely has the most detailed explanation to learn from in all sections. qVault biology has great explanations, but PAT answers could use more elaborations.
The more timed runs you practice, the more comfortable you are in that testing center. Overall Id say its not about which test vault having the most representative questions, but more about having exposure to as many different question types as possible. I would have used Achiever but I didnt have enough time. My study timeline was from July 26th to October 21st while working 30 hours a week.
Bio
I read KBB to get an exposure to the breadth of topics, then nail down the details with Feralis Notes. Lather, rinse, repeat to make it stick. Feralis includes Cliffs contents, so its a coin-flip whether or not you want to get it separately. I recommend printing a paper copy of Feralis to make your own notes within it. My exam was overall represented by all the study materials I used, but there was one odd question phrased like an RC. Its probably testing the overhaul that we heard about.
GC and OC
Its old news, but get Chads videos. Take detailed notes when viewing his videos, go through the quizzes, and you should have the concepts drilled in your head. Destroyer is a great supplemental tool to reinforce the details. These two resources are enough to prepare you for both sections. My exam was straightforward with question styles similar to both Bootcamp and qVault.
PAT
Practice, practice, and more practice. This is the only shortcut. Id say use CDPx10 as a primer, then delve into the other packages. Angle is my weakest area, and I used a combination of the hill and rapid eye techniques. This is definitely a skill you can develop. I feel like my actual exam questions overlaps with all the materials used, so if you can get your hands on these materials, do!
RC
I supplemented this weak area of mine with CDRx5 in addition to the other materials. My experience is that RC is all about accumulating good reading habits in your studying, slacking, and whatnot. I bought print copy of Scientific America and read it like Hank Schrader. On my exam I spent no more than 8 minutes to read through each section before answering. Its what worked for me. The key is dont dwell on any questions, and pace yourself to 20 minutes per passage.
QR
Math Destroyer is about the only thing you need to prepare for this section. The formula sheet in there is a great primer, and dont hesitate to add your own to the blank spaces! I went through each one under timed condition to get used to the mental stress. This definitely helped on test day, especially since this is the last section. I did encounter few analysis-type questions, so QR is changing, but its manageable.
General Reflection
Dont sulk when you get a bad practice score! You are learning the mistakes now so you dont make it where it counts: in the test center. Get as much experience as you can with the DAT resources.
Take disciplined breaks and get your sleep in. Mental fortitude is probably the single most important factor to manage throughout the studying process for me. Dont skimp on this!
Time management wise, what worked for me was to do one subject in 1.5 to 2 hour blocks. This is about as much as I can concentrate before I get distracted.
Just a thought, but if you have access to multiple resources, mix their sections for your timed runs. For example: science section from BC, PAT from CDP, RC from CDR, and QR from qVault. This gets you used to having different question styles thrown at you.
One thing I would have liked in prep materials is to have all 100 science questions in one go like the actual DAT. My pacing was pretty good for the individual sections, but it felt weird to go through all 100 questions in one go for the first time today. I dont know if Achiever or CDS are like this.
Dont dwell on any question. If you cant figure it out within 15 to 20 seconds, take an educated guess, mark it, and come back to it later. Its not worth it to lose time on other questions.
A special note on Bootcamp. Not only are the exams great, it also has a great support system behind it. Ari compiles an amazing array of DAT experience in the Bootcamp blog. Read it, absorb it, learn it, and destroy the DAT. Practice the Angle Ranking Generator every day. Ten to twenty minutes a night will build up an aptitude for this section. Sign up for the DAT Question of the Day. This bite-size practice is great to keep your mind focused. I live in Vancouver, BC, so this was great to wake up to every morning at 6:29 am sharp. Oh and they dont cost a single penny.
Must-have materials
Bootcamp, Chads, qVault, DAT/Math Destroyer, and CDP. Total cost: ~$850. Definitely worth every penny.
CDR is optional I feel; I didn't get Achiever due to time constraint, so I cant comment.
Summary
I cant say enough thank you to SDN for sharing all the stories, resources, tips, and experiences. It feels great to not have to find the time to study the DAT, especially while working 30 hours a week. Working and studying sucks, but sometimes real life isn't so kind.
Even though I always liked the dental field, I never felt confident in pursuing it. I graduated in 2012 and my gpa is pretty dismal, 3.03 sGPA and 3.04 sGPA, mostly due to immaturity back in university. I just handed in my application last week, since I didn't even think Id apply this cycle five months ago. So now I gotta wait and see. Now the question is: what are my chances? XD
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