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- Jun 22, 2007
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When I was studying I really enjoyed reading these threads for tips on different methods of study for the DAT, so here is another! I took the Kaplan class and Destroyer route and REALLY enjoyed BOTH of them. The Kaplan class had a crap-ton of workshops/practice problems and had 6 full length tests (the diagnostic, midterm, final then 3 others). The actual class sucked, but the online resources were key. I started studying the beginning of June and probably averaged about 6-7 hours per day. I am lucky because I didn't have to work, didn't have summer school, and only had to do some shadowing while studying.
My scores 7/20:
23 PAT 99%
18 QR 74%
18 RC 39%
24 Bio 98.7%
29 GChem 100%
22 OChem 91%
24 TS 99.3%
22 AA 95.9%
Bio: Only used the book the came with the Kaplan class and pretty much knew everything in it very well. On my DAT I seemed to have a bit of everything and quite a few questions (10) I had never seen before in Destroyer or Kaplan. I am a cellular bio major (science GPA 3.93), so that is my foundation, Kaplan reviewed everything well, and Destroyer pretty much gave me the answers to two problems (but still good review to know everything in Destroyer, but sorry to say, don't think miracles with destroyer bio). Just know everything!! I would strongly recommend a supplement to kaplan bio and destroyer.
Gchem: For review Kaplan did a very good job, as most of us haven't had chem since freshman year, it refreshed my memory well. This was my worst section on most of my kaplan practice tests, so I spent a ton of time studying this section. Did Destroyer problems about 3x and knew every calculation/theory behind it, this reallly helps when problems you have never seen pop up.
Ochem: Destroyer. Nails it. Know the reagents, what they do, and what they work best with. I had a few long synthesis problems like in destroyer. Know SN1/SN2/E1/E2 theory really well, I thought I had those reactions down, but they were the main ones I had to guess on.
PAT: Kaplan online materials dominate this section. Angles suck. Folding sucked. Everything else was pretty easy.
RC/QR: I was pissed at RC score, I had never scored below 19 on practice tests. But like everyone has been saying... lots of tone questions. My passages were longer than Kaplan's practice tests, so my timing was off. I winged QR... did not do Destroyer's problems... never reviewed my kaplan wrong answers... went in knowing I was going to guess on every trig identity problem.. overall it was hard.
Here are my Kaplan practice test results so you Kaplan people can compare scores. In the order I took them: Diagnostic, Midterm, practice test 2, practice 3, Final, practice test 1.
AA/TS/Bio/GChem/Ochem/RC/QR/PAT
Diag: 19/17/18/15/17/20/19/16
Mid: 16/18/19/17/18/18/12/21 (stopped QR half way through)
test2:20/21/22/20/21/19/19/22
test3:19/19/24/14/18/19/18/21
final: 20/21/24/17/21/20/20/21
test1:23/26/22/28/28/23/20/25
Overall I'm happy it is over and am happy with my scores . Study hard once and get it done with, it will be worth it when your a dentist . Any questions about problems or anything I'll try to help out.
My scores 7/20:
23 PAT 99%
18 QR 74%
18 RC 39%
24 Bio 98.7%
29 GChem 100%
22 OChem 91%
24 TS 99.3%
22 AA 95.9%
Bio: Only used the book the came with the Kaplan class and pretty much knew everything in it very well. On my DAT I seemed to have a bit of everything and quite a few questions (10) I had never seen before in Destroyer or Kaplan. I am a cellular bio major (science GPA 3.93), so that is my foundation, Kaplan reviewed everything well, and Destroyer pretty much gave me the answers to two problems (but still good review to know everything in Destroyer, but sorry to say, don't think miracles with destroyer bio). Just know everything!! I would strongly recommend a supplement to kaplan bio and destroyer.
Gchem: For review Kaplan did a very good job, as most of us haven't had chem since freshman year, it refreshed my memory well. This was my worst section on most of my kaplan practice tests, so I spent a ton of time studying this section. Did Destroyer problems about 3x and knew every calculation/theory behind it, this reallly helps when problems you have never seen pop up.
Ochem: Destroyer. Nails it. Know the reagents, what they do, and what they work best with. I had a few long synthesis problems like in destroyer. Know SN1/SN2/E1/E2 theory really well, I thought I had those reactions down, but they were the main ones I had to guess on.
PAT: Kaplan online materials dominate this section. Angles suck. Folding sucked. Everything else was pretty easy.
RC/QR: I was pissed at RC score, I had never scored below 19 on practice tests. But like everyone has been saying... lots of tone questions. My passages were longer than Kaplan's practice tests, so my timing was off. I winged QR... did not do Destroyer's problems... never reviewed my kaplan wrong answers... went in knowing I was going to guess on every trig identity problem.. overall it was hard.
Here are my Kaplan practice test results so you Kaplan people can compare scores. In the order I took them: Diagnostic, Midterm, practice test 2, practice 3, Final, practice test 1.
AA/TS/Bio/GChem/Ochem/RC/QR/PAT
Diag: 19/17/18/15/17/20/19/16
Mid: 16/18/19/17/18/18/12/21 (stopped QR half way through)
test2:20/21/22/20/21/19/19/22
test3:19/19/24/14/18/19/18/21
final: 20/21/24/17/21/20/20/21
test1:23/26/22/28/28/23/20/25
Overall I'm happy it is over and am happy with my scores . Study hard once and get it done with, it will be worth it when your a dentist . Any questions about problems or anything I'll try to help out.