4/18 Done! - Score breakdown

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
darkwalk

darkwalk

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Messages
295
Reaction score
1
Members don't see this ad.
It feels great to be done! I thought the hardest part was not the test, but rather the anticipation for the score during the stupid questionnaire they make you fill out after the end of the test. But afterwards, pure joy!

I studied recommendations from this forum religiously and tailored the advice to my study habits. It helped me tremendously, so I feel I should give back and share my thoughts on the DAT. A big thanks for everyone who helped me along the way.

Here is my score: AA23 / PA25 / TS25 / BIO24 / GC23 / OC28 / QR19 / RC20

Overall:
I studied for 5 months total. At first, I bit the bullet and had long study sessions to make flash cards and outlines. Then, I used Anki on my iPhone to review the flash cards whenever I had time. 10 to 30min here and there, but almost everyday. After I was confident enough, I started taking the practice exams. I made sure to review the test immediately afterwards for problems I missed AND the ones I got correct. Finally, I felt the flashcards were not cohesive enough, so I studied the outlines I made in conjunction with the Anki flash cards. If I forget anything while on the go, I would look it up immediately on my iPhone.

For me, the key was small study sessions (10-30min at a time) for a long period of time (5 months).

Materials used:
Cliffs notes AP bio - excellent. Made complete outline of this book.
Exam Cracker's MCAT bio - excellent. Made complete outline of this book.
Kaplan Blue Book - sub par. The materials were too basic. The study sheet at the end of the book were laughable.
Chad's Video - excellent. He explains everything clearly. Cannot recommend this enough.
Chad's Notes - excellent. Great condensed source to study from
Barron's AP bio - excellent. On par with Cliffs. Great complement to Cliffs
DAT Destroyer OC - excellent. Went through this book twice. Before and after studying Chad's video. Noticeable improvement the second time around.
DAT Destroyer "Road Map" - excellent. condenses all the reactions for studying OC in a few pages.
DAT Destroyer Other sections - Okay. Not as good as the EK 1001 questions.
Achiever - excellent. Very difficult. Scared me into studying harder!
Top score pro - excellent. On par difficulty with the real thing.
EK 1001 questions in MCAT series - excellent. great for additional practice in deficient areas.

Perception:
Most questions were easy. A few stumped me. Thankfully, I had 10min to spare, so I went back. I had a knack for this section naturally. I honed my skills and picked up few tricks here and there as I was taking the practice exams.

Biology:
Broad but shallow knowledge was needed. I was surprised how well I did considering I was unsure of ~8 questions. I finished this section with 30min to spare, so I went back to them carefully. The best method to study for this is flash cards (Anki on the iPhone for me).

Gen Chem:
Most were easy. Chad's videos were awesome. Learn everything from his videos and this section should be simple.

Organic:
Pretty easy if you know all the concepts from Chad. I studied exclusively from his lecture notes and Dat destroyer "road maps".

Quantitative:
I was disappointed by my score. The time limit killed me. I also didn't know much statistics. If I had learned statistics and had more practice, it would be much better. I think practice makes perfect.

Reading Comp:
Thankfully, I did not get pianoed. Not much to say except to use search and destroy. English was always my weak point, so I was pleasantly surprised for what I got.

I am attaching the outlines I made. However, I think its best to roll your own. It’s much more "active" to learn that way. I uploaded the notes and anki cards into a dropbox account here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47329/cliffsBioOutline.txt
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47329/cliffsNotesReview.doc
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47329/examcracker outlines.doc
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47329/mcat_.anki

I hope this helps!
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
darkwalk said:
It feels great to be done! I thought the hardest part was not the test, but rather the anticipation for the score during the stupid questionnaire they make you fill out after the end of the test. But afterwards, pure joy!

I studied recommendations from this forum religiously and tailored the advice to my study habits. It helped me tremendously, so I feel I should give back and share my thoughts on the DAT. A big thanks for everyone who helped me along the way.

Here is my score: AA23 / PA25 / TS25 / BIO24 / GC23 / OC28 / QR19 / RC20

Overall:
I studied for 5 months total. At first, I bit the bullet and had long study sessions to make flash cards and outlines. Then, I used Anki on my iPhone to review the flash cards whenever I had time. 10 to 30min here and there, but almost everyday. After I was confident enough, I started taking the practice exams. I made sure to review the test immediately afterwards for problems I missed AND the ones I got correct. Finally, I felt the flashcards were not cohesive enough, so I studied the outlines I made in conjunction with the Anki flash cards. If I forget anything while on the go, I would look it up immediately on my iPhone.

For me, the key was small study sessions (10-30min at a time) for a long period of time (5 months).

Materials used:
Cliffs notes AP bio - excellent. Made complete outline of this book.
Exam Cracker's MCAT bio - excellent. Made complete outline of this book.
Kaplan Blue Book - sub par. The materials were too basic. The study sheet at the end of the book were laughable.
Chad's Video - excellent. He explains everything clearly. Cannot recommend this enough.
Chad's Notes - excellent. Great condensed source to study from
Barron's AP bio - excellent. On par with Cliffs. Great complement to Cliffs
DAT Destroyer OC - excellent. Went through this book twice. Before and after studying Chad's video. Noticeable improvement the second time around.
DAT Destroyer "Road Map" - excellent. condenses all the reactions for studying OC in a few pages.
DAT Destroyer Other sections - excellent. Went through this book twice. Before and after studying Chad's video. Noticeable improvement the second time around.
Achiever - excellent. Very difficult. Scared me into studying harder!
Top score pro - excellent. On par difficulty with the real thing.
EK 1001 questions in MCAT series - excellent. great for additional practice in deficient areas.

Perception:
Most questions were easy. A few stumped me. Thankfully, I had 10min to spare, so I went back. I had a knack for this section naturally. I honed my skills and picked up few tricks here and there as I was taking the practice exams.

Biology:
Broad but shallow knowledge was needed. I was surprised how well I did considering I was unsure of ~8 questions. I finished this section with 30min to spare, so I went back to them carefully. The best method to study for this is flash cards (Anki on the iPhone for me).

Gen Chem:
Most were easy. Chad's videos were awesome. Learn everything from his videos and this section should be simple.

Organic:
Pretty easy if you know all the concepts from Chad. I studied exclusively from his lecture notes and Dat destroyer "road maps".

Quantitative:
I was disappointed by my score. The time limit killed me. I also didn't know much statistics. If I had learned statistics and had more practice, it would be much better. I think practice makes perfect.

Reading Comp:
Thankfully, I did not get pianoed. Not much to say except to use search and destroy. English was always my weak point, so I was pleasantly surprised for what I got.

I am attaching the outlines I made. However, I think its best to roll your own. It’s much more "active" to learn that way. I tried to upload my Anki flash card deck too, but its too big. If anyone is interested, I will upload it somewhere and post the link here.

I hope this helps!
Click to expand...


Hey darkwalk, congrats. Great scores!
Would you please share with us your anki flash cards?
Thanks! :highfive:Congrats!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Congratulations! Great scores! That's a great idea to have the flashcards on your iphone! I can't wait to download them. Thanks again!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Upvote 0 Downvote
Nice scores.

Like your bio scores. I'm doing practically the same thing as you. Outline everything. I go a bit more detail only because I do better if I write it out.
Its tedious especially only really basic stuff but it helps.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jinzabread said:
Congrat!!! Awesome score!
Can I ask u something?
For QR, was it tough to finish even though u could use calc?
Click to expand...


I did not realize there was a calculator function until the end! I did a double take 5 min left on the clock. It was not available on top score and achiever, so I didn't even bother to look. 🙂

I thought most calculations were basic enough to do it in your head or on paper, so the calculator might actually slow you down. But, if you can find a practice exam with that option, try it out and see for yourself. That's my 2 cents but take it with a grain of salt considering I never used it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well I don't have 5 months to study but hopefully with all of the information you posted, I can shave off a few weeks. Glad so see you did so well

Is it possible to get those flash cards on another application? I don't have an I phone, or any super phone for that matter.

Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Regarding the videos, did you watch the free ones or the subscription ones?

I already watched and took notes from the gen chem and orgo free videos by Chad from coursesaver. I want to know if I should also watch the $20 subscription videos? Are they any different or more helpful?

thanks
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
@sfkhan7797: I watched the older ones before they became subscription based. I'm not sure how different the new ones are, but I assume they are equally good, if not better.

@eunguyen: I made my own.

@HASassin: I installed Anki for windows and opened the file okay. I clicked file -> import to import them.Try that first, but let me know if you have problems.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Congrats!!! Nice solid scores all the way through!! I'm getting jealous everyone keeps mentioning these Chad videos, I wish I knew about them when I took the DAT! Best of luck to you the rest of the way! Apply early and you're definite admission to a few schools.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
those are some solid solid scores i couldn't be more happy for you my friend you studied hardcore for months and probably slaved harder than ever before and the fact that it payed off is the best feeling in the world.....im sure you can get into great schools with those scores yeah chads videos are a savior for those who were fortunate enough to get them ur resources looked solid and u masterd them congrats again and best of luck applying.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I seems my Anki deck is generating some interest. Although they were helpful to me, they are incomplete at best. They are tailored to myself. Perhaps it will be beneficial to everyone to update it as a group? If enough interest exist, I will think of a way for collaborative effort to take place.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm an international student myself and I'm quite worried about the RC section. How did you study for it? materials used? and.. do you rmb what topics popped up in your exam? Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibracadabra said:
I'm an international student myself and I'm quite worried about the RC section. How did you study for it? materials used? and.. do you rmb what topics popped up in your exam? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I got telomere, biology of aging, and one I can't remember.

I didn't really study for it. I practiced using 7 tests and used search and destroy. In my opinion, it is the best method if you want to get 19-21. Any higher, it becomes less efficient.

I think I would get a better score if I actively read it, but it doesn't work for me personally. Try S&D and review the test afterwords to figure out your strengths and weaknesses.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
For the reading comprehension section, what is that "search and destroy" item you recommended. Is this a software, or a study book of some sort?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
duvaldentist said:
For the reading comprehension section, what is that "search and destroy" item you recommended. Is this a software, or a study book of some sort?
Click to expand...


Its a method. Choosing a keyword in a question and looking for that word in the passage. Mainly looks for those simple outright questions. Not really for inference.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Can anyone please repost the Anki flash cards? Upload on mediafire may be? The link doesn't exist anymore.

Thanks and congrats!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Mypeanut said:
Can anyone please repost the Anki flash cards? Upload on mediafire may be? The link doesn't exist anymore.

Thanks and congrats!
Click to expand...

Ditto. The link doesn't work.

Also, thank you for uploading this excellent study materials 🙂 I'm still a few years away from taking the DAT, but this will be immensely helpful.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I finally found a reliable file hosting service and updated the links to my files in my original post. They should be available from now on.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thank you darkwalk. Dropbox is not only file hosting but it has awesome syncing and for someone forgetful like me its life saver. No more forgetting the paper on home computer the day its due 😀
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

vivian_wuxy
dat 2024 score breakdown
Replies
0
Views
2K
vivian_wuxy
vivian_wuxy
B
May 2025 Breakdown - 550 AA
Replies
0
Views
604
biggold
B
S
May 2025 DAT Breakdown - 490 AA
Replies
0
Views
629
Sameer4
S
J
DAT Breakdown Study
Replies
0
Views
1K
Janilla
J
drdentaldds
2025 DAT Breakdown
Replies
0
Views
689
drdentaldds
drdentaldds
Top