- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
- Messages
- 4,032
- Reaction score
- 62
- Points
- 4,691
- Location
- Bethesda, MD
- Resident [Any Field]
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Greetings fellow pre-dents. Took the DAT today in downtown Atlanta, 6000 miles away from home. Currently chugging some vino, so I apologize if this doesn't translate 100% coherently. (Sadness over lack of competitive scores, kissing UoP goodbye, Armorshell, if you're reading this, sorry to let ya down on that front). Oh and before I go into this long rant, I want to thank everyone here at SDN for the incredible wealth of information in this process, it is invaluable.
Just want to preface with a some comments on the overall experience. Like has been said, the markers dry out like crazy if left uncapped, AND sweaty hands do not make for easy uncapping. I'd have killed for the dry-erase markers I had been practicing with. What's up with the crazy security, thumb printed, digital prints of both index fingers 3 times, plus after break and after the test, as well as turning out all pockets and running hands through pockets... paranoia paranoia. Also, very good advice on not downing the coffee or even moderate amounts of any liquid, had to pee pretty bad by the time the break released me from my bondage.
The scores:
PAT: 27 (99.7)
QR: 16 (63.5)
RC: 20 (64.3)
BIO: 23 (97.4)
GC: 21 (87.0)
OC: 22 (90.4)
TS: 22 (95.6)
AA: 20 (87.6)
PAT:
I honestly thought it was a cake walk, after the sciences I was pretty bummed, but after this I was frickin sky high. CDP was great for this, and the ADA 2009 paid test was perfect, same score even. I can't remember how comparative Topscore was, but it wasn't far off by any means.
Key-Hole: Annoying, several of the keys really were not proportional to the holes, they need to work on this.
TFE: Cake, cake, cake! Way easier than CDP. I had at least 3 questions where they asked for the side or front that was identical or nearly identical to the other (e.g. one side of a pyramid looks identical to the other, etc).
Angles: Easier than CDP, but still annoying, probably where I lost points. I definitely remember Topscore angles and Kaplan BB to be much easier than the DAT. Again, the ADA 2009 test was the very best comparison, but CDP will suffice.
Hole punch: Pretty simple, nothing weird, like punches on folds and the like. The main problem was that the questions were inconsistent, some were tiny weird holes and some were huge glaring eyeballs of doom (well, more like giant mutated pixie eyeballs, since they were even easier).
Cubes: Cake cake cake again. CDP is more difficult. I didn't bother with any of those cube counting tactics, just too easy, even reviewed all of them to verify.
Pattern folding: Pretty tough, some of these were really weird, but nothing unreasonably insane. Comparable to CDP, maybe slightly more difficult on average, but I seem to remember CDP and others having some oddballs that were impossibly difficult, not the case on the DAT.
Sources: KBB, TS, ADA tests, CDP
QR:
Yeah, not surprised here with my score, ran out of time with about 10 questions to go, wildly guessing to finish. Honestly, these questions were all pretty easy, I even thought I was keeping a good pace (incorrectly obviously). The problem formats were very close to DAT Destroyer, except easier. If you can get the timing on DAT Destroyer Math, you really will destroy this. Most of my math foundation was from Khan Academy though, excellent source for the math inept like myself.
Geometry: 1-2 problems
Trig: 2-4 problems
Probability: 2-3
Stats: 2-3
Mostly word problems (just like the ones you see in math destroyer, distances, percentages, etc), and algebra, nothing too daunting. I honestly don't remember seeing anything on x/y axis, slopes, etc (coordinate geometry).
Sources: Math Destroyer, KBB, Khan Academy
RC:
Only section I'm even mildly pissed off about, not humbled at all, just cheated. I did fine, even awesomely on all the pre-tests. Alas, time somehow crept up, broke my jaw and ran off with my wallet. Pretty easy overall though, I can only recommend practicing with pre-tests, and really really reading fast. Though I'm sure I was mildly fatigued by this point.
Topics: Epithelium, Fungi, and Ethics (this final one, on ethics, must have been twice as long as the others, with virtually no search and destroy, absolutely screwed my score in RC with the time I had left).
Biology:
As everyone has said, this section is 75% reasonable, 25% crazy random stuff. Had a few genetics questions that wasted my time solving, some weirdly worded stuff you can't really prepare for, and umm, I highly recommend reading up thoroughly on lab techniques, yes the really weird ones you would only find details on through wikipedia or in Campbells (I believe I saw something applicable from those chapter 18-21 notes, amazingly enough). Most surprising thing was basically seeing nothing from cellular respiration/photosynthesis. Don't really remember anything from taxonomy, maybe 1 question from ecology and plants each, really bummer as I studied both to the max.
Sources: Barron's AP Bio, Campbell's 8th, wikipedia, Khan Academy, and KBB; (Destroyer Bio was pretty much a wash, if you've got the time to spend on it, read chapters in Campbell's instead, much more fruitful).
GC:
Very reasonable, hardly any calculations, it's just been a really long time since I took it, though Chad prepared me marvelously, I only wish I'd had time to go through all his quiz questions again (oh and fastplay is a real gift for those videos, I didn't know about it until about a week ago). Destroyer GC was far far beyond the level of the actual test, and KBB was just sub-par for it as well.
Sources: Chad, Destroyer
OC:
Seriously disappointed here, thought I was going to completely annihilate this section as I was pretty damn good with it in class, also put in a lot of time re-studying for it. The questions were fairly basic, Chad and Destroyer will prepare you very well for it. The reason I think my score wasn't better was that in retrospect I think there were quite a few questions that seemed to have obvious answers but were actually done that way to fool you into picking said answers. Overall concept oriented, only a handful of questions required synthesis.
Sources: Chad, Destroyer (only section Destroyer truly shined in, IMO), Ochem as a second language I & II
For all of the above I also used Anki, while not the godsend people make it out to be, it is a very useful tool for making notes across a long period of studying, and then keeping up with past studied material.
Okay, here's the thing. I spent hundreds of dollars on all this study material, and I'm flying back home on the 4th of April. I have no desire to take it with me or mail it to anyone from the islands, as you can imagine shipping is a good deal more. So, if anyone needs a full pack of DAT material, I will give it to you for FREE, however, the one caveat is that you must pay for shipping (I imagine somewhere between $18-$30, or more if you want something crazy like UPS/Fedex). DO NOT post a bunch of replies here asking for it, send me private messages and I will decide who to send to. If you didn't read my breakdown, this pack will include: Barron's AP bio, KBB, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, ADA 2009 paid test, and Ochem as a 2nd language I and II.
Off to the land of inebriation I descend...
P.S. dentalWorks: played a good deal of League of Legends yesterday, good times and great pre-DAT stress relief, highly recommended to anyone out there, cramming the day before just isn't worth it.😉
P.P.S. Any input or comments is perfectly welcome, though I don't think I'm up for another round of testing (re-testing). Just saying.
Just want to preface with a some comments on the overall experience. Like has been said, the markers dry out like crazy if left uncapped, AND sweaty hands do not make for easy uncapping. I'd have killed for the dry-erase markers I had been practicing with. What's up with the crazy security, thumb printed, digital prints of both index fingers 3 times, plus after break and after the test, as well as turning out all pockets and running hands through pockets... paranoia paranoia. Also, very good advice on not downing the coffee or even moderate amounts of any liquid, had to pee pretty bad by the time the break released me from my bondage.
The scores:
PAT: 27 (99.7)
QR: 16 (63.5)
RC: 20 (64.3)
BIO: 23 (97.4)
GC: 21 (87.0)
OC: 22 (90.4)
TS: 22 (95.6)
AA: 20 (87.6)
PAT:
I honestly thought it was a cake walk, after the sciences I was pretty bummed, but after this I was frickin sky high. CDP was great for this, and the ADA 2009 paid test was perfect, same score even. I can't remember how comparative Topscore was, but it wasn't far off by any means.
Key-Hole: Annoying, several of the keys really were not proportional to the holes, they need to work on this.
TFE: Cake, cake, cake! Way easier than CDP. I had at least 3 questions where they asked for the side or front that was identical or nearly identical to the other (e.g. one side of a pyramid looks identical to the other, etc).
Angles: Easier than CDP, but still annoying, probably where I lost points. I definitely remember Topscore angles and Kaplan BB to be much easier than the DAT. Again, the ADA 2009 test was the very best comparison, but CDP will suffice.
Hole punch: Pretty simple, nothing weird, like punches on folds and the like. The main problem was that the questions were inconsistent, some were tiny weird holes and some were huge glaring eyeballs of doom (well, more like giant mutated pixie eyeballs, since they were even easier).
Cubes: Cake cake cake again. CDP is more difficult. I didn't bother with any of those cube counting tactics, just too easy, even reviewed all of them to verify.
Pattern folding: Pretty tough, some of these were really weird, but nothing unreasonably insane. Comparable to CDP, maybe slightly more difficult on average, but I seem to remember CDP and others having some oddballs that were impossibly difficult, not the case on the DAT.
Sources: KBB, TS, ADA tests, CDP
QR:
Yeah, not surprised here with my score, ran out of time with about 10 questions to go, wildly guessing to finish. Honestly, these questions were all pretty easy, I even thought I was keeping a good pace (incorrectly obviously). The problem formats were very close to DAT Destroyer, except easier. If you can get the timing on DAT Destroyer Math, you really will destroy this. Most of my math foundation was from Khan Academy though, excellent source for the math inept like myself.
Geometry: 1-2 problems
Trig: 2-4 problems
Probability: 2-3
Stats: 2-3
Mostly word problems (just like the ones you see in math destroyer, distances, percentages, etc), and algebra, nothing too daunting. I honestly don't remember seeing anything on x/y axis, slopes, etc (coordinate geometry).
Sources: Math Destroyer, KBB, Khan Academy
RC:
Only section I'm even mildly pissed off about, not humbled at all, just cheated. I did fine, even awesomely on all the pre-tests. Alas, time somehow crept up, broke my jaw and ran off with my wallet. Pretty easy overall though, I can only recommend practicing with pre-tests, and really really reading fast. Though I'm sure I was mildly fatigued by this point.
Topics: Epithelium, Fungi, and Ethics (this final one, on ethics, must have been twice as long as the others, with virtually no search and destroy, absolutely screwed my score in RC with the time I had left).
Biology:
As everyone has said, this section is 75% reasonable, 25% crazy random stuff. Had a few genetics questions that wasted my time solving, some weirdly worded stuff you can't really prepare for, and umm, I highly recommend reading up thoroughly on lab techniques, yes the really weird ones you would only find details on through wikipedia or in Campbells (I believe I saw something applicable from those chapter 18-21 notes, amazingly enough). Most surprising thing was basically seeing nothing from cellular respiration/photosynthesis. Don't really remember anything from taxonomy, maybe 1 question from ecology and plants each, really bummer as I studied both to the max.
Sources: Barron's AP Bio, Campbell's 8th, wikipedia, Khan Academy, and KBB; (Destroyer Bio was pretty much a wash, if you've got the time to spend on it, read chapters in Campbell's instead, much more fruitful).
GC:
Very reasonable, hardly any calculations, it's just been a really long time since I took it, though Chad prepared me marvelously, I only wish I'd had time to go through all his quiz questions again (oh and fastplay is a real gift for those videos, I didn't know about it until about a week ago). Destroyer GC was far far beyond the level of the actual test, and KBB was just sub-par for it as well.
Sources: Chad, Destroyer
OC:
Seriously disappointed here, thought I was going to completely annihilate this section as I was pretty damn good with it in class, also put in a lot of time re-studying for it. The questions were fairly basic, Chad and Destroyer will prepare you very well for it. The reason I think my score wasn't better was that in retrospect I think there were quite a few questions that seemed to have obvious answers but were actually done that way to fool you into picking said answers. Overall concept oriented, only a handful of questions required synthesis.
Sources: Chad, Destroyer (only section Destroyer truly shined in, IMO), Ochem as a second language I & II
For all of the above I also used Anki, while not the godsend people make it out to be, it is a very useful tool for making notes across a long period of studying, and then keeping up with past studied material.
Okay, here's the thing. I spent hundreds of dollars on all this study material, and I'm flying back home on the 4th of April. I have no desire to take it with me or mail it to anyone from the islands, as you can imagine shipping is a good deal more. So, if anyone needs a full pack of DAT material, I will give it to you for FREE, however, the one caveat is that you must pay for shipping (I imagine somewhere between $18-$30, or more if you want something crazy like UPS/Fedex). DO NOT post a bunch of replies here asking for it, send me private messages and I will decide who to send to. If you didn't read my breakdown, this pack will include: Barron's AP bio, KBB, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, ADA 2009 paid test, and Ochem as a 2nd language I and II.
Off to the land of inebriation I descend...
P.S. dentalWorks: played a good deal of League of Legends yesterday, good times and great pre-DAT stress relief, highly recommended to anyone out there, cramming the day before just isn't worth it.😉
P.P.S. Any input or comments is perfectly welcome, though I don't think I'm up for another round of testing (re-testing). Just saying.
(I have no doubt you saw all those weird pictures right after you made a post) *prods dentalWorks into making a donation!* I kid, you donate much more than money to this site, and you have to know we all appreciate your time.
