5/9 DAT done, 26TS/26AA breakdown

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aliciaworking

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... and I got some suggestions for working professionals or non-traditional students (below at post #10); additional replies at post #15+ (below).

I finished my DAT on 5/9/2011; walked into the test center a few minutes before 11am, and was very VERY nervous. After I was given the instructions (simple), and needed to put things away into the locker, I took half bottle of "5 hour energy" and some dry snacks. Went to the bathroom again and ready for battle.

I did read other threads about wearing sweater/hootie into the testing room. However, The test center at oklahoma city has very weak air conditioning -- I was informed by the proctor lady about the a/c and she said better not to put on the sweater going in. I left my sweater in the locker, and during the test my hands were sweating. The lady was very helpful (compared to the other guy who barely wanted to help me with anything): she would provide clean dry-erase boards and fresh pens when asked; when I was done with the 15-min break and ready to go back to the testing room, she asked me to take a couple sheets of tissues for drying my hands during my second half of testing. I appreciated her understanding. (They probably also saw me trying to open the pens with my t-shirt b/c my hands were slick)

Oh, and I finished the rest of the "5 hour energy" during my break. I think it helped.

Anyway, I almost thought I couldn't finish the Reading section b/c that was my slowest section and I generally went a couple of questions unanswered or guessed without reading when I was practicing with Crack DAT Reading. Fortunately, the 3rd paragraph was on a topic that I was extremely familiar with from in a class of last semester. I finished READING right on time.

Overall, I thought the real DAT were much easier than I was expecting, especially the BIO section; I practiced with both Topscore and Achiever, also used CrackDAT and Destroyer. Topscore and Achiever have much harder and detailed BIO questions compared to the real BIO.

Chemistry, Organic and math are my strong topics and almost everything seemed easier than questions that I practiced with. Before the test I stressed to remember metric conversions (eg. miles vs km, lbs, oz. etc) but it was NOT NEEDED in my test.

Here are my scores including practice:

The Real DAT:

PAT 23 BIO24 GCHEM 30 OCHEM 26 RC21 QR 27. TS=26, AA=26, 99.9%.

TopScore

#1-- PAT 21, BIO 19, GCHEM 20, OCHEM 21, RC 19, QR29

#2-- PAT 25, BIO 19, GCHEM 24 , OCHEM 28, RC 22, QR24

#3-- PAT 23, BIO 20, GCHEM 23, OCHEM 28, RC18 QR24

Achiever

TEST 1- PAT 18, QR 26, RC 17, BIO 19, G-Chem 21, O-Chem 21

TEST 2-PAT 20, QR 21, RC 18, Bio 21, Gen-Chem 19, O-Chem 20

TEST 3- PAT 18, QR 19, RC 17, BIO 18, Gen-Chem 21, O-Chem 21


I will post more when I get some time.

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That's some smooth work on the QR! All the rest too, but you don't see a lot of crazy high QR.
 
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Great scores... So since you took the test in OKC... Are you going to be trying to get into OU this time around?.... And how long did you study for it?....... But again, congrats!!!
 
Thanks for all of your good wishes!! Now I'm banging my head on the applications & LOR & PS... etc.... Not easy. Yes, I will be applying to OU; and maybe a couple of others.

I did have to work full-time (and will continue to do so until I get accepted), and I have also been taking prerequisite classes at night or weekends, so there wasn't much time devoted to studying DAT until this spring.

I started looking at buying DAT materials last year; started looking at PAT questions first to get the techniques down first; and then during Fall last year I slowly (VERY SLOWLY) worked maybe 1 Sunday (3-4 hrs) per week on Chemistry and OCHEM questions. I was pretty solid on Chem and Ochem during school so all I needed was some reviewing and practice - some questions can be tricky rather than difficult. But I still didn't get to work on DAT as much. I also looked at the basic formulas for the QR to familiarize myself with them. Last fall I finished my biochem class.

This spring I stopped taking class so I can devote about 1 hr a day on weekdays and 7 hrs per weekend (we all need rest after work; can't be robots - it doesn't work!). I started working on Bio section intensively, and at the same time practice a few Chem, Ochem, PAT, and Reading. I have always been good at QR, so I only worked on practicing it for two-three weeks before the test, which was when I was using practice tests for all sections. (So I only spent about 10 hrs solely on QR.) But Reading has always been my weakest section, because I like to read slowly and thoroughly. Practised speed and improved a bit. Fortunately, my reading on the real DAT had one passage that was on a topic that I was interested in and was familiar with.

That's my 2 cents on preparing for DAT as a working / non-traditional applicant.

Also, I thought it's helpful to strengthen your strength (by section) more; find your weekness and make them not-as-bad, but don't try to get much higher scores (eg. over 19) at your weak sections b/c it takes much more to improve 1 point, compared to improving on your strong sections, unless of course if you have plenty of time to work on all sections, or if it is more important being evenly distributed. Just my 2 other cents.

- Alicia
 
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How was the Bio section? Ive made almost 1600 bio flashcards using Anki and I feel like I'm wasting time....what you think?
 
Thanks DentalWorks and others!

Jab1113 et al: I received some questions about the bio section and totally "random" questions on bio, and asked for my recommendations on what to study for the biology section...

Well... There was one (or maybe two) bio question on my test that I thought was detailed; but I know I've read it either in the Princeton Hyperlearning MCAT Bio Sci Review, or maybe in Schaum's Outline of Bio (I have a 2nd edition - old but sufficient); both of these books have enough details (and a bit too much; but the Princeton Hyperlearning MCAT Bio Sci Review that I had also includes Organic Chem section [two bird in one stone] and this book is one of the BEST Bio & OCHEM reviews I've ever had!); so if you have time to read thru them you'd be golden. Most of us don't have that kind of time, so the CliffsNotes AP Bio and the Kaplan DAT book should be good guidance, plus reading more (as much as you can while you're strengthening your strongest section on DAT if they are not bio) on a few topics that you feel you need more info/details to understand.

One or two Qs in the test wouldn't be detrimental, as long as you've got solid foundations (good understanding of all topics covered in Cliffs).

Thanks for the support, and
Good luck on your studying and tests!

-Alicia
 
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Also, it helps to have some practice (eg. ExamKrackers MCAT BIO/Ochem 1001 questions etc), and TopScore/Achiever computerized tests -- but those computer exams generally has TOO MUCH detailed questions in BIO; and I wouldn't try to remember those detailed answers, and I couldn't.

Hope it helps.
 
I forgot to mention: about MATH/QR, there are a few prep materials that provides lists of formulas that may be (only may be) needed on the QR section.

Familarize yourself with those early and be able to use them. (Some in MATH Destroyer is way out there above the average level - you'd use them only if you are heading towards 25+, IMO)
 
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