- Joined
- Jan 4, 2010
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So I am a long time browser/few time poster and have always appreciated thorough breakdowns that have allowed me and others to collect solid study techniques and materials. So below is my best attempt to do the same!
Overall I am ecstatic with my results. I am a post bac and just recently finished all the basic pre requisite courses the past calendar year. Due to the hectic schedule and massive amount of material I put in my head I was hoping for 19/20 across the board which appears to the be mean score that gets accepted with an average GPA anything above a 20 is icing on the cake. I think it was good to set realistic goals and prepare myself to be surprised rather than set a goal of 27 and be let down taking practice tests.
(Disclaimer: these opinions are expressed because they worked for me and may not work or guarantee success for others)
Overall Breakdown:
BIO: 26 (99.5%)
GC: 23 (95.4%)
OC: 27 (98.7%)
PA: 26 (99.6%)
RC: 23 (89.8%)
QR: 22 (97.9%)
TS: 25 (99.5%)
AA: 24 (99.6%)
Schedule:
Began studying mid-May after taking a brief beach trip following the spring semester. Not a morning person by any means so I usually woke up around 9-10am and studied on average 8 hours a day. Some days more, some days less especially after taking practice tests and the last week when I started getting burnt out. Overall I studied for approx. 7 weeks
Materials Used:
Biology: (Cliffs AP, Barrons AP, DATQVault, DAT Destroyer, Topscore, KBB)
The majority of the first few weeks studying was spent on Bio since my first Kaplan free diagnostic test was horrendous in this section. Granted I was still taking Bio 2 at the time and really had not covered all the material, I still felt most deficient in this area. I noticed a lot of high scores from those using Barrons AP so I studied that first. I bought Cliffs to supplement some areas not covered completely in Barrons (such as taxonomy and Protists/Archea/Bacteria). Cliffs was like reading an encyclopedia while Barrons was closer to a childrens picture book. Both cover about 90% of the same material so I would definitely recommend buying both for around $20 each and studying one first. That way when you go through the other one you can easily spot the differences and star/mark the new material to study. The actual test was random, but pretty general. I marked around 8 but was only unsure of maybe 2 questions. I feel like I got pretty lucky with the questions about half make you think and apply knowledge rather than just pure regurgitation of material.
GC: (Chads Videos, DAT Destroyer, KBB)
Simple concepts .couple detail ones here and there but pretty simple overall. Almost so simple that after doing Destroyer you feel uncomfortable answering them because they seem too easy. With Destroyer focus on the reasons behind the answers and not really how many right or wrong. Didnt study a whole lot for this because I was a TA for gen chem for a semester and felt pretty comfortable with the overall concepts.
OC: (Chads Videos, ACS Organic Study Guide, DAT Destroyer, KBB)
I just finished Ochem 2 this past May so I studied the least for this section just touched up a few sections that my class skipped over or briefly touched on. Mainly looked at carbohydrates, amino acids and lab techniques from KBB and Chads Videos. The test was like gen chem basic and general Destroyer is great practice once you know the basics! I felt good about all the questions except one and I guess I missed that one.
PA: (Crack DAT PAT, Topscore)
My first degree was in architecture so I was always good in this area. I started doing Crack PAT and was averaging 23s after 4 tests so I stopped to focus my efforts on other subjects. Crack PAT all the way for practice good software, friendly staff, and very close to the real test if anything Crack PAT was harder. I never finished Crack PAT terribly early but on the real deal I finished with 20 minutes to go and went back to recount my cubes and draw out all the patterns to better visualize the folding patterns.
Crack PAT Tests: 22,21,23,23
RC: (Topscore, Crack Reading, Achiever Reading only)
This section I was the most concerned about. I am a quick reader but end up thinking too much about inference/tone questions which wastes time and tends to lead me in the wrong direction. Being that I kept reading about how the test had switching from primarily S&D to incorporating more tone questions, I bought Crack Reading and Achiever to practice. These two programs were pretty good Crack Reading was all inference/tone but had really short passages (9-12 paragraphs). Achiever was pretty tough (tougher than the real deal) and added to my anxiety but prepared me for the worst.
Crack Reading Tests: 20,21,20,21,23
Achiever Tests: 18,18
QR: (DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, a little KBB)
Just do, and know the ends and outs of why you are answering the questions in these two sources and a good score is within reach. I did 10 Math Destroyer tests and starred the ones I missed or didnt know very well to study again. I always timed myself and used my computer calculator to practice. I saw no point in going through the tests without the pressure of a time limit if you do bad then its incentive to get better if you do good then you can be very comfortable on test day.
Math Destroyer Tests: 19,19,21,21,20,22,21,21,22,17 (burning out at this point)
Topscore Practice Tests: (Pretty on par with real test except for RC all S&D and no tone questions)
AA/TS/BIO/CHEM/OCHEM/PA/QR/RC
Test #1: 5/21/11 (after only studying Biology)
19/19/19/18/19/21/18/21
Test #2: 6/13/11
21/21/21/21/21/24/19/22
Test #3:6/23/11
23/22/20/25/21/23/25/23
2007 ADA Practice Test: (too easy)
(only did the science sections)
BIO: 22
CHEM: 25
OCHEM:30
2009 ADA Online Practice Test: ß Most similar to actual test
(Doesnt give you scaled scores but I scaled them myself from other resources)
23/25/22/28/25/23/20/22
I never did any Kaplan tests and only used the KBB to review the material I already studied the last couple weeks. The biology section in KBB was good in that it covered some skeletal and nervous system topics that Cliffs/Barrons left out. I heard of some bad experiences with the Kaplan course so I never thought about shelling $1200 out for the online class. But I cant comment too much because I dont have personal experience with Kaplan.
I also never did Achiever except for two RC sections. Everyone I talked to expressed how hard they are and unrepresentative (based on scores) of the real thing. I would highly recommend Topscore and only Achiever for RC/PA. Crack Science/Math is way too hard as well and poorly explained.
Its my opinion on this test that if you can reach the 23/25 level on the practice tests (Topscore/2009 ADA etc.) on multiple topics then you are set for the real thing (although it is not a guarantee). That is only missing 1-2 questions per section and suggests the knowledge base is present. If one gets lucky they could receive a 28+ or if one gets unlucky at this point they could receive a 21/22 by missing 3-5 questions on the real test. Thats where the magic number of 23/25 seems to be a good indicator to move on and pull up other subjects.
I would do a couple of things differently. First and foremost, stay off the message boards!! I understand this message is hypocritical as I write this breakdown. Basically have selective reading on these boards and view the breakdowns/statistical data and study guide posts only! It seemed like every time I looked elsewhere at posts like Reading Comp = Death I got more nervous and doubted my ability to score well. Everyone has different skills sets and abilities while someone may be terrible at RC, YOU may not trust your practice scores!! There is no better way to gauge your progress than you and the scores you received. Also keep in mind that this is an open board and people may have sinister motives to scare others or just may be freaking out themselves. Also, I got pretty burnt out in the last week (after 7 weeks studying) and I in hindsight I would have taken it earlier. There is only so much cramming a mind can take and 5-6 weeks seems like the perfect time span to review/patch holes or learn new material. But once again this is only my opinion and not a recipe for success.
Overall I have a 3.71 GPA, 3.92 sGPA, and 4.0 post bac GPA. I plan on applying to 12-15 schools. This test definitely opens some doors so I may apply to more schools. Still collecting LORs and working on my personal statement. I hope to have my application submitted here in the next couple weeks.
Hope this information helps!! Feel free to ask other questions that I may have not touched on within reason. Obviously I cant divulge specific information on the test .
Good luck to everyone!!!!
Overall I am ecstatic with my results. I am a post bac and just recently finished all the basic pre requisite courses the past calendar year. Due to the hectic schedule and massive amount of material I put in my head I was hoping for 19/20 across the board which appears to the be mean score that gets accepted with an average GPA anything above a 20 is icing on the cake. I think it was good to set realistic goals and prepare myself to be surprised rather than set a goal of 27 and be let down taking practice tests.
(Disclaimer: these opinions are expressed because they worked for me and may not work or guarantee success for others)
Overall Breakdown:
BIO: 26 (99.5%)
GC: 23 (95.4%)
OC: 27 (98.7%)
PA: 26 (99.6%)
RC: 23 (89.8%)
QR: 22 (97.9%)
TS: 25 (99.5%)
AA: 24 (99.6%)
Schedule:
Began studying mid-May after taking a brief beach trip following the spring semester. Not a morning person by any means so I usually woke up around 9-10am and studied on average 8 hours a day. Some days more, some days less especially after taking practice tests and the last week when I started getting burnt out. Overall I studied for approx. 7 weeks
Materials Used:
Biology: (Cliffs AP, Barrons AP, DATQVault, DAT Destroyer, Topscore, KBB)
The majority of the first few weeks studying was spent on Bio since my first Kaplan free diagnostic test was horrendous in this section. Granted I was still taking Bio 2 at the time and really had not covered all the material, I still felt most deficient in this area. I noticed a lot of high scores from those using Barrons AP so I studied that first. I bought Cliffs to supplement some areas not covered completely in Barrons (such as taxonomy and Protists/Archea/Bacteria). Cliffs was like reading an encyclopedia while Barrons was closer to a childrens picture book. Both cover about 90% of the same material so I would definitely recommend buying both for around $20 each and studying one first. That way when you go through the other one you can easily spot the differences and star/mark the new material to study. The actual test was random, but pretty general. I marked around 8 but was only unsure of maybe 2 questions. I feel like I got pretty lucky with the questions about half make you think and apply knowledge rather than just pure regurgitation of material.
GC: (Chads Videos, DAT Destroyer, KBB)
Simple concepts .couple detail ones here and there but pretty simple overall. Almost so simple that after doing Destroyer you feel uncomfortable answering them because they seem too easy. With Destroyer focus on the reasons behind the answers and not really how many right or wrong. Didnt study a whole lot for this because I was a TA for gen chem for a semester and felt pretty comfortable with the overall concepts.
OC: (Chads Videos, ACS Organic Study Guide, DAT Destroyer, KBB)
I just finished Ochem 2 this past May so I studied the least for this section just touched up a few sections that my class skipped over or briefly touched on. Mainly looked at carbohydrates, amino acids and lab techniques from KBB and Chads Videos. The test was like gen chem basic and general Destroyer is great practice once you know the basics! I felt good about all the questions except one and I guess I missed that one.
PA: (Crack DAT PAT, Topscore)
My first degree was in architecture so I was always good in this area. I started doing Crack PAT and was averaging 23s after 4 tests so I stopped to focus my efforts on other subjects. Crack PAT all the way for practice good software, friendly staff, and very close to the real test if anything Crack PAT was harder. I never finished Crack PAT terribly early but on the real deal I finished with 20 minutes to go and went back to recount my cubes and draw out all the patterns to better visualize the folding patterns.
Crack PAT Tests: 22,21,23,23
RC: (Topscore, Crack Reading, Achiever Reading only)
This section I was the most concerned about. I am a quick reader but end up thinking too much about inference/tone questions which wastes time and tends to lead me in the wrong direction. Being that I kept reading about how the test had switching from primarily S&D to incorporating more tone questions, I bought Crack Reading and Achiever to practice. These two programs were pretty good Crack Reading was all inference/tone but had really short passages (9-12 paragraphs). Achiever was pretty tough (tougher than the real deal) and added to my anxiety but prepared me for the worst.
Crack Reading Tests: 20,21,20,21,23
Achiever Tests: 18,18
QR: (DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, a little KBB)
Just do, and know the ends and outs of why you are answering the questions in these two sources and a good score is within reach. I did 10 Math Destroyer tests and starred the ones I missed or didnt know very well to study again. I always timed myself and used my computer calculator to practice. I saw no point in going through the tests without the pressure of a time limit if you do bad then its incentive to get better if you do good then you can be very comfortable on test day.
Math Destroyer Tests: 19,19,21,21,20,22,21,21,22,17 (burning out at this point)
Topscore Practice Tests: (Pretty on par with real test except for RC all S&D and no tone questions)
AA/TS/BIO/CHEM/OCHEM/PA/QR/RC
Test #1: 5/21/11 (after only studying Biology)
19/19/19/18/19/21/18/21
Test #2: 6/13/11
21/21/21/21/21/24/19/22
Test #3:6/23/11
23/22/20/25/21/23/25/23
2007 ADA Practice Test: (too easy)
(only did the science sections)
BIO: 22
CHEM: 25
OCHEM:30
2009 ADA Online Practice Test: ß Most similar to actual test
(Doesnt give you scaled scores but I scaled them myself from other resources)
23/25/22/28/25/23/20/22
I never did any Kaplan tests and only used the KBB to review the material I already studied the last couple weeks. The biology section in KBB was good in that it covered some skeletal and nervous system topics that Cliffs/Barrons left out. I heard of some bad experiences with the Kaplan course so I never thought about shelling $1200 out for the online class. But I cant comment too much because I dont have personal experience with Kaplan.
I also never did Achiever except for two RC sections. Everyone I talked to expressed how hard they are and unrepresentative (based on scores) of the real thing. I would highly recommend Topscore and only Achiever for RC/PA. Crack Science/Math is way too hard as well and poorly explained.
Its my opinion on this test that if you can reach the 23/25 level on the practice tests (Topscore/2009 ADA etc.) on multiple topics then you are set for the real thing (although it is not a guarantee). That is only missing 1-2 questions per section and suggests the knowledge base is present. If one gets lucky they could receive a 28+ or if one gets unlucky at this point they could receive a 21/22 by missing 3-5 questions on the real test. Thats where the magic number of 23/25 seems to be a good indicator to move on and pull up other subjects.
I would do a couple of things differently. First and foremost, stay off the message boards!! I understand this message is hypocritical as I write this breakdown. Basically have selective reading on these boards and view the breakdowns/statistical data and study guide posts only! It seemed like every time I looked elsewhere at posts like Reading Comp = Death I got more nervous and doubted my ability to score well. Everyone has different skills sets and abilities while someone may be terrible at RC, YOU may not trust your practice scores!! There is no better way to gauge your progress than you and the scores you received. Also keep in mind that this is an open board and people may have sinister motives to scare others or just may be freaking out themselves. Also, I got pretty burnt out in the last week (after 7 weeks studying) and I in hindsight I would have taken it earlier. There is only so much cramming a mind can take and 5-6 weeks seems like the perfect time span to review/patch holes or learn new material. But once again this is only my opinion and not a recipe for success.
Overall I have a 3.71 GPA, 3.92 sGPA, and 4.0 post bac GPA. I plan on applying to 12-15 schools. This test definitely opens some doors so I may apply to more schools. Still collecting LORs and working on my personal statement. I hope to have my application submitted here in the next couple weeks.
Hope this information helps!! Feel free to ask other questions that I may have not touched on within reason. Obviously I cant divulge specific information on the test .
Good luck to everyone!!!!
