- Joined
- Oct 24, 2012
- Messages
- 1,937
- Reaction score
- 983
Scores if image embed doesn't work:
AA - 22 (95.7%)
TS - 22 (94.8%)
PA - 25 (98.6%)
BS - 25 (99.1%)
GC - 22 (89.2%)
OC - 22 (88.7%)
RC - 19 (53.2%)
QR - 20 (88.3%)
Being done is so surreal. When you devote yourself to this test, you study, then study some more, and even when you're having fun and not studying, the DAT is always in the back of your mind. Throughout the past 2 months of studying (4-5 hrs a day, sometimes more, sometimes less), I've gotten so much solid advice and support from people on here that I feel like it's my obligation to return some of the love. I'm going to break down every section here, feel free to ask me questions if I don't address something you're curious about.
I started studying last November, but my progress got really thrown off by the holidays, and I didn't really whole heartedly start studying until mid-January when the semester began, my girlfriend was busy with grad school, and my friends were more tied up in other things. From Mid January until today (yup, until the very last second before I left the door) I was studying. I work ~25 hours a week, so I studied in my free time when I wasn't at work.
I found great motivation in looking at other people's practice scores vs their real scores. I adapted jimpanzee's (thanks brotha!) "Statbook" and kept meticulous records of my performance on all graded study material. I've attached it at the bottom.
Biology (25, 99.1%)
Materials used: Cliffs, Barrons, DAT Destroyer, DATqVault (free! thanks @datqvault), YouTube, MCAT Audio Osmosis in the car thumbdown)
You'll never know everything, so I think out of all the sections on the test, luck is a huge component of this. For example: I only had a few taxonomy questions, no photosynthesis, no plants. I think the key here is just exposing yourself to a ton of material. I studied biology last, so this information was freshest in my mind. My three primary methods of studying were drawing out pathways/cycles, remembering tons of mnemonics (ex. anterior pituitary produces GAP TFL, osteoBlasts BUILD, alpha cells make glucose, beta cells make insulin, because G comes before I in the alphabet, and alpha comes before beta), and watching youtube videos (find Craig Savage, I enjoyed his lectures).
General Chemistry (22, 89.2%)
Materials used: Chads 2x, DAT Destroyer 2x
I've said this before, but if you're not using Chad's videos I think you're putting yourself at a disadvantage. For the price, these study materials are the best bang for the buck. I honestly expected a bit of a higher score here, given that I got perfect scores on 2007 and 2009, but I can't really complain. Destroyer is way overkill, but that said I think if you approach it knowing it's not representative of the test it has a lot of value. It doesn't matter how many you get wrong, just REVIEW your answers and learn why you got it wrong. Chad's quizzes were pretty representative of the real exam. There was an even mix of conceptual questions vs. calculations.
Organic Chemistry (22, 88.7%)
Materials used: Chads 2x, DAT Destroyer 2x
Again, Chad's set me up nicely here. Destroyer Ochem is, again, far more difficult than the real thing, but presents a wealth of information and is a valuable learning tool. I whited out products and filled in all of the roadmaps about 5 times.
Perceptual Ability (25, 98.6%)
Materials used: Crack DAT PAT, Achiever, a little bit of qvault
I would do perceptual ability tests when I couldn't muster up enough motivation to study the sciences. I never scored above a 23 on CDPAT, but scored 18, 21, and 21 on Achiever PAT 1-3. In terms of difficulty:
Hardest --> Easiest
Keyholes -- Achiever >> REAL >> CDPAT
Orthographic Projection -- All about the same, Qvault I think was actually the hardest
Angler Ranking -- REAL >> CDPAT >> Achiever
Hole Punching -- All about the same
Cube Counting -- CDPAT > REAL = Achiever
Paper Folding -- CDPAT > Achiever > REAL
I've described my methods for each section in other threads, so just post here or PM me if you need any suggestions/assistance with a particular subsection.
Reading Comprehension (19, 53.2%)
Materials used: 2009 ADA, Achiever
So, I was hoping for 20+ on all sections, but then I got some tough passages. My passages were: Fiber optics, Prions, Genetic diseases. Time management is key here - watch the clock and try to not get hung up on one question, give yourself time to get the "gimmies" then come back to the tough questions. I had a lot of "The statement is correct but the reason is NOT" type of questions. I think if I retook the test, which I won't, I'd probably practice a few more reading sections before going in on game day.
Quantitative Reasoning (20, 88.3%)
Materials used: Math Destroyer, Destroyer, Qvault
This section wasn't too bad. People have said it before and it's true, practice problems so that when you encounter one on the real thing you immediately know the TYPE of problem and don't have to think "how do I set this up?" Consult the statbook to see my scores on practice material. My computer shut off randomly with ~10 minutes left! The proctor had to come in and restart the computer, and I resumed with the same amount of time left. Despite that malfunction, my calculator worked like a charm and I used it a ton.
Complete Practice Tests
Materials used: ADA 2007, ADA 2009, Achiever
I wouldn't go into this test without practicing at least one full, timed, test. One question on the real exam was literally word for word from the ADA 2009. Maybe that's their way of paying me back for not giving me an answer key, haha. 2007 and 2009 are good indicators of score, though I think they're both a little easier than the real thing. I loved using Achiever, despite my sub-par scores.
In conclusion...
I'm so relieved this is over and won't have to take it again. I've got to acknowledge Ari (Gator D) - this guy is the man. He was a great support throughout the process helping guide my study process, and actually persuaded me to postpone the test (I think I scored much better in bio because of this). He's working on a website that hosts DAT practice material and it's off to a nice start - Shoot him a PM and get on board!
Now it's time to get back to real life and have some fun! Please post here or PM me with any questions you have, it's almost therapeutic to "debrief" after the exam, so I'm totally open to chat.
PS: ALL MATERIALS SOLD, THANKS!
Attachments
Last edited: