- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 0
Where I stand now:
-Attending: Harvard School of Dental Medicine
-Accepted: Harvard, UPenn (Dean's scholarship), Columbia, Maryland, UCSF (out-of-state), Tufts
-Stats: 4.01 AADSAS GPA, 3.98 non-science, 4.0 science
-Major: Chemistry
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=20758&stc=1&d=1343405781
Please let me know if you want help with your applications!
PAT: 23 (96.2)
Bio: 24 (99.6)
GC: 21 (91.6)
OC: 24 (97.9)
RC: 24 (98.0)
QR: 22 (98.7)
TS: 23 (99.3)
AA: 23 (99.7)
Topscore (Bio/GC/OC/PAT/QR):
#1: 26/23/23/22/23
#2: 21/23/23/--/23
#3: 19/23/24--/22
Achiever (Bio/GC/OC/PAT):
#1 18/18/20/18
#2 19/19/18/18
#3 20/19/18/18
ADA 2007 (only did Bio/PAT):
21/21
ADA 2009: (Bio/GC/OC/PAT/RC/QR):
30/26/23/23/21/23
Word of advice: Don't take your scores too seriously on these practice exams! Use them as a mild benchmark (i.e. if you're getting 15's, then it should be a good indication to work on that subject) and learning tool, but also know that they are comparing you to other competitive people who are willing to put the money and hard work to prepare for the exam. There are many other people who take the real DAT and don't even study and see "how they'll do."
Also, do two or more FULL practice tests. If you're not used to the mental fatigue, then you may start to lose focus/energy after that break!
PAT Overall: I used (1) Crack DAT PAT, (2) Achiever, (3) ADA Exams 2007, 2009. PROCESS OF ELIMINATION IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!! Also shapes tend to be more symmetric than those used in all the prep programs (for the lack of a better term, "children-friendly" shapes that you can imagine a child playing with). I can't stress that enough. When people say, "Crack DAT PAT" is not enough I can see what they're talking about in that the answer choices are sometimes too easy to eliminate (i.e. the "right" answer choice is usually miles away from the incorrect answer choices). I think the core problem with Crack DAT PAT is that very reason. However, Crack DAT PAT is a GREAT way to start off PAT for first timers. I still recommend it if you are like "what is this PAT?!"
After finishing Crack DAT PAT, I highly, HIGHLY recommend to do Achiever PAT. Don't get me wrong, Achiever PAT is still WAY harder than the actual exam, BUT it forces you to really nitpick at some details to finally decide on the correct answer choice (i.e. that corner shouldn't belong there in the keyhole because the proportions aren't correct or it just doesn't belong there at all due to the shape). I think this ability is KEY to doing well on the real PAT exam. Develop this and you're in shape to do well (I felt very comfortable going through PAT).
Keyholes: Like I mentioned above, achiever will help you be able to nitpick some details which will let you decide on the final answer.
TFE: TFE is the same way (on the real exam, there are very slight differences between answer choices (usually you will narrow down to two choices within a 15 seconds or so and then the last two choices are almost the same except the difference maybe that one line is dashed or not... from there you have to be able to VISUALIZE to understand if that line is dashed or not or that shape popping out of the shape is a square or a sphere?).
Pattern Folding: Definitely agree that pattern folding is more about pattern folding now than matching up correct shading (probably had like 5 shading questions and 10 figuring pattern folding). Achiever is actually quite spot-on with this section.
Angles - some were obvious (like Kaplan's angles) but some questions would narrow down to two angles that were like CDP difficulty. If you think you're failing this section, I'd say you'd probably do much better than you think because they throw you some gimmes in there. I look at the answer choices and compare from there (saves a LOT of time for me).
Cubes - know your method and stick with it. CDP seems to do 5 diagrams, but there are 6 on the real exam and all the ADA exams I did.
Hole punching - I thought this section COULD'VE been easy, but sometimes you couldn't see where the hell they were punching that damn hole. Take the ADA 2009 exam, and you'll see what I mean.
Overall, I thought the ADA 2009 exam was by-far the best representation of the PAT. I highly recommend doing achiever to hone those process of elimination skills when it comes down to a few answer choices and to start actually visualizing things (esp. TFE) and then do the ADA 2009 exam as a check. You will hate achiever, but you will love yourself for doing it afterwards, trust me!
Bio: I used (1) Destroyer [highly recommend this, it saved me on a few of those "random questions"], (2) Topscore [I could've sworn some questions were DIRECTLY from topscore!?], (3) DATQVault [best for developing the ability to "think through" the picture questions] (4) Achiever [too much detail, but review is review], (5) Cliff's [best for overall review], (6) KBB [it had some info that was o.k. for some gaps in Cliff's, but don't recommend it as the sole study material], (7) Campbell's Preparing for the AP Biology Exam Outline [great, general outline on the book that this section is based off of!] (8) Bangity's Cliff's Notes: [Bangity should be making a profit off of these notes, they were a GODSEND and included almost everything in Cliff's. I would even say that you don't even need to read Cliff's anymore and just read his notes]. I WAS SHOCKED when I saw this score. Breath before depth once again. But I think what helped me again was, once again, process of elimination! Some questions were very long, but they actually didn't require much thought and just your "standardized test-taking skills" (i.e. which answer choices are OBVIOUSLY wrong and which answer choices are too extreme. Rule those out and you're usually left with a 50/50 chance on getting the question right).
GC & OC: (1) Chad's [GREAT if you're rusty. He will cover all of the calc/synthesis questions for sure] and (2) Destroyer [recommend reviewing the CONCEPTUAL questions over the synthesis/calc ones. Some were almost verbatim to the ones on my exam]. Key to these sections - UNDERSTANDING goes a long way than simply memorizing.
RC: (1) Crack DAT Reading. Crack DAT Reading I would say is harder in that the passages are much longer. Most passage are about 15 paragraphs MAX on the real exam (whereas CDR is sometimes like 25?). If you did well on critical reading for the SAT, you should be more than fine for this section. Process of elimination is your best friend and really try to get into the mind of the test-makers for this section. Rule out which answers would be "traps" and which answers are "too extreme" to be right. CDR tutorials were actually pretty good in making me come up with my own answer before I looked at the answer choices and this is another good skill to narrow down choices. I read the entire passage (usually between a skim/active engagement of the reading) in about 6-7 mins and answered.
QR: (1) Math Destroyer and (2) Chad's. Math destroyer all the way! Know it, love it, sleep with it. Also, KNOW YOUR CONVERSIONS. Chad has an outline in one of his videos that gives you all the conversions you need to know for the exam. I had 2 of those problems (and they did not provide me with the conversion). Easy points! Also, recommend the "mark it" method - too hard? mark it, move on and answer the easy ones first.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have absolutely ANY questions!
-Attending: Harvard School of Dental Medicine
-Accepted: Harvard, UPenn (Dean's scholarship), Columbia, Maryland, UCSF (out-of-state), Tufts
-Stats: 4.01 AADSAS GPA, 3.98 non-science, 4.0 science
-Major: Chemistry
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=20758&stc=1&d=1343405781
Please let me know if you want help with your applications!
PAT: 23 (96.2)
Bio: 24 (99.6)
GC: 21 (91.6)
OC: 24 (97.9)
RC: 24 (98.0)
QR: 22 (98.7)
TS: 23 (99.3)
AA: 23 (99.7)
Topscore (Bio/GC/OC/PAT/QR):
#1: 26/23/23/22/23
#2: 21/23/23/--/23
#3: 19/23/24--/22
Achiever (Bio/GC/OC/PAT):
#1 18/18/20/18
#2 19/19/18/18
#3 20/19/18/18
ADA 2007 (only did Bio/PAT):
21/21
ADA 2009: (Bio/GC/OC/PAT/RC/QR):
30/26/23/23/21/23
Word of advice: Don't take your scores too seriously on these practice exams! Use them as a mild benchmark (i.e. if you're getting 15's, then it should be a good indication to work on that subject) and learning tool, but also know that they are comparing you to other competitive people who are willing to put the money and hard work to prepare for the exam. There are many other people who take the real DAT and don't even study and see "how they'll do."
Also, do two or more FULL practice tests. If you're not used to the mental fatigue, then you may start to lose focus/energy after that break!
PAT Overall: I used (1) Crack DAT PAT, (2) Achiever, (3) ADA Exams 2007, 2009. PROCESS OF ELIMINATION IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!! Also shapes tend to be more symmetric than those used in all the prep programs (for the lack of a better term, "children-friendly" shapes that you can imagine a child playing with). I can't stress that enough. When people say, "Crack DAT PAT" is not enough I can see what they're talking about in that the answer choices are sometimes too easy to eliminate (i.e. the "right" answer choice is usually miles away from the incorrect answer choices). I think the core problem with Crack DAT PAT is that very reason. However, Crack DAT PAT is a GREAT way to start off PAT for first timers. I still recommend it if you are like "what is this PAT?!"
After finishing Crack DAT PAT, I highly, HIGHLY recommend to do Achiever PAT. Don't get me wrong, Achiever PAT is still WAY harder than the actual exam, BUT it forces you to really nitpick at some details to finally decide on the correct answer choice (i.e. that corner shouldn't belong there in the keyhole because the proportions aren't correct or it just doesn't belong there at all due to the shape). I think this ability is KEY to doing well on the real PAT exam. Develop this and you're in shape to do well (I felt very comfortable going through PAT).
Keyholes: Like I mentioned above, achiever will help you be able to nitpick some details which will let you decide on the final answer.
TFE: TFE is the same way (on the real exam, there are very slight differences between answer choices (usually you will narrow down to two choices within a 15 seconds or so and then the last two choices are almost the same except the difference maybe that one line is dashed or not... from there you have to be able to VISUALIZE to understand if that line is dashed or not or that shape popping out of the shape is a square or a sphere?).
Pattern Folding: Definitely agree that pattern folding is more about pattern folding now than matching up correct shading (probably had like 5 shading questions and 10 figuring pattern folding). Achiever is actually quite spot-on with this section.
Angles - some were obvious (like Kaplan's angles) but some questions would narrow down to two angles that were like CDP difficulty. If you think you're failing this section, I'd say you'd probably do much better than you think because they throw you some gimmes in there. I look at the answer choices and compare from there (saves a LOT of time for me).
Cubes - know your method and stick with it. CDP seems to do 5 diagrams, but there are 6 on the real exam and all the ADA exams I did.
Hole punching - I thought this section COULD'VE been easy, but sometimes you couldn't see where the hell they were punching that damn hole. Take the ADA 2009 exam, and you'll see what I mean.
Overall, I thought the ADA 2009 exam was by-far the best representation of the PAT. I highly recommend doing achiever to hone those process of elimination skills when it comes down to a few answer choices and to start actually visualizing things (esp. TFE) and then do the ADA 2009 exam as a check. You will hate achiever, but you will love yourself for doing it afterwards, trust me!
Bio: I used (1) Destroyer [highly recommend this, it saved me on a few of those "random questions"], (2) Topscore [I could've sworn some questions were DIRECTLY from topscore!?], (3) DATQVault [best for developing the ability to "think through" the picture questions] (4) Achiever [too much detail, but review is review], (5) Cliff's [best for overall review], (6) KBB [it had some info that was o.k. for some gaps in Cliff's, but don't recommend it as the sole study material], (7) Campbell's Preparing for the AP Biology Exam Outline [great, general outline on the book that this section is based off of!] (8) Bangity's Cliff's Notes: [Bangity should be making a profit off of these notes, they were a GODSEND and included almost everything in Cliff's. I would even say that you don't even need to read Cliff's anymore and just read his notes]. I WAS SHOCKED when I saw this score. Breath before depth once again. But I think what helped me again was, once again, process of elimination! Some questions were very long, but they actually didn't require much thought and just your "standardized test-taking skills" (i.e. which answer choices are OBVIOUSLY wrong and which answer choices are too extreme. Rule those out and you're usually left with a 50/50 chance on getting the question right).
GC & OC: (1) Chad's [GREAT if you're rusty. He will cover all of the calc/synthesis questions for sure] and (2) Destroyer [recommend reviewing the CONCEPTUAL questions over the synthesis/calc ones. Some were almost verbatim to the ones on my exam]. Key to these sections - UNDERSTANDING goes a long way than simply memorizing.
RC: (1) Crack DAT Reading. Crack DAT Reading I would say is harder in that the passages are much longer. Most passage are about 15 paragraphs MAX on the real exam (whereas CDR is sometimes like 25?). If you did well on critical reading for the SAT, you should be more than fine for this section. Process of elimination is your best friend and really try to get into the mind of the test-makers for this section. Rule out which answers would be "traps" and which answers are "too extreme" to be right. CDR tutorials were actually pretty good in making me come up with my own answer before I looked at the answer choices and this is another good skill to narrow down choices. I read the entire passage (usually between a skim/active engagement of the reading) in about 6-7 mins and answered.
QR: (1) Math Destroyer and (2) Chad's. Math destroyer all the way! Know it, love it, sleep with it. Also, KNOW YOUR CONVERSIONS. Chad has an outline in one of his videos that gives you all the conversions you need to know for the exam. I had 2 of those problems (and they did not provide me with the conversion). Easy points! Also, recommend the "mark it" method - too hard? mark it, move on and answer the easy ones first.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have absolutely ANY questions!
Last edited:
