Onedaydentist21
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Hello everyone, I took my DAT over a month ago now and finally got to writing a breakdown as they were very helpful for me while studying.
Scores:
AA (23), TS (23), BIO (30), O Chem (22), Gen Chem (21), PAT (22), QR (21), RC (21)
Resources used: DAT Booster
I thoroughly enjoyed Booster and think it was a great decision for my DAT process. There are other resources but I think the financial aspect of Booster is the best deal considering all of the resources out there give you sufficient resources to prepare yourself. The few things I loved about Booster that I think you should take advantage of are the daily practice questions, Bio Bits, the PAT generators, the games for each section, the premade Anki slides for Bio, Gen Chem, and O Chem, and basically every practice question or test they offer.
How I studied:
Overall, I followed the 12 week schedule they offer. I followed this schedule to a “T” through the learning/information section which was about 6 weeks, more or less. Then once I got a solid base under me and began to take practice tests, I learned which sections I could prioritize and which ones I could lay off of. The routine that I slowly began to follow was Bio Anki and practice questions on one day then the next day do Gen Chem (equations generally on Anki) or O Chem (reactions Anki) along with practice questions, just rotating through those every other day. In addition each day I would do 15 questions of each subsection of the PAT and then rotate the days I do either QR practice questions or an RC passage. When I started taking practice tests I would just do those that day, then if I felt like it I would review the entire test and go over missed questions to understand what I did wrong. If not I would generally take tests on Friday then if I didn’t review them I would do it Saturday morning then enjoy Saturday as a partial rest day. When I was in the learning phase I would generally do a bit of studying each day of the week. However, once I got to the review and the practice tests I would take most of Saturday and Sunday off. I realized after a couple weeks that you need breaks, you end up feeling fresh each day studying and give your mind a break. I was fortunate to have some family vacations over the summer while studying and so being in a new place also gave me a feeling of a fresh reset during a number of weeks. Now let’s get into the subsection specifics.
Biology:
Biology was initially, and honestly, the majority of the time my worst subject during all of my practice tests. However, I continued to work on it almost every day and the results showed in the actual test. However, I will say that Booster significantly over prepares you for this section, the questions were much more broad and I felt like I knew/could reason through everything on the actual exam. I followed the schedule exactly for the learning phase in Bio. I would watch the videos while taking notes then complete practice questions through Bio Bits. About 2 weeks in or so I began to use Anki as well, and I would say this is what allowed me to slowly yet surely improve my score. I used the premade booster Anki mostly, however I found some supplemental made ones through Reddit for things like the animal phylas. Like I said, I consistently scored the lowest in Bio during the practice exams, however that motivated me to grind Anki and I did about 300 cards of Bio a day when I did Anki. I tried to do as many Bio Bits questions as I could, I didn’t do them all but for the sections I continuously scored low on I would prioritize those sections. I think I ended up doing around 70% of the bio bits which is a lot, but I would say helped me in the long run. Also one thing that I loved but not sure how many people use it are the game challenges section. I would use these for all sections but in Bio it was great because Bio covers such a large amount of material and in the games they give you random questions that are similar to practice exam questions. This allowed me to get randomized practice and see what stuff I knew and didn’t without taking the practice exams. I saw a bit of improvement in the practice tests, but as I said Booster over prepares you and the questions they ask are much more specific then you will need. Therefore, when I took the test I was flying through the section and felt very confident.
O Chem:
O Chem was challenging for me at first, I had taken it in college sophomore year so I was almost 2 years removed from the class. I did alright in these classes but all things considered I was not the biggest fan. However, thankfully I had taken it previously and a lot of the reactions and material slowly came back to me when studying. This is going to be a common theme for this write up, but Anki and practice questions were crucial for me in this section. Anki was crucial for getting the reactions down then the practice questions solidified my knowledge. Booster has a great deck for this section once again but if you want to find more there are always people who have Anki decks on Reddit. Because there are not a ton of practice questions for O Chem outside of practice questions I would once again do the game challenges for O Chem. This helped me a lot because it showed me which questions I knew and which needed work. Towards the last 4 tests I scored around 20-23 in O Chem so I was happy with this score but it wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting, the questions were quite similar to the real exam.
Gen Chem:
This section was one of the hardest for me because I felt like I was improving but my test scores just never showed it. Once again, I took this series freshman year so almost 3 years before taking the exam and I also did not do that well. I just wasn’t that focused my freshman year which led to me remembering some of the material but having to learn most of it again. The best part about this section is that the majority of the questions are the same and if you get down to how to interpret a question with a specific equation or equations then you can solve the questions pretty easily, however you also have to be able to do mental math. Once I figured that out I got a bit better in this section, but Gen Chem along with Bio were my lowest scoring sections pretty consistently. The thing that helped me the most with this section was once again Anki, trying to dial down the equations and relationships. There are also a bunch of practice questions that go with each lesson so I would redo the ones I didn’t do too well in and also do the game challenges as well. I think this section just requires a bunch of repetition and getting used to the question types and you’ll begin to start seeing a pattern. I was happy with a 21 considering most of my practice scores were below 20 and around 18-19, but this was a section that I was just confused on how I wasn’t scoring better as I felt I understood the questions and had a grasp of it.
PAT:
The PAT is practically like learning another language. It is challenging at first, however, it is the one section that you must stay consistent no matter what. If you stop for a period of time you will lose your ability to do well, and your progress will be slightly lost. There are some tips and tricks for a number of the subsections, such as cube counting, angle ranking, and hole punching. However, the rest are just trial and error, figuring out what works for you best and then getting the hang of things. I would do around 15 questions per day of each subsection, timing myself every time. This test is all about timing, and the PAT is the hardest section to get everything done in the allotted time. Therefore consistent practice under a timed environment is crucial, you must finish as there are easy points that can be lost if you take too long. I would start with angle ranking as I thought it was the best to get done first when my eyes were the freshest, then I would do cube counting, then hole punching, then pattern folding, then keyhole then TFE. You will slowly see improvement and get more comfortable in the practice tests if you stay consistent. Overall, I was happy with my score, I was getting around this on the practice exams however it did feel a bit different in the exam. Some sections were a breeze and some were more challenging, so it really is test to test, but overall the same.
QR:
I have never been a very good math student but honestly the QR section is not that challenging of math questions. You have to get a few equations down and then similar to Gen Chem you start to see equations that match up with the same problems pretty consistently. I would go over the practice questions of the sections I was not very good at, but like I said in this section you just start to get a hang of the questions that are asked and the equations you must use. You have the mini calculator but you also need to be able to do mental math as this test is time based so you gotta move. I was a bit disappointed in my score as in the practice exams I was scoring consistently around a 23 however, this being the last section of the test I definitely was mentally drained and I think that took a toll on my final score.
RC:
This section is similar to the PAT in that it is just practice practice practice and finding out what method works for you. There are a number of methods like reading the entire passage then answering questions, reading part of the passage then looking at questions, and then search and destroy (which is what I found worked for me) which is going to the questions then skimming the reading to try and find an answer. This section was far and away the most disappointing for me on the real exam. I was consistently getting around 25-26 on my practice exams and missing 5 or less questions. However, this was also the most challenging section on the real exam in my opinion. The passages were much harder than anything I saw on Booster and that was a bit of a shock to me. At the moment I freaked out a bit but realized I just had to focus and pick the best answer in my opinion. Overall, getting a 21 for how bad I was feeling in the moment was a relief. The passages were very science based and hard to decipher using the search and destroy method. They were more ambiguous questions that didn’t have specific answers you could pinpoint in the passage. So it is possible I just got a hard couple of passages but I think Booster should increase the difficulty of their passages as I was a lot more confident going into the test and thought this would be my freebie section.
Final Statements:
Overall, Booster was a fantastic resource and it will prepare you plenty for this test. However, it is very much on you to be consistent and put in the work everyday. This test is all about timing and endurance, therefore your long study sessions and being able to lock in during practice tests are crucial to mentally prepare yourself for the actual exam. In my opinion Booster has everything you need to succeed, I know some people that try and get multiple resources which I think is overkill. You will stress yourself out more thinking you need to get all of the material done, and at the end of the day it probably will end up making you do worse or if it does help you, it barely will. Just pick one resource and stick with it, be disciplined in your studies. I also highly recommend to try and study during a period of time where you don’t have many other commitments. I was fortunate to be able to live at home over summer to study while also shadowing and volunteering to build my resume. It will be a long and strenuous period of time but if you put in the work it is well worth it, opening up many other doors for your future. You don’t want to have those “what if” thoughts after taking the exam or have to retake it, just focus up and treat each day independently, trying to progress in some format little by little. However, also remember to take breaks and to be easy on yourself, it is a long process and you need all the mental strength possible over this time. Relax with family and friends, enjoy some weekends, do what you love. I also highly recommend working out each day and to eat a healthy nutrient dense diet. Treat your body like a machine and it will perform the best for you. Keeping mental and physical health in mind will allow you to perform at the best of your abilities every day. Everyone has their own path so don’t compare yourself to others, this test isn’t the only thing that decides your dental school admissions. So treat it like a mountain you're going to overcome and a piece of the puzzle that will help you reach your goal of attending dental school. You got this!
Scores:
AA (23), TS (23), BIO (30), O Chem (22), Gen Chem (21), PAT (22), QR (21), RC (21)
Resources used: DAT Booster
I thoroughly enjoyed Booster and think it was a great decision for my DAT process. There are other resources but I think the financial aspect of Booster is the best deal considering all of the resources out there give you sufficient resources to prepare yourself. The few things I loved about Booster that I think you should take advantage of are the daily practice questions, Bio Bits, the PAT generators, the games for each section, the premade Anki slides for Bio, Gen Chem, and O Chem, and basically every practice question or test they offer.
How I studied:
Overall, I followed the 12 week schedule they offer. I followed this schedule to a “T” through the learning/information section which was about 6 weeks, more or less. Then once I got a solid base under me and began to take practice tests, I learned which sections I could prioritize and which ones I could lay off of. The routine that I slowly began to follow was Bio Anki and practice questions on one day then the next day do Gen Chem (equations generally on Anki) or O Chem (reactions Anki) along with practice questions, just rotating through those every other day. In addition each day I would do 15 questions of each subsection of the PAT and then rotate the days I do either QR practice questions or an RC passage. When I started taking practice tests I would just do those that day, then if I felt like it I would review the entire test and go over missed questions to understand what I did wrong. If not I would generally take tests on Friday then if I didn’t review them I would do it Saturday morning then enjoy Saturday as a partial rest day. When I was in the learning phase I would generally do a bit of studying each day of the week. However, once I got to the review and the practice tests I would take most of Saturday and Sunday off. I realized after a couple weeks that you need breaks, you end up feeling fresh each day studying and give your mind a break. I was fortunate to have some family vacations over the summer while studying and so being in a new place also gave me a feeling of a fresh reset during a number of weeks. Now let’s get into the subsection specifics.
Biology:
Biology was initially, and honestly, the majority of the time my worst subject during all of my practice tests. However, I continued to work on it almost every day and the results showed in the actual test. However, I will say that Booster significantly over prepares you for this section, the questions were much more broad and I felt like I knew/could reason through everything on the actual exam. I followed the schedule exactly for the learning phase in Bio. I would watch the videos while taking notes then complete practice questions through Bio Bits. About 2 weeks in or so I began to use Anki as well, and I would say this is what allowed me to slowly yet surely improve my score. I used the premade booster Anki mostly, however I found some supplemental made ones through Reddit for things like the animal phylas. Like I said, I consistently scored the lowest in Bio during the practice exams, however that motivated me to grind Anki and I did about 300 cards of Bio a day when I did Anki. I tried to do as many Bio Bits questions as I could, I didn’t do them all but for the sections I continuously scored low on I would prioritize those sections. I think I ended up doing around 70% of the bio bits which is a lot, but I would say helped me in the long run. Also one thing that I loved but not sure how many people use it are the game challenges section. I would use these for all sections but in Bio it was great because Bio covers such a large amount of material and in the games they give you random questions that are similar to practice exam questions. This allowed me to get randomized practice and see what stuff I knew and didn’t without taking the practice exams. I saw a bit of improvement in the practice tests, but as I said Booster over prepares you and the questions they ask are much more specific then you will need. Therefore, when I took the test I was flying through the section and felt very confident.
O Chem:
O Chem was challenging for me at first, I had taken it in college sophomore year so I was almost 2 years removed from the class. I did alright in these classes but all things considered I was not the biggest fan. However, thankfully I had taken it previously and a lot of the reactions and material slowly came back to me when studying. This is going to be a common theme for this write up, but Anki and practice questions were crucial for me in this section. Anki was crucial for getting the reactions down then the practice questions solidified my knowledge. Booster has a great deck for this section once again but if you want to find more there are always people who have Anki decks on Reddit. Because there are not a ton of practice questions for O Chem outside of practice questions I would once again do the game challenges for O Chem. This helped me a lot because it showed me which questions I knew and which needed work. Towards the last 4 tests I scored around 20-23 in O Chem so I was happy with this score but it wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting, the questions were quite similar to the real exam.
Gen Chem:
This section was one of the hardest for me because I felt like I was improving but my test scores just never showed it. Once again, I took this series freshman year so almost 3 years before taking the exam and I also did not do that well. I just wasn’t that focused my freshman year which led to me remembering some of the material but having to learn most of it again. The best part about this section is that the majority of the questions are the same and if you get down to how to interpret a question with a specific equation or equations then you can solve the questions pretty easily, however you also have to be able to do mental math. Once I figured that out I got a bit better in this section, but Gen Chem along with Bio were my lowest scoring sections pretty consistently. The thing that helped me the most with this section was once again Anki, trying to dial down the equations and relationships. There are also a bunch of practice questions that go with each lesson so I would redo the ones I didn’t do too well in and also do the game challenges as well. I think this section just requires a bunch of repetition and getting used to the question types and you’ll begin to start seeing a pattern. I was happy with a 21 considering most of my practice scores were below 20 and around 18-19, but this was a section that I was just confused on how I wasn’t scoring better as I felt I understood the questions and had a grasp of it.
PAT:
The PAT is practically like learning another language. It is challenging at first, however, it is the one section that you must stay consistent no matter what. If you stop for a period of time you will lose your ability to do well, and your progress will be slightly lost. There are some tips and tricks for a number of the subsections, such as cube counting, angle ranking, and hole punching. However, the rest are just trial and error, figuring out what works for you best and then getting the hang of things. I would do around 15 questions per day of each subsection, timing myself every time. This test is all about timing, and the PAT is the hardest section to get everything done in the allotted time. Therefore consistent practice under a timed environment is crucial, you must finish as there are easy points that can be lost if you take too long. I would start with angle ranking as I thought it was the best to get done first when my eyes were the freshest, then I would do cube counting, then hole punching, then pattern folding, then keyhole then TFE. You will slowly see improvement and get more comfortable in the practice tests if you stay consistent. Overall, I was happy with my score, I was getting around this on the practice exams however it did feel a bit different in the exam. Some sections were a breeze and some were more challenging, so it really is test to test, but overall the same.
QR:
I have never been a very good math student but honestly the QR section is not that challenging of math questions. You have to get a few equations down and then similar to Gen Chem you start to see equations that match up with the same problems pretty consistently. I would go over the practice questions of the sections I was not very good at, but like I said in this section you just start to get a hang of the questions that are asked and the equations you must use. You have the mini calculator but you also need to be able to do mental math as this test is time based so you gotta move. I was a bit disappointed in my score as in the practice exams I was scoring consistently around a 23 however, this being the last section of the test I definitely was mentally drained and I think that took a toll on my final score.
RC:
This section is similar to the PAT in that it is just practice practice practice and finding out what method works for you. There are a number of methods like reading the entire passage then answering questions, reading part of the passage then looking at questions, and then search and destroy (which is what I found worked for me) which is going to the questions then skimming the reading to try and find an answer. This section was far and away the most disappointing for me on the real exam. I was consistently getting around 25-26 on my practice exams and missing 5 or less questions. However, this was also the most challenging section on the real exam in my opinion. The passages were much harder than anything I saw on Booster and that was a bit of a shock to me. At the moment I freaked out a bit but realized I just had to focus and pick the best answer in my opinion. Overall, getting a 21 for how bad I was feeling in the moment was a relief. The passages were very science based and hard to decipher using the search and destroy method. They were more ambiguous questions that didn’t have specific answers you could pinpoint in the passage. So it is possible I just got a hard couple of passages but I think Booster should increase the difficulty of their passages as I was a lot more confident going into the test and thought this would be my freebie section.
Final Statements:
Overall, Booster was a fantastic resource and it will prepare you plenty for this test. However, it is very much on you to be consistent and put in the work everyday. This test is all about timing and endurance, therefore your long study sessions and being able to lock in during practice tests are crucial to mentally prepare yourself for the actual exam. In my opinion Booster has everything you need to succeed, I know some people that try and get multiple resources which I think is overkill. You will stress yourself out more thinking you need to get all of the material done, and at the end of the day it probably will end up making you do worse or if it does help you, it barely will. Just pick one resource and stick with it, be disciplined in your studies. I also highly recommend to try and study during a period of time where you don’t have many other commitments. I was fortunate to be able to live at home over summer to study while also shadowing and volunteering to build my resume. It will be a long and strenuous period of time but if you put in the work it is well worth it, opening up many other doors for your future. You don’t want to have those “what if” thoughts after taking the exam or have to retake it, just focus up and treat each day independently, trying to progress in some format little by little. However, also remember to take breaks and to be easy on yourself, it is a long process and you need all the mental strength possible over this time. Relax with family and friends, enjoy some weekends, do what you love. I also highly recommend working out each day and to eat a healthy nutrient dense diet. Treat your body like a machine and it will perform the best for you. Keeping mental and physical health in mind will allow you to perform at the best of your abilities every day. Everyone has their own path so don’t compare yourself to others, this test isn’t the only thing that decides your dental school admissions. So treat it like a mountain you're going to overcome and a piece of the puzzle that will help you reach your goal of attending dental school. You got this!
