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Just would like everyone to know, I'm not one of those students who get straight "A"'s or anything. Also, it takes some time for me to learn things (I'm just a slow learner), so I tried my best to put some dedication into my studying. Although...diablo 3 kinda got me off schedule 😱
Real DAT scores:
PA - 23
QR - 21
RC - 21
Bio - 22
GC - 23
OC - 24
TS - 23
AA - 22
Thoughts on each section:
Biology - I was really nervous going into the exam. As soon as I began the test (with the bio section), I got stumped on the first question. It didn't help that there were at least a couple more questions I wasn't sure about in the first TEN problems. By this point, I felt like I was gonna do horrible. However I was very pleased when I realized I didn't bomb the bio section. I felt the biology section was the hardest out of the three, and I fully understand now why some people say it is a random section. I only had one taxonomy question and no questions relating to plants. Not much I can say here, other than just keep refreshing your bio knowledge, especially the few days before the exam. I used Cliffs AP bio, and went through destroyer once. I'm a bio major so I felt I didn't need to spend as much time studying for this section compared to the others.
DAT Achiever scores for Bio: 18/17/18
Topscore scores: 21/20/19
GC - This section wasn't that bad. I did have a really random lab-pertaining question that I just guessed on. But overall, calculations were simple and questions were of the "either you know it or don't" type. This is by far my weakest subject in the sciences (at least on the practice exams). I have never broken a 19 on this section, even on the 2007 DAT sample exam. I watched Chad's videos once through for gen chem, and then went over the destroyer twice, and then one more time the day before my exam (only because I was really nervous about this section). However on practice tests, no matter how much I studied, there would always be some calculation and conceptual problems that I wasn't sure about. But definitely watch Chads videos and go over the destroyer problems at least once and you should be golden.
DAT Achiever scores for GC: 18/17/18
Topscore scores:19/19/19
OC - This section was, for me, the easiest out of the 3 science sections. I went over the destroyer twice, and watched all of Chads orgo videos once. If you know how to do all the problems in the destroyer (and not memorizing), you will get a 20+ on this section on the real thing. I definitely recommend chads orgo videos, they help a TON. I had a couple very basic questions relating to carbon NMR and H NMR , which was nice.
DAT Achiever scores for OC: 17/17/20
Topscore scores: 21/28/23
QR - I was always "decent" at math, but really hated probability problems. As a matter of fact, I still dont' know how to do them (even going into the exam). Luckily, there was only a basic probability problem on the real thing. I did the first 4 exams on the DAT destroyer and did some practice exams on achiever. A good portion of the real DAT, for me at least, was a lot easier than any problems on destroyer or achiever. However, there were several that were on par with those questions on destroyer and achiever.
DAT Achiever scores for QR: 20/18/20
Topscore scores: 20 (only took one)
RC - Ok, I'm honest when I say I thought I was going to bomb this section. I have been looking at posts to see what is the best strategy. I've tried all of them and none seem to work for me, as I'm really just bad at reading/answer questions about passages. As a matter of fact, the night before my real test (aka yesterday at like 2 am in the morning), I took a CDR practice test and got a 16...simply put, my confidence for this section wasn't that high. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the passages weren't that long. So let me begin sharing what happened while I was taking the real DAT RC section. I started out using the "read the passage while jotting down terms then answer questions technique", well that failed as I spent way to long doing that, and it didn't help me in answering any questions. After the first passage was done I had 34 minutes left! So I switched gears, and did a "search and destroy" type approach where I just went straight to the questions and looked for the answers in the passage. This really worked, and I wish I knew sooner to do this. The questions were all easier in my opinion than CDR or achiever, topscore is closest for those search and destroy type problems. I ended up finishing the section on time thanks to this technique. Tone questions were few and manageable.
DAT Achiever scores for RC: 15/16
CDR: 19/20/20/17/16 (as you can see I got progressively got worse)
PAT - Second only to RC, this section worried me tons! I had gotten down cube counting and hole punching, but the rest was kind of up in the air. On CDP, I would do excellent on keyholes (13-14/15), and on achiever I would do horrible (5/15). On the real DAT, keyholes were a lot easier than achiever, but harder than CDR. It was easy to limit it down to 2 choices for keyholes. Those 2 choices usually had the same shape, but just different proportions. Angles were easier than CDR and achiever, so I wouldn't worry too much about this section. TFE was loads easier than achiever, and about on par with CDR (maybe slightly harder than CDP). Cubes and hole punching were very easy and way easier than achiever or CDR. Pattern folding was way easier than achiever, and about on par with CDR. I really hated pattern folding, but they weren't too bad on the real thing, definitely doable.
DAT Achiever scores: 17/17
CDP: 22/22 (I usually practice each section independently so that is why I only have 2 full length practice scores)
*Also if anyone would like some help on hole punching for the PAT, I would be glad to help. I usually always get 15/15 on this section. I use the grid method, but I kind of simplified it and use some of my own rules, and it works every time (including half hole punches)!
Real DAT scores:
PA - 23
QR - 21
RC - 21
Bio - 22
GC - 23
OC - 24
TS - 23
AA - 22
Thoughts on each section:
Biology - I was really nervous going into the exam. As soon as I began the test (with the bio section), I got stumped on the first question. It didn't help that there were at least a couple more questions I wasn't sure about in the first TEN problems. By this point, I felt like I was gonna do horrible. However I was very pleased when I realized I didn't bomb the bio section. I felt the biology section was the hardest out of the three, and I fully understand now why some people say it is a random section. I only had one taxonomy question and no questions relating to plants. Not much I can say here, other than just keep refreshing your bio knowledge, especially the few days before the exam. I used Cliffs AP bio, and went through destroyer once. I'm a bio major so I felt I didn't need to spend as much time studying for this section compared to the others.
DAT Achiever scores for Bio: 18/17/18
Topscore scores: 21/20/19
GC - This section wasn't that bad. I did have a really random lab-pertaining question that I just guessed on. But overall, calculations were simple and questions were of the "either you know it or don't" type. This is by far my weakest subject in the sciences (at least on the practice exams). I have never broken a 19 on this section, even on the 2007 DAT sample exam. I watched Chad's videos once through for gen chem, and then went over the destroyer twice, and then one more time the day before my exam (only because I was really nervous about this section). However on practice tests, no matter how much I studied, there would always be some calculation and conceptual problems that I wasn't sure about. But definitely watch Chads videos and go over the destroyer problems at least once and you should be golden.
DAT Achiever scores for GC: 18/17/18
Topscore scores:19/19/19
OC - This section was, for me, the easiest out of the 3 science sections. I went over the destroyer twice, and watched all of Chads orgo videos once. If you know how to do all the problems in the destroyer (and not memorizing), you will get a 20+ on this section on the real thing. I definitely recommend chads orgo videos, they help a TON. I had a couple very basic questions relating to carbon NMR and H NMR , which was nice.
DAT Achiever scores for OC: 17/17/20
Topscore scores: 21/28/23
QR - I was always "decent" at math, but really hated probability problems. As a matter of fact, I still dont' know how to do them (even going into the exam). Luckily, there was only a basic probability problem on the real thing. I did the first 4 exams on the DAT destroyer and did some practice exams on achiever. A good portion of the real DAT, for me at least, was a lot easier than any problems on destroyer or achiever. However, there were several that were on par with those questions on destroyer and achiever.
DAT Achiever scores for QR: 20/18/20
Topscore scores: 20 (only took one)
RC - Ok, I'm honest when I say I thought I was going to bomb this section. I have been looking at posts to see what is the best strategy. I've tried all of them and none seem to work for me, as I'm really just bad at reading/answer questions about passages. As a matter of fact, the night before my real test (aka yesterday at like 2 am in the morning), I took a CDR practice test and got a 16...simply put, my confidence for this section wasn't that high. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the passages weren't that long. So let me begin sharing what happened while I was taking the real DAT RC section. I started out using the "read the passage while jotting down terms then answer questions technique", well that failed as I spent way to long doing that, and it didn't help me in answering any questions. After the first passage was done I had 34 minutes left! So I switched gears, and did a "search and destroy" type approach where I just went straight to the questions and looked for the answers in the passage. This really worked, and I wish I knew sooner to do this. The questions were all easier in my opinion than CDR or achiever, topscore is closest for those search and destroy type problems. I ended up finishing the section on time thanks to this technique. Tone questions were few and manageable.
DAT Achiever scores for RC: 15/16
CDR: 19/20/20/17/16 (as you can see I got progressively got worse)
PAT - Second only to RC, this section worried me tons! I had gotten down cube counting and hole punching, but the rest was kind of up in the air. On CDP, I would do excellent on keyholes (13-14/15), and on achiever I would do horrible (5/15). On the real DAT, keyholes were a lot easier than achiever, but harder than CDR. It was easy to limit it down to 2 choices for keyholes. Those 2 choices usually had the same shape, but just different proportions. Angles were easier than CDR and achiever, so I wouldn't worry too much about this section. TFE was loads easier than achiever, and about on par with CDR (maybe slightly harder than CDP). Cubes and hole punching were very easy and way easier than achiever or CDR. Pattern folding was way easier than achiever, and about on par with CDR. I really hated pattern folding, but they weren't too bad on the real thing, definitely doable.
DAT Achiever scores: 17/17
CDP: 22/22 (I usually practice each section independently so that is why I only have 2 full length practice scores)
*Also if anyone would like some help on hole punching for the PAT, I would be glad to help. I usually always get 15/15 on this section. I use the grid method, but I kind of simplified it and use some of my own rules, and it works every time (including half hole punches)!
