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Hello everyone! I've been lurking for maybe over a week now. I feel pretty unprepared, but I'm kind of out of time. I'm taking the DATs on January 13th. I am a Biology major from Texas A&M, and I'm applying for 2013 admission. I just finished Organic chem 2 last fall so it's the most recent. I APed out of Biology (Got a 5) senior year of high school (2010), and I APed out of a semester of gen chem 1 (2009). Being a biology major I was hoping I would own the science sections (Mainly Biology), but it's pretty bad as you can see. General Chemistry is the worst, I guessed on the whole AP Chemistry exam and got out of chem 1. Bad decision on testing out of it!
I have taken 3 practice exams so far.
My first exam was the 2007 Sample DAT (I took about 3 weeks ago)
Biology 16
Gen Chem 17
O-Chem 28
PAT 17
RC 19
QR 19
I think this O-chem section was just really easy, or the topics that were on it I knew very well. But the other scores are pretty bad! I finished most sections early and didn't check any of my work. I studied using the Kaplan Blue Book, which refreshed my memory of certain topics.
Kaplan Blue Book 7th edition Exam (About 2 weeks ago)
Biology 19
Gen Chem 17 (I think this is my worst section)
O-chem 19 (Big drop)
PAT 18
RC 22
QR 21
People say that the PAT on this is a joke, so does that mean I am going to do worse on the real DAT?
Topscore Exam 1 (Taken Today)
Biology 19
Gen Chem 17 (Yeah again 😱)
O-chem 18
PAT 20
RC 22
QR 21
I kind of made some silly mistakes, but I will use the full time for the 2nd and 3rd top score exams. Also I accidentally did it in sections, I finished Biology with about 20 extra minutes and Ochem with like 10, but Gen-chem I ran out of time but forgot to do the "total" dat so I had to do it all separately.
I plan to take the 2nd Top score exam on Sunday and the 3rd one on Wednesday.
I'm also beta testing for DATqVault and I finished all 10 biology benchmarks, I plan to do all the benchmark exams before Sunday that I have left for the other sections.
Biology
BM 1: 18
BM 2: 18
BM 3: 18
BM 4: 20
BM 5: 20
BM 6: 18
BM 7: 17
BM 8: 17
BM 9: 16
BM 10: 19
I usually finish each benchmark in about 15-25 minutes. I believe the more mistakes I make, the less I will make the same mistake. So guessing a right answer won't help me as much as getting the answer wrong. But on the real DAT I'll use up all the time and try my very best.
Overall, I wished I knew how people studied for the DAT, all I did was read the KBB for less than 2 weeks. And finally I found this website, but I don't have cliff's biology and I don't think I can read it that fast anyways.
What I am aiming for...
Biology (19)- I feel like it's the luck of the draw. Most the time I narrow it down to two choices and pick the wrong one. But generally I have an idea on maybe 38/40 of the questions. The 2/40 I completely guess.
General Chemistry (18)- I think I just make too many mistakes in this section, I think it's easier than Biology, but I always make a worse score lol.
Organic Chemistry (21)- I'm hoping to pull a really high score for this section, I remember a lot and most the questions that I miss I just went too fast or read the question wrong.
PAT (18)
Key hole- I think I might take too much time on this section, it takes me a while to imagine it. 2nd hardest for me.
TFE- I looked at the thread with tutorial and I can find the top view really easily now, but the other views, I really just guess and have no idea. Hardest section for me.
Angles, Hole Punching, Cube Counting- These are the easiest sections for me, Cube counting I might be spending too much time though.
Folding- I mean usually I narrow it down to two, it's not that bad, but it takes a big chunk of the time.
RC (21)- In top score exam 1 there were no "How does the author feel, or was the author a realist, or what does the author mean by ..." Overall I know this will be one of my stronger sections.
QR (21)- Trig kills me for sure and geometry a bit too, but overall it's my stronger section. The only thing that bugs me is that on the DATs now they have a calculator, I just wonder how that will affect me. (If I will be faster or slower, or the questions are harder). And do I have to know all the formulas?
I will be studying and will post my TS2 and TS3 exams. Thank you everyone who read my rant. If you have any suggestions to help me improve please post.
I have taken 3 practice exams so far.
My first exam was the 2007 Sample DAT (I took about 3 weeks ago)
Biology 16
Gen Chem 17
O-Chem 28
PAT 17
RC 19
QR 19
I think this O-chem section was just really easy, or the topics that were on it I knew very well. But the other scores are pretty bad! I finished most sections early and didn't check any of my work. I studied using the Kaplan Blue Book, which refreshed my memory of certain topics.
Kaplan Blue Book 7th edition Exam (About 2 weeks ago)
Biology 19
Gen Chem 17 (I think this is my worst section)
O-chem 19 (Big drop)
PAT 18
RC 22
QR 21
People say that the PAT on this is a joke, so does that mean I am going to do worse on the real DAT?
Topscore Exam 1 (Taken Today)
Biology 19
Gen Chem 17 (Yeah again 😱)
O-chem 18
PAT 20
RC 22
QR 21
I kind of made some silly mistakes, but I will use the full time for the 2nd and 3rd top score exams. Also I accidentally did it in sections, I finished Biology with about 20 extra minutes and Ochem with like 10, but Gen-chem I ran out of time but forgot to do the "total" dat so I had to do it all separately.
I plan to take the 2nd Top score exam on Sunday and the 3rd one on Wednesday.
I'm also beta testing for DATqVault and I finished all 10 biology benchmarks, I plan to do all the benchmark exams before Sunday that I have left for the other sections.
Biology
BM 1: 18
BM 2: 18
BM 3: 18
BM 4: 20
BM 5: 20
BM 6: 18
BM 7: 17
BM 8: 17
BM 9: 16
BM 10: 19
I usually finish each benchmark in about 15-25 minutes. I believe the more mistakes I make, the less I will make the same mistake. So guessing a right answer won't help me as much as getting the answer wrong. But on the real DAT I'll use up all the time and try my very best.
Overall, I wished I knew how people studied for the DAT, all I did was read the KBB for less than 2 weeks. And finally I found this website, but I don't have cliff's biology and I don't think I can read it that fast anyways.
What I am aiming for...
Biology (19)- I feel like it's the luck of the draw. Most the time I narrow it down to two choices and pick the wrong one. But generally I have an idea on maybe 38/40 of the questions. The 2/40 I completely guess.
General Chemistry (18)- I think I just make too many mistakes in this section, I think it's easier than Biology, but I always make a worse score lol.
Organic Chemistry (21)- I'm hoping to pull a really high score for this section, I remember a lot and most the questions that I miss I just went too fast or read the question wrong.
PAT (18)
Key hole- I think I might take too much time on this section, it takes me a while to imagine it. 2nd hardest for me.
TFE- I looked at the thread with tutorial and I can find the top view really easily now, but the other views, I really just guess and have no idea. Hardest section for me.
Angles, Hole Punching, Cube Counting- These are the easiest sections for me, Cube counting I might be spending too much time though.
Folding- I mean usually I narrow it down to two, it's not that bad, but it takes a big chunk of the time.
RC (21)- In top score exam 1 there were no "How does the author feel, or was the author a realist, or what does the author mean by ..." Overall I know this will be one of my stronger sections.
QR (21)- Trig kills me for sure and geometry a bit too, but overall it's my stronger section. The only thing that bugs me is that on the DATs now they have a calculator, I just wonder how that will affect me. (If I will be faster or slower, or the questions are harder). And do I have to know all the formulas?
I will be studying and will post my TS2 and TS3 exams. Thank you everyone who read my rant. If you have any suggestions to help me improve please post.
for us!
