Ah... what a load off. Sitting here with an ice cold Michelob Ultra (eh, all I have on hand) relishing the end of an era. Two solid months of DAT studying has led to a 4.5 hour test that felt like it took 1.5 hours (the QR alone felt like 10 minutes - more on that later). With no further ado...
PAT- 20 85.4%
QR 18 75.8%
RC 20 72.4%
Bio 23 98%
GC 22 90.1%
OC 19 73.1%
TS 21 92.4
AA 20 87.1
Materials: Kaplan BB (about 2 or 3 readings with notes) - I give it a C-, Topscore scores were pretty similar to what you see above but I would recommend this only from a stamina-building/weakness identifying standpoint as questions were either much easier or much harder than the real thing. I used 4/5 CDP PAT tests, probably doing hole punches and TFE 3 or 4 times each. I really recommend CDP, but I think 5 tests from them is probably enough - just do each test multiple times.
PAT: 1) Keyholes were not too bad at all. If you can do CDP you should be set. Nothing too tricky as long as you've practiced and know the tricks that they use. Keyholes about the same as CDP, TFE slightly easier, folding and cube counting definitely easier, angles- who knows I usually guess on half of these no matter who writes the test, pattern folding was a wash - hope you enjoy shading problems...
QR- time=WTF!?! Here's my suggestion. Assuming you're somewhat proficient at the straight up algebra/calculation problems, just focus on improving WORD PROBLEM SPEED!! I cannot stress this enough. Secondly, if it's not a word problem, skip it and answer all the easy algebra questions first (they're all worth the same, after all). Every right answer after that is gravy. I consider myself good at math, but not REALLY fast.
Bio- crapshoot. Pure and simple. Kaplan BB was useless and led me on a number of wild goose chases. What did help me was my old Bio textbook. All you people looking for bio shortcuts (I was one of them) - take it from me, read your textbooks cover to cover if you have to.
GC and OC- I moved through these sections pretty quickly either because of ease or having no idea. I had 3(argh!) NMR questions and they were all terrible pictures. Spectroscopy was my "If they ask about it I'm guessing" subject in orgo because I figured no matter how much I studied I wouldn't understand it. Gen Chem not too bad as my score indicates, this is probably the one area which Kaplan BB prepares you pretty well for. With these 2 sections, same as bio- focus on your textbooks. Knowing more than you need is better than the alternative- just start studying sooner!
RC- Piano along with aspirin and intercellular communication. If it weren't for the communication passage I would've been screwed timewise. I advise starting out with the easiest looking passage, as I did. Doing so helps relax you and relaxing helps absorb information quicker. But if you get 3 foreign passages about random topics my BEST ADVICE is simple: BREATHE. Make a concerted effort to breath before each sentence. And I did not use Search and Destroy.
I hope to help many of you the way previous posters helped me, and I am happy to answer any questions based on my experiences!
PAT- 20 85.4%
QR 18 75.8%
RC 20 72.4%
Bio 23 98%
GC 22 90.1%
OC 19 73.1%
TS 21 92.4
AA 20 87.1
Materials: Kaplan BB (about 2 or 3 readings with notes) - I give it a C-, Topscore scores were pretty similar to what you see above but I would recommend this only from a stamina-building/weakness identifying standpoint as questions were either much easier or much harder than the real thing. I used 4/5 CDP PAT tests, probably doing hole punches and TFE 3 or 4 times each. I really recommend CDP, but I think 5 tests from them is probably enough - just do each test multiple times.
PAT: 1) Keyholes were not too bad at all. If you can do CDP you should be set. Nothing too tricky as long as you've practiced and know the tricks that they use. Keyholes about the same as CDP, TFE slightly easier, folding and cube counting definitely easier, angles- who knows I usually guess on half of these no matter who writes the test, pattern folding was a wash - hope you enjoy shading problems...
QR- time=WTF!?! Here's my suggestion. Assuming you're somewhat proficient at the straight up algebra/calculation problems, just focus on improving WORD PROBLEM SPEED!! I cannot stress this enough. Secondly, if it's not a word problem, skip it and answer all the easy algebra questions first (they're all worth the same, after all). Every right answer after that is gravy. I consider myself good at math, but not REALLY fast.
Bio- crapshoot. Pure and simple. Kaplan BB was useless and led me on a number of wild goose chases. What did help me was my old Bio textbook. All you people looking for bio shortcuts (I was one of them) - take it from me, read your textbooks cover to cover if you have to.
GC and OC- I moved through these sections pretty quickly either because of ease or having no idea. I had 3(argh!) NMR questions and they were all terrible pictures. Spectroscopy was my "If they ask about it I'm guessing" subject in orgo because I figured no matter how much I studied I wouldn't understand it. Gen Chem not too bad as my score indicates, this is probably the one area which Kaplan BB prepares you pretty well for. With these 2 sections, same as bio- focus on your textbooks. Knowing more than you need is better than the alternative- just start studying sooner!
RC- Piano along with aspirin and intercellular communication. If it weren't for the communication passage I would've been screwed timewise. I advise starting out with the easiest looking passage, as I did. Doing so helps relax you and relaxing helps absorb information quicker. But if you get 3 foreign passages about random topics my BEST ADVICE is simple: BREATHE. Make a concerted effort to breath before each sentence. And I did not use Search and Destroy.
I hope to help many of you the way previous posters helped me, and I am happy to answer any questions based on my experiences!
