- Joined
- Nov 6, 2009
- Messages
- 232
- Reaction score
- 30
Non-traditional applicant here. Quite happy with my recent score. Wrote the cDAT once before in 2009, didn’t get any interviews back then because no one looks at MDT except a few schools in Canada! Also have a low undergrad GPA (3.1-3.2).
Have since finished research-based MSc in Immunology and PhD in (Bio)Physics. Numerous publications in high impact journals (Immunity, Nat Med, PNAS, etc).
Test scores from all 3 tests:
Feb 2015
RC 25
BIO 23
CHEM 24
TS 23
AA 24
PA 19
MDT 15
Nov 2014
RC 22
BIO 21
CHEM 20
TS 21
AA 21
PA 20
MDT 20
Nov 2009
RC 20
BIO 22
CHEM 20
TS 21
AA 21
PA 23
MDT 29
Breakdown for Feb2015 cDAT.
RC
Used a modified search and destroy method. I would read through 5-7 questions, then refer to first few paragraphs of article looking for the answers. This pre-read gave me a good impression of what to expect in the article, and also a glimpse of what the article was generally about. There were only a few questions that were not immediately apparent. I would keep these questions in mind, and they would become apparent somewhere later in the article. A few not-so-straightforward questions also - ie. The most likely sentence to finish the last paragraph would be…
BIO
I have a strong knowledge in immunology, physiology and cell biology. Used Cliff’s Biology and browsed through Feralis notes for the rest. There is so much information in biology and it is so broad that I had to almost relearn all of the material. The difference here is the ecology. I tried to learn most of it by doing some practice questions in this area. The only difference between my Nov2014 and Feb 2015 test is I also did practice questions from DAT Destroyer and CrackTheDAT.
CHEM
DAT Destroyer is your best friend here. I have not had much exposure to undergraduate level chemistry for the better part of a decade, so I had to relearn everything. ICE tables, enthalpy, and periodic table are essential. Know how to handle log10 and pH to concentration conversion. A few redox questions from what I remember. Also know everything there is to know about gases ie. ideal gases. Know some essential equations ie. PV=nRT, and then learn to derive all the other equations from those select few. DAT Destroyer takes these concepts and pushes it further than what showed up on the actual DAT.
PA
Struggled with this section this time around. I’ve noticed it has changed substantially since 2009. Paper folding is now much more complex. Hole punching now can have two holes. Otherwise, practice practice practice…
MDT
Soap was definitely softer than what I’m used to. Slept about 3 hours before the exam and carved the wrong pattern. Didn’t practice much on this section this time around.
Make sure you rest well right before the DAT exam!!!
Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!
Have since finished research-based MSc in Immunology and PhD in (Bio)Physics. Numerous publications in high impact journals (Immunity, Nat Med, PNAS, etc).
Test scores from all 3 tests:
Feb 2015
RC 25
BIO 23
CHEM 24
TS 23
AA 24
PA 19
MDT 15
Nov 2014
RC 22
BIO 21
CHEM 20
TS 21
AA 21
PA 20
MDT 20
Nov 2009
RC 20
BIO 22
CHEM 20
TS 21
AA 21
PA 23
MDT 29
Breakdown for Feb2015 cDAT.
RC
Used a modified search and destroy method. I would read through 5-7 questions, then refer to first few paragraphs of article looking for the answers. This pre-read gave me a good impression of what to expect in the article, and also a glimpse of what the article was generally about. There were only a few questions that were not immediately apparent. I would keep these questions in mind, and they would become apparent somewhere later in the article. A few not-so-straightforward questions also - ie. The most likely sentence to finish the last paragraph would be…
BIO
I have a strong knowledge in immunology, physiology and cell biology. Used Cliff’s Biology and browsed through Feralis notes for the rest. There is so much information in biology and it is so broad that I had to almost relearn all of the material. The difference here is the ecology. I tried to learn most of it by doing some practice questions in this area. The only difference between my Nov2014 and Feb 2015 test is I also did practice questions from DAT Destroyer and CrackTheDAT.
CHEM
DAT Destroyer is your best friend here. I have not had much exposure to undergraduate level chemistry for the better part of a decade, so I had to relearn everything. ICE tables, enthalpy, and periodic table are essential. Know how to handle log10 and pH to concentration conversion. A few redox questions from what I remember. Also know everything there is to know about gases ie. ideal gases. Know some essential equations ie. PV=nRT, and then learn to derive all the other equations from those select few. DAT Destroyer takes these concepts and pushes it further than what showed up on the actual DAT.
PA
Struggled with this section this time around. I’ve noticed it has changed substantially since 2009. Paper folding is now much more complex. Hole punching now can have two holes. Otherwise, practice practice practice…
MDT
Soap was definitely softer than what I’m used to. Slept about 3 hours before the exam and carved the wrong pattern. Didn’t practice much on this section this time around.
Make sure you rest well right before the DAT exam!!!
Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!
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