Classification

[IndDent]

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Topscore seems to have some really random classification questions, maybe ~2-3 per practice test. Even though I've been studying classification and ecology intently just because of the likelihood of such questions popping up....it seems these questions pull up species names that I haven't seen anywhere before...(and they don't have any suffix or prefix that I can use to classify)

What were yalls strategies for improving on this?

Thanks,
IndDent

 

[SMC2UCLA2_]

Topscore seems to have some really random classification questions, maybe ~2-3 per practice test. Even though I've been studying classification and ecology intently just because of the likelihood of such questions popping up....it seems these questions pull up species names that I haven't seen anywhere before...(and they don't have any suffix or prefix that I can use to classify)

What were yalls strategies for improving on this?

Thanks,
IndDent

I hope someone who has taken the DAT can elaborate on this, but Im assuming that most of the classification problems will involve knowing kingdom and phylum as well as the characteristics. I didn't think we would see any genus and species but again, can someone clarify this please?

 

[sgdorfl90]

I hope someone who has taken the DAT can elaborate on this, but Im assuming that most of the classification problems will involve knowing kingdom and phylum as well as the characteristics. I didn't think we would see any genus and species but again, can someone clarify this please?

there are questions on genus and species within a phylum. Can't study for that...use Schaums if u like.

 

[n2o*]

Topscore seems to have some really random classification questions, maybe ~2-3 per practice test. Even though I've been studying classification and ecology intently just because of the likelihood of such questions popping up....it seems these questions pull up species names that I haven't seen anywhere before...(and they don't have any suffix or prefix that I can use to classify)

What were yalls strategies for improving on this?

Thanks,
IndDent

i was just about to ask a similar question. Top score asks about rhizopoda, schistosomiasis, trichinosis, ascaris, giaridia.... and all these other things i've never seen before. Is it an accurate representation of the exam?

 

[howui3]

From personal experience, my real DAT had a few classification questions but they were very straight forward (all covered in the Kaplan blue book that you can pick up at a local book store).

They would describe something with bilateral symmetry and a one way digestive tract and then you have to figure out what it is (annelids).

It never got as detailed as some of the Topscore questions. I would review the terms that come up as you are taking practice exams but I would not memorize the millions of classification names.

On the exam, you might have one or two of these questions (the classification) so if you don't have a clue of the right answer take a good guess and move on. You can miss quite a few questions and still score above a 20.

 

[tinman831]

i was just about to ask a similar question. Top score asks about rhizopoda, schistosomiasis, trichinosis, ascaris, giaridia.... and all these other things i've never seen before. Is it an accurate representation of the exam?

I saw a few of these as answer choices on a couple of my questions. If youre lucky, you'll get a question with an answer that youre familiar with. I was very lucky 😉

 

[Yokohoma84]

Ya i agree with howui3, there are very few classifcation questions. I think i got one and it was a very easy one. So just focus on studying the Kaplan Blue book on the classification section.

 

[IlliniSam]

I think I had a couple classiications, but they mostly about the Kingdom/Phylum stuff. Things like, "which one of these is a Monera...."

Simple I think. I def thought the TopScore and DatAchiever had some difficult classification questions. Some of those organisms I had to grab my bio/ecology book for.

Study it all I guess to be safe. Know the main features of each group at least.

 

[EyeAmCommi]

I hope someone who has taken the DAT can elaborate on this, but Im assuming that most of the classification problems will involve knowing kingdom and phylum as well as the characteristics. I didn't think we would see any genus and species but again, can someone clarify this please?

I saw a question on the DAT that asked: Homo sapien. Which is the genus and which is the species?

That's pretty shallow in depth of knowledge if you ask me. But I'm serious about this question. Well, on my actual test they used a DOG as an example, not a HUMAN. I just forgot what the dog name was (Canus ???).

But that doesn't mean you should study kingdom, phylums! You should know it all!

 

[hokie4life]

i'm taking the topscore test and came across same issue...they wanted you to be able to recall genus of the organism.

Can anyone who has recently taken the DAT confirm that we dont' need to know genus names and characteristics...it just seems too detailed, right?😕