Conflicting opinions for the biology section

[rejuvenatedsoul]

I've heard people say that it tests really basic material and you should get so worked up on memorizing the details...just know the main stuff.

On the other hand, I've heard people say that you should memorize every last detail b/c it has really random questions.

So which is it?

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[wantVCUdental]

I've heard people say that it tests really basic material and you should get so worked up on memorizing the details...just know the main stuff.

On the other hand, I've heard people say that you should memorize every last detail b/c it has really random questions.

So which is it?

It's both!
to get an 18-20 you probably just need to know the basic material, but it seems that to score over 20, you need to know some random 5HIT! (or you get lucky )

 

[rejuvenatedsoul]

haha okay so better safe than sorry

 

[Vicviper]

Yeah, there's definetly some detailed info you need to know, but if you've done enough practice tests you'll start to identify the areas that they want you to know in detail, like Renal Physiology and DNA replication for example. On the other hand, I hear people suggesting to read through Campbell the entire way and try to memorize as much as possible - this is WAY overkill.

 

[jsun4]

how about endocrinology? Is there a specific hormone that we have to put into memorization?

 

[herkulease]

yup its both. Biology as you know can a ridiculously broad subject.

they can be cruel and expect to know details. Or be nice and just ask broad questions.

It's a total crap shoot.

 

[Ibracadabra]

Dang. I really wish i can get specifics on renal physio and DNA rep...
Molecular and cell bio and physiology is where i'm strong at, while taxonomy, classifications, embrology stuff are about to choke me to death!

Do you think it'll be sufficient to know until the phylum level guys?
I really hope I can do well in biology...T_T

 

[rejuvenatedsoul]

gen chem and ochem are looking like cake to me right now only b/c there's only so much that they can ask...biology is like an endless pit of information haha

 

[Vicviper]

I wouldn't worry about taxonomy, you'll maybe get like 1-2 questions - this shouldn't be an area which you should kill yourself on, other than maybe a brief review a day or two before the test. As far as Endocrine, be sure to know the major Pituitary (anterior/posterior differences), Pancreatic, and sex hormones, in particular the female ones - which connects back to Pituitary.

 

[Ibracadabra]

I wouldn't worry about taxonomy, you'll maybe get like 1-2 questions - this shouldn't be an area which you should kill yourself on, other than maybe a brief review a day or two before the test. As far as Endocrine, be sure to know the major Pituitary (anterior/posterior differences), Pancreatic, and sex hormones, in particular the female ones - which connects back to Pituitary.

Thanks a lot Vicviper
I took physiology so I'm okay with endocrine.. How about embryology?
Any other suggestions guys? Phylum level would be sufficient right?

 

[Avery07]

how about endocrinology? Is there a specific hormone that we have to put into memorization?

You should know every hormone..

If you search endocrine system and dat or something along those lines.. it's a thread I started.. there is a big table of the hormones you need to know and what they do.

 

[futuredds713]

It's both!
to get an 18-20 you probably just need to know the basic material, but it seems that to score over 20, you need to know some random 5HIT! (or you get lucky )

very true!

But even if you know the details they can manipulate the questions to sound like something totally different!! I just took it at 8am this morning so take it from me! I thought I did better than I really did...

What everyone needs to know is that the QR section was ridiculous!!! There were formulas needed that I had never seen before. Not in destroyer, Kaplan, Cliffs, NOTHING! So pre-dents beware!!

 

[slm266]

very true!

But even if you know the details they can manipulate the questions to sound like something totally different!! I just took it at 8am this morning so take it from me! I thought I did better than I really did...

What everyone needs to know is that the QR section was ridiculous!!! There were formulas needed that I had never seen before. Not in destroyer, Kaplan, Cliffs, NOTHING! So pre-dents beware!!

futuredds it sounds like you are pretty shaken from your experience. I imagine that you did not have a very strong science background beyond some of the basic general bio, molecular bio?

I thought the endocrinology questions were pretty straight forward, but it takes more than reading a sentence in kaplan bb. There were quite a few bio questions that I never saw in reading kaplan bb, ap bio, or practice tests, but I knew from my general bio, molecular bio, cell bio, physiology, anatomy, evolution, ecology classes.

True, i thought the math was quite different than other practice tests. I went from scoring 22-24 on QR to scoring a 19 on the real QR. Remember, it's called quantitative reasoning, not just math. They want to see if you can use the principles of math and apply them to new situations, not simply regurgitate what you are used to (although there were quite a few of those). I'd say the QR was 80% of questions that i was used to, with the rest new. Hard, but not impossible.

 

[Vicviper]

On the bright side, schools don't much care about your QR score.

For embryology, mostly just basic stuff, overall development stages, tissue layers like mesoderm, etc, and what forms from them.

The Bio on the DAT isn't crazy detailed - it's nothing like what you'll be getting in dental school! hehe

 

[paras]

do you have ur books and practice tests that u want to sell?

very true!

But even if you know the details they can manipulate the questions to sound like something totally different!! I just took it at 8am this morning so take it from me! I thought I did better than I really did...

What everyone needs to know is that the QR section was ridiculous!!! There were formulas needed that I had never seen before. Not in destroyer, Kaplan, Cliffs, NOTHING! So pre-dents beware!!