Crack DAT PAT vs Real PAT Poll

[ah7391]

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Do you think Crack DAT PAT compared to the real DAT PAT was (1) easier, (2) at the same level of difficulty or (3) harder? Comments appreciated!

 

[Glimmer1991]

I've posted about this before, but I'll say it again...

I went through all of the tests in the 10-test Crack version multiple times. I usually finished each with about 12 minutes to spare and consistently scored a 23 or so, but I think my scores would have been higher if the cube counting hadn't been so full of illusions.

However, my DAT PAT was SO HARD. Take the hardest question from each section on Crack and multiply it by 90... I'm serious, that's what my PAT was like. I was shaking so badly. Every section, except for cube counting, was outrageous. When I got to the end, with 10 minutes left, I had skipped 15 problems and marked about 20. It was not good. I quickly reviewed all of my misses/marks, got rid of the one or two I knew couldn't be right, and just picked.

I kept praying during my PAT that I could just guess some correctly. Honestly. It must have worked, because I made a 23... But I don't know how. The scores are scaled, though, so maybe everyone with that PAT version also did really terribly, too. Also, I am normally a horrendous guesser, so I am even more shocked at my score because of that.

All of that being said, I think that my situation was FAR from being the norm, based on other peoples' reviews. My main advice is just to not go into the PAT feeling smug. It may be a nightmare. Prepare for and expect the worst. If it ends up being easier (and it probably will), then you're in luck! 🙂

 

[ah7391]

Great thanks so much for your honest feedback! I'll be sure to look out for all this when I take mine.

 

[Dentalkid434]

My PAT's angles were similar to CDP. Pattern folding was MUCH harder than CDP and more challenging than achiever. The keyholes and TFE were like achiever, but a bit more doable.

 

[Dr.9999]

I felt the exact same way when I took the real DAT. My lowest score on CPD was 22 and my highest was a 27. When I took the real thing I got a 18 🙁 I feel that not only its harder but the graphics are also crapy compared to CDP.

 

[aqz]

It was only harder in the sense that it was different.

CDP focuses on shapes rather than proportions for keyholes, line counting rather than the types of lines for TFE, and don't give obtuse figures for pattern folding.

Also, CDP's sections, especially keyholes, TFE, and pattern folding, have way too many answers that can be easily eliminated, leaving you almost always with only 1 choice that can be right.

Get the 7-test edition of achiever. You'll hate the PAT in there, but you'll love your real PAT score.

 

[ah7391]

Great! Thanks for the advice.

I'd really like to get more people to vote/poll! That way we could get a good sample size for future SDNers/Lurkers/whoever and possibly make this a sticky? I'll do the same for achiever PAT!

 

[ah7391]

Bump

 

[NDPitch]

I felt the exact same way when I took the real DAT. My lowest score on CPD was 22 and my highest was a 27. When I took the real thing I got a 18 🙁 I feel that not only its harder but the graphics are also crapy compared to CDP.

This.

 

[ah7391]

bump

BTW: not just trying to annoyingly bump... hoping to get a larger sample size now with more people who have taken the DAT since September for a better representation!

thanks for everyone who have left very useful comments for future DAT takers

 

[two thirty]

Keyhole - A little harder
TFE - About the same
Angles - Similar
Cubes - Way Easier
Hole punch - About the same(I never really missed these though)
Folding - So much harder. Guessed on about 2/3 of these.

That said, I was averaging around a 18-19 on CDP until the last week. Then I was hitting 21-22. Got a 19 on the real thing.

 

[abate21]

I only used CDP and averaged between a 20-24 on the practice tests. On the real PAT I got a 29, so I think it is safe to say that if you can master CDP, you can do well on the real PAT.

 

[wallypredoc]

I have taken the DAT 3 times. I only used Crack DAT PAT to study for that section and scored a 19, 20, and finally a 24 on the actual test. It is good study material, but use the ADA practice test to see what image quality you will actually be dealing with.

The crack DAT PAT images are in awesome quality, unlike the real PAT section on the test. That is why the poll will probably show that Crack DAT PAT is easier than the real thing.

 

[Crentist420]

Took the dat 11/9 scored 27 on PAT, only PAT prep work I did was Crack dat, was worried bc of things people say on this site like the real DAT is much harder, which was not the case for me. I averaged between 20-23 on CDAT.

The main differences I noticed was that the real angles were not as hard as the CDAT with exception of maybe 3. The real keyholes were very comparable but the difference here was that the real keyholes focus more on the size of the shapes. The top-front-end is comparable but maybe a little harder on the real DAT in that you wont be able to eliminate some of the obvious answer that CDAT gives you.
Cube counting was actually easier becuase the real DAT doesnt give you the bs optical illusions that CDAT does. Pattern Folding was about the same and so was hole punching. Good luck and the main thing I would say when doing the section on the actual test is be confident and trust in your methods. If you do those practice tests you will have prepared yourself well, sit in there and do your best, do not panic. Good luck.

 

[isittoolate]

I never scored worse than a 22 on crack DAT PAT in any of the 7 tests I took, but then got a 20 on the real test. I found that keyholes were harder on the real PAT because there was not an answer that could easily be eliminated like in crack DAT PAT. The section I found the hardest was actually angles, but that was probably just the nerves. I wouldn't be surprised if I missed all 15 angle questions on the real exam haha

 

[predentalguy20]

I never scored above an 18 on CDP and got an 18 on the real thing.

 

[chrispyy]

3. In my experience I feel like the real DAT was harder than CDP. The keyholes and pattern folding were much more challenging. TFE and hole punching was on par sort of. Also it also seemed like the illustrations on the real DAT resembled that of DAT achiever and not the CDP. not sure if this was just me lol

 

[Msmouth]

I found it harder or on par.....pattern folding was near impossible in comparison. I posted a poll about this over the summer but it was more detailed for each section. For any of us to say it was easier or harder is highly dependent on the section, whether it be cubes, TFE or Patterns, etc.

 

[Cello]

Bump.

I would like to see what the more recent batch of DAT takers has to say about this!