This is my second time taking the DAT. Thoughts on my score? I am not sure how to interpret my improvements/chances of it being a competitive enough score to apply this cycle. My GPA is around 3.3 if you would like to factor that in. Thanks.
First time I took it:
PA 21
QR 16
RC 19
BIO 20
GC 16
OC 20
18AA/18TS/21PA
Second try:
PA 22
QR 19
RC 22
BIO 20
GC 18
OC 19
20AA/19TS/22PA
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Study materials for both tests:
-Kaplan Blue Book first to get an idea of what I need to focus on (I used it like a guide, KBB offered cool tips here and there too)
-From there went onto Barron's AP Biology for depth in the concepts
-Went onto Chad's Videos
-Then did DAT Destroyer
-Lastly, TopScore
I found it really helpful for me to focus on one discipline at a time, so I would not accidentally merge concepts and get confused. Then integrating all the knowledge when I did DAT Destroyer. First time I took the DAT, I did a little bit of each topic everyday and found that to be really overwhelming because I was switching gears so often that I could not let concepts build upon each other.
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Something I learned that helped me take the test/reduced interferences that can be avoided, especially if you have the time to do it.
-The week before the test is probably the time you start to take practice tests on the computers. This is a good time to figure out when your body fatigues. I figured out the things I could eat before the test that would not make me go into a food coma, but provided enough nutrients to get me through the first half of the test. Then I figured out which granola bar I could eat to get me through the second half of the test.
-What I did was ate a Panera breakfast bagel sandwich about an hour before the test. This gave my body enough time to digest it, so I wouldn't sacrifice precious blood flow to my brain during the test. During 15 min. break I ate a FiberOne granola bar and drank half a Naked Juice protein smoothie. My logic for the granola bar and the protein smoothie is getting nutrients without hitting a food coma or getting more hungry and distracted during the test. Fiber keeps you full, but your body won't work hard to break it down....cause it can't.
By the time I got to the test, it was just like any other day taking a practice test. Yes, I was nervous, but I did not have to worry about weird things happening during testing that could affect my performance. I knew my time frames I should try to complete each section by. Told myself to take it slow, read slow, and mark questions. During the real test in every section except math, I always had at least 10 minutes to go back and check answers or go on to the next section. Freaked me out a little, but I knew I was thorough.
For RC, I felt like there was no way I could prepare for it. So I didn't do any extra work for it outside of the practice tests I took. Search and destroy works, if you do it slowly. When you skim, make mental notes of key words that if it comes up in a question you can snap to the approximate paragraph you had seen it in. Typically, as you are skimming, I found it helpful to at least read the first sentence, the topic sentence, it will clue you in on how this paragraph might have what you are looking for. It saves you time from reading the passage in its entirety. As you work through the questions, I found myself becoming more acquainted with the passage enough to answer the more abstract questions about tone (these questions I thought were the most time consuming, but there aren't many).
If you really like skimming, read right down the middle. Someone I knew took a class on how to become a better reader so he could be more efficient when it came to textbook material.
Hope this info can be useful.
First time I took it:
PA 21
QR 16
RC 19
BIO 20
GC 16
OC 20
18AA/18TS/21PA
Second try:
PA 22
QR 19
RC 22
BIO 20
GC 18
OC 19
20AA/19TS/22PA
------
Study materials for both tests:
-Kaplan Blue Book first to get an idea of what I need to focus on (I used it like a guide, KBB offered cool tips here and there too)
-From there went onto Barron's AP Biology for depth in the concepts
-Went onto Chad's Videos
-Then did DAT Destroyer
-Lastly, TopScore
I found it really helpful for me to focus on one discipline at a time, so I would not accidentally merge concepts and get confused. Then integrating all the knowledge when I did DAT Destroyer. First time I took the DAT, I did a little bit of each topic everyday and found that to be really overwhelming because I was switching gears so often that I could not let concepts build upon each other.
------
Something I learned that helped me take the test/reduced interferences that can be avoided, especially if you have the time to do it.
-The week before the test is probably the time you start to take practice tests on the computers. This is a good time to figure out when your body fatigues. I figured out the things I could eat before the test that would not make me go into a food coma, but provided enough nutrients to get me through the first half of the test. Then I figured out which granola bar I could eat to get me through the second half of the test.
-What I did was ate a Panera breakfast bagel sandwich about an hour before the test. This gave my body enough time to digest it, so I wouldn't sacrifice precious blood flow to my brain during the test. During 15 min. break I ate a FiberOne granola bar and drank half a Naked Juice protein smoothie. My logic for the granola bar and the protein smoothie is getting nutrients without hitting a food coma or getting more hungry and distracted during the test. Fiber keeps you full, but your body won't work hard to break it down....cause it can't.
By the time I got to the test, it was just like any other day taking a practice test. Yes, I was nervous, but I did not have to worry about weird things happening during testing that could affect my performance. I knew my time frames I should try to complete each section by. Told myself to take it slow, read slow, and mark questions. During the real test in every section except math, I always had at least 10 minutes to go back and check answers or go on to the next section. Freaked me out a little, but I knew I was thorough.
For RC, I felt like there was no way I could prepare for it. So I didn't do any extra work for it outside of the practice tests I took. Search and destroy works, if you do it slowly. When you skim, make mental notes of key words that if it comes up in a question you can snap to the approximate paragraph you had seen it in. Typically, as you are skimming, I found it helpful to at least read the first sentence, the topic sentence, it will clue you in on how this paragraph might have what you are looking for. It saves you time from reading the passage in its entirety. As you work through the questions, I found myself becoming more acquainted with the passage enough to answer the more abstract questions about tone (these questions I thought were the most time consuming, but there aren't many).
If you really like skimming, read right down the middle. Someone I knew took a class on how to become a better reader so he could be more efficient when it came to textbook material.
Hope this info can be useful.
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