Dat 6/15/10

[KLW1021]

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Just took the DAT this morning. Studentdoctor was very effective in helping me prepare so I feel I should share my stragegies and testing experinece.

Section: Score (percentile)

PAT: 30 (100.0)
QR: 21 (96.4)
RC: 21 (76.7)
Bio: 24 (98.9)
GC: 21 (87.0)
OC: 23 (94.4)
TS: 23 (97.8)
AA: 22 (97.0)

Here's what I did to prepare for each section...

PAT:
I can't stress enough, BUY CRACK DAT PAT. The 10 test version is enough, anything else is overkill. I was getting 21-23s for the first 3 or so. I then got my score to the high 20s and got a perfect score on one of them. Make sure you get your timing for this section down to 45 minutes and use the extra 15 to go over marked items. Figure out strategies that work best for you. I took Kaplan and didn't use any of their tips. PAT comes easy to me and I figured out other things that work better.

Practicing with CDP will dramatically improve your score. When i started studying, I would mise 15/90 every time. I got better with practice. You will too.

Keyholes...very similar to CDP. If you can do the ones on CDP, you will be fine. But do pay close attention to details. make sure you've pictured every shape from all different angles. The small details such as a notch here or there, or acute vs. 90 degree angle make the difference between right and wrong answers.

TFE...I didn't use any special tricks for this section, just practice. It's always best to imagine the 3D image rather than count lines, although line counting is effective in eliminating some answers, but its won't always work. The TFE on the test was definitely easier than CDP.

Angles...These were hard. I finished the PAT in 45 minutes and spent the last 15 just figuring out 5 of the angle questions. You will probably get 5 angle questions where 2 or more look very similar. The other 10 will be more differentiated.

Hole punching...I didn't use any tricks, just practice. Think of each fold as a mirror. There are only a certain number of folds that they can do. Also be aware of how many layers are being punched and the symmetry involved.

Cubes...count each one twice and carefully. This will eliminate the need to go over this section again. Draw out all possibilities of cubes having 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 sides covered. There are only 2, maybe 3, general patterns for each one. be familiar with these. it will make counting go faster.

Pattern folding...I wish I had good advice for this, but I don't. I just folded each shape in my head and picked what I thought it would look like. Like all the other sections, practice practice practice!!!

QR: I only read through KBB in preparation for this section. I only had time to go through 3 math destroyers. Math destroyer was a bit harder than the real thing, but EXCELLENT practice because many of the same types of problems show up. Get your timing down. I finished in 35 minutes and had time to concentrate on the 8 I had marked.

RC: I hated this section. I'm no good at reading. Here's what I did to get a score which would not make me retake the test. Read through each passage FIRST. I'm NOT an advocate of search and destroy, but if that works for you, then do it. As you read the passage, try to understand the main concept and terminology of each paragraph but not at the rate where you are rereading paragraphs. write the numbers on your board and make notes of each paragraph. Write down the main topic, and key terms. When you go through the questions, you will have that road map to quickly guide you to the answers. None of the questions were that hard and the answers are usually very close to the terminology found in the question. I went over my timing on the 1st two passages and had to haul ass on the last one. Remember you will get 1 that takes a little more time than the other 2. Practice with Topscore or Kaplan for timing and roadmapping of the passages. They aren't out to trick you on this section.

Bio: I got Cs both semesters of general bio, but that can probably be attributed to joining a fraternity and spending more time partying than at the library. I quickly addressed and fixed this issue. CELL BIOLOGY and GENETICS are essential for this section. If you haven't taken those courses, don't stress, just focus on those areas which were covered in general bio. I used the kaplan blue book as a guide of what to study. Everything i found in KBB, I studied on more detail from BROOKER BIOLOGY testbook. 25 of the 30 questions are straightforward based on general knowledge. The other 15 require some reasoning but are not that hard. I don't remember getting any hard random questions. You should know kaplan biology cover to cover and supplement it with the textbook of your choice. Destroyer biology is helpful but not a must, in fact its a bit overkill.

GC: I got lots of conceptual questions. Some were hard, but most were basic. All the calculations were straightforward. Go through your lecture notes and textbook especially to study weak areas. Use the KBB as your guide. Once you have a solid foundation of chemistry, do the ACS study guide cover to cover. Mark everything you get wrong and study those weak areas. Then do it cover to cover a second time. Anything you miss should be gone over with a fine toothed comb from your textbook. If you see anything in your text thats not in KBB or ACS, dont worry about it. In fact, ACS is much more detailed than the exam but still essential. Once you're confident with ACS organic, do destroyer. Its a GREAT practice for calculations and conceptual stuff as well.

OC: I enjoyed this course, despite taking it over the summer in 10 weeks. I forgot everything as quickly as I learned it. It did come back fast and I took a solid 10 days to go over the textbook cover to cover. Just know the basics of carbs, proteins, polymers, etc. Everything else should be reviewed more throughouly. Kaplan sucks except for the abovementioned concepts. ACS organic is a must. use the same strategy as GC. Destroyer is great practice and will point out your weaknesses.

Overall i did much better than expected. I was a nervous wreck going into the test. However, my nerves quickly settled during the bio section. Just make sure you don't lose concentration on RC. This can be done by practicing. If you have any other questions, apart from test content, message me. I'll think of more tips for PAT.

My GPA is 3.56/3.46 and I want to go to Ohio State (I'm a resident), Marquette, Case or Arizona.

 

[rpatel8]

How long did you study for in terms of weeks? Great scores by the way!

 

[ScGirl17]

Great scores! congrats

 

[casper22]

Nice!!!! Congrats...

 

[Hopeful20]

Can you share how you distributed your time on PAT? (on CDP and real DAT)
For example, 10 mins on hole punch, 5mins on angles, etc etc. 👍👍

 

[Avery07]

You can get your PAT done in 45 minutes?? Dang.. I can get 2?'s on Crack but I'm finishing my last pattern folding question as the seconds are counting down.

 

[IdahoDoc]

Nice job man you really took it to the DAT I too am looking at Ohio State as a possible school maybe i will see you there.

 

[Ibracadabra]

On your laminated sheets, how would you maximize your test space?
Can you tell us what you did with hole punching? I was so good with them on paper, and when i tried it on computer, it was suddenly a bad bad experience... :'(

 

[KLW1021]

@rpatel8
This past spring semester I averaged maybe 1 day a week studying for 6ish hours. Starting May 10, I studied everyday for 6-8 hours. I took 4 practice tests and went over all the answers, didn't do anything else those days. The time you need to invest is different for everyone. You time investment in the applicable coursework its just as important, if not more important than the time spent cramming for the exam. When in lecture, you have a whole semester to master the material, frequent exams, and a professor. Use that to your advantage. It's much better than cramming from a review book. In DAT related courses (bio, chem, ochem, genetics, cell bio, ecology, etc), keep in mind that you are studying not only to get an A or B, but to retain the info for the DAT. I slacked on general bio and had a miserable experience trying to learn all the stuff this past month that was covered when I skipped class.

Also, don't plan your study time by hours invested. Create an agenda of what you want to do (ex. finish destroyer, ACS books, Cliffs AP bio [which I did not use). Then work until its completed. It took me a week and a half to do Destroyer and I only got through half the bio section. Other people can do it quicker, others slower.

My overall plan of attack was to spend this past spring semester doing a light review of all 3 courses. I spent the last 3 weeks of may (1 week per course), going into a little more detail with the 3 courses, using ACS and Destroyer (and textbooks for my weak areas). I then spend a week on practice exams and PAT practice. I spent the 2 weeks leading up to the exam doing a 4 day review of each subject as well as a few practice tests. I covered all the material 3 times, which is what it takes for me to remember things. It may only take you 1 or 2, or more than 3. Plan on doing a CRACK DAT PAT every other day for the month leading to the exam. Soon you will have dreams about PAT.

@Avery07 and Hopeful 20,
I never allocated a certain amount of time per section. That tended to work itself out. If you plan on a certain amount of time per section, you may cut yourself short and carelessly rush through things. Once you can do the mental gymnastics, pay attention to the details. Noticing small details is the difference between a 23 and 28. Overall, keep practicing until you finish the 90 questions in 50 minutes or less. If you get hung up on one, mark it and come back. Thats what your time at the end is for. After looking at a trouble question in a different frame of mind, the answer may suddenly pop out. My 1st CDP took me 70 minutes to complete and I missed 15. That is what practice does for you. I enjoyed PAT, I think that made practice much less painful. It was like a computer game.

@Ibracadabra
My laminated sheets were only good for 1 erasing. the test proctor was VERY good at replacing my sheets as soon as I raised my hand. I reccomend the prometric in Stow, Ohio. Very small center. you are always visible to the administrator. I spent my 15 mintue break numbering 2 block rows 1-20 3 times for each RC. Just write down 4 key words per paragraph to trigger your memory of what content is found. I did not use the sheets and markers for PAT so i have no advice for that.

Hole Punching...here is what you do. Get a piece of paper, draw the grid, and draw a line representing every possible fold. You will have 7 horizontal and 7 vertical. The lines can pass between the dots OR through a row of dots. You will also have 13 diagonal right-bottom to top left and 13 diagonal left-bottom to right-top. Thats a total of 40 possible folds they can throw at you. Now for each fold, try different punching patterns and see what they look like when unfolded. You could do this with all 40 folds, but you wont need to. I imagine after doing it with 15ish random ones, you will get the point. Whenever a hole is punched, you have one of 2 possibilities. If the punched section of the paper had previously been folded onto bare template, there WILL NOT be a symmetrical pattern when unfolded. This is because the punch did not penetrate all the layers due to folding. For the symmetrical patterns, become comfortable with picturing the punching pattern before and after unfolding.

Sometimes I got lost in the blank folding paper and forgot the location of the dots. this is common on the real DAT cause the dots are smaller. Take a quick glance at one of the answers (containing the full grid) and quickly return your eyes to the blank folded paper. the theoretical dot locations should become more obvious. If this doesnt work at first, keep trying it, it caught on for me after a while.

Finally, Not every punch will produce 2 holes when unfolded. If the fold of the paper contains a half punch, it will unfold to become 1 hole. If a paper is folded diagonally, and 4 punches are made (2 whole, and 2 on the fold line which are half), then the 2 half punches will result in 1 hole each and the 2 hole punches will become 2 holes each for a total of 6 holes.

Sorry if Im completely confusing you guys. I dont even understand my own methods for PAT. I just kept practicing and using trial and error for different techniques.

Message me or post on this thread with any more questions.

 

[Ibracadabra]

Thanks a lot for your explanation. I guess you gotta practice to do them mentally for PAT.. Oh one more thing, did u study taxonomy and classification just down to the phylum level? Was that sufficient?

 

[KLW1021]

I can't go into detail about the DAT. However, I have heard of DATs asking about certain classes (ex. ascaris, amphiox, lancalets, tunicats...I can't spell). For my test, I don't recall having to know classes, but there was taxonomy. Be on the safe side and know all the phyla and maybe 2 charactaristics of each. Know which traits make phyla unique. Be familiar with the classes of all vertebrates and the phyla which directly precede or are most related to vertebtrates. Ex. know the placement of mixini hagfish. This wasn't on my test but i could picture it appearing on a future test.

 

[UndergradGuy7]

Did your orgo section have proteins and carbs and their reactions?

 

[KLW1021]

I honestly can't remember the specifics asked on the test. However, I did learn the basics of proteins, carbs, and polymers. Learn them in the detail required for Topscore and the few questions that Destroyer throws at you. If you do that, you should get any one correct that appears on the DAT. I don't imagine they are common but they have and will continue to appear on DATs. Studying this may also help you field some of the "random" bio questions as well. I could picture a question which lists the ratios of certain elements found in a sample and you have to determine which biomolecule it is. I don't think I had a question like that but it's a good possibility for Ochem or Bio as there is substaintial overlap, just like there is for ochem and genchem.

 

[Chrono]

I honestly can't remember the specifics asked on the test. However, I did learn the basics of proteins, carbs, and polymers. Learn them in the detail required for Topscore and the few questions that Destroyer throws at you. If you do that, you should get any one correct that appears on the DAT. I don't imagine they are common but they have and will continue to appear on DATs. Studying this may also help you field some of the "random" bio questions as well. I could picture a question which lists the ratios of certain elements found in a sample and you have to determine which biomolecule it is. I don't think I had a question like that but it's a good possibility for Ochem or Bio as there is substaintial overlap, just like there is for ochem and genchem.

Hello,

for pat did u do one CDP everyday? I have the 10 test version. How should I use it to study? One test every day, pick randomly etc? And I'm guessing I shouldn't look at the answers.

 

[KLW1021]

@Chrono, you need to find a way that works best for you, through trial and error on CDP. Once you figure that out, it will be better than any other advice you've received from this forum or from an instruction booklet. However, for the first few CDPs, dont time yourself. Take as much time as you need. Try to get a 3D image in your head for each problem before looking at the answers. Then look at the answers and start eliminating. It is just as effective to know why 1 answer is wrong as knowing why 1 answer is right. On the real DAT, there were a few questions where I didn't completely agree with the answer, but I had eliminated the other 3 and went with it. Obviously, I got those questions right. Find a way that works for you. Read my tutorials on this thread and on my breakdown as well as the advice given on other breakdowns with high PAT scores. Vicviper does a decent job. While I personally did not use his tactics, you may find they work well for you. Any hints or tips given on this forum or in a kaplan course, you should try. Pick what works best and what you are most comfortable with. Once you figure that out and have done a few non-times CDPs analyzing your wrong answers in detail, start timing yourself. If you see a hard question, mark it and come back to it. Try to finish all the unmarked questions in 50 minutes or less and return to the marked questions. I guaruntee that once you get to test #10, you will be marking less questions as well as having more time to review the ones you did mark. That will significantly improve your score.

I got a perfect PAT score on the DAT, but I started out with 21s on the CDP. I practiced and improved and believe its possible for anyone to score high on this section with enough practice. Good luck!