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Hi everyone,
I'm taking my DAT this month, in about 18 days, and I desperately am looking for some guidance on how to prepare in the limited amount of time that I have.
First of all, I'd like to explain how I've been studying. To be honest, I'd like to emphasize mostly just been taking a lot of practice tests. I'm not doing as much reading as others I guess. I have a Bootcamp membership so I have been taking subject specific practice tests. I haven't really been doing them to gauge where I am; I do them to learn from them, as apparently the facts they test are high-yield facts. I review the solutions carefully and take notes on solutions/things from the practices tests I had trouble with. I've been seeing a lot of overlap between Bootcamp tests (especially for bio) and I feel like I'm getting the general concepts that will likely show up on the DAT. I hear of people reading textbooks/notes/Destroyer for 8-12 hours a day and I am wondering is that really essential to do well on the exam? I feel like bio is the most fact/memorization-heavy subject on the exam, so it's really the only one I have been reading a textbook for, per se. I have the Kaplan blue book and I've been reading that for bio. Especially for concepts/topics I am not as familiar with, for example the nervous system. I have been getting a range of scores from 16-20 on bio. On BC Bio Test 5, I got a 20. I've been sure to review all the solutions, though; if I got similar questions on the actual thing to what I've been studying I'm sure I would get them right, now.
For gen chem and orgo, I've been heavily relying on just Bootcamp practice tests and the solutions that follow. I am also looking at the 5 practice tests I got from Kaplan. What I really like about Bootcamp is that they have excellent video explanations for both chemistry sections. Again, it seems like Bootcamp is pretty high-yield, but I don't want to be underprepared. Any advice? Should I purchase Chad's videos? Does he have them for both orgo and GC? Also, I'd like to mention I've improved significantly with orgo on Bootcamp. I got a 20 on orgo on the 2007 practice DAT and that's similar to what I've been scoring across the board.
Lastly, for math, reading comprehension, and PAT I was thinking I would just stick to both Bootcamp and Kaplan for prep; do as many practice tests with those two as I can (and there are a lot). Anything else I should do? Especially for math? I am fairly good at math but again, I don't want to be underprepared.
Lastly,
- is it worth purchasing Qvault exams?
-I took both the 2007 and 2009 practice DAT exams. Would my score on those be representative for an exam like today's? Are they "dated?"
I would appreciate any feedback, comments, concerns, and criticism.
Thank you all so much! Means a lot! I hope you all find success with your endeavors 🙂
I'm taking my DAT this month, in about 18 days, and I desperately am looking for some guidance on how to prepare in the limited amount of time that I have.
First of all, I'd like to explain how I've been studying. To be honest, I'd like to emphasize mostly just been taking a lot of practice tests. I'm not doing as much reading as others I guess. I have a Bootcamp membership so I have been taking subject specific practice tests. I haven't really been doing them to gauge where I am; I do them to learn from them, as apparently the facts they test are high-yield facts. I review the solutions carefully and take notes on solutions/things from the practices tests I had trouble with. I've been seeing a lot of overlap between Bootcamp tests (especially for bio) and I feel like I'm getting the general concepts that will likely show up on the DAT. I hear of people reading textbooks/notes/Destroyer for 8-12 hours a day and I am wondering is that really essential to do well on the exam? I feel like bio is the most fact/memorization-heavy subject on the exam, so it's really the only one I have been reading a textbook for, per se. I have the Kaplan blue book and I've been reading that for bio. Especially for concepts/topics I am not as familiar with, for example the nervous system. I have been getting a range of scores from 16-20 on bio. On BC Bio Test 5, I got a 20. I've been sure to review all the solutions, though; if I got similar questions on the actual thing to what I've been studying I'm sure I would get them right, now.
For gen chem and orgo, I've been heavily relying on just Bootcamp practice tests and the solutions that follow. I am also looking at the 5 practice tests I got from Kaplan. What I really like about Bootcamp is that they have excellent video explanations for both chemistry sections. Again, it seems like Bootcamp is pretty high-yield, but I don't want to be underprepared. Any advice? Should I purchase Chad's videos? Does he have them for both orgo and GC? Also, I'd like to mention I've improved significantly with orgo on Bootcamp. I got a 20 on orgo on the 2007 practice DAT and that's similar to what I've been scoring across the board.
Lastly, for math, reading comprehension, and PAT I was thinking I would just stick to both Bootcamp and Kaplan for prep; do as many practice tests with those two as I can (and there are a lot). Anything else I should do? Especially for math? I am fairly good at math but again, I don't want to be underprepared.
Lastly,
- is it worth purchasing Qvault exams?
-I took both the 2007 and 2009 practice DAT exams. Would my score on those be representative for an exam like today's? Are they "dated?"
I would appreciate any feedback, comments, concerns, and criticism.
Thank you all so much! Means a lot! I hope you all find success with your endeavors 🙂
