MoonlightSpiceCat
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Hi everyone! I took my DAT a little over 2 months ago and wanted to share my breakdown to give an idea of what to expect on the exam - and hopefully offer encouragement as you prepare!
Scores
QR - 17
RC - 27
Bio - 24
GC - 24
OC - 19
PAT - 20
TS - 22
AA - 22
Background
Graduated 2022 with a ~3.70 GPA as a Biology major
Materials used in order of preference:
My overall test preparation took about 5 months, including a month “break” in April for religious observance - but I would NOT recommend taking more than 3 months to study unless you are extremely consistent in your review. I planned to take my DAT by mid-May, but ultimately had to postpone it because I forgot the material I covered in the earlier months. I averaged about 4-5 hours of studying every day starting in late January by following the 8-week study schedule. In addition to studying, I was balancing my time with volunteering, shadowing, and helping in providing care for a family member. About 3 or 4 weeks in, I switched to the 10-week schedule because I couldn’t keep up. By the start of April, I had to set my own schedule. I did most of my studying at home, which made it hard to study for more than a few hours at a time. I would definitely recommend going to a school or public library if you’re able to.
BIO: I mainly used the Feralis notes and Bio Bits for this section. I focused on 1-2 topics from a chapter at a time and took notes - drawing out diagrams, using storytelling to explain processes, etc. - and then immediately went through the Bio Bits for those topics, marking whatever I got wrong to review. Later that day, I’d reset the question banks and go through them again. I’d do this again the next morning, the morning after that, the evening the next day, etc. If there was a subject I still didn’t understand, I’d search up YouTube animations to visualize it better.
I attended 2 of the 3 Biology crash course sessions closer to my exam date that I’d highly recommend considering attending. There’s a LOT of material to cover in this section, but the crash courses help you focus on what you’re more likely to come across on the exam. One of the questions I’d gone over during one of the sessions ended up appearing on my actual exam.
GC: I used Professor Dave’s videos supplemented with Chad’s videos on topics I still didn’t understand. I mostly used the extra questions and practice tests on Booster for this section.
OC: I admittedly didn’t find Professor Dave’s videos helpful. Instead, I used OChem as a Second Language and supplemented this with Chad’s videos. I also made flash cards of each reaction mechanism using Booster’s reaction sheet. After some revision, I’d repeatedly go through the reaction bites and extra questions in a similar manner to how I studied for the Biology section. I also attended the OChem crash courses closer to my exam date, which I found useful.
PAT: I started my preparation for this section by primarily using the generators for each topic to improve my visualization. Once I got a better understanding and saw some improvement in my skills, I went through 10-15 questions on a particular topic and alternated between the two.
RC: I prepared the least for this section and primarily used the passage split method. I did about 10 of the extra reading practice tests and read all of the additional recommended articles.
QR: This was another section I didn’t really pay much attention to. I mostly studied using the extra questions and practice tests and would go back to them a few days later.
Day of Exam
Final advice
Overall, I’d say I’m more than happy with my scores. My best advice is to make sure you limit as many distractions as possible when studying for the DAT. If I were to do things differently, I’d definitely have put a stop to volunteering and shadowing for the time being. I also strongly encourage taking full-length practice tests. I personally didn’t take any, and I really wouldn’t recommend this for anyone - ESPECIALLY if you struggle with time management. I know it’s not ideal, but I did most of my studying at home and couldn’t go through more than a few hours without interruption. Instead, I’d take the practice tests for each individual section and try to complete them with a few minutes to spare.
Finally, don’t overwhelm yourself with studying! It’s only going to make the process more burdensome. Let yourself be human - hang out with friends & family, take a walk in nature, etc. It’ll be over before you know it, and then you’re ready to move on to the next step of the process! Best of luck!
Scores
QR - 17
RC - 27
Bio - 24
GC - 24
OC - 19
PAT - 20
TS - 22
AA - 22
Background
Graduated 2022 with a ~3.70 GPA as a Biology major
Materials used in order of preference:
- DATBooster) I used Booster as my primary resource mainly because it was more affordable than Bootcamp. I also heard positive reviews about the Biology and PAT sections which further swayed this decision. I initially purchased a 90-day membership during one of their promotional periods and extended it twice for a total of 90 additional days, which totaled to about $570 - not including the additional costs of attending the Biology and OChem crash courses.
- Chad’s Prep) This is an extremely beneficial free resource for GC and OChem prep. Some of the topics Chad covers go into more detail than what you need to know for the DAT, but I highly recommend watching his videos to supplement your studying.
- Organic Chemistry as a Second Language by David Klein) I recommend this for anyone struggling with OChem! I was easily able to find a free PDF copy of the 4th edition online through Reddit. I found the step-by-step explanations helpful in solidifying my understanding of important concepts and reaction mechanisms.
My overall test preparation took about 5 months, including a month “break” in April for religious observance - but I would NOT recommend taking more than 3 months to study unless you are extremely consistent in your review. I planned to take my DAT by mid-May, but ultimately had to postpone it because I forgot the material I covered in the earlier months. I averaged about 4-5 hours of studying every day starting in late January by following the 8-week study schedule. In addition to studying, I was balancing my time with volunteering, shadowing, and helping in providing care for a family member. About 3 or 4 weeks in, I switched to the 10-week schedule because I couldn’t keep up. By the start of April, I had to set my own schedule. I did most of my studying at home, which made it hard to study for more than a few hours at a time. I would definitely recommend going to a school or public library if you’re able to.
BIO: I mainly used the Feralis notes and Bio Bits for this section. I focused on 1-2 topics from a chapter at a time and took notes - drawing out diagrams, using storytelling to explain processes, etc. - and then immediately went through the Bio Bits for those topics, marking whatever I got wrong to review. Later that day, I’d reset the question banks and go through them again. I’d do this again the next morning, the morning after that, the evening the next day, etc. If there was a subject I still didn’t understand, I’d search up YouTube animations to visualize it better.
I attended 2 of the 3 Biology crash course sessions closer to my exam date that I’d highly recommend considering attending. There’s a LOT of material to cover in this section, but the crash courses help you focus on what you’re more likely to come across on the exam. One of the questions I’d gone over during one of the sessions ended up appearing on my actual exam.
GC: I used Professor Dave’s videos supplemented with Chad’s videos on topics I still didn’t understand. I mostly used the extra questions and practice tests on Booster for this section.
OC: I admittedly didn’t find Professor Dave’s videos helpful. Instead, I used OChem as a Second Language and supplemented this with Chad’s videos. I also made flash cards of each reaction mechanism using Booster’s reaction sheet. After some revision, I’d repeatedly go through the reaction bites and extra questions in a similar manner to how I studied for the Biology section. I also attended the OChem crash courses closer to my exam date, which I found useful.
PAT: I started my preparation for this section by primarily using the generators for each topic to improve my visualization. Once I got a better understanding and saw some improvement in my skills, I went through 10-15 questions on a particular topic and alternated between the two.
RC: I prepared the least for this section and primarily used the passage split method. I did about 10 of the extra reading practice tests and read all of the additional recommended articles.
QR: This was another section I didn’t really pay much attention to. I mostly studied using the extra questions and practice tests and would go back to them a few days later.
Day of Exam
- BIO (24): I scored higher on the actual exam compared to the practice tests, where I was averaging around a 20. The questions were more straightforward but similar in difficulty to the practice tests. My test was mostly centered on genetics, evolution/ecology, and cell biology. I had maybe one question on taxonomy and a few on the different organ systems, particularly the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
- GC (24): I again did better on this section of the actual test compared to the practice tests, where my average score was a 21.This section was very similar to Booster’s practice tests. Most of the questions were conceptual or involved setting up formulas. There were very few calculations that were mostly basic math. I went through this section pretty quickly. I had a few questions on colligative properties, so I’d definitely recommend making sure you understand them well.
- OC (19): I scored slightly lower in this section compared to the practice tests. Most of the questions involved identifying the products or reactants of a reaction. I had maybe 2-3 questions on H-NMR and C-NMR, so I’d definitely make sure you understand this topic. I personally don’t recall having any questions relating to the different lab identification tests, but I’d go over that as well.
- PAT (20): My score was similar to what I was scoring on the practice tests. This was the section I struggled with most on the exam. The keyhole and TFE questions were “easier” than on Booster, but they were still difficult to the point that I ended up having to guess. The angle ranking and cube counting questions were almost exactly like they were on Booster. I was surprised with the pattern folding section, I felt like it was more difficult on the actual exam because the shapes were more complex. My best advice for this section is to start with the angle ranking questions first and save keyhole and TFE for last. If you’re running out of time, just pick your best guess and move on.
- RC (27): I scored similar to what I was averaging on the practice tests. My exam had 2 science passages and 1 non-science passage about social ethics in healthcare. The questions were very straightforward; most of the answers were directly found in the text. The layout of my questions was mostly chronological. I’d read 2-3 paragraphs, answer a few questions, and then read 2-3 more paragraphs without having to go back and forth repeatedly. My best advice is to convince yourself you’re actually interested in what you’re reading. I had some prior knowledge on the topics I read about, but do NOT rely on this knowledge to answer any questions - only use what’s given to you in the text.
- QR (17): I admittedly went into this section a bit overconfident given that I was scoring in the high 20s on the practice tests. At this point of the exam I was honestly more focused on getting it over with than I was in actually giving it my best effort. Most of this section consisted of statement sufficiency questions and there was a fair mix of questions from each subject.
Final advice
Overall, I’d say I’m more than happy with my scores. My best advice is to make sure you limit as many distractions as possible when studying for the DAT. If I were to do things differently, I’d definitely have put a stop to volunteering and shadowing for the time being. I also strongly encourage taking full-length practice tests. I personally didn’t take any, and I really wouldn’t recommend this for anyone - ESPECIALLY if you struggle with time management. I know it’s not ideal, but I did most of my studying at home and couldn’t go through more than a few hours without interruption. Instead, I’d take the practice tests for each individual section and try to complete them with a few minutes to spare.
Finally, don’t overwhelm yourself with studying! It’s only going to make the process more burdensome. Let yourself be human - hang out with friends & family, take a walk in nature, etc. It’ll be over before you know it, and then you’re ready to move on to the next step of the process! Best of luck!
