abobpatrick14
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Hey guys sorry this is a long post but hopefully there is some useful information in there for you all!
I recently took my DAT in early June after using DAT Bootcamp with the 5-month study plan. Since I started studying in January, my study schedule had to coincide with a tough semester of classes, working as a dental assistant, and various leadership positions. This meant my studying wasn’t always the same every day and had to be modified week to week. Luckily with Bootcamp and Ari’s schedule, assigning what I wanted to study and work on each day was much simpler and the materials were compiled in a way that was approachable and easy to tackle.
With the 5-month study plan I studied approximately 12 hours during the week chipping away at Ari’s schedule during the spring semester. After finals week was over I took a few days off and then started studying 6 hours a day on average, 5-6 days a week for about a month until my test date. This “final push” was certainly the most helpful part of my studying as it allowed me to review and break down what I was not good at. I spent this time finishing up question banks and whatever lectures I had left after the semester, as well as taking full-length practice tests. Assigning a practice test for one day and then a complete review the next day was the strategy that I believe ultimately benefited me the most in absorbing content. Reviews were never less than 6 hours when reviewing full- length tests. I took a look at each question and each answer and thought about why it was wrong or why it was right. This takes a long time but is absolutely worth it.
Like I mentioned before, my schedule was pretty full, so focusing when working was a major component to accomplishing my daily goals and retaining information. During the beginning of my study process I read a book called, “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. This book goes into detail on how to achieve deep work and be able to focus on a deeper level for longer periods of time. Having no distractions, and the proper environment are key aspects of attaining a great study session, as well as eliminating potential distractions. For me this was my phone and social media, so whenever I studied I had to make sure I did not have access to social media and had my notifications always turned off. Being able to study for long periods of time was very difficult at first but got easier as time went on, and was crucial during my ‘final push’ before the DAT. Being able to focus for long periods of time is also crucial for test day. I remember taking my first full-length practice test I felt like I could barely read at the end of the QR section, but as I took more and more full-length practice tests, my test-taking stamina improved a lot which was crucial for test day.
Biology (24)
Whenever I started the bio section I glanced over Bootcamp’s condensed notes, and immediately felt like I was standing at the base of a mountain. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material that was covered. Being on the other side of that mountain, it is important to keep in mind that you can absolutely tackle this section, but it must be taken on in small chunks. For this section, I watched all the video lectures and took brief notes over the videos, and completed the question banks afterward. This was helpful to review content in which I hadn’t seen in a long time, or content I had never covered. I barely ever reviewed the notes I took, but the way the videos are paced I had a very hard time retaining
what was being talked about unless I engaged with the material in some way. The most helpful thing for biology was the practice tests and question banks (this is going to be a very common theme among all sections). When reviewing biology tests I would make sure to go through every answer choice and write on a whiteboard the definition for every answer choice or a diagram of the concept being talked about. This was especially helpful for things like the circulatory system, cell structures, and cellular respiration. Another technique that was very helpful for me was to write down something on the whiteboard and then turn my back to the board and explain it like I was teaching it to someone else. Then I would turn back around and make sure I got everything right. There were several times during the DAT when I thought back to the diagrams I drew on the whiteboard and this helped me choose the correct answer. Make sure you know the biology concepts well as this section relies heavily on “know it or you don’t” style problems that don’t require a lot of logic or problem-solving. Because of this, I found during my ‘final push’ that making flashcards on anki over concepts or terms I was particularly bad at, was a great way to quickly review my weakest subjects. Being quick at this section will help save you time for the more tedious gen chem and orgo sections.
Gen Chem (24)
For GC Dr. Mike’s videos were incredibly helpful. I had a great general chemistry professor, and Dr. Mike’s videos helped reinforce the topics I had previously learned and taught me new ways to approach this material. I also watched all his videos and completed every corresponding question bank. He talks about this a lot in his videos, but when approaching this section it is important to keep in mind a lot of these questions are conceptual at their roots. Even if it is a math-based problem, solving it may still heavily rely on the core concept it is asking about. Drawing diagrams can be helpful if you get stuck. I did not memorize very many equations unless it was necessary and the equation was not logically attainable. Often times you can deduce what you need to do with the numbers based on units alone, or cancelling units out with each other. Like with biology, I wrote out almost every problem from the practice tests again and thought about why the problem was right or wrong. Knowing periodic trends and general trends of chemistry was the most helpful thing with this section, as well as seeing a lot of different question types.
Orgo (27)
I planned my DAT around taking organic chemistry at my university, and having such fresh knowledge of the material was immensely helpful. Knowing the general trends about how different structures will interact with each other was at the core of how I approached this section. I watched all of Dr. Mike’s orgo videos and completed all of the question banks for this section as well. Since I had just completed 2 semesters of orgo, I did all this quickly during the final weeks of the semester and my ‘final push’ in the last month, just to review. I made sure to write out each reaction, doing the ones I was bad at over and over again. During the final two weeks of my studying, I went over the reaction summary sheet and put each reaction I felt I had a chance of getting wrong into an anki deck and studied these
flashcard style. I would write reaction after reaction out on a whiteboard until I had graduated that deck and felt confident in the reactions. This really helped me lock these down.
PAT (23)
This section can also be very daunting due to how different it is from anything else and how fast-paced it is. Early and diligent practice was the key to getting through this section for me. Using the PAT generators when I was standing in line or had any kind of downtime was something I tried to capitalize on as much as possible. Typically I would do 5-10 questions from each section every day until my ‘final push’, then I did around 15 questions from each section every day. One thing I found when studying this section is that the question banks for keyholes, top front end, and pattern folding were more representative of the real test and more challenging than the problems from the generator. When doing these problems I always paid close attention to how fast I was completing them, as time is a major factor in this section. If I couldn’t figure something out fast enough I would take my best guess, mark it, and move on (and rock keyholes I would never spend more than 15 seconds on before taking a guess). Taking the first practice test and reviewing the time spent per section is how I gauged which section I should start with on test day and which one I wanted to do last. For me, I was fastest at angle ranking, cube counting, and hole punching so I would always jump to question 31(angle ranking) to start this section and take it normally from there. The key to me improving in this section was seeing as many questions as I possibly could. I would be happy to answer any specific questions on each section of the PAT, I just don’t want to make this section longer than it already is!
Reading Comp (20)
In contrast with all the other sections on the DAT, this is the only section that I scored below my average on Bootcamp. Of the 9 reading practice tests I took, I averaged a 22 in Bootcamp so this score was surprising to me. This does not mean I didn’t feel well prepared during exam day though. Reading comprehension was the section I struggled with the most at first. I tried several question banks and I could just not get it figured out, but by the time I got to the end of my first practice test, I started to get a better idea of how to tackle this section and got better and better from there. A big key to me getting better was learning time management and figuring out the different techniques when presented with different question types. When taking practice tests there were similar question types each time and when prompted in different ways I would know what I should be looking for in the text. The method I used was to read the first two questions, then read the first 5 paragraphs well but at an accelerated pace, and then skim the rest of the passage. I used the “search and destroy” method after the first 5 paragraphs. If I could answer one of the first two questions in my initial first 5 paragraph read, I would answer, then read another question so I always had two questions in my head. I made sure I always had two questions to look out for at any point with a focus on one of the two. This is especially important in search and destroy when you are skimming a lot of text quickly looking for keywords. On the topic of
keywords, learning how to highlight effectively can also be a big time saver for this section. Out of all the sections on the DAT, I feel like everyone I talk to approaches this section in a different way. So do what is best for you, but I would recommend you take as many practice exams as you can so you get a good idea of how passages will look and be structured, and the timing of this section, as that is what makes this section difficult in my mind.
QR (26)
To study for this section I watched all the videos and did the question banks(like I did for every other section) as well as took practice tests. Similarly to PAT, the biggest factor for me in this section was simply seeing as many questions as possible and seeing every question type possible. The videos did a pretty good job explaining each question type that could be encountered on the DAT, but seeing all the different types of questions on question banks and practice tests was the most helpful thing(shocker I know). When I would have my review days of full-length tests I always found myself spending a lot of time on QR figuring out what keywords should’ve led me to start working out a question a certain way or how I should’ve initially approached a problem. I never felt 100% on this section but the QR test I got on test day certainly played into my strengths which was nice. A big component of this section is knowing when to simply guess, mark, move on and come back later. On the earlier practice tests, I set myself up for failure by spending 2-2.5 minutes on a single question and having to guess on the last couple which were usually much easier than that question. Sometimes I would come back to a question later and figure it out quickly with a fresh perspective. Overall making sure you have plenty of time to get the problems that you are confident in correct, is key to maximizing your success.
Finally, I will go over some additional tips I think are very important and what I did for the actual test day. When studying for this test, I would be in the library a ton, some days 10 hours or more. To stay sane, it was very important for me to get good sleep, exercise, and get outside for at least a little bit during the day. Whenever I did whiteboard practice I would stand, and during any studying, I always took breaks to walk around. During the spring semester, I had a mindset of “sleep is for the weak”, and this was a bad approach. Getting good sleep helped me retain information much better and be able to study for longer durations of time. Nodding off at my desk trying to watch a bio lecture never did me any good. Getting 8 hours of sleep a night and working out or exercising at least 3 times a week was crucial, especially in my final push.
In preparation for test day I did the “test drive” that is offered by the Prometric center to get a feel of the check-in process of test day and see how the computer works and what it is like to be inside the testing center. This helped immensely to calm test day nerves being familiar with the driving route, what the check-in process is like, and the test conditions. On test day I was very nervous, as most people are and felt like I couldn’t eat, so I drank a chocolate protein shake on the way to the testing center, and another one during the break. A light but protein filled meal was what I felt was optimal for me and this worked out well.
Overall, this test can be very daunting and overwhelming but I promise you can do it! Never give up and keep pushing to do the best you possibly can and you will be done before you know it! Please feel free to ask any additional questions, I would be happy to answer them!
I recently took my DAT in early June after using DAT Bootcamp with the 5-month study plan. Since I started studying in January, my study schedule had to coincide with a tough semester of classes, working as a dental assistant, and various leadership positions. This meant my studying wasn’t always the same every day and had to be modified week to week. Luckily with Bootcamp and Ari’s schedule, assigning what I wanted to study and work on each day was much simpler and the materials were compiled in a way that was approachable and easy to tackle.
With the 5-month study plan I studied approximately 12 hours during the week chipping away at Ari’s schedule during the spring semester. After finals week was over I took a few days off and then started studying 6 hours a day on average, 5-6 days a week for about a month until my test date. This “final push” was certainly the most helpful part of my studying as it allowed me to review and break down what I was not good at. I spent this time finishing up question banks and whatever lectures I had left after the semester, as well as taking full-length practice tests. Assigning a practice test for one day and then a complete review the next day was the strategy that I believe ultimately benefited me the most in absorbing content. Reviews were never less than 6 hours when reviewing full- length tests. I took a look at each question and each answer and thought about why it was wrong or why it was right. This takes a long time but is absolutely worth it.
Like I mentioned before, my schedule was pretty full, so focusing when working was a major component to accomplishing my daily goals and retaining information. During the beginning of my study process I read a book called, “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. This book goes into detail on how to achieve deep work and be able to focus on a deeper level for longer periods of time. Having no distractions, and the proper environment are key aspects of attaining a great study session, as well as eliminating potential distractions. For me this was my phone and social media, so whenever I studied I had to make sure I did not have access to social media and had my notifications always turned off. Being able to study for long periods of time was very difficult at first but got easier as time went on, and was crucial during my ‘final push’ before the DAT. Being able to focus for long periods of time is also crucial for test day. I remember taking my first full-length practice test I felt like I could barely read at the end of the QR section, but as I took more and more full-length practice tests, my test-taking stamina improved a lot which was crucial for test day.
Biology (24)
Whenever I started the bio section I glanced over Bootcamp’s condensed notes, and immediately felt like I was standing at the base of a mountain. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material that was covered. Being on the other side of that mountain, it is important to keep in mind that you can absolutely tackle this section, but it must be taken on in small chunks. For this section, I watched all the video lectures and took brief notes over the videos, and completed the question banks afterward. This was helpful to review content in which I hadn’t seen in a long time, or content I had never covered. I barely ever reviewed the notes I took, but the way the videos are paced I had a very hard time retaining
what was being talked about unless I engaged with the material in some way. The most helpful thing for biology was the practice tests and question banks (this is going to be a very common theme among all sections). When reviewing biology tests I would make sure to go through every answer choice and write on a whiteboard the definition for every answer choice or a diagram of the concept being talked about. This was especially helpful for things like the circulatory system, cell structures, and cellular respiration. Another technique that was very helpful for me was to write down something on the whiteboard and then turn my back to the board and explain it like I was teaching it to someone else. Then I would turn back around and make sure I got everything right. There were several times during the DAT when I thought back to the diagrams I drew on the whiteboard and this helped me choose the correct answer. Make sure you know the biology concepts well as this section relies heavily on “know it or you don’t” style problems that don’t require a lot of logic or problem-solving. Because of this, I found during my ‘final push’ that making flashcards on anki over concepts or terms I was particularly bad at, was a great way to quickly review my weakest subjects. Being quick at this section will help save you time for the more tedious gen chem and orgo sections.
Gen Chem (24)
For GC Dr. Mike’s videos were incredibly helpful. I had a great general chemistry professor, and Dr. Mike’s videos helped reinforce the topics I had previously learned and taught me new ways to approach this material. I also watched all his videos and completed every corresponding question bank. He talks about this a lot in his videos, but when approaching this section it is important to keep in mind a lot of these questions are conceptual at their roots. Even if it is a math-based problem, solving it may still heavily rely on the core concept it is asking about. Drawing diagrams can be helpful if you get stuck. I did not memorize very many equations unless it was necessary and the equation was not logically attainable. Often times you can deduce what you need to do with the numbers based on units alone, or cancelling units out with each other. Like with biology, I wrote out almost every problem from the practice tests again and thought about why the problem was right or wrong. Knowing periodic trends and general trends of chemistry was the most helpful thing with this section, as well as seeing a lot of different question types.
Orgo (27)
I planned my DAT around taking organic chemistry at my university, and having such fresh knowledge of the material was immensely helpful. Knowing the general trends about how different structures will interact with each other was at the core of how I approached this section. I watched all of Dr. Mike’s orgo videos and completed all of the question banks for this section as well. Since I had just completed 2 semesters of orgo, I did all this quickly during the final weeks of the semester and my ‘final push’ in the last month, just to review. I made sure to write out each reaction, doing the ones I was bad at over and over again. During the final two weeks of my studying, I went over the reaction summary sheet and put each reaction I felt I had a chance of getting wrong into an anki deck and studied these
flashcard style. I would write reaction after reaction out on a whiteboard until I had graduated that deck and felt confident in the reactions. This really helped me lock these down.
PAT (23)
This section can also be very daunting due to how different it is from anything else and how fast-paced it is. Early and diligent practice was the key to getting through this section for me. Using the PAT generators when I was standing in line or had any kind of downtime was something I tried to capitalize on as much as possible. Typically I would do 5-10 questions from each section every day until my ‘final push’, then I did around 15 questions from each section every day. One thing I found when studying this section is that the question banks for keyholes, top front end, and pattern folding were more representative of the real test and more challenging than the problems from the generator. When doing these problems I always paid close attention to how fast I was completing them, as time is a major factor in this section. If I couldn’t figure something out fast enough I would take my best guess, mark it, and move on (and rock keyholes I would never spend more than 15 seconds on before taking a guess). Taking the first practice test and reviewing the time spent per section is how I gauged which section I should start with on test day and which one I wanted to do last. For me, I was fastest at angle ranking, cube counting, and hole punching so I would always jump to question 31(angle ranking) to start this section and take it normally from there. The key to me improving in this section was seeing as many questions as I possibly could. I would be happy to answer any specific questions on each section of the PAT, I just don’t want to make this section longer than it already is!
Reading Comp (20)
In contrast with all the other sections on the DAT, this is the only section that I scored below my average on Bootcamp. Of the 9 reading practice tests I took, I averaged a 22 in Bootcamp so this score was surprising to me. This does not mean I didn’t feel well prepared during exam day though. Reading comprehension was the section I struggled with the most at first. I tried several question banks and I could just not get it figured out, but by the time I got to the end of my first practice test, I started to get a better idea of how to tackle this section and got better and better from there. A big key to me getting better was learning time management and figuring out the different techniques when presented with different question types. When taking practice tests there were similar question types each time and when prompted in different ways I would know what I should be looking for in the text. The method I used was to read the first two questions, then read the first 5 paragraphs well but at an accelerated pace, and then skim the rest of the passage. I used the “search and destroy” method after the first 5 paragraphs. If I could answer one of the first two questions in my initial first 5 paragraph read, I would answer, then read another question so I always had two questions in my head. I made sure I always had two questions to look out for at any point with a focus on one of the two. This is especially important in search and destroy when you are skimming a lot of text quickly looking for keywords. On the topic of
keywords, learning how to highlight effectively can also be a big time saver for this section. Out of all the sections on the DAT, I feel like everyone I talk to approaches this section in a different way. So do what is best for you, but I would recommend you take as many practice exams as you can so you get a good idea of how passages will look and be structured, and the timing of this section, as that is what makes this section difficult in my mind.
QR (26)
To study for this section I watched all the videos and did the question banks(like I did for every other section) as well as took practice tests. Similarly to PAT, the biggest factor for me in this section was simply seeing as many questions as possible and seeing every question type possible. The videos did a pretty good job explaining each question type that could be encountered on the DAT, but seeing all the different types of questions on question banks and practice tests was the most helpful thing(shocker I know). When I would have my review days of full-length tests I always found myself spending a lot of time on QR figuring out what keywords should’ve led me to start working out a question a certain way or how I should’ve initially approached a problem. I never felt 100% on this section but the QR test I got on test day certainly played into my strengths which was nice. A big component of this section is knowing when to simply guess, mark, move on and come back later. On the earlier practice tests, I set myself up for failure by spending 2-2.5 minutes on a single question and having to guess on the last couple which were usually much easier than that question. Sometimes I would come back to a question later and figure it out quickly with a fresh perspective. Overall making sure you have plenty of time to get the problems that you are confident in correct, is key to maximizing your success.
Finally, I will go over some additional tips I think are very important and what I did for the actual test day. When studying for this test, I would be in the library a ton, some days 10 hours or more. To stay sane, it was very important for me to get good sleep, exercise, and get outside for at least a little bit during the day. Whenever I did whiteboard practice I would stand, and during any studying, I always took breaks to walk around. During the spring semester, I had a mindset of “sleep is for the weak”, and this was a bad approach. Getting good sleep helped me retain information much better and be able to study for longer durations of time. Nodding off at my desk trying to watch a bio lecture never did me any good. Getting 8 hours of sleep a night and working out or exercising at least 3 times a week was crucial, especially in my final push.
In preparation for test day I did the “test drive” that is offered by the Prometric center to get a feel of the check-in process of test day and see how the computer works and what it is like to be inside the testing center. This helped immensely to calm test day nerves being familiar with the driving route, what the check-in process is like, and the test conditions. On test day I was very nervous, as most people are and felt like I couldn’t eat, so I drank a chocolate protein shake on the way to the testing center, and another one during the break. A light but protein filled meal was what I felt was optimal for me and this worked out well.
Overall, this test can be very daunting and overwhelming but I promise you can do it! Never give up and keep pushing to do the best you possibly can and you will be done before you know it! Please feel free to ask any additional questions, I would be happy to answer them!
