softsender
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I just recently took the DAT May 27th, 2023 and I scored a 26 AA. Here are some of my insights.
I had 25 days to study, and the only thing I used to study was DAT bootcamp. I dedicated the entire month to the DAT, so I spent anywhere from 7-10 hours each day studying. I stopped when I felt that I wasn’t retaining any information and then I went and did something to take my mind off of the DAT.
Study plan:
The very first thing I did was take a full length practice test to assess what my strengths and weaknesses were. These are probably the most valuable tool that bootcamp provides. I couldn’t believe just how similar the actual test was to the practice test down to even the format and features of the test. I mainly used the videos and question banks to learn the material, and I would take one or two practice tests each week on days that I did not cover material. One of the most important things is reviewing a test after you retake it. Anytime there was a question I didn’t understand I would watch the explanation on it and that helped me learn to not repeat that mistake again.
I started first with RC, QR, and PAT so that I could learn the strategy of those sections and start practicing it each time I took a practice test. This took me about 3 days. Next I moved through Gen Chem and O Chem videos which took around 8 days combined. I saved biology for last so that I could keep the material as fresh as possible before the test. It took me about another 7 days to get through all of the material. I also took two days to review my notes and specific things that I wanted to go over a few days before the test. The day before the test I did not study at all which was very important. I did things that I enjoy to tried and let my brain rest so I could perform to the best of my ability.
PAT-23 (bootcamp score: 19-20)
Due to my time constraints I barely studied PAT at all. The key to this section is knowing the strategy for answering each type of question, which you learn from the videos, and practice to improve speed. All I used to study for PAT were the videos and practice tests, and with time I improved. The actual DAT PAT section felt much easier to me than bootcamp.
QR-21 (bootcamp score: 19-24)
The big thing with QR is practice questions. I watched the videos early, but I didn’t do all of the question banks until just a few days before the test. If I could go back I would have done that earlier. The actual DAT QR section felt easier to me than bootcamp, but I scored lower than my highest practice test QR score which was a 24.
RC-25 (bootcamp score: 20-23)
I am such a slow reader so this section made me pretty nervous. The best thing I did was playing around with different strategies that I learned from the videos to find what worked best for me. There were a lot more fact based questions on the actual RC than comprehension based, so that made it feel easier. Another thing is that the passages were varied in length (11-22 paragraphs) as opposed to bootcamp where I felt that each passage was about the same length (about 15 paragraphs).
GC-27 (bootcamp score: 22-24)
This section felt more like review for me. Dr. Mikes videos were extremely helpful, and I did each question bank as soon as I finished a module. I felt that the real DAT questions were much simpler than bootcamp questions.
OC-27 (bootcamp score: 22-27)
This was my strongest section going into the test. Again Dr. Mikes videos were very helpful and I did each question bank as soon as I finished a module. The thing I wish I would have reviewed a little better were the lab techniques as I felt there were less reaction questions on the actual DAT than bootcamp tests, and more lab based and conceptual questions.
BIO-30 (bootcamp score: 18-24)
This was my worst section when I first started studying. The first time I took a practice test I got a 14. The best thing I did was study this last because this section is mainly memorization, and it is the longest section with the most material. I used a combination of the bio videos, and the bio notes. For modules that I felt pretty comfortable with, I read the bootcamp notes. The actual bio section felt a lot more general than bootcamp questions, which made it feel much easier.
Overall:
I would recommend doing all 10 full length practice tests to get you used to the real test and to see as many high yield test questions as possible, I only made it through 8. You know how you study better than anyone, cater your plan to how you study. Obviously the more time you have the better, but I think 4-6 weeks is plenty of time to get a great score depending on your schedule. Don’t get too discouraged if you do not see improvement in scores, a few questions can be the difference between an average score and a great score so assess your weaknesses and stick with it! Staying dedicated, keeping the end goal in mind, taking breaks when I needed, and staying optimistic were things that helped me succeed!
I had 25 days to study, and the only thing I used to study was DAT bootcamp. I dedicated the entire month to the DAT, so I spent anywhere from 7-10 hours each day studying. I stopped when I felt that I wasn’t retaining any information and then I went and did something to take my mind off of the DAT.
Study plan:
The very first thing I did was take a full length practice test to assess what my strengths and weaknesses were. These are probably the most valuable tool that bootcamp provides. I couldn’t believe just how similar the actual test was to the practice test down to even the format and features of the test. I mainly used the videos and question banks to learn the material, and I would take one or two practice tests each week on days that I did not cover material. One of the most important things is reviewing a test after you retake it. Anytime there was a question I didn’t understand I would watch the explanation on it and that helped me learn to not repeat that mistake again.
I started first with RC, QR, and PAT so that I could learn the strategy of those sections and start practicing it each time I took a practice test. This took me about 3 days. Next I moved through Gen Chem and O Chem videos which took around 8 days combined. I saved biology for last so that I could keep the material as fresh as possible before the test. It took me about another 7 days to get through all of the material. I also took two days to review my notes and specific things that I wanted to go over a few days before the test. The day before the test I did not study at all which was very important. I did things that I enjoy to tried and let my brain rest so I could perform to the best of my ability.
PAT-23 (bootcamp score: 19-20)
Due to my time constraints I barely studied PAT at all. The key to this section is knowing the strategy for answering each type of question, which you learn from the videos, and practice to improve speed. All I used to study for PAT were the videos and practice tests, and with time I improved. The actual DAT PAT section felt much easier to me than bootcamp.
QR-21 (bootcamp score: 19-24)
The big thing with QR is practice questions. I watched the videos early, but I didn’t do all of the question banks until just a few days before the test. If I could go back I would have done that earlier. The actual DAT QR section felt easier to me than bootcamp, but I scored lower than my highest practice test QR score which was a 24.
RC-25 (bootcamp score: 20-23)
I am such a slow reader so this section made me pretty nervous. The best thing I did was playing around with different strategies that I learned from the videos to find what worked best for me. There were a lot more fact based questions on the actual RC than comprehension based, so that made it feel easier. Another thing is that the passages were varied in length (11-22 paragraphs) as opposed to bootcamp where I felt that each passage was about the same length (about 15 paragraphs).
GC-27 (bootcamp score: 22-24)
This section felt more like review for me. Dr. Mikes videos were extremely helpful, and I did each question bank as soon as I finished a module. I felt that the real DAT questions were much simpler than bootcamp questions.
OC-27 (bootcamp score: 22-27)
This was my strongest section going into the test. Again Dr. Mikes videos were very helpful and I did each question bank as soon as I finished a module. The thing I wish I would have reviewed a little better were the lab techniques as I felt there were less reaction questions on the actual DAT than bootcamp tests, and more lab based and conceptual questions.
BIO-30 (bootcamp score: 18-24)
This was my worst section when I first started studying. The first time I took a practice test I got a 14. The best thing I did was study this last because this section is mainly memorization, and it is the longest section with the most material. I used a combination of the bio videos, and the bio notes. For modules that I felt pretty comfortable with, I read the bootcamp notes. The actual bio section felt a lot more general than bootcamp questions, which made it feel much easier.
Overall:
I would recommend doing all 10 full length practice tests to get you used to the real test and to see as many high yield test questions as possible, I only made it through 8. You know how you study better than anyone, cater your plan to how you study. Obviously the more time you have the better, but I think 4-6 weeks is plenty of time to get a great score depending on your schedule. Don’t get too discouraged if you do not see improvement in scores, a few questions can be the difference between an average score and a great score so assess your weaknesses and stick with it! Staying dedicated, keeping the end goal in mind, taking breaks when I needed, and staying optimistic were things that helped me succeed!
