- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 44
Hey all. I've pretty much been a ghost around here except for a couple posts in the Destroyer thread, but I wanted to post my DAT thoughts in case they can help any future takers in the same way the dozens of threads on here helped me.
I took the test yesterday and I'm pretty happy with how it went. Special thanks go out to @FeralisExtremum , @orgoman22 and @Ari Rezaei for producing the best prep material you can find. The sheer amount of test takers who start their breakdowns by saying that lets you know how valuable their content is, take advantage of it!
SCORES
Total Science: 27
Academic Average: 26
Biology: 25
Chemistry: 26
Organic Chemistry: 30
Reading: 23
Quantitative Reasoning: 24
PAT: 21
Background: I just finished my junior year as a biology major. Everyone who takes the DAT will tell you that you don't need to take upper level biology classes in order to do well, introductory level is sufficient. While I agree with this, I think I benefitted greatly by having taken advanced classes in biology before sitting for the test. This is by no means a necessity so don't feel pressured to go out of your way to do it, but if you're in a situation where you're debating taking a couple extra biology classes before the test I'd highly recommend going for it. I think Genetics and Anatomy/Physiology were the 2 most helpful classes in preparation. But like I said, non-Biology majors or people with only an intro-level background are more than equipped to do well on this section, it'll just take a little extra work leading into the exam. I also highly recommend taking the test immediately after finishing Orgo 2 so that material is still fresh with you. I intentionally took Orgo as a junior instead of as a sophomore in order to set this up and it worked out well.
Materials:
-DAT Bootcamp: I sort of used BC non-traditionally in that I really didn't use it for full length practice tests. I took the Chem/Orgo sections as practice tests, but for Biology I went through the questions by category as I finished reviewing a section (e.g; I would spend a week on Taxonomy and then do all the BC Taxonomy questions). I went back through and did the Bio tests as well, but my scores were artificially inflated by having seen the questions. BC lives up to the hype, and it's especially great for PAT generators.
-DATQVAULT: In the week leading up to the exam I took a bunch of DATQVAULT practice exams from the sciences and PAT. I think their sections are pretty representative of the real exam, and they pretty much nailed my scores. (AVG: Bio 25.1/Chem 26.1/Orgo 26.1/PAT 20). The only section I wouldn't rely on them for is Gen Chem as they repeatedly test on the same exact concepts instead of exposing you to a broad array of question types.
-DAT DESTROYER/MATH DESTROYER: I really loved the Biology and Orgo sections of the Destroyer. The questions were thought provoking and required you to not only know specific details, but to relate them across topics. It really pushes you to the point where you're ready for the test. Definitely don't roll your eyes thinking the Bio section is overly detailed/overkill. There were a couple ridiculously specific questions in there that I had never seen before that I thought couldn't possibly be tested on, and they were both almost verbatim on the exam. The Gen Chem section, however, is way more sophisticated than anything I encountered on the exam (or BC/QVAULT, for that matter). Math Destroyer made my QR seem like a piece of cake and it gave plenty of exposure to common question types (there are only so many ways you can ask a combined work problem so once you know how to do them you get free points!)
-FERALIS' NOTES: In addition to my own notes from past biology classes, Feralis/Taxonomy Cheat Sheet was my main source for biology studying. It's the perfect combination of being thorough and concise, and there isn't much you need to know that isn't in here. There's a little too much detail about plants and protest/fungi diversity (I skipped over it and wasn't punished for it) but other than that they're a necessity.
-KAPLAN BLUE BOOK/PRINCETON REVIEW BOOK/STERLING DAT BIO: I pretty much lumped these together to say that you shouldn't go overboard in finding materials to prepare with, as I hardly opened these and didn't find them too useful. Find a couple reliable sources that you're comfortable with and keep a sharp focus on them! There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on excess books.
2009 DAT: TS/AA/BIO/CHEM/ORGO/RC/QR/PAT: 29/26/28/30/30/23/18(lol skip it)/23
This was the only full length practice test I took. I thought it was pretty representative except the QR was absurd, the PAT was too easy and biology now incorporates application-style questions instead of simply fact checking.
THE TEST:
BIO: My bio section was probably slightly harder than any BC/QVAULT exam I took. There were a bunch of no-brainer questions but also 5-6 really challenging application questions. Memorizing Feralis will get you a 20-22, but scoring higher requires you to be able to connect concepts that don't seem like they're related at all. I knew this leading in, so I made a point out it to be able to understand the material on a deep level by making concept maps in my head (e.g: insufficient gastrin release from G-cells would lead to reduced secretion of HCl and intrinsic factor from parietal cells. Less intrinsic factor means less Vitamin B12 reabsorption, which will have an influence on hemoglobin and red blood cell production. The body breaks down heme into bilirubin, which is used by the liver as a component of bile. Bam, we related G-cells related to fat digestion). You won't have to apply things on that level, but training as if you do will help.
CHEM/ORGO: These sections were pretty straightforward, and the 2009 is almost identical to them since the ADA hasn't philosophically changed them like they did for Bio. Mastering BC and QVAULT means you're ready to go.
PAT: I had to pee so bad during this section lol. I honestly think it helped me a little bit with my pacing because it sped up my thought process in an effort to, y'know, not pee myself. I think the QVAULT keyholes were more accurate than BC, but other than that I literally felt like I was taking a BC PAT test. My advice is to steal as many points as you can on hole punching, cube counting and pattern folding, because you can get virtually flawless scores there whereas you never know what you'll encounter on the other 3 sections. I got 20's on 11 consecutive practice tests so it was nice to finally get over that hump on the actual test haha.
RC: It really helped me out that 2 of my articles were on areas that I've done some research in, so there were some factual questions that I didn't even use the article for. I think the articles (density/length) were on par with BC, but the questions were significantly easier. They were sequential, mostly fact-based and not focused on tone/holistic approach. Abuse the highlighter!
QR: My strategy for this section was all about finishing. If I couldn't find an approach to start solving the problem within 15 seconds, I marked and moved on. If I had an approach but it took over a minute to execute, I marked and moved on. After finishing, priority went to marked questions with an approach that was just taking too long. At the end, I had 5 marked question and I figured 2 out, guessed on 3. I can't emphasize this strategy enough, because the vast majority of the QR questions were extremely easy to figure out. There was no significant trig/geometry and the QC questions were common sense. The biggest mistake you can make is to spend 5 minutes each on those 5 difficult questions because you're passing up the opportunity to get points on the easier questions at the end of the test that are worth the same amount.
That's what I've got for now. Thanks again to everyone who helped out, and feel free to ask me any questions you have, I'd be glad to give back!
I took the test yesterday and I'm pretty happy with how it went. Special thanks go out to @FeralisExtremum , @orgoman22 and @Ari Rezaei for producing the best prep material you can find. The sheer amount of test takers who start their breakdowns by saying that lets you know how valuable their content is, take advantage of it!
SCORES
Total Science: 27
Academic Average: 26
Biology: 25
Chemistry: 26
Organic Chemistry: 30
Reading: 23
Quantitative Reasoning: 24
PAT: 21
Background: I just finished my junior year as a biology major. Everyone who takes the DAT will tell you that you don't need to take upper level biology classes in order to do well, introductory level is sufficient. While I agree with this, I think I benefitted greatly by having taken advanced classes in biology before sitting for the test. This is by no means a necessity so don't feel pressured to go out of your way to do it, but if you're in a situation where you're debating taking a couple extra biology classes before the test I'd highly recommend going for it. I think Genetics and Anatomy/Physiology were the 2 most helpful classes in preparation. But like I said, non-Biology majors or people with only an intro-level background are more than equipped to do well on this section, it'll just take a little extra work leading into the exam. I also highly recommend taking the test immediately after finishing Orgo 2 so that material is still fresh with you. I intentionally took Orgo as a junior instead of as a sophomore in order to set this up and it worked out well.
Materials:
-DAT Bootcamp: I sort of used BC non-traditionally in that I really didn't use it for full length practice tests. I took the Chem/Orgo sections as practice tests, but for Biology I went through the questions by category as I finished reviewing a section (e.g; I would spend a week on Taxonomy and then do all the BC Taxonomy questions). I went back through and did the Bio tests as well, but my scores were artificially inflated by having seen the questions. BC lives up to the hype, and it's especially great for PAT generators.
-DATQVAULT: In the week leading up to the exam I took a bunch of DATQVAULT practice exams from the sciences and PAT. I think their sections are pretty representative of the real exam, and they pretty much nailed my scores. (AVG: Bio 25.1/Chem 26.1/Orgo 26.1/PAT 20). The only section I wouldn't rely on them for is Gen Chem as they repeatedly test on the same exact concepts instead of exposing you to a broad array of question types.
-DAT DESTROYER/MATH DESTROYER: I really loved the Biology and Orgo sections of the Destroyer. The questions were thought provoking and required you to not only know specific details, but to relate them across topics. It really pushes you to the point where you're ready for the test. Definitely don't roll your eyes thinking the Bio section is overly detailed/overkill. There were a couple ridiculously specific questions in there that I had never seen before that I thought couldn't possibly be tested on, and they were both almost verbatim on the exam. The Gen Chem section, however, is way more sophisticated than anything I encountered on the exam (or BC/QVAULT, for that matter). Math Destroyer made my QR seem like a piece of cake and it gave plenty of exposure to common question types (there are only so many ways you can ask a combined work problem so once you know how to do them you get free points!)
-FERALIS' NOTES: In addition to my own notes from past biology classes, Feralis/Taxonomy Cheat Sheet was my main source for biology studying. It's the perfect combination of being thorough and concise, and there isn't much you need to know that isn't in here. There's a little too much detail about plants and protest/fungi diversity (I skipped over it and wasn't punished for it) but other than that they're a necessity.
-KAPLAN BLUE BOOK/PRINCETON REVIEW BOOK/STERLING DAT BIO: I pretty much lumped these together to say that you shouldn't go overboard in finding materials to prepare with, as I hardly opened these and didn't find them too useful. Find a couple reliable sources that you're comfortable with and keep a sharp focus on them! There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on excess books.
2009 DAT: TS/AA/BIO/CHEM/ORGO/RC/QR/PAT: 29/26/28/30/30/23/18(lol skip it)/23
This was the only full length practice test I took. I thought it was pretty representative except the QR was absurd, the PAT was too easy and biology now incorporates application-style questions instead of simply fact checking.
THE TEST:
BIO: My bio section was probably slightly harder than any BC/QVAULT exam I took. There were a bunch of no-brainer questions but also 5-6 really challenging application questions. Memorizing Feralis will get you a 20-22, but scoring higher requires you to be able to connect concepts that don't seem like they're related at all. I knew this leading in, so I made a point out it to be able to understand the material on a deep level by making concept maps in my head (e.g: insufficient gastrin release from G-cells would lead to reduced secretion of HCl and intrinsic factor from parietal cells. Less intrinsic factor means less Vitamin B12 reabsorption, which will have an influence on hemoglobin and red blood cell production. The body breaks down heme into bilirubin, which is used by the liver as a component of bile. Bam, we related G-cells related to fat digestion). You won't have to apply things on that level, but training as if you do will help.
CHEM/ORGO: These sections were pretty straightforward, and the 2009 is almost identical to them since the ADA hasn't philosophically changed them like they did for Bio. Mastering BC and QVAULT means you're ready to go.
PAT: I had to pee so bad during this section lol. I honestly think it helped me a little bit with my pacing because it sped up my thought process in an effort to, y'know, not pee myself. I think the QVAULT keyholes were more accurate than BC, but other than that I literally felt like I was taking a BC PAT test. My advice is to steal as many points as you can on hole punching, cube counting and pattern folding, because you can get virtually flawless scores there whereas you never know what you'll encounter on the other 3 sections. I got 20's on 11 consecutive practice tests so it was nice to finally get over that hump on the actual test haha.
RC: It really helped me out that 2 of my articles were on areas that I've done some research in, so there were some factual questions that I didn't even use the article for. I think the articles (density/length) were on par with BC, but the questions were significantly easier. They were sequential, mostly fact-based and not focused on tone/holistic approach. Abuse the highlighter!
QR: My strategy for this section was all about finishing. If I couldn't find an approach to start solving the problem within 15 seconds, I marked and moved on. If I had an approach but it took over a minute to execute, I marked and moved on. After finishing, priority went to marked questions with an approach that was just taking too long. At the end, I had 5 marked question and I figured 2 out, guessed on 3. I can't emphasize this strategy enough, because the vast majority of the QR questions were extremely easy to figure out. There was no significant trig/geometry and the QC questions were common sense. The biggest mistake you can make is to spend 5 minutes each on those 5 difficult questions because you're passing up the opportunity to get points on the easier questions at the end of the test that are worth the same amount.
That's what I've got for now. Thanks again to everyone who helped out, and feel free to ask me any questions you have, I'd be glad to give back!
congrats man!!
