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- Aug 4, 2017
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Greetings,
After a grueling 10 weeks of preparation, I finally took the DAT a few days ago. At the beginning of my studying I was putting in about 4-6 hours of studying a day. In the last month, this study time was increased to a minimum of 8 hours daily. Within the two weeks of my test date, I found myself studying for about 12 hours every single day. I did not take any days off, but that does not mean that you cannot give yourself a break once a week. In fact, Ari's 10 week study schedule suggests to rest and review once every single week. Throughout my study process, I worked 30 hours a week. However, I was blessed to have time for a minimum of 3 hours of studying during every day at work. My job kept me disciplined in my studies and allowed me to achieve the scores that I received. Speaking of, my DAT scores were as follows:
BIO: 28
GC: 30
OC: 27
PAT: 22
RC: 23
QR: 23
AA: 26
TS: 28
A little background information about myself may be helpful before we get started, so: I am a 20-year old student who is preparing to start their Senior year in the fall. I am a Biochemistry major, but I am also pursuing a minor in Forensic Science. I am attending the largest private university in Texas, which is also quite renowned for its pre-health studies. My overall GPA is a 3.75, while my science GPA is a 3.70. I know, it's nothing special. This just goes to show that your GPA is not necessarily indicative of the grade that you will receive on your DAT. However, despite my relatively average GPA, I have gotten a 4.0 for the past year of upper-level science classes, so my progression is noticeable. Now, let's get to the breakdown. I will begin with my study strategies and materials used for each section. After that, I will detail my personal testing experience, which I believe will be helpful for many of you.
STUDY STRATEGIES
- Biology
-General Chemistry
- Perceptual Ability
- Quantitative Reasoning
Despite my lengthy preparation, I was extremely nervous in the days that led up to my test date. I found comfort knowing that I would receive the score that I had worked for, regardless of the difficulty of my particular exam. On my test day, I woke up 2 hours before my start time, but I did not eat anything in the morning. This made me a bit uncomfortable during the beginning portion of my test, but I would not say that it had a profound effect on my score. I made sure to drink a few sips of water to keep myself sane and hydrated.
It took me a while to get my brain started during my actual test. However, with the amount of studying that I had done for my science sections, the first part of the test were finished in auto-pilot mode. Upon finishing the 100 questions in Biology, Gen Chem, and OChem, I had probably marked 10 questions. I had about 20 minutes to go back and review these questions in depth. I did not encounter a single question that left me clueless. I knew how to approach every question and was able to eliminate at least 2 answer choices on all of the questions I had marked. The trickiest Biology questions were related to the endocrine system. Make sure that you are familiar with all hormone sources and effects. General Chemistry was straightforward for the most part; make sure you are familiar with the electron configuration exceptions (Cr, Mo, Cu, Ag, Au). Organic Chemistry was not challenging. I did see a question on common lab tests (Tollen's) so make sure that you familiarize yourself with those. All in all, I most likely missed two or three questions on the combined science sections. I had no issue with my timing on these sections. If you can comfortably finish Bootcamp practice tests in 30 minutes each, you will have no issues whatsoever.
My Perceptual Ability section was extremely flustering for me, despite feeling completely prepared going in. Keyhole and TFE had been my two hardest sections, so I was looking forward to getting them finished with first. However, upon running into some difficult Keyhole questions early on in the test (rocks, etc.), I decided to skip the rest of the Keyhole problems, saving them for last. This was a huge mistake on my part, but I had already wasted too much time to turn back. The TFE section went pretty smoothly. Angle Ranking was difficult, but it was expected. I believe that I got the majority of these questions correct (I had been scoring between 12-15/15 on the Bootcamp practice tests). Pattern Folding, which had been my most confident section, went smoothly with the exception of 1-2 problems that contained difficult back-folds (folds that went under the paper, instead of over). On my Cube Counting section, I lost focus on one of the problems and had to do a full recount, which probably resulted in the loss of a precious minute. Make sure that this does not happen to you. It was extremely stressful to screw up on perhaps the easiest, most consistent section on the PAT. I found that Pattern Folding was a bit easier than Bootcamp. About half of my questions could be solved by recognizing and identifying unique shapes. The other half of the questions involved shaded portions, and were quite difficult. By the time I returned to my Keyhole questions, I had about 8 minutes to finish 10 questions. This is where the panic really set in. It is extremely difficult to solve a rock Keyhole in under a minute and, as a result, I ended up guessing on at least two of the questions in this section. All in all, I am disappointed with my PAT score. While completing practice tests for this section, make sure that you leave room for error, because it is unlikely that everything will go exactly as planned. Oh yeah, I also had forgotten to make my 4x4 grids and Cube Counting tables before starting the PAT Section, which wasted another valuable minute of my time.
I only used 15 minutes of my 30 minute break, as I wanted to finish up with my test as soon as possible. I was getting antsy and I had only finished half of the test. I used these 15 minutes to snack on a granola bar and an apple, before returning to the test room. As soon as the RC section began, I regretted not using my whole 30 minute break. I had extreme difficulty focusing on and remembering the content of the passages, and began to panic early on in my RC section. However, most of the questions were in chronological? order in regards to the passage, so I ended up combining my new strategy with a Search and Destroy-like method. I made sure that I had begun my second passage after 20 minutes had elapsed. I completed my second passage in a little less than 20 minutes, but my third passage was terrible. I had trouble following along with the passage; it was incredibly boring. I ended up guessing on about a third of the questions on the last passage. However, even if you must resort to guessing on the RC section, it is still possible to eliminate 2-3 answer choices first, increasing your probability of obtaining the correct answer. In my opinion, the most important thing to focus on while studying for the RC section is timing. Make sure that you are able to finish all 15-17 questions for each passage in under 20 minutes. If you cannot do this, you will have difficulty when the actual DAT comes around.
Finally, I was onto the final section, QR. As I previously mentioned, this was probably the hardest section to fully prepare for. I probably encountered 8 Quantitative Analysis Questions, 4 Probability Questions, and 5 Geometry Questions. Make sure that you are able to properly read different types of graphs (this is covered in the YouTube playlist). Also, know the relationship between standard deviation, variance, and the mean. Timing is also key on this section. Do not sit on a question if you do not know how to approach it within the first 10 seconds. Complete all of the other questions that you are certain that you know how to do, and then return to the difficult questions. I made the mistake of spending too much time on difficult questions and, as a result, left two questions blank on this section. Do NOT make this mistake. As soon as the time runs out, your unofficial score sheet will appear on the screen. It is an extremely exciting moment to instantly see the results of your months of hard work.
STUDY MATERIALS
DAT Bootcamp (10/10) = An absolute must if you want to score well on the DAT. Honestly, if you just used the resources provided to you on Bootcamp, you would be fine.
DAT Destroyer (9/10) = Very helpful question sets. For the most part, harder than the actual DAT. Helpful to understand difficult concepts. Great solution explanations.
Math Destroyer (8/10) = Great set of problems and solutions. A bit outdated to the current DAT QR section.
Biology:
Cliffs AP, 3rd Edition (5/10) = I did not find this to be as helpful as most people suggest
Feralis' Notes (9/10) = The easiest, most efficient way to score well on the Biology section
Ty Jacob's Notes (7/10) = Perhaps a little excessive, contains material not mentioned in Cliffs or Feralis
Gen Chem:
Chad's Videos (9/10) = Gotta love Chad
Mike's Videos (10/10) = Personally, I found Mike's Videos to be more efficient. Great review outlines!
OChem:
Chad's Videos (7/10) = Lots of extra, unnecessary info. Some sections are dragged out way too long.
Mike's Videos (10/10) = Same as the Gen Chem explanation
Ty Jacob's Notes (5/10) = Meh. Nothing new, somewhat helpful review.
After a grueling 10 weeks of preparation, I finally took the DAT a few days ago. At the beginning of my studying I was putting in about 4-6 hours of studying a day. In the last month, this study time was increased to a minimum of 8 hours daily. Within the two weeks of my test date, I found myself studying for about 12 hours every single day. I did not take any days off, but that does not mean that you cannot give yourself a break once a week. In fact, Ari's 10 week study schedule suggests to rest and review once every single week. Throughout my study process, I worked 30 hours a week. However, I was blessed to have time for a minimum of 3 hours of studying during every day at work. My job kept me disciplined in my studies and allowed me to achieve the scores that I received. Speaking of, my DAT scores were as follows:
BIO: 28
GC: 30
OC: 27
PAT: 22
RC: 23
QR: 23
AA: 26
TS: 28
A little background information about myself may be helpful before we get started, so: I am a 20-year old student who is preparing to start their Senior year in the fall. I am a Biochemistry major, but I am also pursuing a minor in Forensic Science. I am attending the largest private university in Texas, which is also quite renowned for its pre-health studies. My overall GPA is a 3.75, while my science GPA is a 3.70. I know, it's nothing special. This just goes to show that your GPA is not necessarily indicative of the grade that you will receive on your DAT. However, despite my relatively average GPA, I have gotten a 4.0 for the past year of upper-level science classes, so my progression is noticeable. Now, let's get to the breakdown. I will begin with my study strategies and materials used for each section. After that, I will detail my personal testing experience, which I believe will be helpful for many of you.
STUDY STRATEGIES
- Biology
My Biology studying originally was designed around Ari's 10 week study schedule found on DAT Bootcamp. I read through Cliffs AP Biology (3rd Edition), which I supplemented with Feralis' Biology notes. Overall, I found that Feralis' notes were much more helpful and inclusive than the Cliffs textbook was. For this reason, I focused more on the details in the notes than the details in the textbook. On my first read through Feralis' notes, I marked and highlighted all information that I was not particularly familiar with. After I had finished Cliffs and Feralis' notes once, I had a good idea of what material I needed to focus on (mostly physiology and taxonomy stuff). Despite this, I decided to reread through all of Feralis' notes another time, again marking all material that I was not 100% familiar with. In my second time going over the notes, I tried to get through about 10-15 pages on notes each day. At this point, I had discovered Ty Jacob's Biology notes, which are extremely lengthy and detailed. Although many students consider these notes to be excessive and unnecessary, I found it extremely helpful to review the material from a different perspective. On my first run through Ty Jacob's notes, I averaged about 40 pages of notes daily. Within my last two weeks of studying, I completely reviewed both Feralis' and Ty Jacob's notes once more, again marking the material that needed attention and removing marks from the material that I had already committed to memory. All in all, I read through Cliffs AP Biology once, Feralis' notes four times, and Ty Jacob's notes twice. I also completed all of the Biology questions in DAT Destroyer three times. On my first run through these questions, I circled all of questions that I had struggled with, even in I got them correct. On my second time going through the questions, I once again attempted every question, but erased the circled questions that I had now understood. On my final time going through the questions, I only attempted the ones that had remained circled after two full attempts. On my last day of studying, the day before my DAT, I reviewed the sections of Feralis' notes that remained highlighted, as well as covering the Feralis' Taxonomy Cheat Sheet, which can be found on DAT Bootcamp. My scores on the Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 22-25 for the Biology section. I, by far, spent the most time studying Biology material. Remember kids, breadth over depth; or both if you have the time.
-General Chemistry
As most students do, my Gen Chem studying began with Chad's Videos. I did not want to spend the $50 on CourseSaver, so instead used the videos that can be found on his website. I found these to be completely sufficient for a first-time review of the material. Upon completing Chad's Videos, I began answering questions in DAT Destroyer, covering about 30 questions in each sitting. I once again circled the questions that I struggled with, making sure that I deeply understood the explanations given in the solutions to those questions. I next utilized Mike's Videos found on DAT Bootcamp. Personally, I found these videos to be more helpful than Chad's Videos, as they are tailored specifically towards the material that will be included on the DAT. All excessive information is ignored. I certainly feel that Mike's Videos can be used as a substitute for Chad's Videos, but it is helpful to go over both if you have the time. Upon the completion of Mike's Videos, I reviewed the Destroyer questions for a second time, once again removing the circles on the questions that I had now fully understood. The rest of my Gen Chem studying involved reviewing the end of chapter notes provided with Mike's Videos, as well as one final run through the questions that remained circled in DAT Destroyer. I did not spend excessive time on my General Chemistry studying because it was my most comfortable section from the very beginning. On my last day of studying, I reviewed lab techniques, which occasionally appear on the DAT. My scores on the Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 22-30.
- Organic Chemistry
My OChem study strategy was nearly identical to that of my Gen Chem studying. I began with Chad's Videos, finished the Destroyer questions, and finished with Mike's Videos. Once again, I found Mike's Videos to be more helpful with my particular study strategy. Although I had received B's in both OChem 1 and 2, I found the DAT OC section to be particularly straightforward. In my opinion, one run through Mike's or Chad's videos is enough to score well on this section. The Destroyer questions were much more difficult than the actual DAT, so don't get discouraged, even if you are missing half of the DAT Destroyer questions. On my last day of studying, I reviewed the Organic Chemistry Lab Tests page that can be found under the Organic Chemistry Study Strategy tab on DAT Bootcamp. My scores on the Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 20-24.
- Perceptual Ability
This was by far the hardest section for me to get the hang of. It took me hours and hours of practice before I could figure out how to correctly answer the TFE questions. All I can say is practice, practice, practice. The generators on DAT Bootcamp are a great place to start. When you first begin your PAT studying, focus only on getting the correct answer; do not worry about your timing. As you learn the proper techniques, you will begin to improve on your timing. Bootcamp questions are very comparable to the difficulty of the actual DAT. Be prepared for rock-style Keyhole questions. The best way to answer TFE questions is by picturing the 3D object, using the views that you are given. Bootcamp's TFE Generator is extremely useful for learning this technique. Angle Ranking and Cube Counting are straightforward and can be improved by practicing 15-30 questions at a time. For Hole Punching, I made a 4x4 grid and followed each fold across a line of symmetry, beginning with the final fold first. Pattern Folding was also difficult to get the hang of, but I found that the DAT was easier than Bootcamp's questions in this particular section. Make sure that you are able to identify unique shapes in each answer choice, especially when shading is not present. My scores on the Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 22-24.
- Reading Comprehension
Going into the DAT, I was terrified for the RC section. I had been killing it on the Bootcamp practice tests by using the Search and Destroy method. However, 2 day before my test, I found myself unable to use this method on a passage, and I hardcore panicked. As a result, I decided that it would be best to find a new, more consistent method. I ended up reading the first 4-5 paragraphs of each section, and quickly cycling through all of the questions, answering all of them that I could with the information I had just read. Then, I would read the next 4-5 paragraphs and repeat. I found that this method worked pretty well, so I settled with it, not having time to waste on developing a new strategy. My best advice would be to find a method that works for you, and stick with it. I did prepare properly for this section whatsoever. I am not an avid reader and, although my reading speed is probably above average, my comprehension and understanding is poor. Because of this, the RC section was quite difficult for me. My scores on Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 21-23.
- Quantitative Reasoning
Not going to lie, this is an extremely difficult section to master. More than likely, you will go into your DAT feeling unprepared on the QR section. My studying began with the DAT QR Playlist on YouTube (you can find it by searching DAT QR). Most of these videos are by Khan Academy and discuss all of the topics that will be found on the DAT. I have not taken a Statistics course in college, so I had a bit of difficulty with probability, permutations, and combinations. I watched dozens of YouTube videos on these topics until I felt that I had a bit of a grasp. Next, I utilized the DAT Destroyer Math questions. I found these to be on par with the actual DAT. I also completed all of the practice tests in my version of Math Destroyer. These problem sets were very useful for working on my question timing. DAT Bootcamp practice tests were a useful source of Quantitative Analysis questions, which will most definitely show up on your DAT. My scores on Bootcamp practice tests ranged from 19-21.
TESTING EXPERIENCE
Despite my lengthy preparation, I was extremely nervous in the days that led up to my test date. I found comfort knowing that I would receive the score that I had worked for, regardless of the difficulty of my particular exam. On my test day, I woke up 2 hours before my start time, but I did not eat anything in the morning. This made me a bit uncomfortable during the beginning portion of my test, but I would not say that it had a profound effect on my score. I made sure to drink a few sips of water to keep myself sane and hydrated.
It took me a while to get my brain started during my actual test. However, with the amount of studying that I had done for my science sections, the first part of the test were finished in auto-pilot mode. Upon finishing the 100 questions in Biology, Gen Chem, and OChem, I had probably marked 10 questions. I had about 20 minutes to go back and review these questions in depth. I did not encounter a single question that left me clueless. I knew how to approach every question and was able to eliminate at least 2 answer choices on all of the questions I had marked. The trickiest Biology questions were related to the endocrine system. Make sure that you are familiar with all hormone sources and effects. General Chemistry was straightforward for the most part; make sure you are familiar with the electron configuration exceptions (Cr, Mo, Cu, Ag, Au). Organic Chemistry was not challenging. I did see a question on common lab tests (Tollen's) so make sure that you familiarize yourself with those. All in all, I most likely missed two or three questions on the combined science sections. I had no issue with my timing on these sections. If you can comfortably finish Bootcamp practice tests in 30 minutes each, you will have no issues whatsoever.
My Perceptual Ability section was extremely flustering for me, despite feeling completely prepared going in. Keyhole and TFE had been my two hardest sections, so I was looking forward to getting them finished with first. However, upon running into some difficult Keyhole questions early on in the test (rocks, etc.), I decided to skip the rest of the Keyhole problems, saving them for last. This was a huge mistake on my part, but I had already wasted too much time to turn back. The TFE section went pretty smoothly. Angle Ranking was difficult, but it was expected. I believe that I got the majority of these questions correct (I had been scoring between 12-15/15 on the Bootcamp practice tests). Pattern Folding, which had been my most confident section, went smoothly with the exception of 1-2 problems that contained difficult back-folds (folds that went under the paper, instead of over). On my Cube Counting section, I lost focus on one of the problems and had to do a full recount, which probably resulted in the loss of a precious minute. Make sure that this does not happen to you. It was extremely stressful to screw up on perhaps the easiest, most consistent section on the PAT. I found that Pattern Folding was a bit easier than Bootcamp. About half of my questions could be solved by recognizing and identifying unique shapes. The other half of the questions involved shaded portions, and were quite difficult. By the time I returned to my Keyhole questions, I had about 8 minutes to finish 10 questions. This is where the panic really set in. It is extremely difficult to solve a rock Keyhole in under a minute and, as a result, I ended up guessing on at least two of the questions in this section. All in all, I am disappointed with my PAT score. While completing practice tests for this section, make sure that you leave room for error, because it is unlikely that everything will go exactly as planned. Oh yeah, I also had forgotten to make my 4x4 grids and Cube Counting tables before starting the PAT Section, which wasted another valuable minute of my time.
I only used 15 minutes of my 30 minute break, as I wanted to finish up with my test as soon as possible. I was getting antsy and I had only finished half of the test. I used these 15 minutes to snack on a granola bar and an apple, before returning to the test room. As soon as the RC section began, I regretted not using my whole 30 minute break. I had extreme difficulty focusing on and remembering the content of the passages, and began to panic early on in my RC section. However, most of the questions were in chronological? order in regards to the passage, so I ended up combining my new strategy with a Search and Destroy-like method. I made sure that I had begun my second passage after 20 minutes had elapsed. I completed my second passage in a little less than 20 minutes, but my third passage was terrible. I had trouble following along with the passage; it was incredibly boring. I ended up guessing on about a third of the questions on the last passage. However, even if you must resort to guessing on the RC section, it is still possible to eliminate 2-3 answer choices first, increasing your probability of obtaining the correct answer. In my opinion, the most important thing to focus on while studying for the RC section is timing. Make sure that you are able to finish all 15-17 questions for each passage in under 20 minutes. If you cannot do this, you will have difficulty when the actual DAT comes around.
Finally, I was onto the final section, QR. As I previously mentioned, this was probably the hardest section to fully prepare for. I probably encountered 8 Quantitative Analysis Questions, 4 Probability Questions, and 5 Geometry Questions. Make sure that you are able to properly read different types of graphs (this is covered in the YouTube playlist). Also, know the relationship between standard deviation, variance, and the mean. Timing is also key on this section. Do not sit on a question if you do not know how to approach it within the first 10 seconds. Complete all of the other questions that you are certain that you know how to do, and then return to the difficult questions. I made the mistake of spending too much time on difficult questions and, as a result, left two questions blank on this section. Do NOT make this mistake. As soon as the time runs out, your unofficial score sheet will appear on the screen. It is an extremely exciting moment to instantly see the results of your months of hard work.
STUDY MATERIALS
DAT Bootcamp (10/10) = An absolute must if you want to score well on the DAT. Honestly, if you just used the resources provided to you on Bootcamp, you would be fine.
DAT Destroyer (9/10) = Very helpful question sets. For the most part, harder than the actual DAT. Helpful to understand difficult concepts. Great solution explanations.
Math Destroyer (8/10) = Great set of problems and solutions. A bit outdated to the current DAT QR section.
Biology:
Cliffs AP, 3rd Edition (5/10) = I did not find this to be as helpful as most people suggest
Feralis' Notes (9/10) = The easiest, most efficient way to score well on the Biology section
Ty Jacob's Notes (7/10) = Perhaps a little excessive, contains material not mentioned in Cliffs or Feralis
Gen Chem:
Chad's Videos (9/10) = Gotta love Chad
Mike's Videos (10/10) = Personally, I found Mike's Videos to be more efficient. Great review outlines!
OChem:
Chad's Videos (7/10) = Lots of extra, unnecessary info. Some sections are dragged out way too long.
Mike's Videos (10/10) = Same as the Gen Chem explanation
Ty Jacob's Notes (5/10) = Meh. Nothing new, somewhat helpful review.
