Hi everyone
So I took the DAT on May 1st of 2014, so I thought I would post about how I studied for this test and the sources that I used. My study plan changed as I figured out how to properly set a schedule, as well as when I found good study sources to utilize. To begin, I'm going to post my scores:
Perceptual Ability: 20
Quantitative Reasoning: 23
Reading Comprehension: 21
Biology: 21
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 22
Total Science: 22
Academic Average: 22
So I'm gonna go over what sources I used for each section.
PA: I started out using Crack the DAT PAT, and it was alright, but the truth is that the PAT on the actual test is harder than the questions Crack the DAT offers. I actually started using DAT Bootcamp for PAT two weeks or so before my test, and I am very happy that I did. The questions are close to the real test, and especially for TFE, where line counting doesn't help anymore, DAT Bootcamp is a must. I also recommend watching YouTube videos for sections of the PAT you have trouble with. For the hole-punching section, watch "LOS (Line of Symmetry) Hole Punching Method." I cannot stress enough how AMAZINGly helpful this video is. And for TFE, my weakest section which I eventually figured out, I watched "DAT PAT Top Front End View Part 1" and "DAT PAT Top Front End View Part 2." For those who have trouble with PAT, especially the TFE section, I feel you; I pretty much watched these two videos three or four times, and I tackled questions, until it started to click for me. So don't be afraid to look at questions even though you feel like you don't completely understand how to do the problems. With a bit of resilience and hope, you will eventually get it.
QR: So I used DAT Destroyer for this section. I actually didn't use Chad's Videos because math is a strength of mine and I decided to put the least attention to studying it and focus on the other subjects instead. I have heard that Chad's Videos are very helpful, and so I would recommend them. I do actually believe that just studying the Destroyer isn't enough for this section. Chad's also has some good outlines that you can use. Also, it's important to have a sheet of paper with all the important formulas written on it, and review that before the test. The formulas range from the simple and compound interest formulas, to trigonometry.
RC: I actually used DAT qVault for this section, and I am very happy with it. My score on the actual DAT is very close to what I got on qVault, so I would say it is accurate. As far as the best reading method, it was difficult for me to figure it out at first. Everyone has a different method: some people just scan the passage for key words from the questions, some read the first and last paragraph, etc. What worked for me was to read a bunch of paragraphs together, then go through the questions and see what I could answer, and then repeat the process again. For example, if the passage had 15 paragraphs, I would read paragraphs 1-3 and look at the questions, then I would read 4-6 and look at the questions, etc. I tried just scanning the passage, but it made me feel very nervous knowing I hadn't read it completely. Also, some questions would require you to find the conclusion of the passage, or sense the tone, and I feel that ultimately reading the entire passage makes this much easier.
Bio: So before discovering some amazing sources, I just had two test-prep books that I used for bio. One is McGraw-Hill, and the other one is Barron's. I did like the bio sections for these, and I memorized everything from them, but later on I discovered Ferallis Notes on DAT Bootcamp, and I strongly recommend it. Basically it has bio notes from several different sources, including CliffNotes, and so it is an all-in-one kind of document, and I recommend really reading and memorizing everything in this document. Ferallis Notes is AMAZING. I also used DAT Destroyer for the bio section and you can learn a lot of good facts from this source too. I recommend reading the answer key even if you get the questions right, because it's not only good repetition, but also you can really dig out some facts from the answer key that can even help you answer the other questions in this book. I also did the Chad's quizzes for bio, although they are not available for every topic.
Gen Chem: Again I used McGraw-Hill and Barron's books for my facts on gen chem at first, but for sample questions, I turned to DAT destroyer. The questions might be difficult for you, but they really prepare you for the DAT. Also, maybe even more than DAT Destroyer, I recommend Chad's quizzes. It is the perfect tool if you have trouble understanding certain individual topics, because there are videos that greatly explain things. I recommend doing all the Chad's quizzes, and then watching the videos for whichever topic you have difficulty with. There are also outlines for gen chem that you can refer to. Again, for gen chem, Chad's quizzes are AMAZING.
Ochem: I also used McGraw-Hill, Barron's, DAT Destroyer, and Chad's quizzes to study for these sections. And again, for ochem, Chad's quizzes are AMAZING, and I also definitely recommend tackling DAT Destroyer after you feel confident with Chad's quizzes and videos.
Summary: In my opinion, what you should use to study for the DAT are DAT Destroyer, Chad's quizzes and videos, DAT Bootcamp for PAT, Ferralis notes, and qVault for reading comprehension. I have also heard that DAT Bootcamp is great for reading comprehension, but I didn't have time to really give it a try.
I really hope this helped you guys. I hope you do wonderfully on the DAT. Good luck
So I took the DAT on May 1st of 2014, so I thought I would post about how I studied for this test and the sources that I used. My study plan changed as I figured out how to properly set a schedule, as well as when I found good study sources to utilize. To begin, I'm going to post my scores:
Perceptual Ability: 20
Quantitative Reasoning: 23
Reading Comprehension: 21
Biology: 21
General Chemistry: 23
Organic Chemistry: 22
Total Science: 22
Academic Average: 22
So I'm gonna go over what sources I used for each section.
PA: I started out using Crack the DAT PAT, and it was alright, but the truth is that the PAT on the actual test is harder than the questions Crack the DAT offers. I actually started using DAT Bootcamp for PAT two weeks or so before my test, and I am very happy that I did. The questions are close to the real test, and especially for TFE, where line counting doesn't help anymore, DAT Bootcamp is a must. I also recommend watching YouTube videos for sections of the PAT you have trouble with. For the hole-punching section, watch "LOS (Line of Symmetry) Hole Punching Method." I cannot stress enough how AMAZINGly helpful this video is. And for TFE, my weakest section which I eventually figured out, I watched "DAT PAT Top Front End View Part 1" and "DAT PAT Top Front End View Part 2." For those who have trouble with PAT, especially the TFE section, I feel you; I pretty much watched these two videos three or four times, and I tackled questions, until it started to click for me. So don't be afraid to look at questions even though you feel like you don't completely understand how to do the problems. With a bit of resilience and hope, you will eventually get it.
QR: So I used DAT Destroyer for this section. I actually didn't use Chad's Videos because math is a strength of mine and I decided to put the least attention to studying it and focus on the other subjects instead. I have heard that Chad's Videos are very helpful, and so I would recommend them. I do actually believe that just studying the Destroyer isn't enough for this section. Chad's also has some good outlines that you can use. Also, it's important to have a sheet of paper with all the important formulas written on it, and review that before the test. The formulas range from the simple and compound interest formulas, to trigonometry.
RC: I actually used DAT qVault for this section, and I am very happy with it. My score on the actual DAT is very close to what I got on qVault, so I would say it is accurate. As far as the best reading method, it was difficult for me to figure it out at first. Everyone has a different method: some people just scan the passage for key words from the questions, some read the first and last paragraph, etc. What worked for me was to read a bunch of paragraphs together, then go through the questions and see what I could answer, and then repeat the process again. For example, if the passage had 15 paragraphs, I would read paragraphs 1-3 and look at the questions, then I would read 4-6 and look at the questions, etc. I tried just scanning the passage, but it made me feel very nervous knowing I hadn't read it completely. Also, some questions would require you to find the conclusion of the passage, or sense the tone, and I feel that ultimately reading the entire passage makes this much easier.
Bio: So before discovering some amazing sources, I just had two test-prep books that I used for bio. One is McGraw-Hill, and the other one is Barron's. I did like the bio sections for these, and I memorized everything from them, but later on I discovered Ferallis Notes on DAT Bootcamp, and I strongly recommend it. Basically it has bio notes from several different sources, including CliffNotes, and so it is an all-in-one kind of document, and I recommend really reading and memorizing everything in this document. Ferallis Notes is AMAZING. I also used DAT Destroyer for the bio section and you can learn a lot of good facts from this source too. I recommend reading the answer key even if you get the questions right, because it's not only good repetition, but also you can really dig out some facts from the answer key that can even help you answer the other questions in this book. I also did the Chad's quizzes for bio, although they are not available for every topic.
Gen Chem: Again I used McGraw-Hill and Barron's books for my facts on gen chem at first, but for sample questions, I turned to DAT destroyer. The questions might be difficult for you, but they really prepare you for the DAT. Also, maybe even more than DAT Destroyer, I recommend Chad's quizzes. It is the perfect tool if you have trouble understanding certain individual topics, because there are videos that greatly explain things. I recommend doing all the Chad's quizzes, and then watching the videos for whichever topic you have difficulty with. There are also outlines for gen chem that you can refer to. Again, for gen chem, Chad's quizzes are AMAZING.
Ochem: I also used McGraw-Hill, Barron's, DAT Destroyer, and Chad's quizzes to study for these sections. And again, for ochem, Chad's quizzes are AMAZING, and I also definitely recommend tackling DAT Destroyer after you feel confident with Chad's quizzes and videos.
Summary: In my opinion, what you should use to study for the DAT are DAT Destroyer, Chad's quizzes and videos, DAT Bootcamp for PAT, Ferralis notes, and qVault for reading comprehension. I have also heard that DAT Bootcamp is great for reading comprehension, but I didn't have time to really give it a try.
I really hope this helped you guys. I hope you do wonderfully on the DAT. Good luck
