Hi everyone.. so I really wanted to post a DAT breakdown because I have been obsessing over these breakdowns since day 1 of my studying and they have been extremely helpful... I would love to pass that along. All of the advice I have gotten has been so on par and I couldn't have done it without these forums.
I took my test this morning and here are my scores:
PAT: 25
QR: 27
RC: 25
Bio: 23
GC: 29
OC: 27
TS: 25
AA: 26
I started studying end of May and at first studied about 3-4 hours a day. The last month I studied about 5-6 hours a day, depending on if I took a practice test (days of practice tests I was too pooped to do much more... your mind really deserves a break sometimes). I also never hesitated to take a day off to take a day trip to NYC or go to the beach. Let yourself have fun because it is so much easier to concentrate when you aren't stuck inside all the time... that being said I definitely put as much into studying as my mind and body would let me. I kept telling myself it is only 2 months out of your whole life... so make it count.
PAT: I started out by just taking the Kaplan exam in KBB untimed just to get a feel for what it was like. It I then bought CDP because it had been recommended to me by multiple people in dental school. These were my scores on CDP the first time around: 1- 18, 2- 19, 3-19, 4-21, 5-23, 6-22, 7-22, 8-23, 9-24. Living proof that you CAN improve your PAT scores. I started using CDP at the end of May and did 1-2 tests a week. 2 Weeks before test date I used achiever and the PAT freaked me out so much that I went and bought DAT bootcamp. This was the BESTTTT investment for this section. The PAT sections were difficult but reasonable. The keyholes made me so much more aware of the little things to look at and was a little bit inbetween CDP and the real DAT. (See practice scores below). Summary: CDP, DAT bootcamp + free youtube videos, achiever, topscore.
QR: I have a pretty solid math background but what helped me so much was to keep a running list of formulas, equations, facts to remember, etc. regarding the QR section. I know you can find these online but it is so much more helpful to make your own because you may be stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Also, my formula sheet ended up being one page front and back, hand-written. I would review it once or twice a week, stress free.. and I really felt like I knew it by the end of the two months just by learning it little by little. I used Math destroyer and went through the formulas, writing down the ones I didn't know. I went through the first 10 practice tests and didn't have time for the last 5 but I would say just doing 5 or 6 is sufficient since the questions start to get really similar. The real DAT QR was very similar to DAT destroyer, easier than DAT bootcamp and achiever, similar/ a little harder than topscore. Destroyer is the way to go here while keeping your running list of things to remember.
RC: I am actually pleasantly surprised with this score. It is better than anything I received on any practice exam. I tried search and destroy but I didn't like it much. What I ended up doing was reading the first question then start reading the passage. If I happened to find the answer to the first question, I would answer it and go to the next question. I then started reading from where I left off and repeated this process. Sometimes, the first question didn't appear until the end but if you are doing this method, that is okay because it becomes so much easier to go back and answer previous questions. I found I had plenty of time to read the entire passage and answer the questions and allotted myself 20 minutes per passage. If time was running out I would hurry the end and mark some questions then move on. I would recommend reading the whole passage, at least quickly, because I received several questions about tone and the overall message the author is trying to convey.
Bio: I started off my bio studying by reading KBB and making what seemed like a thousand notecards from it. I never went back and looked at them.... hard to say if this helped me or not but definitely reminded me of topics I had forgotten. The two subjects I took separate notes on in KBB that I didn't find many other places were on the eye, ears, brain, and I thought their diversity section was very good. I studied most of my bio from cliffs 4th edition which I just used the online free pdf of. I read through it once. Then the second time, I took notes on anything I didn't know perfectly. I made about a 10 page packet that became my primary studying source for the entire two months. It is a good method because I got an overall summary of topics that I wasn't so strong in and it only took me about an hour to read through thoroughly. By the last two weeks, I went in and highlighted the things I still wanted to study so that I didn't have to read through the whole thing. I used DAT destroyer which I would recommend if you have time/ don't care about paying. It isn't necessary but there were definitely a few questions I wouldn't have gotten without it. I went through it once then the second time I made only flashcards about things I got wrong or even explanations of things I got right. I made over 300 flashcards and marked ones that I knew and studied those that I didn't. The explanations in destroyer are KEY... even if you get it right.. review review review.
GC: I started off by watching Chad's videos and taking his quizzes. I then rewatched them on 1.5x speed and took notes on things I wanted to remember. Made a similar packet to that of my bio one and studied that throughout the summer. I LOVED these videos and they definitely are sufficient in leading you to a good score. I also used DAT destroyer which definitely had some helpful questions. I went through the whole thing once then the second time I just reviewed questions I got wrong. I thought that many of these questions were similar to the level on the real DAT with some crazy random questions of course. My motto is.. if it's available to you then learn it because you never know what could appear on the test.
OC: At first, I was so confident with my OC because I just finished my sophomore year and got awesome OC grades. But because of this I definitely neglected it a bit. I only read the KBB ochem section. Then went to take some practice tests about 3-4 weeks before my test and panicked at my loss of ochem abilities. I used DAT destroyer which I actually thought was very difficult. The road maps were sooo helpful and a great resource to study and copy down as needed. Some of the questions were ridiculously hard but some were very similar to the real exam. I would definitely recommend it as a way to test your true ochem abilities. I finally caved in and bought Chads ochem videos FOUR DAYS before my exam. I watched them on 2x and took notes on things I forgot. Can't say for sure if that's what pulled up my ochem grade on the real DAT but I would DEFINITELY recommend these for anyone looking for clear, concise, ochem lectures. The quizzes were okay... worse than chem but re-enforced the material for sure.
Practice tests:
Achiever- I actually don't have my practice scores on hand because I erased them so I could retake the science sections. This resource was okay but definitely doesn't make or break a score. I did at least 2/3 points better on the real DAT for every section and definitely even more than that on PAT, reading, chem and ochem.
Top score- also don't have my scores on hand. This was good practice for test like simulation and somewhat similar scores to real test if I can remember correctly but I definitely did better on the real exam.
2009 DAT- definitely recommend for evaluating your real DAT score
Bio- 26
Chem-25
Orgo-26
Pat- 25
RC-21
QR-24
Bio was definitely a little harder on the real one (some nitpicky questions on real exam from destroyer). Chem, orgo, and pat were similar. RC and QR were definitely easier on the real one which I was so happy about!! the QR on the 2009 exam I thought was very strange.
DAT bootcamp- BEST PRACTICE RESOURCE OUT THERE. This program is soooo underrated but it was truly amazing. scores:
Bio/GC/OC/PAT/RC/QR
28/24/ 20/21/ 23/23
22/28/ 24/22/ 19/24
24/24/ 22/22/ 23
26/30/ 24/22
23/23/ 23
I definitely did all the PAT sections and got anywhere from 19-22 on them. They were much harder than the real one in terms of keywhole, TFE, and pattern folding but this was the best PAT practice I had. I did this simultaneously with CDP and those scores improved so much because of bootcamp. It made the real test feel like a breeze. MY bio/gc/oc scores definitely varied but overall were pretty similar to my real exam, even though I thought the real orgo was easier. I gave up on reading because I got bored of it and the QR on bootcamp I thought was so frustrating so I mainly stuck to Math destroyer with that.
Overall, studying was not the worst thing in the world but I am so happy it is over. The best advice I could give is to write down essential information in a clear concise packet and review it all the time. The hardest part about studying was remembering things while learning new things. Keep reviewing and keep learning. Start PAT early and do at least a little a day until your test. Studying really sucks but think about how much it will pay off one day. Please reach out to me with any questions you have. This site has helped me sooo much and I want to do the same for future DAT test takers. I hope this breakdown helped someone.
I took my test this morning and here are my scores:
PAT: 25
QR: 27
RC: 25
Bio: 23
GC: 29
OC: 27
TS: 25
AA: 26
I started studying end of May and at first studied about 3-4 hours a day. The last month I studied about 5-6 hours a day, depending on if I took a practice test (days of practice tests I was too pooped to do much more... your mind really deserves a break sometimes). I also never hesitated to take a day off to take a day trip to NYC or go to the beach. Let yourself have fun because it is so much easier to concentrate when you aren't stuck inside all the time... that being said I definitely put as much into studying as my mind and body would let me. I kept telling myself it is only 2 months out of your whole life... so make it count.
PAT: I started out by just taking the Kaplan exam in KBB untimed just to get a feel for what it was like. It I then bought CDP because it had been recommended to me by multiple people in dental school. These were my scores on CDP the first time around: 1- 18, 2- 19, 3-19, 4-21, 5-23, 6-22, 7-22, 8-23, 9-24. Living proof that you CAN improve your PAT scores. I started using CDP at the end of May and did 1-2 tests a week. 2 Weeks before test date I used achiever and the PAT freaked me out so much that I went and bought DAT bootcamp. This was the BESTTTT investment for this section. The PAT sections were difficult but reasonable. The keyholes made me so much more aware of the little things to look at and was a little bit inbetween CDP and the real DAT. (See practice scores below). Summary: CDP, DAT bootcamp + free youtube videos, achiever, topscore.
QR: I have a pretty solid math background but what helped me so much was to keep a running list of formulas, equations, facts to remember, etc. regarding the QR section. I know you can find these online but it is so much more helpful to make your own because you may be stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Also, my formula sheet ended up being one page front and back, hand-written. I would review it once or twice a week, stress free.. and I really felt like I knew it by the end of the two months just by learning it little by little. I used Math destroyer and went through the formulas, writing down the ones I didn't know. I went through the first 10 practice tests and didn't have time for the last 5 but I would say just doing 5 or 6 is sufficient since the questions start to get really similar. The real DAT QR was very similar to DAT destroyer, easier than DAT bootcamp and achiever, similar/ a little harder than topscore. Destroyer is the way to go here while keeping your running list of things to remember.
RC: I am actually pleasantly surprised with this score. It is better than anything I received on any practice exam. I tried search and destroy but I didn't like it much. What I ended up doing was reading the first question then start reading the passage. If I happened to find the answer to the first question, I would answer it and go to the next question. I then started reading from where I left off and repeated this process. Sometimes, the first question didn't appear until the end but if you are doing this method, that is okay because it becomes so much easier to go back and answer previous questions. I found I had plenty of time to read the entire passage and answer the questions and allotted myself 20 minutes per passage. If time was running out I would hurry the end and mark some questions then move on. I would recommend reading the whole passage, at least quickly, because I received several questions about tone and the overall message the author is trying to convey.
Bio: I started off my bio studying by reading KBB and making what seemed like a thousand notecards from it. I never went back and looked at them.... hard to say if this helped me or not but definitely reminded me of topics I had forgotten. The two subjects I took separate notes on in KBB that I didn't find many other places were on the eye, ears, brain, and I thought their diversity section was very good. I studied most of my bio from cliffs 4th edition which I just used the online free pdf of. I read through it once. Then the second time, I took notes on anything I didn't know perfectly. I made about a 10 page packet that became my primary studying source for the entire two months. It is a good method because I got an overall summary of topics that I wasn't so strong in and it only took me about an hour to read through thoroughly. By the last two weeks, I went in and highlighted the things I still wanted to study so that I didn't have to read through the whole thing. I used DAT destroyer which I would recommend if you have time/ don't care about paying. It isn't necessary but there were definitely a few questions I wouldn't have gotten without it. I went through it once then the second time I made only flashcards about things I got wrong or even explanations of things I got right. I made over 300 flashcards and marked ones that I knew and studied those that I didn't. The explanations in destroyer are KEY... even if you get it right.. review review review.
GC: I started off by watching Chad's videos and taking his quizzes. I then rewatched them on 1.5x speed and took notes on things I wanted to remember. Made a similar packet to that of my bio one and studied that throughout the summer. I LOVED these videos and they definitely are sufficient in leading you to a good score. I also used DAT destroyer which definitely had some helpful questions. I went through the whole thing once then the second time I just reviewed questions I got wrong. I thought that many of these questions were similar to the level on the real DAT with some crazy random questions of course. My motto is.. if it's available to you then learn it because you never know what could appear on the test.
OC: At first, I was so confident with my OC because I just finished my sophomore year and got awesome OC grades. But because of this I definitely neglected it a bit. I only read the KBB ochem section. Then went to take some practice tests about 3-4 weeks before my test and panicked at my loss of ochem abilities. I used DAT destroyer which I actually thought was very difficult. The road maps were sooo helpful and a great resource to study and copy down as needed. Some of the questions were ridiculously hard but some were very similar to the real exam. I would definitely recommend it as a way to test your true ochem abilities. I finally caved in and bought Chads ochem videos FOUR DAYS before my exam. I watched them on 2x and took notes on things I forgot. Can't say for sure if that's what pulled up my ochem grade on the real DAT but I would DEFINITELY recommend these for anyone looking for clear, concise, ochem lectures. The quizzes were okay... worse than chem but re-enforced the material for sure.
Practice tests:
Achiever- I actually don't have my practice scores on hand because I erased them so I could retake the science sections. This resource was okay but definitely doesn't make or break a score. I did at least 2/3 points better on the real DAT for every section and definitely even more than that on PAT, reading, chem and ochem.
Top score- also don't have my scores on hand. This was good practice for test like simulation and somewhat similar scores to real test if I can remember correctly but I definitely did better on the real exam.
2009 DAT- definitely recommend for evaluating your real DAT score
Bio- 26
Chem-25
Orgo-26
Pat- 25
RC-21
QR-24
Bio was definitely a little harder on the real one (some nitpicky questions on real exam from destroyer). Chem, orgo, and pat were similar. RC and QR were definitely easier on the real one which I was so happy about!! the QR on the 2009 exam I thought was very strange.
DAT bootcamp- BEST PRACTICE RESOURCE OUT THERE. This program is soooo underrated but it was truly amazing. scores:
Bio/GC/OC/PAT/RC/QR
28/24/ 20/21/ 23/23
22/28/ 24/22/ 19/24
24/24/ 22/22/ 23
26/30/ 24/22
23/23/ 23
I definitely did all the PAT sections and got anywhere from 19-22 on them. They were much harder than the real one in terms of keywhole, TFE, and pattern folding but this was the best PAT practice I had. I did this simultaneously with CDP and those scores improved so much because of bootcamp. It made the real test feel like a breeze. MY bio/gc/oc scores definitely varied but overall were pretty similar to my real exam, even though I thought the real orgo was easier. I gave up on reading because I got bored of it and the QR on bootcamp I thought was so frustrating so I mainly stuck to Math destroyer with that.
Overall, studying was not the worst thing in the world but I am so happy it is over. The best advice I could give is to write down essential information in a clear concise packet and review it all the time. The hardest part about studying was remembering things while learning new things. Keep reviewing and keep learning. Start PAT early and do at least a little a day until your test. Studying really sucks but think about how much it will pay off one day. Please reach out to me with any questions you have. This site has helped me sooo much and I want to do the same for future DAT test takers. I hope this breakdown helped someone.
