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Hey guys! I've been a long time lurker here at SDN (since 2008) and always found the SDN forums as a great resource for preparing for the DAT! I took my DAT last week (8/21/13) but finally found time to write my own breakdown!
A little background on me
I graduated in 2010 with a BS in bio and minor chem. ever since then the DAT has been a huge burden for me. Like for many here, its been a crazy, emotional roller coaster since then but im glad to say its finally over and am privileged that i get to share my story here. Before i get into my 3rd attempt, I really wanted to briefly comment on my first and second attempts:
so here we go!
August 2010 (first time)
PAT 19
QR 12
RC 24
BIO 17
GC 17
OC 18
TS 17
AA 17
Materials Used
Kaplan Blue book
Ap Cliffs
Science Notes from College
Princeton Hyperlearning books for Bio, GC, and OC (got the idea from this guy's post: http://acedat.wordpress.com )
Free ADA 2007 Test
Right after graduating, I was basically talked into taking the test by my family and peers. I really didn't want to take it since I just wanted to relax with school done, but I felt really pressured into it. So right after graduation I spent 2.5 months studying for it, basically following the acedat guide and reading the kaplan and ap cliffs book. Before the test, I really didn't feel too confident but I was really surprised by the results! The RC score really was a huge surprise as I all did was search and destroy (I do remember I got really interesting articles at the time). Also, the PAT score was a shock since all I relied on was KBB and the ADA test haha. But overall, I felt like I was getting stabbed during the sciences and just flat out destroyed by math (I suck really bad at math). after taking the test the first time, I felt like with a little more studying I can do well on it....
Fall 2011 (second time)
PAT 19
QR 16 =(
RC 18
BIO 19
GC 21
OC 18
TS 19
AA 18
Materials Used
Kaplan Blue book
Ap Cliffs
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush
2008 DAT Destroyer (borrowed from a friend)
Princeton Hyperlearning books
Random Geometry Text book (borrowed from sister)
Chemistry: The Central Science by Brown (borrowed from my bro, a few months before my third attempt I found out this was on the ADA text reference list!)
Free ADA 2007 Test
Topscore Tests (my averages were around 18-20, don't remember the specifics)
Now this was just depressing for me because I felt more prepared then the first time but i ended up feeling like i stumbled a lot during the test. Looking back, I really wished I was more through with my studying (I only did 5 Crack PAT tests with scores around 18-19 and only got roughly 3/4s through each science section of destroyer.) The GC score is funny, because during part of my studying I knew I sucked pretty bad at GC so I borrowed my brother's GC text book(which happened to be Chemistry: A Central Science, found in the ADA DAT text guide: http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_reference_texts.pdf ) and started to do as many practice problems as I could. I swear I saw some of the exact same problems on the real DAT (if not variations that were extremely similar) from the GC Central Sciecne text book. Overall, this test was a huge disappointment for me and after at times I felt like I could never get past this test...but eventually I decided it was time to take it one last time...
August 2013 (third time)
PAT 20
QR 19
RC 19
BIO 23
GC 18
OC 22
TS 21
AA 20
List of Materials Used
Kaplan Class/Blue Book
AP Bio Cliffs
Feralis Notes
DATQVault (Bought all bio tests and did the free math one)
DAT Destroyer
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush
Chad's Videos&Quizzes
Math Destroyer
DAT Bootcamp (Free Stuff)
Free 2007 ADA Practice Test
Free OAT Test
DAT Achiever
How to solve word problems in algebra : a solved problem approach by Mildred Johnson (found in a local library)
lots of random Khan Academy (mostly for bio, math) and youtube videos
miscellaneous library resources
pgs 42-45 of the ADA DAT User's Manual: http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf
the members of SDN!
and thanks to this list http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_reference_texts.pdf I also used these:
Campbells Bio (borrowed it from my sister)
Chemistry: The Central Science
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (found it in the library!)
Practice Test Results
DAT Qvault Bio
22/19/20/20/19/19/22/23/19/21 Avg. 20.4
DAT QVault Math (Free Test)
21
DAT Bootcamp (Free test)
PAT 23 QR 19 RC 17 BIO 23 GC 17 OC 18
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (did all 10 tests)
18/20/20/18/19/20/21/21/22/23
DAT Achiever 5-test
Test #, BIO, GC, OC, PAT, RC, QR, TS, AA
Test 1, 18, 18, 17, 17, 16, 19, 18, 18
Test 2, 16, 18, 19, 18, 16, 16, 17, 17
Test 3, 18, 17, 18, 19, 15, 19, 18, 17
Test 4, 16, 13, 18, 18, 17, 18, 16, 15
Test 5, 17, 14, 12, 18, 16, 16, 15, 15
After getting the results of my second attempt, i was pretty depressed and never felt further from ever becoming a dentist. a month after the test, i signed up for a kaplan class in the hopes that it would really prepare me for the DAT. HUGE MISTAKE!!!!! although their online material is solid, the whole class i felt was basically a rehash of KBB. instead of helping, taking the class actually further discouraged me even more, basically leading me to just stop studying for awhile and focus on other things non-DAT related. for the next year i basically jumped around from random jobs and gigs until i finally realized i was just avoiding dealing with the DAT. while balancing some dental gigs, i studied on and off for the DAT in the last year while going really hard into studying in the last two and half months.
Biology: 23
Kaplan Class/BB (6/10)
AP Cliffs (8/10)
Princeton Hyperlearning (8/10)
Feralis Notes (9/10)
Campbells (10/10)
DATQValult (10/10)
DAT Destroyer (10/10)
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
DAT Achiever 5Test (10/10)
How I studied:
Basically, I gathered all my notes from my previous two attempts and used the list of bio questions from the ADA users manual (http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf pg 45) to figure out which specific areas i should work on. then, i took my campbells book and read through every section where i felt i was weak at and took notes. this took AWHILE lol. after i was done with that, i read through feralis notes twice and wrote down everything that i didnt already know or was fuzzy on and added that to my own notes. once i was done with that, i started doing DATQVault Bio. After each test I would take notes on everything I either got wrong, didn't know, or was fuzzy on. I also would retake a test until I got at least 38+ right or higher on it. With destroyer I went through it 3 times. On the first time through, everything I either got wrong, didn't know, or was fuzzy on I would take notes on. The second time through, everything I got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on, I would look through my notes to see if i wrote about it. Once I found my notes on it I would then make a checkmark next to it (to signify that it was something to pay careful attention to). I kept a list of all the numbers I got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on and redid those a third time. I further reinforced everything by doing Achiever tests and the free DAT bootcamp test.
Actual test
Pretty much everyone on SDN reports that the bio part on the DAT is random and thats for the most part true. I do feel that the questions pretty much matched the bio questions from the ADA users manual though. I really believe you can really prepare for this section if you put the time into it(a crap load of time lol). Saw a question on restriction enzymes, circulation, B cells, one on taxonomy, one on plants, evolution, biomes, and more random stuff I cant remember. During the test I felt like some of the questions were worded in ways that weren't even necessary (they would give a bunch of random, unnecessary details on something and be like, "whats this do?") When I saw that 23 though, I was like hahah.
Material reviews
Kaplan Class/Bluebook (6/10)
well the good part about the book is that it gives you a good skeleton/foundation to work off of. other than that, its garbage haha. unless you're a super genius you for sure cannot rely solely on this book. the class too is a waste. again, its just a rehash of the book and even though their online stuff is pretty solid, i just don't think its worth the price tag.
AP Cliffs (8/10)
a great complementary book and a great overview on everything. seen some copies go cheap on amazon. one thing though, i didnt think it was that great for physiology and taxonomy, but overall very solid
Princeton Hyperlearning (8/10)
pretty solid book too, very good on physiology. sucked for plants lol. i think most people would be fine not buying this book and just use cliffs with feralis notes and kaplan book
Feralis Notes (9/10)
Very comprehensive, really filled in the gaps for me really well and its free!
Campbells (10/10)
Cant really argue against this book, i thought it helped a lot for taxonomy and plants and filled in some more gaps. i wouldnt recommend anyone buying this book just for DAT use, just find it from a family member/friend
DATQValult (10/10)
Super awesome! tests were awesome and had a great range of questions, very very very good practice, a must buy in my opinion
DAT Destroyer (10/10)
i definitely could not have gotten my score without destroyer. sure its hard the first time though but you need all the practice you can get for bio and this is one of the best.
DAT Bootcamp (10/10)
i just did the free test haha. again more good practice
DAT Achiever 5Test (10/10)
ill talk more about achiever later in this post, but i actually liked the bio sections (the more practice the better!) although there were several difficult questions, i felt the majority of their bio questions could very well be seen on the DAT
Overall thoughts on Bio
i really feel the key to doing well on bio is just exposure. although the questions can be pretty random, i still felt it was confined to the ADA DAT users manual list i posted above. for everyone out there i really would recommend using the users manual as a guide and cover all those topics with as many resources and practice problems you can get your hands on.
General Chemistry: 18
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Chads Videos&Quizzes(10/10)
Chemistry: Central Science (9/10)
DAT Destroyer (7/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
DAT Achiever (5/10)
How I studied
Basically after mastering kaplan, I went through all of Chad's videos & quizzes. His stuff is just pure awesomeness. Then I did destroyer twice (wanted to go through it 3 times but it took sooooo long to get through it just twice). Like bio, everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I took notes through the first time around and repeated the same process for the second time. For Achiever and bootcamp I also took notes on everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on.
Actual Test
AHHHHHHHHHHHH having got a 21 last time I felt like I should have done really well on it, but damn just dropped the ball here. the questions i thought were fairly straightforward and pretty similar to chad's quizzes, but I felt like i messed up since in the last couple of weeks i was focusing way too much on destroyer and achiever and not so much on chad's! big mistake! oh well i guess the 18 isnt so bad =p
Material Reviews
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Again similar like bio. good foundation, not much else.
Chads Videos&Quizzes(10/10)
again, more pure awesomeness from chad the man. down the stretch, everyone just focus on his material!
Chemistry: Central Science (9/10)
see the thing about this book is that I should have done more practice problems from it while studying for the DAT through my 3rd time. this time around i didnt so much and felt it cost me a little...
DAT Destroyer (7/10)
the lone section on destroyer where i felt like it didn't help me too much. questions i think are way too hard in a sense that it drags you away from the fundamentals(which i thought the actual test was more like) and at times the questions get more trivial then anything. however i did get one question that needed the P(MW)=DRT formula that i learned from destroyer. but overall focus more on chad's stuff for gen chem
DAT bootcamp 7/10
i thought it was decent practice, but def a lot harder than the actual exam. again, my recommendation is to do it, but focus more on chad's stuff
DAT Achiever (5/10)
hahaha achiever just flat out sucks for gen chem. way way wayyyyyy too hard. those questions are like unworldly hard, with way too many complicated calculation set ups and unhelpful trivial questions.
Overall thoughts on General Chemistry
Take home message here is to do everything but really emphasis studying chad's material. my mistake was that when i was studying down the stretch, i focused more on destroyer and achiever and way less on chad. Don't do it! haha
Organic Chemistry 22
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Chad's Videos&Quizzes (10/10)
DAT Destroyer (20/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
DAT Achiever (10/10)
How I studied
Like gen chem, once you're good with kaplan, i moved on to all of chad's stuff. did every single quiz as many times as i could. I approached destroyer like l did for bio, went through it 3 times and making notes on everything i got wrong/didn't know and was fuzzy on. also made sure i knew those roadmaps as well. Everything i got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on through bootcamp and achiver i made notes of it.
Actual Test
really not too bad! saw some aldol condentsation, electrophilic aromatic addition, lab techniques, sn1/sn2/e1/e2. I always heard myths and tales on how people got questions that were eerily similar to destroyer and im here to say its true haha. i know theres one question in destroyer about finding isomers of triflurobenzene or something like that and the same exact question came up except with tribromobenzene haha
Material reviews
Kaplan class/KBB (6/10)
at this point im sick of mentioning kaplan lol. next!
Chad's videos&quizzes (10/10)
just more and more pure awesomeness from this guy, really clarifies concepts really well esp the ones i struggled with taking ochem in college
Destroyer (20/10)
YOU NEED THIS BOOK FOR O CHEM. just do it lol. make note of everything, know the roadmaps, just know it all from the ochem section of destroyer lol
DAT bootcamp (free) (7/10)
its cool, just more solid practice. didnt think it was amazing for this section but hey it was free haha
DAT Achiever (10/10)
Achiever gets a bad rap from many on SDN but im def not in that group. like bio, i thought it was really good practice for ochem
Overall thoughts on Organic Chemistry
really really proud of this section. Highly recommend chads, destroyer AND achiever (yea i said it haha) for this section!
Perceptual Ability: 20
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (20/10)
DAT Achiever (20/10)
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
How I studied
This was basically a lot of practice. I started off doing Crack DAT PAT. After every test, I would go over each one I marked or got wrong and try to thoroughly understand why my answer was wrong and why the correct one is right. I basically did the same thing with DAT Achiever and Bootcamp. One useful thing from Crack PAT is that it tracks how many seconds you take per question. I really wanted to perfect my timing, so after every test i added up all the seconds in each section to see how long i took. based on how my timing was through each test, i came up with my own way to split my time with PAT: 11 mins for keyholes(49 mins left), 13 mins for top/front/end (36 mins left), 9 mins on angles (27 mins left), 11 mins on hole punching (16 mins left) 7 mins on counting cubes (9 mins left), and the last 9 mins on pattern folding. Setting timing goals really helped a lot for PAT.
Actual Test
I am a little disappointed in this section because i felt like i was going to really kill it, but hey ill take the 20! in terms of each section:
Keyholes
felt like these were a little harder than Crack PAT but definitely way easier than Achiever
Top/Front/End
i really thought these shapes were VERY similar to Crack PAT! but the big flaw with Crack PAT is that it gave super obviously wrong choices that you can easily eliminate with the line counting technique. on the real thing you couldn't get away with that strategy, you really have to thoroughly understand what the dashed lines could represent and how it fits the entire shape. achiever is tough but i think it really helps you nail down this section really well.
Angles
many SDNers have said angles on the real thing were easier than Crack PAT. I DISAGREE!!! the angles i got on my test were flat out mean, they were more similar to the level of Crack PAT. the ones on achiever i thought were easier than both the real thing and Crack PAT. In terms of techniques i think i used just about all the ones everyone suggests (riding a bike, laptop, staring and switching between two close angles, finding the biggest and smallest/looking at answer choices, imaging its pizza/pole/cane/whatever). the thing with using these techniques is that it depends on the kind of angle problem you get. sometimes one technique will work, other times a mix of them work, and then theres many times when absolutely nothing works lol
Hole Punching
i was pretty bad at keyholes for awhile but the line of symmetry method really turned it around for me. after learning it, i was consistently doing well on this section in Crack PAT and Achiever. On the real thing, it felt really similar to Crack PAT. I dont remember seeing any 1/2 or 1/3 folds or any weird ones.
Cube Counting
there were always some hidden cubes or very unreasonable ones to count on Crack PAT. i thought achiever was more representative overall though,but both were good, necessary practice. On the real thing, this section was def much easier than both Crack Pat and Achiever.
Pattern Folding
I thought the real thing was closer to Crack PAT, maybe even a tad easier. Achiever was good practice but it had some tough shapes on it.
Material Reviews
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (20/10)
awesome practice. you need this. only flaw for me is that for top/front/end there were way too many obviously wrong choices for top/front/end
DAT Achiever (20/10)
overall a little tougher than the real thing but it complements Crack PAT really well. more awesome practice and has awesome 3D models to show correct answers.
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
even more practice AND ITS FREE!
Overall thoughts on Perceptual Ability
Practice Practice Practice!!! Just keep practicing with Crack PAT and Achiever and you'll do great! Make sure to do as many tests as possible and be very through in understanding why you get a certain question wrong.
Reading Comprehension 19
Kaplan (7/10)
Random Scientific Articles(7/10)
DAT Achiever (7/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
How I studied
How do you study for this section? Anybody? lol. Basically i would periodically read random scientific articles thinking it would "improve my reading speed/comprehension" lol (i didn't feel like it did). the only useful thing i picked up from kaplan was their mapping technique, which is good for really dense articles but def can't bank on that technique alone. also tried search and destroy while practicing with achiever and bootcamp until i decided to do this: for any given article, in the first minute i would scan half the questions, then write down a key word from each question. then i would read the first sentence of every paragraph of the article to help get a feel of it (sometimes i can S&D answers this way). then i would read half the actual article, mapping it out using kaplan's technique (when mapping i wrote down anything that stood out like lists, numbers, names of people/organizations) and answer any question i could while reading. once i got half way through an article, i would scan the next half of questions and basically repeat the entire process. i tried to do all this in 19 mins and leave 1 min for guessing in case i didnt finish.
Actual test
Compared to all the practice i had, these articles really weren't too bad. Had one on fungi, another on ethics/moral values, and another on epithelial to mesenchymal transition in tooth formation. The fungi and EMT tooth articles were pretty interesting and weren't too dense. On the other hand, the ethics article I thought wasn't as interesting, and it was like 20 short paragraphs. I finished the first two articles on time but guessed on like 3 questions on the last article.
Material Reviews
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
The mapping technique is cool...haha
Random Scientific Articles(7/10)
Many people say it helps to improve your reading and comprehension speed, but personally it didn't for me (i think im just a slow reader haha). i guess its better to do this than not to do it..
DAT Achiever (7/10)
Oh man these articles were pure hell haha. again, it was something to practice techniques on, but these were super dense and waaaay out there (i was like WTF when reading the finance one haha)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
These articles were def not as dense as achiever, i guess solid practice
Overall thoughts on Reading Comprehension
I really felt like all the practice i had through kaplan, random articles, achiever, and bootcamp overall was solid, but that it didnt contribute greatly to my score. I really feel like to do well on reading comprehension you have to find the right mix of techniques/strategies that works for you. Tinker around and mix and match with different methods.
Quantitative Reasoning 19
Math Destroyer (15/10)
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (9/10)
How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson (10/10)
Khan Academy/Youtube/Library (10/10)
DAT Achiever (9/10)
DAT Boot camp (8/10)
How I studied
Just to start off and to remind everyone, these were my previous math scores: 12 and 16. IF I CAN PULL A 19 IN THIS SECTION, SO CAN ANYONE READING THIS! IF NOT, BETTER!!! i was never good in math, and it seemed like on sdn people were pulling 20+ on the regular in this section. But the key to succeeding here is repetitive practice (over and over until you're sick of doing math then over and over some more). From previous experience, I knew two big holes in my math game were both probability and word problems. Using the ADA reference text list, I found Elementary Statistics by Bluman through an library resource called openlibrary and basically went through its chapters on permutations, combinations, and probability. After that, I found a great word problem book from the library called How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson. It covered a lot of common types of word problems like age, rate/distance/time, mixture, money, interest, all the good ones and would teach you step by step. Then after that, I filled in some more gaps with random khan academy/youtube videos and more random library books (YAY FREE RESOURCES!) Then after that, I finally started math destroyer. EVERYONE NEEDS MATH DESTROYER! Math destroyer for me was a brutal, agonizing, and deflating experience filled with torture and depression. But after taking the DAT, I definitely could not have came close to a 19 without it! I basically started doing destroyer like this: First, I would take a test timed (and get flat out destroyed lol). During each test, i would always be very weary of my timing and check to see if i had answered at least half the questions by the 22 min mark. After correcting each test, everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I would write out the entire problem and exactly how to do it. After thoroughly going through all of those, I would retake a test until i got at least 38 right or more. Once i got at least 38, i would move on to the next destroyer test and repeat the whole process for every test from #1 to #10. For tests #11-13 I basically took them untimed and didn't even bother with #14. In doing Achiever and bootcamp, I basically did a similar thing to destroyer in that everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I would write out the entire problem and exactly how to do it.
Actual Test
Going into this section was extremely nerve wracking for me, but while i was taking it i felt like i can work out a good majority of the problems. Compared to math destroyer, I would say its SLIGHTLY easier, very slightly. Got lots of different kinds of problems(very consistent with the DAT user manual) ranging from algebra, geometry, inequalities, rates, compound interest, standard dev/68-95-99 rule, currency, trig identities, a question on trig graphing, etc. after going though all my resources, for the most part there wasn't anything there that i didnt see during my studying time. like what other SDNers have said, i did the test in my own version of the "wave" strategy. going though the test, i would answer all the ones that jumped out to me and that i thought were easy while skipping the ones i didnt know right away. the ones that i didnt know right away but knew how to set up/had an idea i would mark those and come back to after taking care of the easy ones. the ones that i couldnt flat out do i left those unmarked and took care of at the end. this strategy allowed me to finish all the easy and marked ones with about 10 mins left, giving me time to try the really hard ones or check the ones i finished.
Materials Review
Math Destroyer (15/10)
You need this book!!! Get it! NOW!!! many people were concerned of how hard and discouraging the book can be. for me personally, math destroyer was a very tough and agonizing experiencing but well worth the torture. yes its very difficult but dont let that discourage you! i literally got 11/40 on the first destroyer test and for tests #2-10 my scores would range anywhere from 17-28 on my first tries (did not break 30 once). the key is to thoroughly learn from your mistakes and the only way to do that is through A LOT of repetition and practice.
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (9/10)
Super awesome for breaking down and practicing permutations, combinations, and probability. i wouldn't recommend buying it for DAT studying. just try to find it in a library somewhere. YAY FREE!
How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson (10/10)
Amazing book that i found in my local library. after taking the DAT twice i found out how horrible i was at math word problems. i used to cringe and cry every time i would see an age or rate problem, but after finding this book i felt like i could conquer those common word problems on the DAT. AND IT WAS FREE!
Khan Academy/Youtube/Library (10/10)
sal khan and chad need to meet and hold some kind of seminar for pre dents. i would gladly pay to go to that haha khan academy videos for math were awesome, used it to brush up on logs and other math stuff. plus came across so many random youtube videos that would help, along with random library books. AND IT WAS FREE!
DAT Achiever (9/10)
i thought the difficulty level reminded me of math destroyer, so it was pretty solid.
DAT Bootcamp (8/10)
again, only did the free one but it was solid as well.
Overall thoughts on Quantitative Reasoning
Again, I scored 12, and 16 on my first two tries. If I can get a 19, so can you! it just takes a lot of grit, determination, and a crap load of repitition and practice. i would definitely recommend math destroyer to predents of all budgets! a must get! plus theres a plethora of free resources out there on the interent and the library. just practice practice practice (insert iverson reference) practice!!!!
Random details
Day before the test
The day before the test i would recommend anyone to NOT STUDY! just take the day to relax, reflect on how hard you've worked, and rest. that day i basically woke up around 11am, visited the test center to make sure i knew how to get there, ate some of my favorite foods (but dont eat anything that will give you the runs, stick with safe foods lol) got a haircut (look good feel good), went to church, and spent the rest of the day with my loved ones. oh yea, also watched breaking bad haha. made sure to get enough sleep as well.
Day of the test
after waking up, i ate a really healthy and complete breakfast. i then spent the rest of that morning listening to inspirational speeches (like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmyoMe4iHM ) and inspirational music (eye of the tiger, lots of rocky songs, daft punk's one more time since i was taking the test one more time). after eating a small lunch, i got to the test center about an hr early, and called my mom and my gf for last min support. i walked in about half an hour early, and after the prometric people check your id, they basically ask you right after to take the test, even if you arrive early. dont feel pressured into agreeing right away! i just politely asked if i could sit down for a couple mins to gather myself. they let me, and after 10 mins of heavy breathing i stood up and said i was ready lol
one more thing! during your break...
USE YOUR BREAK BUT BE FAST! that 15 mins goes by quick! it took me about 4-5 mins just to sign out since someone was ahead of me. use the break to not just use the bathroom but get a quick bite to eat as well. since it was a five hour test it was important to me that i keep my blood sugar up. so after using the bathroom, i basically had a cliff bar, some gatorade and water, got back in with 3 mins left, and the rest is history...
In closing
For me personally, i feel i went though a lot to get to this point and that i sacrificed a lot for this test. i spent days and nights at starbucks and libraries, gave up opportunities to work/make money, not see my family or friends and overall gave everything i got for test. its been a tough and windy road but im glad to say it was well worth it and that this is definitely one of the proudest things ive ever done. i definitely could not have done without the support of my family, friends, teachers, peers and especially my gf. AND also to the SDN community! you guys that post have given me great advice and direction over the years in my approach to the DAT. i hope my post can help anyone out there getting ready for their DAT.
Hopefully this test will be a stepping stone for greater things to come =) If anyone out there has any questions, feel free to ask! Again, if i can do it, i know anyone out there reading this can! Thank you guys!
A little background on me
I graduated in 2010 with a BS in bio and minor chem. ever since then the DAT has been a huge burden for me. Like for many here, its been a crazy, emotional roller coaster since then but im glad to say its finally over and am privileged that i get to share my story here. Before i get into my 3rd attempt, I really wanted to briefly comment on my first and second attempts:
so here we go!
August 2010 (first time)
PAT 19
QR 12
RC 24
BIO 17
GC 17
OC 18
TS 17
AA 17
Materials Used
Kaplan Blue book
Ap Cliffs
Science Notes from College
Princeton Hyperlearning books for Bio, GC, and OC (got the idea from this guy's post: http://acedat.wordpress.com )
Free ADA 2007 Test
Right after graduating, I was basically talked into taking the test by my family and peers. I really didn't want to take it since I just wanted to relax with school done, but I felt really pressured into it. So right after graduation I spent 2.5 months studying for it, basically following the acedat guide and reading the kaplan and ap cliffs book. Before the test, I really didn't feel too confident but I was really surprised by the results! The RC score really was a huge surprise as I all did was search and destroy (I do remember I got really interesting articles at the time). Also, the PAT score was a shock since all I relied on was KBB and the ADA test haha. But overall, I felt like I was getting stabbed during the sciences and just flat out destroyed by math (I suck really bad at math). after taking the test the first time, I felt like with a little more studying I can do well on it....
Fall 2011 (second time)
PAT 19
QR 16 =(
RC 18
BIO 19
GC 21
OC 18
TS 19
AA 18
Materials Used
Kaplan Blue book
Ap Cliffs
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush
2008 DAT Destroyer (borrowed from a friend)
Princeton Hyperlearning books
Random Geometry Text book (borrowed from sister)
Chemistry: The Central Science by Brown (borrowed from my bro, a few months before my third attempt I found out this was on the ADA text reference list!)
Free ADA 2007 Test
Topscore Tests (my averages were around 18-20, don't remember the specifics)
Now this was just depressing for me because I felt more prepared then the first time but i ended up feeling like i stumbled a lot during the test. Looking back, I really wished I was more through with my studying (I only did 5 Crack PAT tests with scores around 18-19 and only got roughly 3/4s through each science section of destroyer.) The GC score is funny, because during part of my studying I knew I sucked pretty bad at GC so I borrowed my brother's GC text book(which happened to be Chemistry: A Central Science, found in the ADA DAT text guide: http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_reference_texts.pdf ) and started to do as many practice problems as I could. I swear I saw some of the exact same problems on the real DAT (if not variations that were extremely similar) from the GC Central Sciecne text book. Overall, this test was a huge disappointment for me and after at times I felt like I could never get past this test...but eventually I decided it was time to take it one last time...
August 2013 (third time)
PAT 20
QR 19
RC 19
BIO 23
GC 18
OC 22
TS 21
AA 20
List of Materials Used
Kaplan Class/Blue Book
AP Bio Cliffs
Feralis Notes
DATQVault (Bought all bio tests and did the free math one)
DAT Destroyer
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush
Chad's Videos&Quizzes
Math Destroyer
DAT Bootcamp (Free Stuff)
Free 2007 ADA Practice Test
Free OAT Test
DAT Achiever
How to solve word problems in algebra : a solved problem approach by Mildred Johnson (found in a local library)
lots of random Khan Academy (mostly for bio, math) and youtube videos
miscellaneous library resources
pgs 42-45 of the ADA DAT User's Manual: http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf
the members of SDN!
and thanks to this list http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_reference_texts.pdf I also used these:
Campbells Bio (borrowed it from my sister)
Chemistry: The Central Science
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (found it in the library!)
Practice Test Results
DAT Qvault Bio
22/19/20/20/19/19/22/23/19/21 Avg. 20.4
DAT QVault Math (Free Test)
21
DAT Bootcamp (Free test)
PAT 23 QR 19 RC 17 BIO 23 GC 17 OC 18
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (did all 10 tests)
18/20/20/18/19/20/21/21/22/23
DAT Achiever 5-test
Test #, BIO, GC, OC, PAT, RC, QR, TS, AA
Test 1, 18, 18, 17, 17, 16, 19, 18, 18
Test 2, 16, 18, 19, 18, 16, 16, 17, 17
Test 3, 18, 17, 18, 19, 15, 19, 18, 17
Test 4, 16, 13, 18, 18, 17, 18, 16, 15
Test 5, 17, 14, 12, 18, 16, 16, 15, 15
After getting the results of my second attempt, i was pretty depressed and never felt further from ever becoming a dentist.
a month after the test, i signed up for a kaplan class in the hopes that it would really prepare me for the DAT. HUGE MISTAKE!!!!! although their online material is solid, the whole class i felt was basically a rehash of KBB. instead of helping, taking the class actually further discouraged me even more, basically leading me to just stop studying for awhile and focus on other things non-DAT related. for the next year i basically jumped around from random jobs and gigs until i finally realized i was just avoiding dealing with the DAT. while balancing some dental gigs, i studied on and off for the DAT in the last year while going really hard into studying in the last two and half months.Biology: 23
Kaplan Class/BB (6/10)
AP Cliffs (8/10)
Princeton Hyperlearning (8/10)
Feralis Notes (9/10)
Campbells (10/10)
DATQValult (10/10)
DAT Destroyer (10/10)
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
DAT Achiever 5Test (10/10)
How I studied:
Basically, I gathered all my notes from my previous two attempts and used the list of bio questions from the ADA users manual (http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf pg 45) to figure out which specific areas i should work on. then, i took my campbells book and read through every section where i felt i was weak at and took notes. this took AWHILE lol. after i was done with that, i read through feralis notes twice and wrote down everything that i didnt already know or was fuzzy on and added that to my own notes. once i was done with that, i started doing DATQVault Bio. After each test I would take notes on everything I either got wrong, didn't know, or was fuzzy on. I also would retake a test until I got at least 38+ right or higher on it. With destroyer I went through it 3 times. On the first time through, everything I either got wrong, didn't know, or was fuzzy on I would take notes on. The second time through, everything I got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on, I would look through my notes to see if i wrote about it. Once I found my notes on it I would then make a checkmark next to it (to signify that it was something to pay careful attention to). I kept a list of all the numbers I got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on and redid those a third time. I further reinforced everything by doing Achiever tests and the free DAT bootcamp test.
Actual test
Pretty much everyone on SDN reports that the bio part on the DAT is random and thats for the most part true. I do feel that the questions pretty much matched the bio questions from the ADA users manual though. I really believe you can really prepare for this section if you put the time into it(a crap load of time lol). Saw a question on restriction enzymes, circulation, B cells, one on taxonomy, one on plants, evolution, biomes, and more random stuff I cant remember. During the test I felt like some of the questions were worded in ways that weren't even necessary (they would give a bunch of random, unnecessary details on something and be like, "whats this do?") When I saw that 23 though, I was like
hahah.Material reviews
Kaplan Class/Bluebook (6/10)
well the good part about the book is that it gives you a good skeleton/foundation to work off of. other than that, its garbage haha. unless you're a super genius you for sure cannot rely solely on this book. the class too is a waste. again, its just a rehash of the book and even though their online stuff is pretty solid, i just don't think its worth the price tag.
AP Cliffs (8/10)
a great complementary book and a great overview on everything. seen some copies go cheap on amazon. one thing though, i didnt think it was that great for physiology and taxonomy, but overall very solid
Princeton Hyperlearning (8/10)
pretty solid book too, very good on physiology. sucked for plants lol. i think most people would be fine not buying this book and just use cliffs with feralis notes and kaplan book
Feralis Notes (9/10)
Very comprehensive, really filled in the gaps for me really well and its free!
Campbells (10/10)
Cant really argue against this book, i thought it helped a lot for taxonomy and plants and filled in some more gaps. i wouldnt recommend anyone buying this book just for DAT use, just find it from a family member/friend
DATQValult (10/10)
Super awesome! tests were awesome and had a great range of questions, very very very good practice, a must buy in my opinion
DAT Destroyer (10/10)
i definitely could not have gotten my score without destroyer. sure its hard the first time though but you need all the practice you can get for bio and this is one of the best.
DAT Bootcamp (10/10)
i just did the free test haha. again more good practice
DAT Achiever 5Test (10/10)
ill talk more about achiever later in this post, but i actually liked the bio sections (the more practice the better!) although there were several difficult questions, i felt the majority of their bio questions could very well be seen on the DAT
Overall thoughts on Bio
i really feel the key to doing well on bio is just exposure. although the questions can be pretty random, i still felt it was confined to the ADA DAT users manual list i posted above. for everyone out there i really would recommend using the users manual as a guide and cover all those topics with as many resources and practice problems you can get your hands on.
General Chemistry: 18
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Chads Videos&Quizzes(10/10)
Chemistry: Central Science (9/10)
DAT Destroyer (7/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
DAT Achiever (5/10)
How I studied
Basically after mastering kaplan, I went through all of Chad's videos & quizzes. His stuff is just pure awesomeness. Then I did destroyer twice (wanted to go through it 3 times but it took sooooo long to get through it just twice). Like bio, everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I took notes through the first time around and repeated the same process for the second time. For Achiever and bootcamp I also took notes on everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on.
Actual Test
AHHHHHHHHHHHH having got a 21 last time I felt like I should have done really well on it, but damn just dropped the ball here. the questions i thought were fairly straightforward and pretty similar to chad's quizzes, but I felt like i messed up since in the last couple of weeks i was focusing way too much on destroyer and achiever and not so much on chad's! big mistake! oh well i guess the 18 isnt so bad =p
Material Reviews
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Again similar like bio. good foundation, not much else.
Chads Videos&Quizzes(10/10)
again, more pure awesomeness from chad the man. down the stretch, everyone just focus on his material!
Chemistry: Central Science (9/10)
see the thing about this book is that I should have done more practice problems from it while studying for the DAT through my 3rd time. this time around i didnt so much and felt it cost me a little...
DAT Destroyer (7/10)
the lone section on destroyer where i felt like it didn't help me too much. questions i think are way too hard in a sense that it drags you away from the fundamentals(which i thought the actual test was more like) and at times the questions get more trivial then anything. however i did get one question that needed the P(MW)=DRT formula that i learned from destroyer. but overall focus more on chad's stuff for gen chem
DAT bootcamp 7/10
i thought it was decent practice, but def a lot harder than the actual exam. again, my recommendation is to do it, but focus more on chad's stuff
DAT Achiever (5/10)
hahaha achiever just flat out sucks for gen chem. way way wayyyyyy too hard. those questions are like unworldly hard, with way too many complicated calculation set ups and unhelpful trivial questions.
Overall thoughts on General Chemistry
Take home message here is to do everything but really emphasis studying chad's material. my mistake was that when i was studying down the stretch, i focused more on destroyer and achiever and way less on chad. Don't do it! haha
Organic Chemistry 22
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
Chad's Videos&Quizzes (10/10)
DAT Destroyer (20/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
DAT Achiever (10/10)
How I studied
Like gen chem, once you're good with kaplan, i moved on to all of chad's stuff. did every single quiz as many times as i could. I approached destroyer like l did for bio, went through it 3 times and making notes on everything i got wrong/didn't know and was fuzzy on. also made sure i knew those roadmaps as well. Everything i got wrong/didn't know/ was fuzzy on through bootcamp and achiver i made notes of it.
Actual Test
really not too bad! saw some aldol condentsation, electrophilic aromatic addition, lab techniques, sn1/sn2/e1/e2. I always heard myths and tales on how people got questions that were eerily similar to destroyer and im here to say its true haha. i know theres one question in destroyer about finding isomers of triflurobenzene or something like that and the same exact question came up except with tribromobenzene haha
Material reviews
Kaplan class/KBB (6/10)
at this point im sick of mentioning kaplan lol. next!
Chad's videos&quizzes (10/10)
just more and more pure awesomeness from this guy, really clarifies concepts really well esp the ones i struggled with taking ochem in college
Destroyer (20/10)
YOU NEED THIS BOOK FOR O CHEM. just do it lol. make note of everything, know the roadmaps, just know it all from the ochem section of destroyer lol
DAT bootcamp (free) (7/10)
its cool, just more solid practice. didnt think it was amazing for this section but hey it was free haha
DAT Achiever (10/10)
Achiever gets a bad rap from many on SDN but im def not in that group. like bio, i thought it was really good practice for ochem
Overall thoughts on Organic Chemistry
really really proud of this section. Highly recommend chads, destroyer AND achiever (yea i said it haha) for this section!
Perceptual Ability: 20
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (20/10)
DAT Achiever (20/10)
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
How I studied
This was basically a lot of practice. I started off doing Crack DAT PAT. After every test, I would go over each one I marked or got wrong and try to thoroughly understand why my answer was wrong and why the correct one is right. I basically did the same thing with DAT Achiever and Bootcamp. One useful thing from Crack PAT is that it tracks how many seconds you take per question. I really wanted to perfect my timing, so after every test i added up all the seconds in each section to see how long i took. based on how my timing was through each test, i came up with my own way to split my time with PAT: 11 mins for keyholes(49 mins left), 13 mins for top/front/end (36 mins left), 9 mins on angles (27 mins left), 11 mins on hole punching (16 mins left) 7 mins on counting cubes (9 mins left), and the last 9 mins on pattern folding. Setting timing goals really helped a lot for PAT.
Actual Test
I am a little disappointed in this section because i felt like i was going to really kill it, but hey ill take the 20! in terms of each section:
Keyholes
felt like these were a little harder than Crack PAT but definitely way easier than Achiever
Top/Front/End
i really thought these shapes were VERY similar to Crack PAT! but the big flaw with Crack PAT is that it gave super obviously wrong choices that you can easily eliminate with the line counting technique. on the real thing you couldn't get away with that strategy, you really have to thoroughly understand what the dashed lines could represent and how it fits the entire shape. achiever is tough but i think it really helps you nail down this section really well.
Angles
many SDNers have said angles on the real thing were easier than Crack PAT. I DISAGREE!!! the angles i got on my test were flat out mean, they were more similar to the level of Crack PAT. the ones on achiever i thought were easier than both the real thing and Crack PAT. In terms of techniques i think i used just about all the ones everyone suggests (riding a bike, laptop, staring and switching between two close angles, finding the biggest and smallest/looking at answer choices, imaging its pizza/pole/cane/whatever). the thing with using these techniques is that it depends on the kind of angle problem you get. sometimes one technique will work, other times a mix of them work, and then theres many times when absolutely nothing works lol
Hole Punching
i was pretty bad at keyholes for awhile but the line of symmetry method really turned it around for me. after learning it, i was consistently doing well on this section in Crack PAT and Achiever. On the real thing, it felt really similar to Crack PAT. I dont remember seeing any 1/2 or 1/3 folds or any weird ones.
Cube Counting
there were always some hidden cubes or very unreasonable ones to count on Crack PAT. i thought achiever was more representative overall though,but both were good, necessary practice. On the real thing, this section was def much easier than both Crack Pat and Achiever.
Pattern Folding
I thought the real thing was closer to Crack PAT, maybe even a tad easier. Achiever was good practice but it had some tough shapes on it.
Material Reviews
Crack DAT PAT Royal Flush (20/10)
awesome practice. you need this. only flaw for me is that for top/front/end there were way too many obviously wrong choices for top/front/end
DAT Achiever (20/10)
overall a little tougher than the real thing but it complements Crack PAT really well. more awesome practice and has awesome 3D models to show correct answers.
DAT Bootcamp (Free) (10/10)
even more practice AND ITS FREE!
Overall thoughts on Perceptual Ability
Practice Practice Practice!!! Just keep practicing with Crack PAT and Achiever and you'll do great! Make sure to do as many tests as possible and be very through in understanding why you get a certain question wrong.
Reading Comprehension 19
Kaplan (7/10)
Random Scientific Articles(7/10)
DAT Achiever (7/10)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
How I studied
How do you study for this section? Anybody? lol. Basically i would periodically read random scientific articles thinking it would "improve my reading speed/comprehension" lol (i didn't feel like it did). the only useful thing i picked up from kaplan was their mapping technique, which is good for really dense articles but def can't bank on that technique alone. also tried search and destroy while practicing with achiever and bootcamp until i decided to do this: for any given article, in the first minute i would scan half the questions, then write down a key word from each question. then i would read the first sentence of every paragraph of the article to help get a feel of it (sometimes i can S&D answers this way). then i would read half the actual article, mapping it out using kaplan's technique (when mapping i wrote down anything that stood out like lists, numbers, names of people/organizations) and answer any question i could while reading. once i got half way through an article, i would scan the next half of questions and basically repeat the entire process. i tried to do all this in 19 mins and leave 1 min for guessing in case i didnt finish.
Actual test
Compared to all the practice i had, these articles really weren't too bad. Had one on fungi, another on ethics/moral values, and another on epithelial to mesenchymal transition in tooth formation. The fungi and EMT tooth articles were pretty interesting and weren't too dense. On the other hand, the ethics article I thought wasn't as interesting, and it was like 20 short paragraphs. I finished the first two articles on time but guessed on like 3 questions on the last article.
Material Reviews
Kaplan Class/KBB (6/10)
The mapping technique is cool...haha
Random Scientific Articles(7/10)
Many people say it helps to improve your reading and comprehension speed, but personally it didn't for me (i think im just a slow reader haha). i guess its better to do this than not to do it..
DAT Achiever (7/10)
Oh man these articles were pure hell haha. again, it was something to practice techniques on, but these were super dense and waaaay out there (i was like WTF when reading the finance one haha)
DAT Bootcamp (7/10)
These articles were def not as dense as achiever, i guess solid practice
Overall thoughts on Reading Comprehension
I really felt like all the practice i had through kaplan, random articles, achiever, and bootcamp overall was solid, but that it didnt contribute greatly to my score. I really feel like to do well on reading comprehension you have to find the right mix of techniques/strategies that works for you. Tinker around and mix and match with different methods.
Quantitative Reasoning 19
Math Destroyer (15/10)
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (9/10)
How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson (10/10)
Khan Academy/Youtube/Library (10/10)
DAT Achiever (9/10)
DAT Boot camp (8/10)
How I studied
Just to start off and to remind everyone, these were my previous math scores: 12 and 16. IF I CAN PULL A 19 IN THIS SECTION, SO CAN ANYONE READING THIS! IF NOT, BETTER!!! i was never good in math, and it seemed like on sdn people were pulling 20+ on the regular in this section. But the key to succeeding here is repetitive practice (over and over until you're sick of doing math then over and over some more). From previous experience, I knew two big holes in my math game were both probability and word problems. Using the ADA reference text list, I found Elementary Statistics by Bluman through an library resource called openlibrary and basically went through its chapters on permutations, combinations, and probability. After that, I found a great word problem book from the library called How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson. It covered a lot of common types of word problems like age, rate/distance/time, mixture, money, interest, all the good ones and would teach you step by step. Then after that, I filled in some more gaps with random khan academy/youtube videos and more random library books (YAY FREE RESOURCES!) Then after that, I finally started math destroyer. EVERYONE NEEDS MATH DESTROYER! Math destroyer for me was a brutal, agonizing, and deflating experience filled with torture and depression. But after taking the DAT, I definitely could not have came close to a 19 without it! I basically started doing destroyer like this: First, I would take a test timed (and get flat out destroyed lol). During each test, i would always be very weary of my timing and check to see if i had answered at least half the questions by the 22 min mark. After correcting each test, everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I would write out the entire problem and exactly how to do it. After thoroughly going through all of those, I would retake a test until i got at least 38 right or more. Once i got at least 38, i would move on to the next destroyer test and repeat the whole process for every test from #1 to #10. For tests #11-13 I basically took them untimed and didn't even bother with #14. In doing Achiever and bootcamp, I basically did a similar thing to destroyer in that everything I got wrong/didn't know/was fuzzy on I would write out the entire problem and exactly how to do it.
Actual Test
Going into this section was extremely nerve wracking for me, but while i was taking it i felt like i can work out a good majority of the problems. Compared to math destroyer, I would say its SLIGHTLY easier, very slightly. Got lots of different kinds of problems(very consistent with the DAT user manual) ranging from algebra, geometry, inequalities, rates, compound interest, standard dev/68-95-99 rule, currency, trig identities, a question on trig graphing, etc. after going though all my resources, for the most part there wasn't anything there that i didnt see during my studying time. like what other SDNers have said, i did the test in my own version of the "wave" strategy. going though the test, i would answer all the ones that jumped out to me and that i thought were easy while skipping the ones i didnt know right away. the ones that i didnt know right away but knew how to set up/had an idea i would mark those and come back to after taking care of the easy ones. the ones that i couldnt flat out do i left those unmarked and took care of at the end. this strategy allowed me to finish all the easy and marked ones with about 10 mins left, giving me time to try the really hard ones or check the ones i finished.
Materials Review
Math Destroyer (15/10)
You need this book!!! Get it! NOW!!! many people were concerned of how hard and discouraging the book can be. for me personally, math destroyer was a very tough and agonizing experiencing but well worth the torture. yes its very difficult but dont let that discourage you! i literally got 11/40 on the first destroyer test and for tests #2-10 my scores would range anywhere from 17-28 on my first tries (did not break 30 once). the key is to thoroughly learn from your mistakes and the only way to do that is through A LOT of repetition and practice.
Elementary Statistics by Bluman (9/10)
Super awesome for breaking down and practicing permutations, combinations, and probability. i wouldn't recommend buying it for DAT studying. just try to find it in a library somewhere. YAY FREE!
How to solve word problems in algebra by Mildred Johnson (10/10)
Amazing book that i found in my local library. after taking the DAT twice i found out how horrible i was at math word problems. i used to cringe and cry every time i would see an age or rate problem, but after finding this book i felt like i could conquer those common word problems on the DAT. AND IT WAS FREE!
Khan Academy/Youtube/Library (10/10)
sal khan and chad need to meet and hold some kind of seminar for pre dents. i would gladly pay to go to that haha khan academy videos for math were awesome, used it to brush up on logs and other math stuff. plus came across so many random youtube videos that would help, along with random library books. AND IT WAS FREE!
DAT Achiever (9/10)
i thought the difficulty level reminded me of math destroyer, so it was pretty solid.
DAT Bootcamp (8/10)
again, only did the free one but it was solid as well.
Overall thoughts on Quantitative Reasoning
Again, I scored 12, and 16 on my first two tries. If I can get a 19, so can you! it just takes a lot of grit, determination, and a crap load of repitition and practice. i would definitely recommend math destroyer to predents of all budgets! a must get! plus theres a plethora of free resources out there on the interent and the library. just practice practice practice (insert iverson reference) practice!!!!
Random details
Day before the test
The day before the test i would recommend anyone to NOT STUDY! just take the day to relax, reflect on how hard you've worked, and rest. that day i basically woke up around 11am, visited the test center to make sure i knew how to get there, ate some of my favorite foods (but dont eat anything that will give you the runs, stick with safe foods lol) got a haircut (look good feel good), went to church, and spent the rest of the day with my loved ones. oh yea, also watched breaking bad haha. made sure to get enough sleep as well.
Day of the test
after waking up, i ate a really healthy and complete breakfast. i then spent the rest of that morning listening to inspirational speeches (like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmyoMe4iHM ) and inspirational music (eye of the tiger, lots of rocky songs, daft punk's one more time since i was taking the test one more time). after eating a small lunch, i got to the test center about an hr early, and called my mom and my gf for last min support. i walked in about half an hour early, and after the prometric people check your id, they basically ask you right after to take the test, even if you arrive early. dont feel pressured into agreeing right away! i just politely asked if i could sit down for a couple mins to gather myself. they let me, and after 10 mins of heavy breathing i stood up and said i was ready lol
one more thing! during your break...
USE YOUR BREAK BUT BE FAST! that 15 mins goes by quick! it took me about 4-5 mins just to sign out since someone was ahead of me. use the break to not just use the bathroom but get a quick bite to eat as well. since it was a five hour test it was important to me that i keep my blood sugar up. so after using the bathroom, i basically had a cliff bar, some gatorade and water, got back in with 3 mins left, and the rest is history...
In closing
For me personally, i feel i went though a lot to get to this point and that i sacrificed a lot for this test. i spent days and nights at starbucks and libraries, gave up opportunities to work/make money, not see my family or friends and overall gave everything i got for test. its been a tough and windy road but im glad to say it was well worth it and that this is definitely one of the proudest things ive ever done. i definitely could not have done without the support of my family, friends, teachers, peers and especially my gf. AND also to the SDN community! you guys that post have given me great advice and direction over the years in my approach to the DAT. i hope my post can help anyone out there getting ready for their DAT.
Hopefully this test will be a stepping stone for greater things to come =) If anyone out there has any questions, feel free to ask! Again, if i can do it, i know anyone out there reading this can! Thank you guys!
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