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- Mar 25, 2012
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I wanted to post a breakdown simply because the breakdowns from others have helped me immensely.
Quick background and context: I am nearly two years out of undergrad with a Bio degree. I didn't decide dental until my last semester of senior year (architecture-->medical-->dental), so I am taking some more upper level science classes to strengthen my application and my sGPA. I took some time off after undergrad to hike the Appalachian Trail, then came back from Maine and started working, taking class, and studying for the DAT. I've taken it twice before. The first time was right after undergrad. I was convinced that the test was easy and only studied KBB mildly. I did terrible and don't even remember my scores other than my highest being a 19. The second retake was in the midst of me getting married, honeymoon planning, moving, and other madness. I thought I was prepared, but I was wrong. I left the testing center in June very upset. I knew I had to take it again (RC 16) to have a chance of getting in since my GPA isn't super strong (16 didn't make my schools' cutoffs). I signed up for another testing date within a week. I wanted to keep all the studying I had done fresh.
Throughout the whole month of July and August, I spend most of my days studying (either in the university library or at home). I have to have a really good study environment to be efficient. I would study the subjects in the order the appear on the real test. It helped with endurance and transitioning from subject to subject.
My word of advice to those taking for the first time or studying for another attempt is to take your test when you truly feel ready and take many TIMED practices tests. The timing factor really does change things when you're studying (especially RC and QR). Do the work on the front end or you will pay for it later with a retake! As you can see, I used tons of resources to broaden my knowledge. It is certainly expensive, but it's all worth it if you want to do well. I'm newly married and definitely strapped for cash, but good studying is a worthy investment.
Here is a breakdown of all my practice tests. Obviously tests vary, but I could loosely use this spreadsheet as a gauge of how I would do. It is interesting to compare. The double scores on DATqVault are tests taken twice, 2-3 weeks apart.
The real test...
BIO (22): This section was far less tricky than the other test I took in June. Most were very straight forward questions. The trick about this section is to really understand what they are asking. Instead of "What occurs in metaphase of mitosis?", they ask "Which of the follow would hinder mitosis at the metaphase stage?" Seems simple enough, but the little twist throws you off at first. The concepts are simple, but the way they ask you about them isn't so simple. Lots of genetics, mitosis/meiosis questions for me. As most others have said, DATqVault is a great resource for preparing for this. They phrase questions the same and pull from all aspects of biology. This along with DAT Destroyer and YouTube were the most helpful. I would YouTube all kinds of topic I was unclear about. There are AMAZING videos out there that really help to understand this stuff. There is no such things as "overkill" for bio because it is such a broad topic. I went through Destroyer a few times as well.
Resources: DAT Destroyer, ANKI flashcards (http://ankisrs.net …I made cards for subjects I wanted to drive home), youtube/google, KBB (as a base), DATqVault, Topscore (really good), Achiever (super tough, too much random taxonomy), Alan's Notes (plus added my own), Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) <--- dude's brilliant!
GC (20): I will always and forever hate gen chem. Hated it in undergrad, and hated studying for it for the test. I thought for sure I didn't get above an 18 when I finished. It all seemed so random. There were a few questions out of left field that Chad nor DAT Destroyer discussed. This section took me well over 30 minutes to complete. A few minor calculations, but the bigger ones were set up in the answer. DATqvault was great for this as well, though somewhat repetitive. I liked practicing under timed pressure. Topscore probably a bit hard, Achiever, once again, pretty tough.
Resources: Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer (multiple times), the ones listed above.
OC (22): Other than PAT, OC was my favorite section to study for. It is all a puzzle to me which I like. I probably finished this section in under 20 minutes. Overall easy reactions, a few lab techniques questions, and some super simple NMR. DAT Destroyer really does drill these reactions into your brain, so I suggest studying it a ton. I got my base from Chad's videos and took really details notes. I referenced these notes CONSTANTLY. Same for gen chem. No crazy reactions that I had never seen before. DATqVault was probably my favorite resource for studying for OC. They use all kinds of reactions and other random OC questions. Great interface and being timed is essential. If you use DATqVault, be sure to click "unseen questions" for all sections…lots of helpful questions.
Resources: Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer (a few times + memorized "roadmaps"), YouTube "freelanceteacher", DATqVault (great), Topscore (good), Achiever (good).
PAT (24): Practice, practice….and practice. CDP (5 test version), Topscore, and Achiever all made me feel prepared. Its funny though because I never scored as high as I did on the actual test. CDP is pretty accurate, though their angles are too hard. Achiever, the same. Topscore was good, but only for 1 test. They repeat a lot, and you can't really check what you got wrong (that I could figure out..terrible interface). Look for some methods on YouTube if you struggle with a particular section. Finished with about 10 minutes left. Word of advice…go with your first instinct. The more you question it, the more you will confuse yourself and likely get it wrong. Your brain is smarter than you are
.
RC (19): Absolutely my least favorite section. The funny thing is I like reading, but in a timed environment, my brain clicks to frantic mode. Its awful. My passages were all 14 paragraphs starting with bone fractures, antibiotics, then herbal medicine. They were actually interesting (at least I made myself think they were!). It was hard to practice different methods because I quickly ran out of practice material. It was a mix of Topscore style questions and Crack DAT Reading. Search and destroy (ish) questions with tone/inference scattered throughout. Achiever is downright miserable and after scoring a 12, I called it quits. I never really found a method that I felt 100% comfortable with. I resorted to reading 4 questions, then read 1/4 the passage and answer, repeat. By the time I was halfway through a passage, I would scramble and do a search and destroy/skim. It wasn't efficient at all. I'm satisfied with a 19 🙂
Resources: CDR (5 tests), DATqVault (good but too long), Topscore (too technical but still good), Achiever 🙁, ScienceNews.org, other random stuff.
QR (19): I thought I did better here, but I'm certainly ok with my score. I like math but was never really that great at it. Again, huge game changer when you are being timed. My advice is to SKIP the hard problems until the end! Just guess and come back to it later. I always found that the last 3-4 questions were easy, so don't risk giving those up. Know your common trig identities, common geometry formulas, and be able to breeze through simple algebra. I used the calculator more than I should have, but I just trusted it more that my weary brain at that point.
Resources: Math Destroyer (separate book, went through twice), DATqVault (once again, great resource), Topscore, Achiever, Chad as a base. They all seemed to be on par with the real deal.
The only testing date available for me 3 months after my previous test was Friday at 11:30am. I liked having it in the late morning rather than 8am. It gave me some time to wake up and get nervous. I continually told myself it was just another practice test which actually helped. I showed up 30 minutes early and they sat me right when I walked in. I used the first 15 minutes to make 15 tic-tac-toe for hole punching and 7 cube counting graphs. After PAT, I took the break to drink some Gatorade (not too much!), a snickers, lots of stretching in the bathroom, mouthwash, then back into the test. I wrote #s 1-50 for RC and then any common QR formulas I memorized (especially this table which helped for trig stuff http://calculus.nipissingu.ca/tutorials/trigonometrygifs/trigchart.gif) Two dry erase sheets (two sided) and two markers. I changed them out for fresh ones during the middle break.
Thanks to everyone who has posted breakdowns of their DAT. I hope mine helps someone out there. I wouldn't have heard of half of these resources if it wasn't for these threads. I have a bookmarked folder of all my favorite breakdowns that I referenced all the time! Now starts the waiting game for interviews. I submitted my AADSAS app in June, but after my June DAT, I put a hold on them until my Sept DAT was complete. I emailed all the schools my new scores right when I got home!
SDN is a cool community. There are a handful of trolls, liars, and geniuses, but they are outweighed by really helpful normal people. It's funny because we all help each other out on this forum, yet we are all competing for a very few limited seats. Almost seems ironic 😉 Further up and further in my friends!
Edit: Interview at Tennessee and NYUCD so far! (11/4/12). Waitlisted for both.
(2013) - Interview invite to NYU, Temple, LECOM, Tennessee; Accepted interview at LECOM, Tennessee, accepted to Tennessee!
(2014) - D1 at Tennessee
Quick background and context: I am nearly two years out of undergrad with a Bio degree. I didn't decide dental until my last semester of senior year (architecture-->medical-->dental), so I am taking some more upper level science classes to strengthen my application and my sGPA. I took some time off after undergrad to hike the Appalachian Trail, then came back from Maine and started working, taking class, and studying for the DAT. I've taken it twice before. The first time was right after undergrad. I was convinced that the test was easy and only studied KBB mildly. I did terrible and don't even remember my scores other than my highest being a 19. The second retake was in the midst of me getting married, honeymoon planning, moving, and other madness. I thought I was prepared, but I was wrong. I left the testing center in June very upset. I knew I had to take it again (RC 16) to have a chance of getting in since my GPA isn't super strong (16 didn't make my schools' cutoffs). I signed up for another testing date within a week. I wanted to keep all the studying I had done fresh.
Throughout the whole month of July and August, I spend most of my days studying (either in the university library or at home). I have to have a really good study environment to be efficient. I would study the subjects in the order the appear on the real test. It helped with endurance and transitioning from subject to subject.
My word of advice to those taking for the first time or studying for another attempt is to take your test when you truly feel ready and take many TIMED practices tests. The timing factor really does change things when you're studying (especially RC and QR). Do the work on the front end or you will pay for it later with a retake! As you can see, I used tons of resources to broaden my knowledge. It is certainly expensive, but it's all worth it if you want to do well. I'm newly married and definitely strapped for cash, but good studying is a worthy investment.
Here is a breakdown of all my practice tests. Obviously tests vary, but I could loosely use this spreadsheet as a gauge of how I would do. It is interesting to compare. The double scores on DATqVault are tests taken twice, 2-3 weeks apart.
The real test...
BIO (22): This section was far less tricky than the other test I took in June. Most were very straight forward questions. The trick about this section is to really understand what they are asking. Instead of "What occurs in metaphase of mitosis?", they ask "Which of the follow would hinder mitosis at the metaphase stage?" Seems simple enough, but the little twist throws you off at first. The concepts are simple, but the way they ask you about them isn't so simple. Lots of genetics, mitosis/meiosis questions for me. As most others have said, DATqVault is a great resource for preparing for this. They phrase questions the same and pull from all aspects of biology. This along with DAT Destroyer and YouTube were the most helpful. I would YouTube all kinds of topic I was unclear about. There are AMAZING videos out there that really help to understand this stuff. There is no such things as "overkill" for bio because it is such a broad topic. I went through Destroyer a few times as well.
Resources: DAT Destroyer, ANKI flashcards (http://ankisrs.net …I made cards for subjects I wanted to drive home), youtube/google, KBB (as a base), DATqVault, Topscore (really good), Achiever (super tough, too much random taxonomy), Alan's Notes (plus added my own), Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) <--- dude's brilliant!
GC (20): I will always and forever hate gen chem. Hated it in undergrad, and hated studying for it for the test. I thought for sure I didn't get above an 18 when I finished. It all seemed so random. There were a few questions out of left field that Chad nor DAT Destroyer discussed. This section took me well over 30 minutes to complete. A few minor calculations, but the bigger ones were set up in the answer. DATqvault was great for this as well, though somewhat repetitive. I liked practicing under timed pressure. Topscore probably a bit hard, Achiever, once again, pretty tough.
Resources: Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer (multiple times), the ones listed above.
OC (22): Other than PAT, OC was my favorite section to study for. It is all a puzzle to me which I like. I probably finished this section in under 20 minutes. Overall easy reactions, a few lab techniques questions, and some super simple NMR. DAT Destroyer really does drill these reactions into your brain, so I suggest studying it a ton. I got my base from Chad's videos and took really details notes. I referenced these notes CONSTANTLY. Same for gen chem. No crazy reactions that I had never seen before. DATqVault was probably my favorite resource for studying for OC. They use all kinds of reactions and other random OC questions. Great interface and being timed is essential. If you use DATqVault, be sure to click "unseen questions" for all sections…lots of helpful questions.
Resources: Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer (a few times + memorized "roadmaps"), YouTube "freelanceteacher", DATqVault (great), Topscore (good), Achiever (good).
PAT (24): Practice, practice….and practice. CDP (5 test version), Topscore, and Achiever all made me feel prepared. Its funny though because I never scored as high as I did on the actual test. CDP is pretty accurate, though their angles are too hard. Achiever, the same. Topscore was good, but only for 1 test. They repeat a lot, and you can't really check what you got wrong (that I could figure out..terrible interface). Look for some methods on YouTube if you struggle with a particular section. Finished with about 10 minutes left. Word of advice…go with your first instinct. The more you question it, the more you will confuse yourself and likely get it wrong. Your brain is smarter than you are
.RC (19): Absolutely my least favorite section. The funny thing is I like reading, but in a timed environment, my brain clicks to frantic mode. Its awful. My passages were all 14 paragraphs starting with bone fractures, antibiotics, then herbal medicine. They were actually interesting (at least I made myself think they were!). It was hard to practice different methods because I quickly ran out of practice material. It was a mix of Topscore style questions and Crack DAT Reading. Search and destroy (ish) questions with tone/inference scattered throughout. Achiever is downright miserable and after scoring a 12, I called it quits. I never really found a method that I felt 100% comfortable with. I resorted to reading 4 questions, then read 1/4 the passage and answer, repeat. By the time I was halfway through a passage, I would scramble and do a search and destroy/skim. It wasn't efficient at all. I'm satisfied with a 19 🙂
Resources: CDR (5 tests), DATqVault (good but too long), Topscore (too technical but still good), Achiever 🙁, ScienceNews.org, other random stuff.
QR (19): I thought I did better here, but I'm certainly ok with my score. I like math but was never really that great at it. Again, huge game changer when you are being timed. My advice is to SKIP the hard problems until the end! Just guess and come back to it later. I always found that the last 3-4 questions were easy, so don't risk giving those up. Know your common trig identities, common geometry formulas, and be able to breeze through simple algebra. I used the calculator more than I should have, but I just trusted it more that my weary brain at that point.
Resources: Math Destroyer (separate book, went through twice), DATqVault (once again, great resource), Topscore, Achiever, Chad as a base. They all seemed to be on par with the real deal.
The only testing date available for me 3 months after my previous test was Friday at 11:30am. I liked having it in the late morning rather than 8am. It gave me some time to wake up and get nervous. I continually told myself it was just another practice test which actually helped. I showed up 30 minutes early and they sat me right when I walked in. I used the first 15 minutes to make 15 tic-tac-toe for hole punching and 7 cube counting graphs. After PAT, I took the break to drink some Gatorade (not too much!), a snickers, lots of stretching in the bathroom, mouthwash, then back into the test. I wrote #s 1-50 for RC and then any common QR formulas I memorized (especially this table which helped for trig stuff http://calculus.nipissingu.ca/tutorials/trigonometrygifs/trigchart.gif) Two dry erase sheets (two sided) and two markers. I changed them out for fresh ones during the middle break.
Thanks to everyone who has posted breakdowns of their DAT. I hope mine helps someone out there. I wouldn't have heard of half of these resources if it wasn't for these threads. I have a bookmarked folder of all my favorite breakdowns that I referenced all the time! Now starts the waiting game for interviews. I submitted my AADSAS app in June, but after my June DAT, I put a hold on them until my Sept DAT was complete. I emailed all the schools my new scores right when I got home!
SDN is a cool community. There are a handful of trolls, liars, and geniuses, but they are outweighed by really helpful normal people. It's funny because we all help each other out on this forum, yet we are all competing for a very few limited seats. Almost seems ironic 😉 Further up and further in my friends!
Edit: Interview at Tennessee and NYUCD so far! (11/4/12). Waitlisted for both.
(2013) - Interview invite to NYU, Temple, LECOM, Tennessee; Accepted interview at LECOM, Tennessee, accepted to Tennessee!
(2014) - D1 at Tennessee
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