Hi, DAT enthusiasts! I've been a longtime lurker on SDN forums, and it's about time I give back. I took the DAT way back in March, applied this cycle, and was accepted to BU and Tufts. Here was my DAT experience:
Bio: 26
Gen Chem: 24
Orgo: 21
PAT: 25
QR: 22
RC: 23
TS: 23
AA: 23
Overview: I began studying in the summer of 2011 but didn't start seriously until August. I used the DAT study schedule posted in the sticky, but I adapted it to stretch to 22 weeks. (I ended up taking longer.) I have a full-time job and a family, so I was only studying at night and on the weekends. The materials that I used are as follows: Cliff's AP Bio, KBB, Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Crack the DAT PAT, and Topscore.
Biology: I am a high school biology teacher, so I'm glad I scored well. I still read through KBB and Cliff's, though. Seems like there's always one or two random questions that you just have to be lucky enough to have come across in learning biology.
Gen Chem: When I was studying and doing the practice tests, I felt like Gen Chem was my lowest science score. As it turned out, it was a little easier than the practice tests.
Orgo: It had been a long time since I had taken an organic chemistry class, so I had to learn from scratch using Chad's videos. I thought I was pretty prepared after my practice tests, but the actual DAT was more difficult. I think the Topscore DAT had similar questions in the organic chem section, and those happened to be the questions that I was good at. My point is that the organic chem parts of Topscore may not be that comprehensive and may not be a good gauge as to how you're doing for organic chemistry. At least, that's how I felt.
PAT: I enjoy puzzles, so this was fun to study for. Trickiest thing is getting used to the timed nature of the test. I did the tictactoe thing for holepunching and made a chart for cube counting. Crack the DAT PAT was great for preparing for this.
QR: What was most difficult was doing problems quickly enough. I think I needed more practice tests, like more Math Destroyer-like problem sets.
RC: Sorry, but I forgot the topics. But I don't remember any of it being too random. I sought and destroyed.
Test experience: There were many people taking various tests at my test center. All test takers wore noise-cancelling headphones. I received two sheets of dry erase sheets with a thin marker. During the tutorial, I wrote tictactoes on one sheet and some gen chem formulas on the other sheet. I turned in one sheet during the break to get a fresh sheet, and I used the bathroom. I also a little snack. I had to make sure to give myself enough time to check back into the testing area (fingerprinting and so forth).
Overall, I'm pleased with my score, especially after having studied for so long. Feel free to PM with any questions.
Bio: 26
Gen Chem: 24
Orgo: 21
PAT: 25
QR: 22
RC: 23
TS: 23
AA: 23
Overview: I began studying in the summer of 2011 but didn't start seriously until August. I used the DAT study schedule posted in the sticky, but I adapted it to stretch to 22 weeks. (I ended up taking longer.) I have a full-time job and a family, so I was only studying at night and on the weekends. The materials that I used are as follows: Cliff's AP Bio, KBB, Chad's videos, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Crack the DAT PAT, and Topscore.
Biology: I am a high school biology teacher, so I'm glad I scored well. I still read through KBB and Cliff's, though. Seems like there's always one or two random questions that you just have to be lucky enough to have come across in learning biology.
Gen Chem: When I was studying and doing the practice tests, I felt like Gen Chem was my lowest science score. As it turned out, it was a little easier than the practice tests.
Orgo: It had been a long time since I had taken an organic chemistry class, so I had to learn from scratch using Chad's videos. I thought I was pretty prepared after my practice tests, but the actual DAT was more difficult. I think the Topscore DAT had similar questions in the organic chem section, and those happened to be the questions that I was good at. My point is that the organic chem parts of Topscore may not be that comprehensive and may not be a good gauge as to how you're doing for organic chemistry. At least, that's how I felt.
PAT: I enjoy puzzles, so this was fun to study for. Trickiest thing is getting used to the timed nature of the test. I did the tictactoe thing for holepunching and made a chart for cube counting. Crack the DAT PAT was great for preparing for this.
QR: What was most difficult was doing problems quickly enough. I think I needed more practice tests, like more Math Destroyer-like problem sets.
RC: Sorry, but I forgot the topics. But I don't remember any of it being too random. I sought and destroyed.
Test experience: There were many people taking various tests at my test center. All test takers wore noise-cancelling headphones. I received two sheets of dry erase sheets with a thin marker. During the tutorial, I wrote tictactoes on one sheet and some gen chem formulas on the other sheet. I turned in one sheet during the break to get a fresh sheet, and I used the bathroom. I also a little snack. I had to make sure to give myself enough time to check back into the testing area (fingerprinting and so forth).
Overall, I'm pleased with my score, especially after having studied for so long. Feel free to PM with any questions.
