I just finished my DAT and although I don't have one of those absurdly high scores, I think I still did pretty well, and owe a lot of credit to SDN. I just wanted to return the favor and give all of the advice I can for future test takers.
PA 25 (99.7)
QR 21 (93.3)
RC 19 (59.8)
Bio 23 (98.0)
GC 22 (90.1)
OC 22 (91.5)
TS 22 (96.0)
AA 21 (93.0)
About the Actual Test:
Biology: I was asked 2 questions that weren't straight up factual, but required some analysis instead. I also had one picture in reference to a plant that I wasn't very sure about, but everything else was very straight forward. The questions did range from very broad, to very very very specific. I only had one taxonomy question and it was at the phylum level. Three questions were genetics related, none were on physiology, krebs, or photosynthesis (weird right?). On that note, I did read through chapters 19-21 in Campbell's, and I have to say, it was pretty unnecessary in the case of my test. Everything that I was asked could be found in Barron's AP biology review book. I happened to use Barron's instead of Cliff's only because I heard of it first. I read through it about 4 times, and then went through the glossary the morning of my test. The practice tests in the beginning, middle, and end of the book were very helpful. I wouldn't recommend going through lots and lots of sources, because you'll probably just know waaaay more info than you need. Learning Barron's inside and out will definitely get you 20+
General Chemistry: Like everyone else said, Chad's Videos plus Destroyer. I went through the Destroyer before Chad's videos and got maybe 20% correct. Went through it again after watching his videos and taking notes, still only got 60% right. Then I went back and only did the problems I got wrong. Then two days before the test I went through each problem carefully reading every answer and its explanation. I read through Chad's notes every few days to refresh my overall understanding. This part of the test was fairly simple. Don't just memorize the equations but really understand how to manipulate them. About half of the questions will ask you what will happen to _____ when _____ changes. The calculation were half in the form of you just had to pick the right set up and the other half you actually solve. I just used dimensional analysis for all and cancelled out where I could. Make sure you know how to balance all kinds of reactions, and know the period trends inside and out and you'll be golden.
Organic: Just like general, Chad's plus Destroyer. I used the same method here as I did for general, except I also added in the Road Maps. If you can recognize all of the reactions that go on during the Destroyer and understand all of the concepts in Chad's you're set. I got 6 questions on spectroscopy too...
Perceptual Ability: Crack DAT PAT. Yeah, it costs a ton, but after reading what everyone else said, I had to get it. I bought the 10 test version. I got 18 on the first 4 tests and was pretty pissed. I then started utilizing the 1,2,3,4,5 table for cube counting and the 4x4 for hole punches and jumped right up to 22-24 the rest of the way. Just for the hell of it, I went back and redid the tests where I got 18s, and got 24-25 on them.
Keyhole: My main suggestion here is to not only find the shape that you think works, but make sure that you can find a reason why every other answer choice doesn't work. By the end, I could get 15/15 on this every time without having to go back and check.
TFE: I happen to be good at visualizing this, but used the same method as keyhole, as soon as I found the right answer, I made sure that the others were wrong. Don't come back to check this.
Angle: I used the hill method for acute angles and the laptop method for obtuse ones. The easiest for me was to first look at the answer choices. Usually you only have to decide between two. Then once you know which is smallest, you again have to decide between two. This is much easier than comparing three angles at once. Sorry if this is common sense. This is the section that I spent the most time on. I went back after I was done everything and stared at each angle form up close and far away.
Pattern Folding: Grid system worked like a charm. I look at one hole punch at a time and went backwards to see where it would make a hole with each fold. I happened to finish PAT with 27 minutes left so I went back and redid this section. If you take your time though, you should be good first go around.
Cube Counting: The table lets you keep track of everything flawlessly, and with each new shape, I did the counting twice to make sure I didn't mess up. There are 5 sets of shapes on the real test, but no illusions, and less cubes, so overall pretty easy. I also went back and redid this section, but only because of the extra time.
Pattern Folding: I really utilized the what doesn't work method here. I eliminated choices that didn't work. For example, with the shaded origami ones, you can see that there's just no way three shaded regions will be adjacent to each other. This almost always left me with one choice.
Math: I used Math Destroyer, it is worth the money. I went through each test, averaging 27/40. Then I did all of the problems I got wrong. I did the first few tests again the week of my test too. About 25 problems were exactly like something you've seen in Destroyer, but the other 15 are ones you have to kind of reason out. Regardless, I could only reason it out because of things I had seen on Destroyer.
Reading: So for this I got two science based passages for my first ones and thought I was sittin pretty in the mid 20's. I barely had to read anything to answer the majority of the questions. Then came the piano passage. I really didn't think it was bad while I was doing it, but apparently it handed it to me. I skimmed through the first few passages, answered as many questions as I could, and then utilized search and destroy. Sorry I don't have many tips for this, but it's really not too difficult. Don't trust Achiever, I got 15s on that for RC.
Ressources
MUST BUY
Chad's Videos: they will single handedly get you 20+ in gen chem and ochem. No questions asked, you're robbing him at only 20 bucks for the month subscription. My 22's are because of you Chad.
Destroyer: Chad's videos will give you all of the concepts, and Destroyer will make sure you know how to put it to use. Don't use it as a practice test though. Instead, think of it as a different type of studying. Instead of reading, it puts info into question form. Understand not only why the right answer is correct, but why the wrong ones are incorrect. For bio, I wouldn't recommend memorizing these facts unless you have the time and energy, but I did have 5-6 questions that were word for word from the destroyer.
Math Destroyer: It gives you the simple how to on so many types of math problems. Also works on timing. After my first go around, I practiced finishing the tests in under 30 minutes.
Barron's AP Bio: Know this inside and out and you'll get 20+ in bio. Think of it as a study guide. Do the questions too, multiple were exactly the same here as well.
Crack DAT PAT: Just buy it. Then do it a few times with the above methods and say hello to 20+
NOT NECESSARY
Organic Odyssey: Complete Overkill. Some of the sections are very good at solidifying your knowledge though. Doing the spectroscopy section here saved me. Some of the sections like proteins and carbs weren't even worth a look. Get it if you want, because it's definitely helpful, but I don't think it'll bump you're score too much.
Achiever: This honestly just pissed me off. I got a 19/17/16 on the three science sections. I got a 18 on the PAT, and you already saw my reading scores. I didn't even take all of the tests because of how frustrated I was. Some people said it motivated them, but it just made me mad.
Some useful websites:
Statistics:http://www.omegamath.com/Data/d2.2.html
Easy science Reading: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences-study-guides.html
Final Thoughts
For me the key was constantly mixing things up so I didn't get bored. Destroyer here, videos there, reading in between. I studied for a month about 8 hours a day. I did work out a lot in between, and took about 1-2 days off a week. I could've easily gotten the same score in half the time if I would've just gone from Chad's video's to Destroyer, memorizing Barron's, and going through Crack DAT PAT and Math Destroyer a few times. Hope this helps, and let me know if there's anything else I can do to give you guys a better idea of what to do. Thanks again to all of the previous people's breakdowns!
PA 25 (99.7)
QR 21 (93.3)
RC 19 (59.8)
Bio 23 (98.0)
GC 22 (90.1)
OC 22 (91.5)
TS 22 (96.0)
AA 21 (93.0)
About the Actual Test:
Biology: I was asked 2 questions that weren't straight up factual, but required some analysis instead. I also had one picture in reference to a plant that I wasn't very sure about, but everything else was very straight forward. The questions did range from very broad, to very very very specific. I only had one taxonomy question and it was at the phylum level. Three questions were genetics related, none were on physiology, krebs, or photosynthesis (weird right?). On that note, I did read through chapters 19-21 in Campbell's, and I have to say, it was pretty unnecessary in the case of my test. Everything that I was asked could be found in Barron's AP biology review book. I happened to use Barron's instead of Cliff's only because I heard of it first. I read through it about 4 times, and then went through the glossary the morning of my test. The practice tests in the beginning, middle, and end of the book were very helpful. I wouldn't recommend going through lots and lots of sources, because you'll probably just know waaaay more info than you need. Learning Barron's inside and out will definitely get you 20+
General Chemistry: Like everyone else said, Chad's Videos plus Destroyer. I went through the Destroyer before Chad's videos and got maybe 20% correct. Went through it again after watching his videos and taking notes, still only got 60% right. Then I went back and only did the problems I got wrong. Then two days before the test I went through each problem carefully reading every answer and its explanation. I read through Chad's notes every few days to refresh my overall understanding. This part of the test was fairly simple. Don't just memorize the equations but really understand how to manipulate them. About half of the questions will ask you what will happen to _____ when _____ changes. The calculation were half in the form of you just had to pick the right set up and the other half you actually solve. I just used dimensional analysis for all and cancelled out where I could. Make sure you know how to balance all kinds of reactions, and know the period trends inside and out and you'll be golden.
Organic: Just like general, Chad's plus Destroyer. I used the same method here as I did for general, except I also added in the Road Maps. If you can recognize all of the reactions that go on during the Destroyer and understand all of the concepts in Chad's you're set. I got 6 questions on spectroscopy too...
Perceptual Ability: Crack DAT PAT. Yeah, it costs a ton, but after reading what everyone else said, I had to get it. I bought the 10 test version. I got 18 on the first 4 tests and was pretty pissed. I then started utilizing the 1,2,3,4,5 table for cube counting and the 4x4 for hole punches and jumped right up to 22-24 the rest of the way. Just for the hell of it, I went back and redid the tests where I got 18s, and got 24-25 on them.
Keyhole: My main suggestion here is to not only find the shape that you think works, but make sure that you can find a reason why every other answer choice doesn't work. By the end, I could get 15/15 on this every time without having to go back and check.
TFE: I happen to be good at visualizing this, but used the same method as keyhole, as soon as I found the right answer, I made sure that the others were wrong. Don't come back to check this.
Angle: I used the hill method for acute angles and the laptop method for obtuse ones. The easiest for me was to first look at the answer choices. Usually you only have to decide between two. Then once you know which is smallest, you again have to decide between two. This is much easier than comparing three angles at once. Sorry if this is common sense. This is the section that I spent the most time on. I went back after I was done everything and stared at each angle form up close and far away.
Pattern Folding: Grid system worked like a charm. I look at one hole punch at a time and went backwards to see where it would make a hole with each fold. I happened to finish PAT with 27 minutes left so I went back and redid this section. If you take your time though, you should be good first go around.
Cube Counting: The table lets you keep track of everything flawlessly, and with each new shape, I did the counting twice to make sure I didn't mess up. There are 5 sets of shapes on the real test, but no illusions, and less cubes, so overall pretty easy. I also went back and redid this section, but only because of the extra time.
Pattern Folding: I really utilized the what doesn't work method here. I eliminated choices that didn't work. For example, with the shaded origami ones, you can see that there's just no way three shaded regions will be adjacent to each other. This almost always left me with one choice.
Math: I used Math Destroyer, it is worth the money. I went through each test, averaging 27/40. Then I did all of the problems I got wrong. I did the first few tests again the week of my test too. About 25 problems were exactly like something you've seen in Destroyer, but the other 15 are ones you have to kind of reason out. Regardless, I could only reason it out because of things I had seen on Destroyer.
Reading: So for this I got two science based passages for my first ones and thought I was sittin pretty in the mid 20's. I barely had to read anything to answer the majority of the questions. Then came the piano passage. I really didn't think it was bad while I was doing it, but apparently it handed it to me. I skimmed through the first few passages, answered as many questions as I could, and then utilized search and destroy. Sorry I don't have many tips for this, but it's really not too difficult. Don't trust Achiever, I got 15s on that for RC.
Ressources
MUST BUY
Chad's Videos: they will single handedly get you 20+ in gen chem and ochem. No questions asked, you're robbing him at only 20 bucks for the month subscription. My 22's are because of you Chad.
Destroyer: Chad's videos will give you all of the concepts, and Destroyer will make sure you know how to put it to use. Don't use it as a practice test though. Instead, think of it as a different type of studying. Instead of reading, it puts info into question form. Understand not only why the right answer is correct, but why the wrong ones are incorrect. For bio, I wouldn't recommend memorizing these facts unless you have the time and energy, but I did have 5-6 questions that were word for word from the destroyer.
Math Destroyer: It gives you the simple how to on so many types of math problems. Also works on timing. After my first go around, I practiced finishing the tests in under 30 minutes.
Barron's AP Bio: Know this inside and out and you'll get 20+ in bio. Think of it as a study guide. Do the questions too, multiple were exactly the same here as well.
Crack DAT PAT: Just buy it. Then do it a few times with the above methods and say hello to 20+
NOT NECESSARY
Organic Odyssey: Complete Overkill. Some of the sections are very good at solidifying your knowledge though. Doing the spectroscopy section here saved me. Some of the sections like proteins and carbs weren't even worth a look. Get it if you want, because it's definitely helpful, but I don't think it'll bump you're score too much.
Achiever: This honestly just pissed me off. I got a 19/17/16 on the three science sections. I got a 18 on the PAT, and you already saw my reading scores. I didn't even take all of the tests because of how frustrated I was. Some people said it motivated them, but it just made me mad.
Some useful websites:
Statistics:http://www.omegamath.com/Data/d2.2.html
Easy science Reading: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences-study-guides.html
Final Thoughts
For me the key was constantly mixing things up so I didn't get bored. Destroyer here, videos there, reading in between. I studied for a month about 8 hours a day. I did work out a lot in between, and took about 1-2 days off a week. I could've easily gotten the same score in half the time if I would've just gone from Chad's video's to Destroyer, memorizing Barron's, and going through Crack DAT PAT and Math Destroyer a few times. Hope this helps, and let me know if there's anything else I can do to give you guys a better idea of what to do. Thanks again to all of the previous people's breakdowns!
