- Joined
- Nov 19, 2006
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 0
Took it a few days ago and I'm definitely relieved to finally be done! I'm satisfied with my scores even though they pale in comparison to all the 23AA+ popping up on the forum.
PAT: 20 (81.0%)
QR: 19 (92.9%)
RC: 23 (96.1%)
BIO: 20 (91.8%)
GC: 21 (91.6%)
OC: 22 (94.0%)
TS: 21 (96.2%)
AA: 21 (97.2%)
PAT (Used CDP, Achiever, TS): Most disappointed in this score considering how well I was scoring on all of the practice exams. I bought CDP 2 weeks before my test date and my scores were 21/23/23/21/24. Overall this section felt very similar to CDP, if not easier. I was paranoid about running out of time like I did with the sciences so I must have made a bunch of simple mistakes. I finished 15 minutes early, but felt so overwhelmed from the sciences that I took a break without checking any answers. I was expected 23+ in this section from how easy it seemed.
Aperture & TFE: Very similar to CDP, usually 2 per section were tricky.
Angles: As difficult to CDP angles, only a few freebies. The angles didn't seem to be rotated in all different directions as much as they were on CDP, but comparing was still hard.
Hole Punch: Felt much, much easier than CDP. I made the 4x4 grids and cruised through this section. There were some folds that I don't remember seeing in CDP where the paper would be folded in half but then only the top part would be used in the next fold. Pay attention to where the solid/dashed lines are.
Cubes: Felt easier than CDP because there were less cubes in each figure, usually around 10-15 compared to the 15-20 in CDP.
Folding: Always my weakest section. Felt slightly harder than CDP with a handful of tricky problems.
QR (Destroyer Math section and Achiever/TS): The problems were a lot simpler than the ones in Destroyer, but they took a longer time to set up and solve. Timing is the most critical part in this section. I felt like I was doing well on time until I remembered the calculator and started using it. Try to do most easy calculations in your head. It takes a long time to click the numbers and it's easy to make mistakes when your hands are shaking Know which problems to skip and come back later on. I had around 7 questions left with only 2 minutes to go. I was able to quickly solve 2 but had to completely guess on the final 5. I was relieved to see the 19 because of all the guessing I had to do. Also, remember to write big with those markers they give you. I had to redo a few problems because I wrote too small and couldn't read the numbers.
RC (Achiever/TS): Achiever RC tests were always crushing me and Topscore tests were too easy. I committed to using search and destroy from the start. The first questions in the passage were usually tone/analysis questions so I immediately marked them and moved on. The initial questions in each passage took the longest to answer (sometimes up to 4-5 minutes) so it's easy to panic if you're not finding them right away. I stayed committed to using S&D and as you continue through the questions you start to get a feel for the passage and are able to find the information a lot faster. I didn't write down any outlines, but just kept a mental map of the passage in my head. Once I finished the questions for the passage, I went back to the first marked questions and could easily answer them. It was the first time I ever finished a RC section early.
BIO (Cliffs AP Bio): Just as random as everyone is saying, although they weren't like the random questions in achiever which were always so specific. Had a few figures in the questions which kind of through me off. Only 10 or so of the questions were specific vocabulary like the questions in Topscore. Most questions did require some thinking and connecting/relating different concepts. And then there's the 5 questions that come out of nowhere and you have to read them 3 times just to understand what they're asking. Try not to get caught up in all the specific taxonomy and campbell's chapters 19-21, remember to concentrate on the big picture. Spend your time studying for the major sections: cell biology, genetics, anatomy/physiology, and developmental biology. Let Cliff's get you a 20 and spend more time on Chem/OChem because it's easier to score higher in those sections. Cliffs is lacking in a few areas (doesn't mention anything on skeletal, brain functions, or comparative chordate traits) so make sure you have another source for these areas.
GC (Chad's videos): A lot of conceptual questions with very few problem solving ones. I only had to solve one or two actual problems and set up a few more. Pay close attention to all of the concepts in Chad's videos and you should be fine. If you have Destroyer make sure you fully understand Chad before even attempting to go through it.
OC (Chad's videos): Same as above, understand all the concepts in Chad's videos and you'll be fine. I had a few oddball reactions with nitriles and ethers but everything else was straightforward. Definitely know the table of addition reactions in Chad's 3rd video by heart. If you have Destroyer or KBB take note of a few extra reactions that Chad doesn't mention like Hoffman elimination/rearrangement, Wittig, and a lot of the redox reactions (KBB is good for these).
After spending more time than I was used to in biology I ended up running out of time on the chem and ochem sections and had to guess on a few questions. I felt horrible after completing the sciences and thought I would end up scoring a lot lower, so remember to tough it out and not get too discouraged.
My oGPA/sGPA is 3.4/3.4 (3.35 undergraduate and 3.92 from one semester of graduate). I'm applying to: Pitt, Temple, Tufts, NYU, BU, Louisville, Maryland, Case, UoP, Nova, Michigan, WVU, Columbia, Creighton, and VCU. My grades aren't the greatest so I hope my slightly above average DAT will make up for that. I will be e-submitting my application on monday so I hope I'm not too late in applying.
PAT: 20 (81.0%)
QR: 19 (92.9%)
RC: 23 (96.1%)
BIO: 20 (91.8%)
GC: 21 (91.6%)
OC: 22 (94.0%)
TS: 21 (96.2%)
AA: 21 (97.2%)
PAT (Used CDP, Achiever, TS): Most disappointed in this score considering how well I was scoring on all of the practice exams. I bought CDP 2 weeks before my test date and my scores were 21/23/23/21/24. Overall this section felt very similar to CDP, if not easier. I was paranoid about running out of time like I did with the sciences so I must have made a bunch of simple mistakes. I finished 15 minutes early, but felt so overwhelmed from the sciences that I took a break without checking any answers. I was expected 23+ in this section from how easy it seemed.
Aperture & TFE: Very similar to CDP, usually 2 per section were tricky.
Angles: As difficult to CDP angles, only a few freebies. The angles didn't seem to be rotated in all different directions as much as they were on CDP, but comparing was still hard.
Hole Punch: Felt much, much easier than CDP. I made the 4x4 grids and cruised through this section. There were some folds that I don't remember seeing in CDP where the paper would be folded in half but then only the top part would be used in the next fold. Pay attention to where the solid/dashed lines are.
Cubes: Felt easier than CDP because there were less cubes in each figure, usually around 10-15 compared to the 15-20 in CDP.
Folding: Always my weakest section. Felt slightly harder than CDP with a handful of tricky problems.
QR (Destroyer Math section and Achiever/TS): The problems were a lot simpler than the ones in Destroyer, but they took a longer time to set up and solve. Timing is the most critical part in this section. I felt like I was doing well on time until I remembered the calculator and started using it. Try to do most easy calculations in your head. It takes a long time to click the numbers and it's easy to make mistakes when your hands are shaking
Know which problems to skip and come back later on. I had around 7 questions left with only 2 minutes to go. I was able to quickly solve 2 but had to completely guess on the final 5. I was relieved to see the 19 because of all the guessing I had to do. Also, remember to write big with those markers they give you. I had to redo a few problems because I wrote too small and couldn't read the numbers.RC (Achiever/TS): Achiever RC tests were always crushing me and Topscore tests were too easy. I committed to using search and destroy from the start. The first questions in the passage were usually tone/analysis questions so I immediately marked them and moved on. The initial questions in each passage took the longest to answer (sometimes up to 4-5 minutes) so it's easy to panic if you're not finding them right away. I stayed committed to using S&D and as you continue through the questions you start to get a feel for the passage and are able to find the information a lot faster. I didn't write down any outlines, but just kept a mental map of the passage in my head. Once I finished the questions for the passage, I went back to the first marked questions and could easily answer them. It was the first time I ever finished a RC section early.
BIO (Cliffs AP Bio): Just as random as everyone is saying, although they weren't like the random questions in achiever which were always so specific. Had a few figures in the questions which kind of through me off. Only 10 or so of the questions were specific vocabulary like the questions in Topscore. Most questions did require some thinking and connecting/relating different concepts. And then there's the 5 questions that come out of nowhere and you have to read them 3 times just to understand what they're asking. Try not to get caught up in all the specific taxonomy and campbell's chapters 19-21, remember to concentrate on the big picture. Spend your time studying for the major sections: cell biology, genetics, anatomy/physiology, and developmental biology. Let Cliff's get you a 20 and spend more time on Chem/OChem because it's easier to score higher in those sections. Cliffs is lacking in a few areas (doesn't mention anything on skeletal, brain functions, or comparative chordate traits) so make sure you have another source for these areas.
GC (Chad's videos): A lot of conceptual questions with very few problem solving ones. I only had to solve one or two actual problems and set up a few more. Pay close attention to all of the concepts in Chad's videos and you should be fine. If you have Destroyer make sure you fully understand Chad before even attempting to go through it.
OC (Chad's videos): Same as above, understand all the concepts in Chad's videos and you'll be fine. I had a few oddball reactions with nitriles and ethers but everything else was straightforward. Definitely know the table of addition reactions in Chad's 3rd video by heart. If you have Destroyer or KBB take note of a few extra reactions that Chad doesn't mention like Hoffman elimination/rearrangement, Wittig, and a lot of the redox reactions (KBB is good for these).
After spending more time than I was used to in biology I ended up running out of time on the chem and ochem sections and had to guess on a few questions. I felt horrible after completing the sciences and thought I would end up scoring a lot lower, so remember to tough it out and not get too discouraged.
My oGPA/sGPA is 3.4/3.4 (3.35 undergraduate and 3.92 from one semester of graduate). I'm applying to: Pitt, Temple, Tufts, NYU, BU, Louisville, Maryland, Case, UoP, Nova, Michigan, WVU, Columbia, Creighton, and VCU. My grades aren't the greatest so I hope my slightly above average DAT will make up for that. I will be e-submitting my application on monday so I hope I'm not too late in applying.
