- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 192
- Reaction score
- 2
Finished a few hours ago and I am so happy with my scores!
PAT 22 (91%)
QR 20 (88%)
RC 22 (86%)
BIO 20 (87%)
GC 22 (89%)
OC 23 (94%)
TS 21 (90%)
AA 21 (91%)
PAT
I used all ten CRACK DAT PAT tests and I was getting 22-24 on them with ease, but I would say the real DAT was harder. Idk why but I usually marked 10 problems on CDP sessions but during the real test I had almost 20 marked. I really worked on my speed during practice because the DAT is all about time. I finished the PAT with about 15 mins to go back to the marked ones. DO NOT even do anything PAT-related in Kaplan, it does not do it justice.
QR
I did barely anything to prepare for this. I purchased math destroyer but only did a few tests. I ignored learning anything that mentioned "sec, cot, or csc" in it because I couldn't believe I was taking away from studying bio to focus on stuff I learned in high school. Don't get me wrong, its difficult, but if you look at the distributions, you can afford to get more wrong on math than say bio or chem, so manage your priorities. Kaplan's math section is pretty decent and I relied heavily on the calculator during the real test, so don't be afraid if you're using it for almost each problem.
RC
Did very little to prepare for this section as well. It is extremely straight forward. I liked Kaplan's method of reading and outlining. I read the passage and took shorthand notes throughout. Then, when a question appeared, I would look through my "map" for a keyword that matched the question. Head to the paragraph, find the answer, boom.
BIO
Hard. I wouldn't say that the questions were extremely difficult, but they are worded in an interesting way. I cant think of an example because my brain is jelly, but the answers could be slightly right, but there is a better answer out there. This makes it difficult when you look at it and only have a minute to answer. I used Destroyer, Kaplan, Cliff's and Datqvault, but I found the best resource was Schaum's Outlines. Very thorough, and when I got a question that looked obscure wrong in datqvault, sure enough it was there in Schaums. If you outline everything in Schaum's you'll do great.
GC
Just do destroyer. No math-related problem I had on the DAT was as hard as a problem in destroyer. I used datqvault as well.
OC
Destroyer. No multiple step synth on my DAT. Once you go through the destroyer, pound the datqvault.
Overall, I am happy with my scores. I know I personally have been stalking SDN for a long time and have seen some some pretty spectacular scores posted here, and I would get discouraged doing kaplan practice exams. I know they are relatively low compared to a lot of the SDN but I've never been the best student in the class. The DAT is a fair exam and if you put in the time and effort it will yield the results you want!
P.S.
For people doing Kaplan online, I never broke 20 on any science section. So keep your head up because you'll do better on test day!
I would say doing datqvault 3 weeks before your exam is a great way to do massive amounts of problems and see your weak spots. You can arrange questions based on topic, and they will show you where you are doing poorly.
PAT 22 (91%)
QR 20 (88%)
RC 22 (86%)
BIO 20 (87%)
GC 22 (89%)
OC 23 (94%)
TS 21 (90%)
AA 21 (91%)
PAT
I used all ten CRACK DAT PAT tests and I was getting 22-24 on them with ease, but I would say the real DAT was harder. Idk why but I usually marked 10 problems on CDP sessions but during the real test I had almost 20 marked. I really worked on my speed during practice because the DAT is all about time. I finished the PAT with about 15 mins to go back to the marked ones. DO NOT even do anything PAT-related in Kaplan, it does not do it justice.
QR
I did barely anything to prepare for this. I purchased math destroyer but only did a few tests. I ignored learning anything that mentioned "sec, cot, or csc" in it because I couldn't believe I was taking away from studying bio to focus on stuff I learned in high school. Don't get me wrong, its difficult, but if you look at the distributions, you can afford to get more wrong on math than say bio or chem, so manage your priorities. Kaplan's math section is pretty decent and I relied heavily on the calculator during the real test, so don't be afraid if you're using it for almost each problem.
RC
Did very little to prepare for this section as well. It is extremely straight forward. I liked Kaplan's method of reading and outlining. I read the passage and took shorthand notes throughout. Then, when a question appeared, I would look through my "map" for a keyword that matched the question. Head to the paragraph, find the answer, boom.
BIO
Hard. I wouldn't say that the questions were extremely difficult, but they are worded in an interesting way. I cant think of an example because my brain is jelly, but the answers could be slightly right, but there is a better answer out there. This makes it difficult when you look at it and only have a minute to answer. I used Destroyer, Kaplan, Cliff's and Datqvault, but I found the best resource was Schaum's Outlines. Very thorough, and when I got a question that looked obscure wrong in datqvault, sure enough it was there in Schaums. If you outline everything in Schaum's you'll do great.
GC
Just do destroyer. No math-related problem I had on the DAT was as hard as a problem in destroyer. I used datqvault as well.
OC
Destroyer. No multiple step synth on my DAT. Once you go through the destroyer, pound the datqvault.
Overall, I am happy with my scores. I know I personally have been stalking SDN for a long time and have seen some some pretty spectacular scores posted here, and I would get discouraged doing kaplan practice exams. I know they are relatively low compared to a lot of the SDN but I've never been the best student in the class. The DAT is a fair exam and if you put in the time and effort it will yield the results you want!
P.S.
For people doing Kaplan online, I never broke 20 on any science section. So keep your head up because you'll do better on test day!
I would say doing datqvault 3 weeks before your exam is a great way to do massive amounts of problems and see your weak spots. You can arrange questions based on topic, and they will show you where you are doing poorly.
