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EDIT: It's actually 7/18, sorry about that.
So I know this is a little late, but i have been busy enjoying the summer I have been deprived off. Let's cut to the chase, here is my breakdown:
PAT: 26
QR: 20
Reading Comp: 25
Bio: 23
Gen Chem: 20
O Chem: 25
Total Science: 22
AA: 23
I will edit this and post a breakdown of each section.
EDIT:
So I did take the Kaplan course, and I will explain in each section my opinion of the course for that section, but overall I recommend it for anyone who wants to secure the test.
Bio - My section was, like everyone else's, very broad. I was upset that a lot of questions I had studied weren't on there. But like my Kaplan teacher said, know the core, not lots of specifics. Specifics can be good for certain questions, but if you want to get most of the questions right, knowing a base amount about each topic allows you to make an educated decision on each question. Besides Kaplan (add that for all sections), I used Cliff's AP Bio, and the 2010 Destroyer. Cliff's AP Bio is a good way to read through and refresh your Bio if it has been a long time, but don't spend all your time there. For the sciences, burn through the Destroyer questions like no tomorrow. Go over them again and again and you will have that stuff down cold.
Gen Chem - This is where i started freaking out. There were a lot of equations I weren't sure about, but I made educated guesses on the ones I knew would waste precious time, and moved on. I had been getting 18s and 19s on practice tests, so I was happy with my 20. Other than Kaplan, I just did lots of Destroyer questions. I explained in Bio, this book does wonders. BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THE QUESTIONS LOTS OF TIMES TO GET THEM DOWN.
O Chem - I, unlike most people I know, am actually decent at O Chem, and it showed. I had not gotten a 25 on practice tests, so my result made me jump for joy. There were only a few weird questions and most were very straightforward. Kaplan didn't really improve me too much in this area, it was mainly my knowledge from the class and Destroyer questions. Destroyer helped a lot with some weird things I never learned in class, and since the company is called Orgoman, I'm not surprised.
PAT - Where do I begin. Keyholes were always a weakness for me, so when I got to the test, and since they are the first section, I freaked again. But I did the same thing as Gen Chem, and skipped 2 questions with guesses. TFE was a bit harder than Kaplan, but the Kaplan strategies helped for that one, seeing what protruded and whatnot. Angle ranking no one can really teach you. You must practice. And for this I recommend Crack DAT PAT. This software is MADE for angle ranking. It is harder than the DAT's angles, whereas Kaplan's are easier. Do Kaplan's first, get the strategy down, then practice with Crack. You get to the test and you go, "oh, these aren't so bad." Angles are always a guess, but with Crack, you can guess better because you've had the practice. Cubes are easy. It's a Kap Strategy. Count cubes. Make a tally. answer the questions in like 5 secs. The tally takes like 40, but its worth it. Really sped me up. Hole punching I was always good at. I'm not sure about strategy on this one, I just work my way backward mentally. Pattern folding is simple once you understand how it works. There are only a few types of questions: Shape based ones, in which you look for the layout of unique structures to figure it out, color ones, in which you see what colors should be where, and designs, similar to color. Once you figure out how to tackle each type, every question becomes easier.
Reading - I was getting straight 21s on practice tests. Idk how the 25 came about. My method is a variation of a Kaplan method. Kaplan tells you to write down the topic of each paragraph plus a bunch of keywords. I do just the topic. It's faster, I still understand the passage and where things are located, and it gives me more time for the questions where I need to ponder between two answers (there were at least 5-6 of those on the test). Practice is important for this section, but focus on strategy because each passage is different and you need to adapt your strategy to each new passage.
Math - I flucuated between 16-25 on practice tests, (the 16 was a fluke and I was tired) so I find it appropriate I got a 20. More of my practice tests were in the 22-24 range, but I'm not complaining by any means. I did what I should never do, and I focus for 2+ mins on the second question. I realized the error of my ways, and started breezing through questions. Like Gen Chem, I skipped over any ones that would take too long and finished with 2 secs to spare. I don't remember how many I guessed on, but it worked out okay. Here, I only used Kaplan to really practice, with using the Destroyer's small math section (not the Math Destroyer which you have to pay more for) for help with Trig identities.
I hope you can use some of my advice and strategies. If you have any questions on types of problems I faced, etc., I'll be more than happy to answer. I'm just glad to be done with this hump, bringing me one step closer to dental school, and I want to help anyone else accomplish that goal as well.
So I know this is a little late, but i have been busy enjoying the summer I have been deprived off. Let's cut to the chase, here is my breakdown:
PAT: 26
QR: 20
Reading Comp: 25
Bio: 23
Gen Chem: 20
O Chem: 25
Total Science: 22
AA: 23
I will edit this and post a breakdown of each section.
EDIT:
So I did take the Kaplan course, and I will explain in each section my opinion of the course for that section, but overall I recommend it for anyone who wants to secure the test.
Bio - My section was, like everyone else's, very broad. I was upset that a lot of questions I had studied weren't on there. But like my Kaplan teacher said, know the core, not lots of specifics. Specifics can be good for certain questions, but if you want to get most of the questions right, knowing a base amount about each topic allows you to make an educated decision on each question. Besides Kaplan (add that for all sections), I used Cliff's AP Bio, and the 2010 Destroyer. Cliff's AP Bio is a good way to read through and refresh your Bio if it has been a long time, but don't spend all your time there. For the sciences, burn through the Destroyer questions like no tomorrow. Go over them again and again and you will have that stuff down cold.
Gen Chem - This is where i started freaking out. There were a lot of equations I weren't sure about, but I made educated guesses on the ones I knew would waste precious time, and moved on. I had been getting 18s and 19s on practice tests, so I was happy with my 20. Other than Kaplan, I just did lots of Destroyer questions. I explained in Bio, this book does wonders. BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THE QUESTIONS LOTS OF TIMES TO GET THEM DOWN.
O Chem - I, unlike most people I know, am actually decent at O Chem, and it showed. I had not gotten a 25 on practice tests, so my result made me jump for joy. There were only a few weird questions and most were very straightforward. Kaplan didn't really improve me too much in this area, it was mainly my knowledge from the class and Destroyer questions. Destroyer helped a lot with some weird things I never learned in class, and since the company is called Orgoman, I'm not surprised.
PAT - Where do I begin. Keyholes were always a weakness for me, so when I got to the test, and since they are the first section, I freaked again. But I did the same thing as Gen Chem, and skipped 2 questions with guesses. TFE was a bit harder than Kaplan, but the Kaplan strategies helped for that one, seeing what protruded and whatnot. Angle ranking no one can really teach you. You must practice. And for this I recommend Crack DAT PAT. This software is MADE for angle ranking. It is harder than the DAT's angles, whereas Kaplan's are easier. Do Kaplan's first, get the strategy down, then practice with Crack. You get to the test and you go, "oh, these aren't so bad." Angles are always a guess, but with Crack, you can guess better because you've had the practice. Cubes are easy. It's a Kap Strategy. Count cubes. Make a tally. answer the questions in like 5 secs. The tally takes like 40, but its worth it. Really sped me up. Hole punching I was always good at. I'm not sure about strategy on this one, I just work my way backward mentally. Pattern folding is simple once you understand how it works. There are only a few types of questions: Shape based ones, in which you look for the layout of unique structures to figure it out, color ones, in which you see what colors should be where, and designs, similar to color. Once you figure out how to tackle each type, every question becomes easier.
Reading - I was getting straight 21s on practice tests. Idk how the 25 came about. My method is a variation of a Kaplan method. Kaplan tells you to write down the topic of each paragraph plus a bunch of keywords. I do just the topic. It's faster, I still understand the passage and where things are located, and it gives me more time for the questions where I need to ponder between two answers (there were at least 5-6 of those on the test). Practice is important for this section, but focus on strategy because each passage is different and you need to adapt your strategy to each new passage.
Math - I flucuated between 16-25 on practice tests, (the 16 was a fluke and I was tired) so I find it appropriate I got a 20. More of my practice tests were in the 22-24 range, but I'm not complaining by any means. I did what I should never do, and I focus for 2+ mins on the second question. I realized the error of my ways, and started breezing through questions. Like Gen Chem, I skipped over any ones that would take too long and finished with 2 secs to spare. I don't remember how many I guessed on, but it worked out okay. Here, I only used Kaplan to really practice, with using the Destroyer's small math section (not the Math Destroyer which you have to pay more for) for help with Trig identities.
I hope you can use some of my advice and strategies. If you have any questions on types of problems I faced, etc., I'll be more than happy to answer. I'm just glad to be done with this hump, bringing me one step closer to dental school, and I want to help anyone else accomplish that goal as well.
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