- Joined
- Jul 27, 2010
- Messages
- 7
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So I first have to say.Thank you all who posted on SDN, you were such an inspiration and you kept me from getting frustrated. I'm also just so happy to get that HUGE load off my back. Maybe.... So this was my first time taking the DAT, so I didnt know where I'd end up going in, but here's the breakdown:
Perceptual ability 19 (67.8%)
Quantitative Reasoning 16 (63.5%) <---Hate YOU!!! 🙁
Reading Comprehension 21 (76.7%) <----Piano'd! (just my luck)
Biology 18 (63.9%)
General Chemistry 20 (79.8%)
Organic Chemistry 20 (75.0%)
Total Science 19
Academic Average 19
So first off. I posting my scores for anybody who thinks that the only people who post on SDN recieved a 21+. I feel like i could be of equal help from my perspective.
PAT: So i did the DAT Achiever modules... I will say the DAT was at least 1/2 as hard as DAT Achiever on the PAT (and various other sections). This is a section of the test, like QR, favors those that are good with their time, which is equally as important as your skill at doing the problem. I felt like Achiever frustrated me more than helped me learn a good pace. However, if you want to go from hard to easy, maybe Achiever is a good thing. Its hard to say how I would have done without it, on all sections.
QR: Im really not trying to take up a lot of space here on this one. I could go on forever on how bad I hate this section. My biggest mistake was not getting quicker with the problems I knew how to solve in my study. The calculator was super laggy, often produced bizarre calculations (which required re-calculating), and it was a moment of desperation when I had 7 minutes left with 10 questions remaining. I studied MATH DESTROYER and used my buddy's online workshops/quizzes with Kaplan. Both of those resources definitely prepare for the "most" extreme circumstances, but had I used them more regularly I prolly would have been faster. I felt like a lot of the math was simple to solve, just got hung up too long on a step here or there. Costly.
Reading Comp: So when I saw the Piano passage, I got rattled. I thought for sure I would get a 16 on the reading. I skipped it, because it was first and moved on to the other subjects that were very similar to my major. That fact alone... IS THE ONLY REASON I didn't bomb this section. I prolly missed 2/3 of the piano questions, it's just soooo much material and so hard to search and destroy. Plus I know nothing about piano's... (still!). I quickly scanned (reading 1st paragraph, topic sentences and last 2 paragraphs), wrote down maybe 8-10 keywords from each passage and the paragraph number they were in. I would search and destroy the 2 and sometimes 3 questions at a time, looking for keywords.
Biology: I studied DAT Destroyer intensely and basically memorized Kaplan BB. I think if there is one thing I really wish I had done, would have been to expand my reading to the AP Biology or Barron's Biology resources. Kaplan related materials (and i would venture to guess that DAT Destroyer stems a lot from the Kaplan outline), can give you a false sense of security. I studied the KBB the past two years, and I was shocked when I had at least 7 or 8 questions on topics that weren't even touched on in the KBB or Destroyer. I did DAT Achiever as well, but all of their hard questions (I,II, & III type questions) just frustrated me. I only had 2 questions on Meiosis and Mitosis, and one was VERY ABSTRACT.
Ochem & Gen Chem: I think the Dat destroyer helped me a lot of the calculations in Gen. Chem, and the mechanisms and odd rules of Ochem. I didnt use Chad's videos for the sake of time. I think those could have helped. There still a couple random questions, you just had to go with your gut on. Especially the lab technique question.
All in all, I kinda feel like I should retake it because I let the moment of the test get to me. Its a lot different than the 5 full length practice tests I took. I think everyone goes in thinking they studied hard and long enough to get a 24+. Which gets you frustrated when you have to use some logic and reason on some questions with topics you never studied. Just gotta put those behind ya and move on to the easy ones.
But like I said, it feels great to be done, and we'll see if I will be ok.
-Jason
Perceptual ability 19 (67.8%)
Quantitative Reasoning 16 (63.5%) <---Hate YOU!!! 🙁
Reading Comprehension 21 (76.7%) <----Piano'd! (just my luck)
Biology 18 (63.9%)
General Chemistry 20 (79.8%)
Organic Chemistry 20 (75.0%)
Total Science 19
Academic Average 19
So first off. I posting my scores for anybody who thinks that the only people who post on SDN recieved a 21+. I feel like i could be of equal help from my perspective.
PAT: So i did the DAT Achiever modules... I will say the DAT was at least 1/2 as hard as DAT Achiever on the PAT (and various other sections). This is a section of the test, like QR, favors those that are good with their time, which is equally as important as your skill at doing the problem. I felt like Achiever frustrated me more than helped me learn a good pace. However, if you want to go from hard to easy, maybe Achiever is a good thing. Its hard to say how I would have done without it, on all sections.
QR: Im really not trying to take up a lot of space here on this one. I could go on forever on how bad I hate this section. My biggest mistake was not getting quicker with the problems I knew how to solve in my study. The calculator was super laggy, often produced bizarre calculations (which required re-calculating), and it was a moment of desperation when I had 7 minutes left with 10 questions remaining. I studied MATH DESTROYER and used my buddy's online workshops/quizzes with Kaplan. Both of those resources definitely prepare for the "most" extreme circumstances, but had I used them more regularly I prolly would have been faster. I felt like a lot of the math was simple to solve, just got hung up too long on a step here or there. Costly.
Reading Comp: So when I saw the Piano passage, I got rattled. I thought for sure I would get a 16 on the reading. I skipped it, because it was first and moved on to the other subjects that were very similar to my major. That fact alone... IS THE ONLY REASON I didn't bomb this section. I prolly missed 2/3 of the piano questions, it's just soooo much material and so hard to search and destroy. Plus I know nothing about piano's... (still!). I quickly scanned (reading 1st paragraph, topic sentences and last 2 paragraphs), wrote down maybe 8-10 keywords from each passage and the paragraph number they were in. I would search and destroy the 2 and sometimes 3 questions at a time, looking for keywords.
Biology: I studied DAT Destroyer intensely and basically memorized Kaplan BB. I think if there is one thing I really wish I had done, would have been to expand my reading to the AP Biology or Barron's Biology resources. Kaplan related materials (and i would venture to guess that DAT Destroyer stems a lot from the Kaplan outline), can give you a false sense of security. I studied the KBB the past two years, and I was shocked when I had at least 7 or 8 questions on topics that weren't even touched on in the KBB or Destroyer. I did DAT Achiever as well, but all of their hard questions (I,II, & III type questions) just frustrated me. I only had 2 questions on Meiosis and Mitosis, and one was VERY ABSTRACT.
Ochem & Gen Chem: I think the Dat destroyer helped me a lot of the calculations in Gen. Chem, and the mechanisms and odd rules of Ochem. I didnt use Chad's videos for the sake of time. I think those could have helped. There still a couple random questions, you just had to go with your gut on. Especially the lab technique question.
All in all, I kinda feel like I should retake it because I let the moment of the test get to me. Its a lot different than the 5 full length practice tests I took. I think everyone goes in thinking they studied hard and long enough to get a 24+. Which gets you frustrated when you have to use some logic and reason on some questions with topics you never studied. Just gotta put those behind ya and move on to the easy ones.
But like I said, it feels great to be done, and we'll see if I will be ok.
-Jason
