DAT Logistics

[xatlasb]

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Just some questions that I was hoping to get answered.

When you are taking the exam, and you want to skip a question and come back to it later, how does that work? Do you just guess an answer and then click the "mark" option? Are you able to go back to a previous question?

I've read that you get a dry erase sheet or scratch paper, but I'm not really sure which I'll get. I'd prefer the dry erase, but it seems that every test center is different? Can someone confirm that? If it is scratch paper, is there a limit as to how much paper you can get?

There is a 15 min tutorial at the beginning of the exam, you can use that time to write out PAT grids and tables? Or is there a strict rule for no writing during that time.

Reading comprehension, I haven't done any practice tests/questions yet, so I don't know how it works, but is the passage always present for each question, or only in the beginning and then not there during the questions?

I think that's all that I can think of off the top of my head, but will ask more when I think of them. Thanks everyone!

 

[ekephant]

Yes there is a button that says Mark that you can click on for each question. If you are unsure of your answer, you can choose to answer and mark, skip and mark, or just skip without marking. At the end of the section you're on it will ask you if you want to review all marked or review all skipped, permitting you have time left over.

I believe all testing centers have been going through a process of using laminated sheets of graphed scratch paper with wet erase fine tip markers. You get 2 sheets and 2 markers which you can ask to replace at any time, with no limits. Be wary, the lady at my testing center took both of my sheets when I asked to replace just one, because I still needed the other (I had my grids drawn out for PAT on one, and asked to switch out the other, but instead of just taking one, she took both).

It really depends on your testing center. Mine would not allow me to write on my scratch paper during any tutorial time. If you ask them, they will most likely look up the policy and tell you no. You could risk not asking and just doing it, hoping that they don't tell you anything about it, but I really don't know what would happen if they catch you. Some of the recent breakdowns might shed some light on this topic (I took mine in December).

For each passage, it will be displayed in its entirety at the beginning, and will also be viewable within each question in a scroll box below the question.

Some good practice tests are TopScore and DAT Achiever. Achiever's interface is most similar to the actual DAT, whereas the content of TopScore is more representative of what might be asked on your test. Hopefully this was helpful, if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask!

 

[BlueHat]

For the PAT tutorial, when you are watching the tutorial for each section, does the timer continue to run or does it stop until u hit next?

 

[obeserabbit]

For the PAT tutorial, when you are watching the tutorial for each section, does the timer continue to run or does it stop until u hit next?

bump i'm also curious about this

 

[xatlasb]

How does the Periodic Table work for Gchem and Ochem? Is it always present for every question or do you have to click somewhere to access it if you need it?

 

[Dentalman11]

bump i'm also curious about this

The timer starts as soon as you begin the section. I thought the PAT example question was a real one, and I wasted some time trying to answer it.

 

[Dentalman11]

How does the Periodic Table work for Gchem and Ochem? Is it always present for every question or do you have to click somewhere to access it if you need it?

You open it whenever you need it.

 

[acoburn73]

Nice to know they provide scratch paper. The last time I took this test (1998), it was manual and at a desk like we had in high school. Sometimes I'd think that there are parts of the test that are better suited to the manual method and some that are best on the computer. I recall the RC section that forced us to have to flip back and forth between the questions on one page, and the paragraphs on another. On the current computer test method, they have the questions on the same screen as the scrollable paragraphs, which should be much easier than flipping pages.

 

[xatlasb]

Can you highlight during the RC section and cross out answers that you think are wrong?

(I'm looking at screenshots of Achiever before I decide to buy and I'm not sure if those screenshots are for solutions to Achiever or what the actual DAT is like)

 

[xatlasb]

Also how does the actual test work in terms of skipping questions and coming back to them. Is it like CDP where you can mark questions and then come back to them at the end by having the list view of all questions and seeing which ones were marked?

 

[IsaacYankem]

Also how does the actual test work in terms of skipping questions and coming back to them. Is it like CDP where you can mark questions and then come back to them at the end by having the list view of all questions and seeing which ones were marked?

Yeah, it's like that

 

[obeserabbit]

during the 15 minute break between PAT and RC, are we allowed to leave the building/step outside? Are we allowed to study or write anything? Can we eat a snack during this time?

 

[xatlasb]

Does the striking out feature work on DAT like it does on Achiever?

 

[IsaacYankem]

Does the striking out feature work on DAT like it does on Achiever?

No. Doesn't work like that. I'd practice that on scratch paper, slowed me up on my DAT.

 

[stryker287]

with the new laminated sheets are you able to erase? If, not how did you go about sections like hole punch and cube counting on PAT section?

 

[IsaacYankem]

with the new laminated sheets are you able to erase? If, not how did you go about sections like hole punch and cube counting on PAT section?

No. They were fine tip markers that didn't readily erase.

I filled out my 'tic-tac-toe' grids as soon as I sat down at my desk. Reserved one sheet for PAT, and one sheet for Science. Didn't personally need much scratch work for sciences.