My DAT is on 2/9, I'm doing OK in the sciences, but doing horrible for the PAT. I use Crack DAT 10 tests, and I did 3 so far. I got 16-17 on those tests, it's because I always run out of time in the middle of the folding section. Also, I always find myself clueless for folding questions, especially how with the dices/cubes. Please suggest a way for me to practice from now until my test. Will I have enough time? Do you suggest any other material to use for PAT, or will Crack DAT be enough?
DAT on 2/9, doing horrible on PAT, especially the folding section!
- Thread starter htdt
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Crack dat pat has cubes that are a lot harder than real dat. Their angles are also a little harder. Keyholes are a little too easy. I suggest dont spend to much on section your not very good at mark it then come back. I sucked at keyholes so i would guess on most then usually have about 10min left to go back
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I never used Crack DAT but have you tried Bootcamp? They have ten tests and I think they're solution explanations are great. They tell you how to approach each problem in a fast and efficient way. I strongly recommend it.
Also are you not finishing folding because you are spending too much time on other sections? I suggest you look into how much time you are spending on each section. This is ideal but as you continue practicing aim for ~12 minutes for keyhole, tfe, pattern folding, hole punches. You should be able to finish angles and cubes in less than 12.
Practice will improve your scores but you have to be smart about timing. Don't be afraid to skip difficult questions...you can still get a 20 even if you miss a lot of questions. Good luck!
Also are you not finishing folding because you are spending too much time on other sections? I suggest you look into how much time you are spending on each section. This is ideal but as you continue practicing aim for ~12 minutes for keyhole, tfe, pattern folding, hole punches. You should be able to finish angles and cubes in less than 12.
Practice will improve your scores but you have to be smart about timing. Don't be afraid to skip difficult questions...you can still get a 20 even if you miss a lot of questions. Good luck!
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Yes I think you have enough time. Separate some days for yourself strictly for PAT. I found that studying for the PAT was the only subject I could listen to music to as it challenges different part of the brain. As far as pattern folding goes, that was ALWAYS my weak spot. I mean I couldn't seem to get it! So I think you should do what I did if you ever feel a crunch for time: Become a master at everything else. Cube counting and folding will come fast if you understand it and I took those as freebies. Folding is one section where its so different each time its quite frustrating and Id find myself answering incorrectly if I thought about it too much (odd as it seems). Just keep on practicing, maybe set a goal to do one PAT practice (full length) a day.
**Also a note for the angles, I had an epiphany maybe it will work for you. I was constantly getting under half of angles wrong. Then I stopped thinking about it so much and pictured the edge of each angle as a point. I would physically imagine the point in space and as weird as this sounds I would imagine slamming my hand onto the point. Whatever would hurt the most (the sharpest) would always be the smallest. I know that sounds really weird but sometimes it takes a different perspective to look at such things.
So in all, stay calm use Crack DAT or Qvault (I really liked Qvault). Master everything else and don't get frustrated with folding.
**Also a note for the angles, I had an epiphany maybe it will work for you. I was constantly getting under half of angles wrong. Then I stopped thinking about it so much and pictured the edge of each angle as a point. I would physically imagine the point in space and as weird as this sounds I would imagine slamming my hand onto the point. Whatever would hurt the most (the sharpest) would always be the smallest. I know that sounds really weird but sometimes it takes a different perspective to look at such things.
So in all, stay calm use Crack DAT or Qvault (I really liked Qvault). Master everything else and don't get frustrated with folding.
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CDP alone has landed many people with fine PAT scores. CDP is relatively unique in that it can save tests and track the time spent per Q. I'm going to list a few suggestions. I would go back thru your first three tests and figure out how your time per section is fluctuating compared to your score. I highly suggest watching the problem solving videos for TFE/PF/KH and any other problem you get wrong. Use this as an opportunity to work the problem again and compare it to what you thought the first time, then view the video, and just compare thought processes while hopefully integrating some new strategies. CDP has the option to work only on Pattern folding section and set the time to anything you want. Try beginning the test with different sections.
The way I maximized the software goes something like this: (1) simultaneously worked the generators and watched a tutorial vid or two the first two weeks (~2months prep for me) (2) Take PAT test and close the software (3) open up that first test 3-4 days later when just starting out but when you get to around tests 8-10 you can decrease the time to 1-3 days. The reasoning behind this is because your brain is on cooldown. Think DBZ, as a saiyan when you get beat up you will come back stronger. (4) Rev test but also use it as an opportunity to see if your problem solving approach changes - this process was long for me (2 hrs sometimes) and the girls voice is annoying. Use that as motivation to learn. (6) 5-6 days later I would pick a section that I did the worst on for the first test I did and only do that section timed (this was TFE until one day it just clicked and became my BEST section). (7) test 3 I realized time was killing me and I wasn't getting the opportunity to see if I actually could answer everything. So what I did was I just worked through till I answered everything ignoring time. CDP yaps at you but just pretend like the pop up boxes aren't there.
To summarize that, my suggested approach would be to go with what your gut is hinting at: make sure you can actually answer the problems, and THEN, budget your time effectively. Notice in my strat, I didn't care about time on test 3 because if I did, I wouldn't know if I had the ability to do certain problems or not. I wouldn't suggest doing all the tests this way, but its the why behind how you use the software that will matter. GL
Also, you may find some humor in this, but try assinging R/S to a dice problem and see if it will help you solve it faster.
edit: keep in mind that bootcamp and qvault both have a free PAT test available. I used those to my advantage about 2 weeks out from exam time
The way I maximized the software goes something like this: (1) simultaneously worked the generators and watched a tutorial vid or two the first two weeks (~2months prep for me) (2) Take PAT test and close the software (3) open up that first test 3-4 days later when just starting out but when you get to around tests 8-10 you can decrease the time to 1-3 days. The reasoning behind this is because your brain is on cooldown. Think DBZ, as a saiyan when you get beat up you will come back stronger. (4) Rev test but also use it as an opportunity to see if your problem solving approach changes - this process was long for me (2 hrs sometimes) and the girls voice is annoying. Use that as motivation to learn. (6) 5-6 days later I would pick a section that I did the worst on for the first test I did and only do that section timed (this was TFE until one day it just clicked and became my BEST section). (7) test 3 I realized time was killing me and I wasn't getting the opportunity to see if I actually could answer everything. So what I did was I just worked through till I answered everything ignoring time. CDP yaps at you but just pretend like the pop up boxes aren't there.
To summarize that, my suggested approach would be to go with what your gut is hinting at: make sure you can actually answer the problems, and THEN, budget your time effectively. Notice in my strat, I didn't care about time on test 3 because if I did, I wouldn't know if I had the ability to do certain problems or not. I wouldn't suggest doing all the tests this way, but its the why behind how you use the software that will matter. GL
Also, you may find some humor in this, but try assinging R/S to a dice problem and see if it will help you solve it faster.
edit: keep in mind that bootcamp and qvault both have a free PAT test available. I used those to my advantage about 2 weeks out from exam time
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