S
Spliced
Hello everyone, I just wrote the DAT a few hours ago and since this community has guided me a lot, i thought I would give back and include my 2 cents. First things first:
PA: 20
QR:24
RC:19
BIO:21
GC: 21
OC: 22
TS: 21
AA: 21
2009 DAT SCORE: Bio:22, GC: 21, Orgo: 22 QR:19 (didn't take the PAT or RC) Link to free version: http://www.predent.org.vt.edu/admissions/dat-sample-test-2009.pdf
Some background: I studied for the DAT for around a month, I wrote the MCAT first and decided to also write the DAT and decide afterwards what I will do. I was mentally exhausted during my 3 weekish prep and just wanted to get it over with, hence I truly believe I should have scored much higher. Anyways, 21AA is still considered a top score and i'm okay with it.
Study Materials:
PAT: I found myself naturally good at this section, i probably only dedicated 1 full day for PAT; 2 weeks before my DAT. However, I did familiarize myself with the general concepts and strategies. I would do some PAT generators on DBC at the end of the day for 15 minutes. I scored 21 on DATBootcamp's fiirst 2 Tests.
Methods Used On Each Section:
PAT: My strategy here was to do Keyholes first, then angle ranking, hole punching, cube counting, TFE and lastly do pattern folding. i usually end up with 10 minutes left to review answers, although on the actual DAT I was slower probably because i really had to go to the washroom right after the sciences; lesson: Don't drink too much coffee before the exam.
Cube Counting: Count all the squares and how many sides exposed and make a tally. Then answer the proceeding questions.
Keyholes: REMEMBER PROPORTIONS! For this section I would always pay attention to proportions, remember it has to match up perfectly, therefore even though the overall shape is correct; doesn't always make it right. Getting good at keyholes comes hand in hand with TFE (Top front End). What i would do is: look at the answer choice and try to picture which side the answer is trying to portray, then if i find anything wrong with it i would mark it off, however if it can be plausible, i would skip it and go to answer choice B and repeat. Essentially what you're doing is taking out wrong answers and often times it will leave you with the correct choice. Later on you will become good and know if you got the answer.
Angle Ranking: For this you want to look straight to the answer choices usually there will be 2 angles that are "largest" and you will compare them. Similarly there would be 2 angles tied for the smallest and you will compare them. often times just determining those 2 will answer the question. What really helped me on this section was actually leaning away from the computer screen, it gave me a better idea which one is bigger.
Top Front End (TFE): I actually find this section quite easy. Here i also used a similar strategy as keyholes. Try to find something wrong and eliminate the answer. Look for bold lines and dotted lines, see where they will start and end. oftentimes this will eliminate many answer choices. I can tell you I rarely ever have to try and picture the image in my head. i simply just mark answers wrong get the right one once 3 have been eliminated.
Pattern Folding: This section gave me the most pain as i would always want to fold it in my head and picture the image. I recommend watching DATBOOTCAMP strategy on this. Helpful tip, when you're given a dice or a pattern cube, i would rotate the unfolded answer and try to place it on top of the cube and see if i can get it to line up. As with keyholes and TFE, i would eliminate as i go.
Hole Punch: This one was kind of tough for me at first but then using the symmetry method and mentally unfolding it i was almost always able to get perfect/ near perfect. Treat half holes as real holes and mentally keep track of where they are,make sure you don't double hole punch. I would say the real DAT had easier punch holes than DBC but, not by much.
***On the actual DAT I received a couple of Rock keyholes but i think i got them right. For these you just want to bold the outside perimeter of it on the screen and try to match it to an answer choice. For angle ranking there were a few where the largest and smallest angle was between 3 choice, but it was obvious which 2 are larger/smaller and you choose between them. There was a tricky cube counting question where there was a hole in the middle of the structure, so be careful not to count any cubes there and realize all cubes there had a side showing.
Quantitative Reasoning:
I used the kaplan book for this section for some quick review, since i haven't done math for around 6 years or so and even then I didn't study since i appear to be somewhat naturally good at it. Then i relied heavily on DATBootCamp. Also i did around 100 math questions from DAT destroyer. DBC was spot on with the type of questions asked, format, etc. There were quite a few questions that were pretty much the same thing DBC( DATBootCamp) asked with different numbers I would say (30/40) questions had same concept, pattern of solving!!!. (I recommend DBC for all sections btw!) I did all 10 DBC QR tests and felt more confident towards the end. For those interested here are my DBC QR scores (1st attempts):
Test1/Test2/Test3...
16/17/19/19/16/19/21/18/17/19
***There was very little trig on the actual DAT and i didn't have any identities.
Reading Comprehension: I hate reading and forcing me to read under pressure for a long time and then answer questions really gets my blood boiling. I really don't like reading sections and i try to avoid it at all costs (don't recommend this lol). For my studies i used the Mapping method where i read the whole passage and then make a note of each paragraph, then hit the questions however, i would always run out of time. On the actual DAT i used search and destroy (first time ever, don't recommend) simply because i didn't want to be mentally tired for the math section. The questions asked were mostly just pull from the passage and if you can find the location where it was referring to, you should get most questions right. I ran out of time and had to guess the last 8 questions, but i was quite confident in the questions i answered.
My Scores on DC were: 17/19/20/20
Biology: As most people will tell you, USE MORE THAN ONE SOURCE! i used 2. My weakness here was pretty much everything the mcat didn't test, ecology, taxonomy, photosynthesis, etc. My main focus was learning the new material first via the Kaplan book and then i read cliff's AP bio on the sections i felt i needed more information on. Cliff's was very good for this and i recommend it (the book is like 20$). There are also feralis notes which summarize pretty much everything you need for BIO. I didn't personally use them because i felt I knew most of the material and only needed certain sections. However, many people on forums recommended them. I also recommend this link for some taxonomy questions: DAT Classification/Taxonomy Flashcards - Cram.com
For practice i used DC tests and DAT destroyer. My scores are as follows (once again only including first attempt) Test 1/Test 2 /Test 3...
19/20/18/18/23/20/22/22
General Chemistry: for chemistry i just did questions and made sure to review periodic trends, element types, radius of ions, etc. DBC is great for covering this section. many question types on the real DAT were similar to DBC! DBC scores:
22/18/23/23/18/21/22/22/19/22
Organic Chemistry: I only took Orgo 1, so i was quite nervous about this section, however CHAD VIDEOS ARE AMAZING! i only used chad videos and DBC for my studies and pulled off a 22, i was quite pleased with it. Utilize chad quizzes! there were several questions straight from there on my DAT! DC scores:
17/19/19/23/20/21/22/19/22/22
Other Comments/ Recommendations: Highly, highly recommend DC for studying. Don't get bogged down on the scores too much, as you can see mine varied, sometimes i was just very tired and decided i would do a test and scored low, but it doesn't mean you don't know the material. However, you should review every question even if you got it right and understand how to do it in another scenario, this was key for me. Kaplan book is so-so, wouldn't recommend using it unless you get it for cheap. When i studied i tended to focus on 1 subject a day or I would dedicate half the day to one subject and half to the other. I always tried to incorporate a test at the end.
Test day procedure:
I took 1 granola bar and a bottle of water for my 30 minute break. I recommend you take at least 20 minutes of the 30 minute break. Do some lunges in the hallway if that helps you get more alert. When you arrive be sure to have 2 IDs with you. They will scan your fingerprint, and ask you to empty your pockets. My testing center allowed me to bring my own earplugs (soft only), but they had earplugs at the test center (headphone style). They give you laminated paper with a thin black marker and although it is permanent, i was able to erase it with my tears (jk, my hands always get sweaty). i remember one time i was running low on paper and i was in the final minute of the section and had to do 1 question so i simply spit a bit on my finger and made room (idc i got the answer
)
Summary:
-DATBOOTCAMP (DBC) IS A MUST! (Message them and ask for a discount). (10/10)
-Cliff's AP Bio (9/10)
-DAT destroyer (8/10) - I didn't use it much but i found it useful
-CHAD VIDEOS (10/10) - Do the quizzes!
-Kaplan (6/10)
I hope this post was useful to someone and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Goodluck to you all!
PA: 20
QR:24
RC:19
BIO:21
GC: 21
OC: 22
TS: 21
AA: 21
2009 DAT SCORE: Bio:22, GC: 21, Orgo: 22 QR:19 (didn't take the PAT or RC) Link to free version: http://www.predent.org.vt.edu/admissions/dat-sample-test-2009.pdf
Some background: I studied for the DAT for around a month, I wrote the MCAT first and decided to also write the DAT and decide afterwards what I will do. I was mentally exhausted during my 3 weekish prep and just wanted to get it over with, hence I truly believe I should have scored much higher. Anyways, 21AA is still considered a top score and i'm okay with it.
Study Materials:
PAT: I found myself naturally good at this section, i probably only dedicated 1 full day for PAT; 2 weeks before my DAT. However, I did familiarize myself with the general concepts and strategies. I would do some PAT generators on DBC at the end of the day for 15 minutes. I scored 21 on DATBootcamp's fiirst 2 Tests.
Methods Used On Each Section:
PAT: My strategy here was to do Keyholes first, then angle ranking, hole punching, cube counting, TFE and lastly do pattern folding. i usually end up with 10 minutes left to review answers, although on the actual DAT I was slower probably because i really had to go to the washroom right after the sciences; lesson: Don't drink too much coffee before the exam.
Cube Counting: Count all the squares and how many sides exposed and make a tally. Then answer the proceeding questions.
Keyholes: REMEMBER PROPORTIONS! For this section I would always pay attention to proportions, remember it has to match up perfectly, therefore even though the overall shape is correct; doesn't always make it right. Getting good at keyholes comes hand in hand with TFE (Top front End). What i would do is: look at the answer choice and try to picture which side the answer is trying to portray, then if i find anything wrong with it i would mark it off, however if it can be plausible, i would skip it and go to answer choice B and repeat. Essentially what you're doing is taking out wrong answers and often times it will leave you with the correct choice. Later on you will become good and know if you got the answer.
Angle Ranking: For this you want to look straight to the answer choices usually there will be 2 angles that are "largest" and you will compare them. Similarly there would be 2 angles tied for the smallest and you will compare them. often times just determining those 2 will answer the question. What really helped me on this section was actually leaning away from the computer screen, it gave me a better idea which one is bigger.
Top Front End (TFE): I actually find this section quite easy. Here i also used a similar strategy as keyholes. Try to find something wrong and eliminate the answer. Look for bold lines and dotted lines, see where they will start and end. oftentimes this will eliminate many answer choices. I can tell you I rarely ever have to try and picture the image in my head. i simply just mark answers wrong get the right one once 3 have been eliminated.
Pattern Folding: This section gave me the most pain as i would always want to fold it in my head and picture the image. I recommend watching DATBOOTCAMP strategy on this. Helpful tip, when you're given a dice or a pattern cube, i would rotate the unfolded answer and try to place it on top of the cube and see if i can get it to line up. As with keyholes and TFE, i would eliminate as i go.
Hole Punch: This one was kind of tough for me at first but then using the symmetry method and mentally unfolding it i was almost always able to get perfect/ near perfect. Treat half holes as real holes and mentally keep track of where they are,make sure you don't double hole punch. I would say the real DAT had easier punch holes than DBC but, not by much.
***On the actual DAT I received a couple of Rock keyholes but i think i got them right. For these you just want to bold the outside perimeter of it on the screen and try to match it to an answer choice. For angle ranking there were a few where the largest and smallest angle was between 3 choice, but it was obvious which 2 are larger/smaller and you choose between them. There was a tricky cube counting question where there was a hole in the middle of the structure, so be careful not to count any cubes there and realize all cubes there had a side showing.
Quantitative Reasoning:
I used the kaplan book for this section for some quick review, since i haven't done math for around 6 years or so and even then I didn't study since i appear to be somewhat naturally good at it. Then i relied heavily on DATBootCamp. Also i did around 100 math questions from DAT destroyer. DBC was spot on with the type of questions asked, format, etc. There were quite a few questions that were pretty much the same thing DBC( DATBootCamp) asked with different numbers I would say (30/40) questions had same concept, pattern of solving!!!. (I recommend DBC for all sections btw!) I did all 10 DBC QR tests and felt more confident towards the end. For those interested here are my DBC QR scores (1st attempts):
Test1/Test2/Test3...
16/17/19/19/16/19/21/18/17/19
***There was very little trig on the actual DAT and i didn't have any identities.
Reading Comprehension: I hate reading and forcing me to read under pressure for a long time and then answer questions really gets my blood boiling. I really don't like reading sections and i try to avoid it at all costs (don't recommend this lol). For my studies i used the Mapping method where i read the whole passage and then make a note of each paragraph, then hit the questions however, i would always run out of time. On the actual DAT i used search and destroy (first time ever, don't recommend) simply because i didn't want to be mentally tired for the math section. The questions asked were mostly just pull from the passage and if you can find the location where it was referring to, you should get most questions right. I ran out of time and had to guess the last 8 questions, but i was quite confident in the questions i answered.
My Scores on DC were: 17/19/20/20
Biology: As most people will tell you, USE MORE THAN ONE SOURCE! i used 2. My weakness here was pretty much everything the mcat didn't test, ecology, taxonomy, photosynthesis, etc. My main focus was learning the new material first via the Kaplan book and then i read cliff's AP bio on the sections i felt i needed more information on. Cliff's was very good for this and i recommend it (the book is like 20$). There are also feralis notes which summarize pretty much everything you need for BIO. I didn't personally use them because i felt I knew most of the material and only needed certain sections. However, many people on forums recommended them. I also recommend this link for some taxonomy questions: DAT Classification/Taxonomy Flashcards - Cram.com
For practice i used DC tests and DAT destroyer. My scores are as follows (once again only including first attempt) Test 1/Test 2 /Test 3...
19/20/18/18/23/20/22/22
General Chemistry: for chemistry i just did questions and made sure to review periodic trends, element types, radius of ions, etc. DBC is great for covering this section. many question types on the real DAT were similar to DBC! DBC scores:
22/18/23/23/18/21/22/22/19/22
Organic Chemistry: I only took Orgo 1, so i was quite nervous about this section, however CHAD VIDEOS ARE AMAZING! i only used chad videos and DBC for my studies and pulled off a 22, i was quite pleased with it. Utilize chad quizzes! there were several questions straight from there on my DAT! DC scores:
17/19/19/23/20/21/22/19/22/22
Other Comments/ Recommendations: Highly, highly recommend DC for studying. Don't get bogged down on the scores too much, as you can see mine varied, sometimes i was just very tired and decided i would do a test and scored low, but it doesn't mean you don't know the material. However, you should review every question even if you got it right and understand how to do it in another scenario, this was key for me. Kaplan book is so-so, wouldn't recommend using it unless you get it for cheap. When i studied i tended to focus on 1 subject a day or I would dedicate half the day to one subject and half to the other. I always tried to incorporate a test at the end.
Test day procedure:
I took 1 granola bar and a bottle of water for my 30 minute break. I recommend you take at least 20 minutes of the 30 minute break. Do some lunges in the hallway if that helps you get more alert. When you arrive be sure to have 2 IDs with you. They will scan your fingerprint, and ask you to empty your pockets. My testing center allowed me to bring my own earplugs (soft only), but they had earplugs at the test center (headphone style). They give you laminated paper with a thin black marker and although it is permanent, i was able to erase it with my tears (jk, my hands always get sweaty). i remember one time i was running low on paper and i was in the final minute of the section and had to do 1 question so i simply spit a bit on my finger and made room (idc i got the answer
)Summary:
-DATBOOTCAMP (DBC) IS A MUST! (Message them and ask for a discount). (10/10)
-Cliff's AP Bio (9/10)
-DAT destroyer (8/10) - I didn't use it much but i found it useful
-CHAD VIDEOS (10/10) - Do the quizzes!
-Kaplan (6/10)
I hope this post was useful to someone and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Goodluck to you all!
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