- Joined
- Sep 24, 2012
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 15
Hey I just took my DATs last friday and, like everybody else, I just wanted to give you guys my 2 cents.
Scores
PA = 21
QR = 19
RC = 24
BIO= 19
G. CHEM = 23
O. CHEM = 21
TOTAL SCIENCE = 21
AA = 21
My Dad is a Dentist and does some teaching at a Dental school every now and then, so one of his students sold him her old DAT study material, and it was all I used. It included the big Kaplan DAT book, the CliffsTestPrep DAT book, some other books and flash cards.
I started my studies in mid July, and took my DATs on September 21st. I didn't really study all that crazy. I just cracked open the Kaplan big ***** book whenever I got the chance, and slowly I made my way through it. Even the weekend before my test, I still went out and drank with my friends and partied and had fun. Don't let this test make you a recluse. Enjoy your life. Don't freak out. Just study, and take a couple practice tests, and do your best and be happy with it. Don't worry about what your score was on "DATpracticestuff-this" or "DATpracticetest-that". No test that i really took was EXACTLY like the actual DAT. In fact, it ended up not really bein as bad as I thought it would be. Just take some practice tests, figure out how to do the problems you missed, and eventually you will start getting more questions right. Figure out your weaknesses, and then work on them!!!
.
The only stuff i really focused on was Gen Chem, the PAT , and Math. Math was pretty hard. I guessed on A BUNCH, but somehow I still got a 19? haha. The PAT wasn't too bad, Just PAY ATTENTION TO THE OBVIOUS FEATURES!! for aperture passing, the best strategy for me was to write down ABCDE and then scratch off which ones didn't work until i found the right one. Look at each hole and see if it the 3d image will fit. Don't look at the 3d image and try to figure out which hole it will go in. You will waste a lot of time. The Angle ranking was ridiculous, but I just gave them all my best guess and said "Eff it, I don't know haha" . Nothing else was too bad. ortho projections and box folding was pretty simple. There were a couple tricky pattern folding, but only two or three stumped me for a second. The cube counting was straightforward as well. No structures that would leave you guessing.
Gen Chem was pretty straightforward. Just take some practice tests and you will see the common questions. O Chem is the same way. Know your SN1, SN2, E1, E2; Electrophilic aromatic substitutions, Activating and Deactivating substituents, remember KMnO4 is an oxidizing agent, LAH is a reducing agent. (just know various oxidizing and reducing agents)... Again, just take some practice tests.
Reading comprehension was funny. I didn't study for it at all because I read decently fast. I read all 5 game of thrones books in a couple weeks this summer, so my mind had some practice reading recently (DEFINITELY recommend those books btw!!) I wouldn't waste too much time on RC unless you don't speak english too well. I ended up finishing this section 20 minutes early.
Math was a pain in the butt. I guessed on a lot of questions. My advice is the same as every other section. Take practice tests, and figure out how to solve allllllll the problems. Eventually you'll start getting more and more right. I had to fly through like 10 questions in 6 minutes because I got backed up. Don't get caught up on single questions. If you read it and don't IMMEDIATELY know how to solve it, mark it, move on, and chances are there will be easier problems. Come back to it when you have the time.
Annnnnyways. If you don't feel like reading all of that, just read this:
1) Take some practice tests, to see the types of questions they ask and to figure out how to solve the questions you got wrong
2) Do some background studying for ochem, bio, and gen chem
3) When taking the test, just relax. Don't get caught up on questions you don't know. If you don't know it pretty quickly, just mark it and come back. You might figure it out later, ya never know.
3) It's really not that bad of an experience. I finished almost an hour early because I skipped the tutorial and end survey, and I used my break to just go pee and I finished a couple sections with 10 minutes to spare.
*** I got through my studying and nerves by just looking forward to how i would feel when it was all over.
Just BELIEVE in yourself and look forward to that feeling you're gonna get when you see your AWESOME scores!
And Good luck if you're taking you DAT soon, I bet you're gonna do great!
Scores
PA = 21
QR = 19
RC = 24
BIO= 19
G. CHEM = 23
O. CHEM = 21
TOTAL SCIENCE = 21
AA = 21
My Dad is a Dentist and does some teaching at a Dental school every now and then, so one of his students sold him her old DAT study material, and it was all I used. It included the big Kaplan DAT book, the CliffsTestPrep DAT book, some other books and flash cards.
I started my studies in mid July, and took my DATs on September 21st. I didn't really study all that crazy. I just cracked open the Kaplan big ***** book whenever I got the chance, and slowly I made my way through it. Even the weekend before my test, I still went out and drank with my friends and partied and had fun. Don't let this test make you a recluse. Enjoy your life. Don't freak out. Just study, and take a couple practice tests, and do your best and be happy with it. Don't worry about what your score was on "DATpracticestuff-this" or "DATpracticetest-that". No test that i really took was EXACTLY like the actual DAT. In fact, it ended up not really bein as bad as I thought it would be. Just take some practice tests, figure out how to do the problems you missed, and eventually you will start getting more questions right. Figure out your weaknesses, and then work on them!!!
.
The only stuff i really focused on was Gen Chem, the PAT , and Math. Math was pretty hard. I guessed on A BUNCH, but somehow I still got a 19? haha. The PAT wasn't too bad, Just PAY ATTENTION TO THE OBVIOUS FEATURES!! for aperture passing, the best strategy for me was to write down ABCDE and then scratch off which ones didn't work until i found the right one. Look at each hole and see if it the 3d image will fit. Don't look at the 3d image and try to figure out which hole it will go in. You will waste a lot of time. The Angle ranking was ridiculous, but I just gave them all my best guess and said "Eff it, I don't know haha" . Nothing else was too bad. ortho projections and box folding was pretty simple. There were a couple tricky pattern folding, but only two or three stumped me for a second. The cube counting was straightforward as well. No structures that would leave you guessing.
Gen Chem was pretty straightforward. Just take some practice tests and you will see the common questions. O Chem is the same way. Know your SN1, SN2, E1, E2; Electrophilic aromatic substitutions, Activating and Deactivating substituents, remember KMnO4 is an oxidizing agent, LAH is a reducing agent. (just know various oxidizing and reducing agents)... Again, just take some practice tests.
Reading comprehension was funny. I didn't study for it at all because I read decently fast. I read all 5 game of thrones books in a couple weeks this summer, so my mind had some practice reading recently (DEFINITELY recommend those books btw!!) I wouldn't waste too much time on RC unless you don't speak english too well. I ended up finishing this section 20 minutes early.
Math was a pain in the butt. I guessed on a lot of questions. My advice is the same as every other section. Take practice tests, and figure out how to solve allllllll the problems. Eventually you'll start getting more and more right. I had to fly through like 10 questions in 6 minutes because I got backed up. Don't get caught up on single questions. If you read it and don't IMMEDIATELY know how to solve it, mark it, move on, and chances are there will be easier problems. Come back to it when you have the time.
Annnnnyways. If you don't feel like reading all of that, just read this:
1) Take some practice tests, to see the types of questions they ask and to figure out how to solve the questions you got wrong
2) Do some background studying for ochem, bio, and gen chem
3) When taking the test, just relax. Don't get caught up on questions you don't know. If you don't know it pretty quickly, just mark it and come back. You might figure it out later, ya never know.
3) It's really not that bad of an experience. I finished almost an hour early because I skipped the tutorial and end survey, and I used my break to just go pee and I finished a couple sections with 10 minutes to spare.
*** I got through my studying and nerves by just looking forward to how i would feel when it was all over.
Just BELIEVE in yourself and look forward to that feeling you're gonna get when you see your AWESOME scores!
And Good luck if you're taking you DAT soon, I bet you're gonna do great!
