During the DAT

[Swifty181]

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I'm taking the DAT this week and I'm wondering as to what exactly happens during the 5 1/2 hour period that you are in there. First off what do they give you to use during the exam. How many breaks are there and how long are they? Are you allowed to use a calculator? How much different is the material from the practice exams you guys have taken? Also do you have any tips as to what to do before or during the test. Any help is appreciated. I'm slowly losing my mind.
Also what is this AA, TS (total score?) some people are talking about? I thought it was only comprised of the BIO, CHEM, ORGO, QR, RC and the PAT😕

 

[dentalchick2016]

I'm taking the DAT this week and I'm wondering as to what exactly happens during the 5 1/2 hour period that you are in there. First off what do they give you to use during the exam. How many breaks are there and how long are they? Are you allowed to use a calculator? How much different is the material from the practice exams you guys have taken? Also do you have any tips as to what to do before or during the test. Any help is appreciated. I'm slowly losing my mind.
Also what is this AA, TS (total score?) some people are talking about? I thought it was only comprised of the BIO, CHEM, ORGO, QR, RC and the PAT😕

Stay calm is the best advice. You will be given two laminated sheets with two markers...mine wasn't eraseable so if you need more sheets raise your hand. The room is very quiet, and you may have headphones to wear like i did. You get one break after you finish the PAT section for 15 min. You may take a brk anyother time you need, but your test clock will still be ticking and that'd be unadvisable. The AA is the Academic Average score, which only averages every section besides the PAT. PAT is independent of the other scores. The TS is the Total Science Score of just your 3 science sections. Dental schools take you AA/TS/PAT scores into consideration. The average DAT test taker score is an AA17 in the country, the average accepted applicant's score is AA19. The only calculator you get will be on the computer itself and only during the QR section, not on gchem at all, you must be able to estimate calculations well for the gchem probs and do it quickly too. I hope this helps you out! Do not be nervous, the test should in actuality be easy if you have studied well and know gchem/ochem like the back of your hand. A competitive PAT score is 19. You can do it! Good luck =)

 

[alucidinterval]

You start with the survey of the natural sciences, which you have 90 minutes to complete. Immediately after completing this section you can start the perceptual ability test, which you have 60 minutes to complete. You then have an optional 15 minute break where you can go to the bathroom, eat, drink an energy drink, etc. At my test center they said that I was no allowed to look at any notes or anything so you might want to ask about this. You then have 60 minutes to do the reading comprehension test and then 45 minutes to complete the math section.

AA stands for academic average and is the average of all scores besides the PAT, and TS stands for total science and is composed of just the bio, GC, and OC sections.

 

[JrZyBud]

At my test center I was given 2 sheets of laminated paper and two markers. The markers were not erasable so you had to ask for new sheets if you needed them and they take the old ones. I didn't need new ones at my 15 minute break, but I traded mine in anyway just in case and got fresh clean sheets.

There is one break after you complete the natural sciences and PAT section that lasts 15 minutes. It is optional, but I would advise taking full advantage of it. Also, if you complete a section early and you have finished going over all of your marked questions you can take a break before you move onto the next section. I finished my natural science section and reviewed my marked questions and still had about 7 minutes left, so I got up and walked around a bit.

My test center had two "labs" full of cubicles and there were headphones at each station to help keep out the noise. I found that even though it was quiet, there were people all around me typing so it was nice to have the headphones.

All of your personal belongings have to be locked up in a locker. They check your pockets and do a scan with a metal detector before you enter the test lab. If you leave to take a break they make you do it all over again when you come back in, so make sure you give yourself a few minutes when you are on your 15 minute break. I had to sign in and out, and they even had a fingerprint scanner to make sure it was really me when I came back.

The best advice I could give is to stay calm and relax during the test. Use your 15 minute tutorial to set up your scrap sheets the way you want, since you can't erase during the test. I drew out my boxes for hole punching and made up my tables for cube counting during the initial tutorial. Take full advantage of your break to recharge. Good luck!

 

[BRZ24]

Are you allowed to go back to the science section once you have started the PAT section?

 

[Swifty181]

Thanks for all your information guys. I honestly feel a lot better going in there now that you have given me an idea of what it is like. If anybody else has anything else they can add, feel free to do so, I would appreciate that. Btw good luck to all of you with your applications. Maybe one day we might be in the same class. 😀

 

[tomhrxbfg]

Are you allowed to go back to the science section once you have started the PAT section?

Nope.

 

[alucidinterval]

I would also recommend possibly bringing some noise cancelling ear buds. I did this, and am very happy I did because I tried the noise cancelling headphones they had their on and found them very uncomfortable. And as someone else said, people around you are taking a variety of different tests and people next to me were typing loudly.

 

[Swifty181]

Yea I heard that from somebody else. Its definitely on my to do list. Thanks

 

[Wiredtrix]

Also, I wouldn't drink very much at all that morning and make sure to use the restroom right before the test starts. A lot of people including myself felt rushed by the end of the first half of the test because its been so long since you've used the restroom, and so many people take energy drinks which are full of caffeine which also don't help the problem.

On a side note, I would also recommend doing something that has nothing to do with the DAT the night before. I played baseball and it helped me to almost forget that I had a test the next day. Just do something relaxing to get your mind of the DAT so you can get a good nights rest and lower your stress levels. Just know that you've studied a lot and that you know your stuff, so you're gonna do great!

 

[sbesbesbe]

At my test center I was given 2 sheets of laminated paper and two markers. The markers were not erasable so you had to ask for new sheets if you needed them and they take the old ones. I didn't need new ones at my 15 minute break, but I traded mine in anyway just in case and got fresh clean sheets.

There is one break after you complete the natural sciences and PAT section that lasts 15 minutes. It is optional, but I would advise taking full advantage of it. Also, if you complete a section early and you have finished going over all of your marked questions you can take a break before you move onto the next section. I finished my natural science section and reviewed my marked questions and still had about 7 minutes left, so I got up and walked around a bit.

My test center had two "labs" full of cubicles and there were headphones at each station to help keep out the noise. I found that even though it was quiet, there were people all around me typing so it was nice to have the headphones.

All of your personal belongings have to be locked up in a locker. They check your pockets and do a scan with a metal detector before you enter the test lab. If you leave to take a break they make you do it all over again when you come back in, so make sure you give yourself a few minutes when you are on your 15 minute break. I had to sign in and out, and they even had a fingerprint scanner to make sure it was really me when I came back.

The best advice I could give is to stay calm and relax during the test. Use your 15 minute tutorial to set up your scrap sheets the way you want, since you can't erase during the test. I drew out my boxes for hole punching and made up my tables for cube counting during the initial tutorial. Take full advantage of your break to recharge. Good luck!

Hey, is this 15 min tutorial after you take the the 15 min break?
OR you get 15 min after natural science before PAT?
I'm assuming it is before PAT since you mentioned setting up boxes for hole punching.

 

[JrZyBud]

Actually you only get the one 15 minute tutorial before you start your natural science section right before you start the test. I used one whole side of one sheet to set up just for the PAT, simply because I know that section takes a little while and it takes forever for me to draw out the boxes for hole punching. There are no other tutorial periods for the rest of the test.

 

[Swifty181]

Actually you only get the one 15 minute tutorial before you start your natural science section right before you start the test. I used one whole side of one sheet to set up just for the PAT, simply because I know that section takes a little while and it takes forever for me to draw out the boxes for hole punching. There are no other tutorial periods for the rest of the test.

I know that everybody is different but I don't see what you gotta write down for the PAT? I know one of the techniques they gave you in kaplan for the cube counting was the tables, but I feel like thats not too helpfull, I honestly feel like I can just count them right away with very good accuracy, without no crazy techniques. I hope the PAT will be my best section since I've practiced it a lot. What PAT material do you guys think is more like the actual exam? Are they more complicated than most sample PATs? Also, one thing I feel will be very hard is the angle ranking. Was that section hard to distinguish between one or more angles?

 

[Msmouth]

Did you use Crack PAT? Most here say that's the best practice for the real thing.

The setting up for PAT is 'tictactoe boxes" for hole punch.
S SM ML L for angle ranking

Maybe for cube counting but I agree, it's just easier to count as you go, at least for me.
Some people do fine without anything but the with the stress of the exam I would rather have the options there if I need them.

 

[Msmouth]

Section Questions Time Limit
Optional Tutorial 15 Minutes
Survey of Natural Sciences 100 90 Minutes
-Biology -40
-General Chemistry -30
-Organic Chemistry -30
Perceptual Ability Test 90 60 Minutes
-Keyhole -15
-Top/Front/End Visualization -15
-Angle Ranking -15
-Hole Punches -15
-Cube Counting -15
-Pattern Folding -15
Optional Break 15 Minutes
Reading Comprehension Test 50 60 Minutes
Quantitative Reasoning Test 40 45 Minutes
-Mathematics -30
-Applied Mathematics (Word Problems) -10
Optional Post-Test Survey 15 Minutes
Total 280 5:00 Hours

 

[Seahawk]

So, you are allowed to bring your own noise canceling ear buds, the little foam ones?

 

[appledmd]

.

 

[Msmouth]

So, you are allowed to bring your own noise canceling ear buds, the little foam ones?

I hope so but don't write any formulas on them😀

 

[Seahawk]

I hope so but don't write any formulas on them😀

I just called my test center and they said you could bring the foam ear buds (but of course they have to check them).

 

[Seahawk]

I have another question.

On the ADA website on the DAT FAQ there is a screenshot of the calculator you get. It looks like the same one that is on Windows....The one in the screenshot also has the 'view' menu...On the Windows application you can go to view and click 'scientific mode' and then have trig functions and stuff....Is this possible on the DAT calculator? I am guessing it's not.

 

[JrZyBud]

Are you required to leave the testing room if you take the optional 15 minute break or can you just sit there and relax for 15 minutes and write stuff down on your scrap paper?

You can stay in the test room if you want to, you don't even have to sit for the whole break, you can take a 5 or 10 minute break. It's up to you to end it. Unless your 15 minutes are up then I believe your test starts with or without you

 

[JrZyBud]

I know that everybody is different but I don't see what you gotta write down for the PAT? I know one of the techniques they gave you in kaplan for the cube counting was the tables, but I feel like thats not too helpfull, I honestly feel like I can just count them right away with very good accuracy, without no crazy techniques. I hope the PAT will be my best section since I've practiced it a lot. What PAT material do you guys think is more like the actual exam? Are they more complicated than most sample PATs? Also, one thing I feel will be very hard is the angle ranking. Was that section hard to distinguish between one or more angles?

Angle ranking seemed easier than CDP but there were a few that i was just like 50/50 on. Like you said everyone is different, but I liked the idea of counting all the cubes one time and then literally answering all the questions about a set in 30 seconds. It seems to be the most time efficient way to do things. I was not able to just pick out how many exposed sides a cube had by just looking at it, so the table made my life easier. If not I would have ended up counting the same picture 3 times and that was time I'd rather spend on pattern folding.

 

[Swifty181]

Good stuff JrZyBud, thanks.

 

[Swifty181]

I have another question.

On the ADA website on the DAT FAQ there is a screenshot of the calculator you get. It looks like the same one that is on Windows....The one in the screenshot also has the 'view' menu...On the Windows application you can go to view and click 'scientific mode' and then have trig functions and stuff....Is this possible on the DAT calculator? I am guessing it's not.

I was looking at that too, I haven't taken it yet but it doesn't seem to have any "helpful" stuff, just the basics, and I like that we at least have a square root function. I don't really like the way they've put functions between the numbers. I feel like that's going to confuse me and a few other ppl at first. Also nice to see another Top Gear UK fan up here lol. Best show ever. 👍

 

[csafizadeh]

Thanks god i finished the natural sciences with 10 minutes to go because I had piss soooo badly I felt like there was no way that I would have ever made it through the PAT section without going. Also drank a lot in the morning because it was so hot where I live....big mistake.

 

[Swifty181]

Thanks god i finished the natural sciences with 10 minutes to go because I had piss soooo badly I felt like there was no way that I would have ever made it through the PAT section without going. Also drank a lot in the morning because it was so hot where I live....big mistake.

Hahaha, yea there seems to be a trend about urine attacks during the DAT lol. And as I understand, in order to go to the bathroom you are required to check in and out which takes some time. 😀 Anyway I'm thinking about not drinking coffee or any other diuretics before the test, even limit water consumption right before it. I don't feel like coffee or energy drinks do anything for me anyway. Maybe I'm weird or something, who knows?

 

[BRZ24]

When are you planning on taking the DAT?

I just signed up today and my test is scheduled for august 28th. Feelin the pressure already lol..

you should plan on signing up for the date soon since you won't always get the date you want.

 

[Seahawk]

I was looking at that too, I haven't taken it yet but it doesn't seem to have any "helpful" stuff, just the basics, and I like that we at least have a square root function. I don't really like the way they've put functions between the numbers. I feel like that's going to confuse me and a few other ppl at first. Also nice to see another Top Gear UK fan up here lol. Best show ever. 👍

👍

I see I am among friends here. And yes, it sure is 🙂.


While we are talking about it...I probably won't drink anything the morning of. Maybe sip some Gatorade, which is advice I have heard over the years on here.

 

[Swifty181]

When are you planning on taking the DAT?

I just signed up today and my test is scheduled for august 28th. Feelin the pressure already lol..

you should plan on signing up for the date soon since you won't always get the date you want.

I was thinking about taking it this coming week, but i took a few practice exams and I was far off of where I wanted to be. Now I'm going to take another month to hopefully get results up. Probably around the same time as you, end august at the latest.

 

[Seahawk]

I'm right in there with you guys, my test date is the 18th.

 

[voager]

I have another question.

On the ADA website on the DAT FAQ there is a screenshot of the calculator you get. It looks like the same one that is on Windows....The one in the screenshot also has the 'view' menu...On the Windows application you can go to view and click 'scientific mode' and then have trig functions and stuff....Is this possible on the DAT calculator? I am guessing it's not.

No there was no view option to get scientific cal on real DAT...also it looks exactly like the simple windows calculator but not accessable by keyboard (you can only use mouse to do calculations)....i recommend don't use it as for this section you will be running on a limited time frame.