Finally done with the DAT!

[Gasedo]

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And it feels soooo good! 😀

Here are my scores:

PAT: 24
QR: 19
RC: 19
Bio: 26
GC: 23
OC: 21
TS: 23
AA: 22

Bio: (use the textbook!!!!!; I also used Schaum’s for review; Kaplan is very basic, I wouldn’t it recommended for bio) very very easy! I couldn’t believe how straight forward were the questions. Before the test I was scare not getting some complicated genetic problems, ( I always hated those stupid peas). But nothing like that. Incomparable with the DAT Achiever, very similar with Top score, even easier! I studied so much glycolisis and photosynthesis, and I had one single question! I took biochemistry and cell biology before, so that helped me a lot. Didn’t take anatomy though, and everybody was freaking out saying you need this class in order to do well. I wouldn’t thing so. Your textbook is enough, just study this book cover to cover and you will do perfectly fine. All the questions were very equilibrated, I mean, I didn’t get hard ones at the beginning, and then easier. By the time you finish reading the question you already know the answer.

GC: ( textbook great; I studied Schaum’s but I think has too much info; Kaplan good enough). ….very basic. If you understand pv = nRT you are done with half of the test. Again I studied those polyprotic acids and did lots of titration problems. Nothing like this! It is very straight forward, simple formula, simple calculations.

OC: ( used only Schaum’s and Kaplan). 80% of the test reactions. So know well the reactions and you will do fine. I almost ran out of time in this section, because some of them I thought were kind of challenging.

PAT: ridiculous easy. If you know DAT Achiever you will do great. The most difficult part: angles. How can they expect us to distinguish 1 and 2 degree angles I don’t understand? I mean, they looked perfectly the same! I practiced a lot on DAT Achiever. The real thing is like 10 times easier! Just practice, practice, practice!!!!!!!

RC: well, for me it was hard. I got 3 science passages and I thought it was my lucky day because I could answer some questions just from my biology knowledge. Maybe it seemed difficult because English is my 2nd language, but the way they ask is not that straight forward. For example, they ask something about increasing activity of a phenomenon and you need to find in the answer about the decreasing activity of other phenomenon. So I don’t know witch is the best way to prepare for this section. I went directly to the questions, and then skipped the passage for answer. Didn’t read it at all because even with the skipping I ran out of time.

QR: basic, but timing again. You better know some shortcuts, cause otherwise it is a pain. I got about 1/3 of the exam word problems. By the time I was finishing reading it I would forget what the heck they were asking. Didn’t get trig or geometry, got few probabilities though.

So this is about it. Be sure you relax the day before the test. I couldn’t, I read the bio book cover to cover, and it took me the whole day. Maybe that’s why I was so tired at the end of the exam and I messed up math.
I wish you all good luck! And don’t worry it is very doable! We are too stressed before the exam, but you will see it is not that bad!

😍

 

[dat_student]

...
PAT: 24
QR: 19
RC: 19
Bio: 26
GC: 23
OC: 21
TS: 23
AA: 22

...

congrats! (mobarak)

 

[melissamcg]

congratulations!!! Now you can enjoy the rest of your summer!!! AWESOME scores by the way!

 

[egots]

great job gasedo...another irooni? or is dat_student mobarak happy...oh boy ima start studying i got 2 months hopefully ill be able to score 22+ with scores like that...but im not sure about using textbooks as a source id rather supplement and check up on stuff wiht it...i feel if you know kaplan in and out ull be fine..nonetheless great job now enjoy your summer

 

[dat_student]

great job gasedo...another irooni? or is dat_student mobarak happy...oh boy ima start studying i got 2 months hopefully ill be able to score 22+ with scores like that...but im not sure about using textbooks as a source id rather supplement and check up on stuff wiht it...i feel if you know kaplan in and out ull be fine..nonetheless great job now enjoy your summer

yes, yek irooni dige 😀

 

[vize]

great scores, gasedo! thanks for the help on each section

 

[vize]

also, for those that don't have a bio textbook (me!), what would you recommend? i've memorized the flashcards and have read the bio section of kaplan thoroughly..

 

[saycheese]

alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 congrats!

 

[NJdian]

good job girllyyyyyyyy
you got a perfect score..
congratulation

 

[issa]

congratssssss

you made me feel good about the real test. 80% orgo reactions? and 1/2 of the GC section is 1/2 pv=nrt. i am going to study for 20 days in the summer and i was expecting a 17 or 18 AA. now, i think i can get a 20 at least in orgo and general chem.

 

[mo magic carpet]

hey,

great job.

Did u read thro the whole campell book for bio....

Geeze, that would take so much time....

Is the schaum outline not enough for bio because u said u only used it for review after u read the book right?

thanks

 

[Hannamsm]

Congratulations! We all expected you to do well and you did 🙂. I take mine friday so this makes me feel a little better. Take care and enjoy the bliss! 😀

 

[NJdian]

by the way,
what books did you use for QR?
I hate word problems. takes me for everrrrr

And it feels soooo good! 😀

Here are my scores:

PAT: 24
QR: 19
RC: 19
Bio: 26
GC: 23
OC: 21
TS: 23
AA: 22

Bio: (use the textbook!!!!!; I also used Schaum’s for review; Kaplan is very basic, I wouldn’t it recommended for bio) very very easy! I couldn’t believe how straight forward were the questions. Before the test I was scare not getting some complicated genetic problems, ( I always hated those stupid peas). But nothing like that. Incomparable with the DAT Achiever, very similar with Top score, even easier! I studied so much glycolisis and photosynthesis, and I had one single question! I took biochemistry and cell biology before, so that helped me a lot. Didn’t take anatomy though, and everybody was freaking out saying you need this class in order to do well. I wouldn’t thing so. Your textbook is enough, just study this book cover to cover and you will do perfectly fine. All the questions were very equilibrated, I mean, I didn’t get hard ones at the beginning, and then easier. By the time you finish reading the question you already know the answer.

GC: ( textbook great; I studied Schaum’s but I think has too much info; Kaplan good enough). ….very basic. If you understand pv = nRT you are done with half of the test. Again I studied those polyprotic acids and did lots of titration problems. Nothing like this! It is very straight forward, simple formula, simple calculations.

OC: ( used only Schaum’s and Kaplan). 80% of the test reactions. So know well the reactions and you will do fine. I almost ran out of time in this section, because some of them I thought were kind of challenging.

PAT: ridiculous easy. If you know DAT Achiever you will do great. The most difficult part: angles. How can they expect us to distinguish 1 and 2 degree angles I don’t understand? I mean, they looked perfectly the same! I practiced a lot on DAT Achiever. The real thing is like 10 times easier! Just practice, practice, practice!!!!!!!

RC: well, for me it was hard. I got 3 science passages and I thought it was my lucky day because I could answer some questions just from my biology knowledge. Maybe it seemed difficult because English is my 2nd language, but the way they ask is not that straight forward. For example, they ask something about increasing activity of a phenomenon and you need to find in the answer about the decreasing activity of other phenomenon. So I don’t know witch is the best way to prepare for this section. I went directly to the questions, and then skipped the passage for answer. Didn’t read it at all because even with the skipping I ran out of time.

QR: basic, but timing again. You better know some shortcuts, cause otherwise it is a pain. I got about 1/3 of the exam word problems. By the time I was finishing reading it I would forget what the heck they were asking. Didn’t get trig or geometry, got few probabilities though.

So this is about it. Be sure you relax the day before the test. I couldn’t, I read the bio book cover to cover, and it took me the whole day. Maybe that’s why I was so tired at the end of the exam and I messed up math.
I wish you all good luck! And don’t worry it is very doable! We are too stressed before the exam, but you will see it is not that bad!

😍

 

[kokobean]

GREAT scores!!! and thanks for the advice! 😀

 

[adorable]

Uber scores Congratulations! Can you please tell us what you happened to use to prepare for the PAT section...what helped and what did not help? any origami?

 

[fancymylotus]

seeeeeeeeeee gasedo i told you that you'd get to post your awesome scores on sdn after you took the test. great job 👍

 

[Gasedo]

Thank you so much guys!
Yes melissamcg, I am going to enjoy the rest of the summer. At the end of this week I am going in vacation in Europe for 2 months! I can’t wait! 😍

Ok, egots, I wouldn’t recommend studying ONLY Kaplan for the bio. It is way too basic. You need to understand more in depth to answer some of the questions in bio. It is true that bio seemed very easy, but it is because I think I overstudied. Kaplan is based on definitions and concepts. The text book, on the other hand, gives you examples and makes you understand every process. For example, it is not enough just to memorize all those hormones in endocrine system. You need to understand what each does, and how it is affected by different medications.Or how it respondes.

Vize, as I said before I think textbook is the best choice, but if you really don’t have enough time you can use Schaum’s bio. This also depends on how much info you retained from class.

Issa, don’t forget there are a quite few versions of the DAT out there. So study everything, in this case you are not going to have any bad surprises. 😉

No magic, yes I studied the whole book. But I prepared for 7 months for this test. I started nov1. I know there are many out there that are OK with 1 week or 1 month of studying, but it wasn’t my case. I had to dissect everything in order to understand.

NJdian, for QR I used only Top score and DAT Achiever. Tell you the true, my problem was the timing. Math is very basic, but you need to read the question, calculate and go to the next. No time for thinking! So I would recommend a lot of practice here!

Adorable, for pat I used DAT Achiever. The best tool. That guy who made it is a genius! If you really know how to do it, the real thing would appear like a piece of cake! Don’t pay attention at your scores, though. I scored 15-16. But I redid the test 10 times. My weakest points were keyholes and folding patters, so I spent a lot of time looking at each figure and understanding why I omitted the answer the first time.

Hey, and one more thing, last week everybody on this forum (including me), was freaking out about those NMR picks in orgo. I got none questions!!!

Hope helps, and I wish you guys good luck. 😍

 

[nsp716]

Nice scores! I was just wondering if you had any obscure taxonomy questions (with names of organisms) that were beyond the general bio textbook.

 

[egots]

thats great barakalah gasedo enjoy your time in europe..but as you stated you studied for 7 months...i got 2 months starting tomorrow and i work full time so i have to be efficient and i dont know if spending that extra time going through a textbook will benefit greatly, i think it comes down to the luck of what questions end up on the exam you take b/c i know ppl who got 20+ who felt kaplan bio covered enough...i guess in 2 months when i post my scores (hopefully good) lol we will see how my appraoch went...enjoy europe

 

[mahGOL]

wooow!!! those are great scores... congratulations!!!

 

[Marina1981]

Congradulations!!!! Great job!!! Enjoy your Europe vacations. Good luck with application process, but really I do not think you need luck with such scores!!! 😉

 

[armorshell]

Nice scores! You didn't really eat a brain like I said to right*?!?












*pm me with info on where you got the brain 😉

 

[RockstarDMD]

Congrats Congrats!!!! Best of luck to you! 👍

 

[Gasedo]

Nice scores! You didn't really eat a brain like I said to right*?!?
*pm me with info on where you got the brain 😉

Hey, I didn’t eat the brain, but I ate salmon and almonds!! 🙂

 

[armorshell]

Hey, I didn’t eat the brain, but I ate salmon and almonds!! 🙂

Gasedo you're applying to UW? Are you in Washington?

 

[hopelessdoc]

hey "gasedo" congrats....I am really nervous ans tensed right now cuz my d-date is after a month...so far I am just reading the kaplan blue book but to be true not getting much review problems which are at the end of each chapters...I don't know if I will ever get this nice scores....🙁

 

[Gasedo]

hey "gasedo" congrats....I am really nervous ans tensed right now cuz my d-date is after a month...so far I am just reading the kaplan blue book but to be true not getting much review problems which are at the end of each chapters...I don't know if I will ever get this nice scores....🙁

When did you start studying and what materials did you use?
And with a lot of practice you will do fine! If you get wrong those questions in Kaplan book try to learn from your mistakes. Check the solutions, and then go to the text book and read those topics again. If you really understand them, they will stick with you and next time when you see a question related to that topic you will know the answer right away.

 

[mo magic carpet]

hey Gasedo,


u said u had a hard time wit pattern folding... That is the only thing that is giving me a hard time. Do u have any advice.

 

[hopelessdoc]

When did you start studying and what materials did you use?
And with a lot of practice you will do fine! If you get wrong those questions in Kaplan book try to learn from your mistakes. Check the solutions, and then go to the text book and read those topics again. If you really understand them, they will stick with you and next time when you see a question related to that topic you will know the answer right away.

thanx...I started right after my finals were over may 15th prolly...I hope I can memorize all that or else I might switch my date...so far I have read orgo bio and gc from kaplan book so do u think i should read all that again? i know its hard to answer this but may be to refrsh everything I should?

 

[golfmontpoker]

And it feels soooo good! 😀

Here are my scores:

PAT: 24
QR: 19
RC: 19
Bio: 26
GC: 23
OC: 21
TS: 23
AA: 22

Bio: (use the textbook!!!!!; I also used Schaum’s for review; Kaplan is very basic, I wouldn’t it recommended for bio) very very easy! I couldn’t believe how straight forward were the questions. Before the test I was scare not getting some complicated genetic problems, ( I always hated those stupid peas). But nothing like that. Incomparable with the DAT Achiever, very similar with Top score, even easier! I studied so much glycolisis and photosynthesis, and I had one single question! I took biochemistry and cell biology before, so that helped me a lot. Didn’t take anatomy though, and everybody was freaking out saying you need this class in order to do well. I wouldn’t thing so. Your textbook is enough, just study this book cover to cover and you will do perfectly fine. All the questions were very equilibrated, I mean, I didn’t get hard ones at the beginning, and then easier. By the time you finish reading the question you already know the answer.

GC: ( textbook great; I studied Schaum’s but I think has too much info; Kaplan good enough). ….very basic. If you understand pv = nRT you are done with half of the test. Again I studied those polyprotic acids and did lots of titration problems. Nothing like this! It is very straight forward, simple formula, simple calculations.

OC: ( used only Schaum’s and Kaplan). 80% of the test reactions. So know well the reactions and you will do fine. I almost ran out of time in this section, because some of them I thought were kind of challenging.

PAT: ridiculous easy. If you know DAT Achiever you will do great. The most difficult part: angles. How can they expect us to distinguish 1 and 2 degree angles I don’t understand? I mean, they looked perfectly the same! I practiced a lot on DAT Achiever. The real thing is like 10 times easier! Just practice, practice, practice!!!!!!!

RC: well, for me it was hard. I got 3 science passages and I thought it was my lucky day because I could answer some questions just from my biology knowledge. Maybe it seemed difficult because English is my 2nd language, but the way they ask is not that straight forward. For example, they ask something about increasing activity of a phenomenon and you need to find in the answer about the decreasing activity of other phenomenon. So I don’t know witch is the best way to prepare for this section. I went directly to the questions, and then skipped the passage for answer. Didn’t read it at all because even with the skipping I ran out of time.

QR: basic, but timing again. You better know some shortcuts, cause otherwise it is a pain. I got about 1/3 of the exam word problems. By the time I was finishing reading it I would forget what the heck they were asking. Didn’t get trig or geometry, got few probabilities though.

So this is about it. Be sure you relax the day before the test. I couldn’t, I read the bio book cover to cover, and it took me the whole day. Maybe that’s why I was so tired at the end of the exam and I messed up math.
I wish you all good luck! And don’t worry it is very doable! We are too stressed before the exam, but you will see it is not that bad!

😍

Congratz!!!! Awesome scores!

 

[ddfafari]

Quoting Gasedo: Be sure you relax the day before the test. I couldn’t, I read the bio book cover to cover, and it took me the whole day.

Gasedo, which Biology book are you talking about? The one I am thinking of could never be read in a day.

 

[ArmoredTooth]

AA: 22

Bio: (use the textbook!!!!!; I also used Schaum’s for review; Kaplan is very basic, I wouldn’t it recommended for bio) very very easy! I couldn’t believe how straight forward were the questions. Before the test I was scare not getting some complicated genetic problems, ( I always hated those stupid peas). But nothing like that. Incomparable with the DAT Achiever, very similar with Top score, even easier! I studied so much glycolisis and photosynthesis, and I had one single question! I took biochemistry and cell biology before, so that helped me a lot. Didn’t take anatomy though, and everybody was freaking out saying you need this class in order to do well. I wouldn’t thing so. Your textbook is enough, just study this book cover to cover and you will do perfectly fine. All the questions were very equilibrated, I mean, I didn’t get hard ones at the beginning, and then easier. By the time you finish reading the question you already know the answer.

Damn you congratz!

Where did you get that Schaum's book? Did you order it online?

I ask because I really have to kick up my Bio and O-Chem score.

I thought I was going to do well on Bio, because the questions seem easy to understand. Unfortunately I did ****ty in that section.

 

[Cam-MSU]

I just finished today!!! Great feeling, congrats on the scores...You should get lots of interviews

 

[jorUW]

Congrats on those scores, wow!

One word of advice to everyone else who hasn't taken the exam yet. Each test is very different from the other. It really is the luck of the draw as to what questions you get, especially in the bio section. For instance, I didn't have any endocrine bio (my weakness), but an abnormal amount (IMO) of comparative taxonomy questions such as the following characteristics best describe which taxonomic group....analids, arthopods, etc.... What I'm trying to say is, DONT take Gasedo's detailed explanation of her exam as the rule, rather one of an infinate amount of possibilties. Your test could be very different.

That being said, i think she is dead on about the PAT. Although I think this is something that you are or aren't naturally gifted at. Still, i've seen people work very hard at developing these skills and succeed. Most of the subsections of the PAT are probably easier than you've been practicing, with the major exception being the angle ranking. I just had to laugh at some of the 15 questions. Some of those you probably couldn't even measure a difference with a protractor. Go with your gut. Also don't get discouraged if you dont score a fricken 23, that's an amazing score. I got a 22 and that was right at the 98th percentile. Good luck everyone. Hopefully i'll be spending the next 4 years of my life with some of you.

 

[TXfra]

Congrats on those scores, wow!

One word of advice to everyone else who hasn't taken the exam yet. Each test is very different from the other. It really is the luck of the draw as to what questions you get, especially in the bio section. For instance, I didn't have any endocrine bio (my weakness), but an abnormal amount (IMO) of comparative taxonomy questions such as the following characteristics best describe which taxonomic group....analids, arthopods, etc.... What I'm trying to say is, DONT take Gasedo's detailed explanation of her exam as the rule, rather one of an infinate amount of possibilties. Your test could be very different.

That being said, i think she is dead on about the PAT. Although I think this is something that you are or aren't naturally gifted at. Still, i've seen people work very hard at developing these skills and succeed. Most of the subsections of the PAT are probably easier than you've been practicing, with the major exception being the angle ranking. I just had to laugh at some of the 15 questions. Some of those you probably couldn't even measure a difference with a protractor. Go with your gut. Also don't get discouraged if you dont score a fricken 23, that's an amazing score. I got a 22 and that was right at the 98th percentile. Good luck everyone. Hopefully i'll be spending the next 4 years of my life with some of you.

what do you mean by an abnormal amount? and this was just relating to taxonomy? or plants and such?

 

[mellon977]

Which textbook did you use? Campbell's??