Frustrated with CDP

[hope_to_match]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have been practicing the PAT with CDP and it is really stressing me out. I did the first 3 tests ( all timed) and my overall scores are the same but the breakdowns between the sections fluctuate or are roughly the same. I have been reading the 'Wicked PAT tutorial' on here and I thought some of the things clicked but the scores are not going up. Maybe I should practice a few tests without time? It seems that I am very much pressed with time for this i.e. by the time I get to cube counting I have about 15 mins left for both cube and pattern folding and end up rushing through the test. I made a chart of my scores and wanted to post it here and I want some advice on how to improve my scores...Here is the breakdown (again- I have done all three tests under 60min time limit to simulate the actual exam):

Test1=15 Keyholes 3/15, TFE 8/15, Angles 11/15, Holes 6/15, Cube 8/15, Folding 6/15

Test2=16 Keyholes 8/15, TFE 8/15, Angles 10/15, Holes 8/15, Cube 5/15, Folding 7/15

Test 3=15 Keyholes 9/15, TFE 8/15, Angles 10/15, Holes 4/15, Cube 9/15, Folding 5/15


Hole Punching is improving VERY slowly but I feel like I can get there given that I practice more.

TFE stayed the same from tests 1 through 3 even though I feel like I understand the logistics behind it a lot more than I did for the first two tests but I just dont understand my I am not getting more correct answers 🙁

Angles is killing me. Period. I feel like my eyes will pop out of the orbits trying to distinguish angles that are one or two degrees apart. Eeeh.

Hole Punching is fluctuating. I feel like I did a lot worse on test 3 because I was pressed with time and I kept looking and the timer and just rushed through it- as a result- only 4 correct answers.

Cubes. Well I am getting there. At least now I know that we can't assume there are cubes behind other cubes unless they are supporting other cubes. I feel that with more practice I will get there.

Pattern Folding..well as I said earlier- time time time...have about 6-7 mins left when I start this section and as a result don't have time to finish/end up rushing through it etc...


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I need some advice on how to improve. I understand that I need to keep practicing and eventually it will 'click'. BUT as I said..I thought TFE clicked but...the amount of correct answers is still the same! Angles...just blah my eyes get so tired staring at them..just please give me some advice i.e. how you practiced/studied/tackled the questions during your CDP practice. Any advice will be highly appreciated.

p.s. this is a loooong thread 😱

 

[IsaacYankem]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528643

That and a lot of practice and resilience. Do the first few CDP's untimed so you get it down then work on timing. Good luck

 

[KyoPhan]

Post the one's you don't understand and mayb others can give different perspective on how to approach the problem.

 

[hope_to_match]

Post the one's you don't understand and mayb others can give different perspective on how to approach the problem.

i have been doing that. i ALWAYS review questions after i am done with the test and the ones I dont understand I usually post on here...

 

[hope_to_match]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528643

That and a lot of practice and resilience. Do the first few CDP's untimed so you get it down then work on timing. Good luck

that's what I have been doing...I have been reading that thread..I guess I will do the next test without time at all and since what happens..or maybe give mysel a bit more time instead of unlimited amount of time...we will see.

 

[xatlasb]

Use the Line of Symmetry Method for Hole Punching. Guarantee that you'll get 14 or 15 out of 15 for the rest of your tests provided you learn the method right.

Here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ud0ZX0eEFA

I'd definitely recommend doing the first few tests untimed so you can get a feel for what you're doing and what strategies work best for you. Then for the remaining tests, you can start worrying about timing.

 

[hope_to_match]

Use the Line of Symmetry Method for Hole Punching. Guarantee that you'll get 14 or 15 out of 15 for the rest of your tests provided you learn the method right.

Here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ud0ZX0eEFA

I'd definitely recommend doing the first few tests untimed so you can get a feel for what you're doing and what strategies work best for you. Then for the remaining tests, you can start worrying about timing.

thank you! i will definitely check out this youtube video 🙂

also, how much time should be spend on hole punching? i believe this and angle ranking should take no more than 5-6 mins each, correct?

 

[IsaacYankem]

Don't worry about the timing yet, that will come with practice. it's imperative that you get comfortable with the PAT.

 

[J777]

I had posted a technique I tried out briefly when I was studying TFE. I didn't use it extensively, but I did see improvement in the little time I used it. Here is the link to the thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=1003242

For angles, there are tons of techniques out there, but a lot of times, it just comes down to a split second glance (I think there is even a technique for this somewhere out there). Often, you can see the difference for a fleeting moment, at which point, you may just want to go with your gut. I remember sitting in front of CDP for 45 min when I first started, sometimes spending 10 mins on one question. Don't do that haha. If you get stuck, move on to the next question and answer it. Then immediately go back to the previous question and try again. This way, you can kind of refresh your brain and look at the Q with a new eye.

Keep on working it.. you will get there!

 

[hope_to_match]

I had posted a technique I tried out briefly when I was studying TFE. I didn't use it extensively, but I did see improvement in the little time I used it. Here is the link to the thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=1003242

For angles, there are tons of techniques out there, but a lot of times, it just comes down to a split second glance (I think there is even a technique for this somewhere out there). Often, you can see the difference for a fleeting moment, at which point, you may just want to go with your gut. I remember sitting in front of CDP for 45 min when I first started, sometimes spending 10 mins on one question. Don't do that haha. If you get stuck, move on to the next question and answer it. Then immediately go back to the previous question and try again. This way, you can kind of refresh your brain and look at the Q with a new eye.

Keep on working it.. you will get there!

thank you! i will try doing the same. I feel like I am understanding the TFE a lot better now but when I do the CDP test I don't improve on the amount of correct answers. I think because as everyone said above- i need to do at least one test without time to really understand what I am doing instead of rushing through it.

 

[athomas]

The line of symmetry technique is very useful for hole punching, if you do it correctly you should get 100%, and the systematic approach makes it easier to manage your time. For angles I like the laptop method where you look at the short line as the laptop keyboard, and the long line as the screen. I contort my head around and ask "which of these will best hide the fact that I'm on reddit and not working?". I get as far as I can with this, but if I'm really stuck between two (3-4 degrees apart) I mark it and come back at the end. At the end, I look at my answer to see which two I have to compare and then I do the quick glance method.

 

[roquer2]

Use the Line of Symmetry Method for Hole Punching. Guarantee that you'll get 14 or 15 out of 15 for the rest of your tests provided you learn the method right.

Here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ud0ZX0eEFA

I'd definitely recommend doing the first few tests untimed so you can get a feel for what you're doing and what strategies work best for you. Then for the remaining tests, you can start worrying about timing.

The line of symmetry technique is very useful for hole punching, if you do it correctly you should get 100%, and the systematic approach makes it easier to manage your time. For angles I like the laptop method where you look at the short line as the laptop keyboard, and the long line as the screen. I contort my head around and ask "which of these will best hide the fact that I'm on reddit and not working?". I get as far as I can with this, but if I'm really stuck between two (3-4 degrees apart) I mark it and come back at the end. At the end, I look at my answer to see which two I have to compare and then I do the quick glance method.

x2

I started studying for the PAT last week. First test was an 18. Ran out of time due to Holepunching. It left me with literally 7 mins for CC and PF.

I practiced the LOS method the day after that for about a good 2-3 hours straight. My head was about to explode and i was getting frustrated.

Fastforward to the past 2 days. I applied the LOS method and lemme tell you, 20 on the 2nd test and 22 3rd test. I blazed thru the HP within 7-8 mins, and got 15/15 in both. I took the Achiever PAT 1st test today, and I also got 15/15.

I realized my #1 weakness is time, and the LOS technique is pure money.

If you get frustrated practicing the method, don't just look at your grid.VISUALIZE the holes moving while you're doing LOS. It makes it a WHOLE lot easier, trust me.

 

[y3nd0]

If you get frustrated practicing the method, don't just look at your grid.VISUALIZE the holes moving while you're doing LOS. It makes it a WHOLE lot easier, trust me.

+1!!!

I started studying for PAT with Crack and did the first exam timed to see where I stand, and the next exam untimed. I started with a 17 (couldn't answer the cube counting questions or pattern folding - got decent scores on all other sections though).

The main caveat to the symmetry method is that you NEED to look and see where the holes are moving! I started doing the symmetry method from day 1 and realized my mistake - I was drawing and moving the holes correctly, but I never watched where the holes originated from. Some holes are punched without paper behind it, so when you move the hole with the line of symmetry, you must erase the hole at the starting position or your results will be really messed up.

Figured out my mistake and am scoring 13+ on HP. I hope this helps!

As for angles, I try using the laptop method (tilt your head/visualize and place the angle at a flat surface and imagine that it's a laptop). This doesn't always work for me because the angle differences are so small. The good thing is that I hear the angle section is harder on Crack than on the real deal... so I'm crossing my fingers for that!

 

[gn4]

What I do for angles is that i go to the answer first. Compare the angles they are giving me for answers for the largest angle. Usually, they only give you 2 choices for which is the biggest. After that, I go to the choices remaining that I have to compare after eliminating some answer choices. I mostly have trouble with the angles that have short legs.

I'm getting about 75% on Crack DAT with that strategy. Not where I want to be yet, however, it is better than the 35% I used to get on it when I first started.

LOS works wonders for hole punching.

If anybody has any angle ranking strategy they want to send me, especially dealing with short legs, i'm all ears. Please.