How much detail do I need to know about Biology?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

dtran95

Full Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
103
Reaction score
0
Hi, I am doing practice problem for Bio section in Top score. Some questions are simple but most of them are cofusing in their words and very detail. For example, they asks many question about the phylum which really got into detail about their characteristic. This really scares me because I read the post in this forum and people say just study the big picute. So anyone who took DAT recently, please let me kow whether they're gonna have many detail question about phyla characteristic just like Top Score does. Is anything else that I need to focus and study all the detail and informaiton? Thanks.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hi, I am doing practice problem for Bio section in Top score. Some questions are simple but most of them are cofusing in their words and very detail. For example, they asks many question about the phylum which really got into detail about their characteristic. This really scares me because I read the post in this forum and people say just study the big picute. So anyone who took DAT recently, please let me kow whether they're gonna have many detail question about phyla characteristic just like Top Score does. Is anything else that I need to focus and study all the detail and informaiton? Thanks.

If I remember correctly, the topscore bio problems were very similar to the ones on the real thing. In general, it's a good idea to look at the big picture i.e. study the kaplan blue book for the basics (i'm not sure about the recent editions, did they add more bio details?) and try to supplement w/ Schaum's biology for specifics on embryology/taxonomy etc. Just do a search on this forum, you should be able to find a lot of very specific bio questions that you want to focus on when you study. Good luck!
 
I took the DAT in august but im sure the type of question is similar. Truth is, whoever told you to just study the big picture is dead wrong. The sad truth is, that the DAT can be very picky and ask very specific questions-that's what makes the bio section so hard. The only reason you'd have to study the big picture, is if you dont have the time to really study the bio. That being said, i still found the achiever questions to be inaccurately hard-they were too specific in areas that aren't so critical for the DAT (It's been a while so I couldnt give any examples but i remember feeling this way). I felt that the destroyer's range of questions and detail is what you should be expecting to find on the real DAT-but the more you know, the better off you are
 
Hi, I am doing practice problem for Bio section in Top score. Some questions are simple but most of them are cofusing in their words and very detail. For example, they asks many question about the phylum which really got into detail about their characteristic. This really scares me because I read the post in this forum and people say just study the big picute. So anyone who took DAT recently, please let me kow whether they're gonna have many detail question about phyla characteristic just like Top Score does. Is anything else that I need to focus and study all the detail and informaiton? Thanks.
There will be detailed questions. Get a review book like AP Cliff's Bio :)thumbup:) or Schaum's Bio outline and just read through it and absorb the material.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
hey this might help for some of those tricky phylum questions...
 

Attachments

  • phylum organization.xls
    19 KB · Views: 605
In terms of the bio section, I found it to be the most random collection of questions when I took my DAT. I had gone through Kaplan and Topscore and some of the questions were extremely specific (especially on Topscore). The DAT has the same level of specificity but some of the question topics were random (not things covered by Kaplan or Topscore). The BEST resource to use for the Biology section is the DAT Destroyer. It is hands down the best prep tool for all the Science sections, but especially Bio. It covers the Bio section in great detail and I found it most useful. Hope this helps!
 
hey -- i used top score, achiever and the Destroyer and ONLY THE DESTROYER was even CLOSE to what was actually on the DAT. The test is hard, some questions are really detailed, others are basic -- there is no rule. But I do STRONGLY suggest you use the Destroyer, especially if you're worried about bio -- it will help you focus your studying on what's pertinent and it will highlight your weak points and where you need to up your game. Don't do yourself the disservice of not getting this book.
 
I agree with the above posts, I just took the DAT yesteray and it was the most random collection of questions i have ever seen and most of the questions were very detail oriented. Throughout the whole biology section I thought I was doing horrible but i ended up doing fine. I thought the cliffs ap bio book was better than destroyer for biology. Destroyer was still good for the biology section, but it is great for the chem sections.
 
Great chart, Thank you

i figured that if i teach this stuff to my students, i might as well make a little chart that could help others to remember it. i'm glad it's helping at least SOMEONE :D (my students didn't seem to care when i decided to give this to them to study with - haha)

oh yea, if you want some more details on some of that stuff, just ask, or if you know anything else i could add to it to make it more usable let me know. i'd be glad to update it to be more user friendly.
 
Top