How to study for each category of the DAT??

[paymaant]

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Hey Everyone,

So I am ready to start the process of studying for the DAT. I know there are many prep materials out there but I wanted to get your opinions on which materials are best for each section?

From what I heard:

PAT: Crack the DAT (ace or royal flush)

Science (bio, orgo, gen chem): DAT Destroyer, chad's videos

Reading: Crack the DAT? (i heard mixed reviews such as "too many tone questions")

Math: DAT Destroyer (maybe crack the dat??)


What do you all think??? Thanks!

 

[MedDevil]

Use Achiever for RC.

 

[EpicDentist]

Good plan for the sciences.

 

[aqz]

Achiever for RC and PAT (for PAT, use it after you take a couple Crack DAT PAT)

Specifically, I found achiever #6 and #7 RC to be the best RC practice passages. (I got a 20 and 21 on them, got a 25 on the real one).

 

[two thirty]

Good plan for the sciences.

Well, sort of. Chads and Destroyer is good for the chemistries but you'll definitely need to supplement bio with Cliff's at the least.

 

[Dotoday]

Sounds good. Just understand the answers. Do not memorize them. Make sure that you know hot to do each problem.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[biomolecmed]

They are all great materials. Just make sure youndo Destroyer or Kaplan after you are sure you learned the concepts. They arengreatnforntesting yourself after you learned it. Good luck.

 

[toastybread]

Barron's DAT book is FANTASTIC for some PAT strategies. In my opinion, it's worth the $7.

Biology - use the AP Bio book. Don't rely on it for physiology though. Get Schaum's biology for that bit.

Math - Use Math Destroyer. The format and question style is perfect for practicing because its almost on par/slightlyyyy harder than the real DAT. Don't bother with Crack the DAT, it's a waste of money.

Gen chem/orgo - Use chad's and DAT destroyer and you'll be golden.

I would suggest practicing each section with a dry erase marker and a laminated sheet of paper (get it at Staples for like a buck) so that you're used to it on test day.

 

[predent325]

PAT: Crack the DAT
I bought the basic Crack the PAT first. Then, when I still wasn't getting as high as I wanted, I upgraded but not to the royal flush. I personally wouldn't blow all my money right away but wait until the end of the basic version to see if you still need practice.

Science (bio, orgo, gen chem): DAT Destroyer, chad's videos
Great Idea! Chad's videos were awesome for gen chem and orgo, which was the only reason i did well on those sections. Destroyer is more complicated than the actual test, but great practice and the explanations teach you a lot though. The explanations were how you understood certain concepts. I would go through it multiple times. Also, I would definitely recommend the AP Cliffs Bio book. It goes into everything you need to know about biology and all the oddball details are in it.

Reading: Crack the DAT? (i heard mixed reviews such as "too many tone questions")
I used Crack the DAT, but it was simpler than the actual DAT passages. I would recommend it if you don't have your timing or strategies down, which was my biggest problem before I used it. The questions were harder on the DAT, but I thought i was prepared with only Crack the DAT because I had my timing down.

Math: DAT Destroyer (maybe crack the dat??)
I never used Crack the DAT for math, but the Math section in DAT destroyer was a little more simple than i liked. I thought the separate book for DAT Math Destroyer was the best way to be prepared. It was a little more difficult with certain tests, but i thought it was the best representation of the real Math section. I went through that book twice and thought i was prepared.

 

[obeserabbit]

if i'm using chad's/cliffs AP bio for content review, is it even worth it to get the kaplan blue book?

 

[aqz]

No, but www.datqvault.com may be worth a look.

 

[SDD2]

First off with all sections especially QR, Reading, PAT I can barely if that finish the section.
All sections make me want to rip my brain out, this is my second time and I need to kick ass. PLEASE HELP!

I have done destroyer 100 times I dont look sometimes because I had it memorized from round 1. QR and Bio are toughest for me.

test 4:
PAT 17
QR 18
(i guessed on most, tons of trig i had no clue)
RC 18
bio 16
GC 16
OC 16
AA 17

test 5:
PAT 17
RC 17
QR 14
Bio 17
GC 15
OC 17
AA 16

my scores went down. what do you guys think!!! I am freaking out

 

[biomolecmed]

which Destroyer version are you using? Their website www.orgoman.com says that new version, (2013) is available.

 

[shiftparadigm]

Going along with what others have been saying, Chad's videos + Destroyer + datqvault should be enough for OC and GC. For Bio, I think you should find additional resources, such as an AP Bio book or Cliffs or find detailed lecture slides/ppts from a general bio class. Personally, the only bio class that I had taken before I took the DAT was a class on evolution/ecology which wasn't very helpful for the test. Just using the resources I mentioned earlier was enough for me. So for anyone who's worrying about not having taken classes such as anatomy, microbiology, whatever, I would say that while they're helpful, these classes are not necessary to do well on the bio section. Just my two cents 🙂