I don't know what to do with PAT

[ScarletKnight24]

Just took another 3rd practice test and got even worse (17).
18's on the first 2.

7/15 TFE
5/15 pattern fold
15/15 hole punch
10/15 keyhole
7/15 angle
13/15 cubes.


Man this is so discouraging....

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[tayloreve]

I took the 1st 4 tests untimed and probably took about 90 minutes per test to do them..

1st test - 22
2nd test - 19
3rd test - 17 (accidently forgot to take timer off and it ended before i even started Cube Counting lol)
4th Test - 20

Doing these 1st helped me like.. understand everything and figure out how to answer problems and learn ways the paper folds and such..

I went back and redid them all timed and got..

1st test - 24
2nd test - 21
3rd test - 20
4th test - 22

I just did the 5th test timed this morning and got a 23 with about 6 minutes to spare. This method worked for me! lol

oh and what methods is everyone using for each section?? I'm starting to have a hard time with angles.. the 1st test I got 15\15, 2nd test 13\15 but since then I have started to only get 60%-80% on these

My methods..

Keyhole - none just visualize

TFE - none just visualize

Angles - none just kind of look at them.. (need a strategy that works!! lol)

Hole Punches - skip this section til the end then draw squares with dotted lines and make holes

Cube Counting - quickly write the number of sides for each block separately then tally them up to answer questions

Pattern Folding - again I just visualize..

I pretty much get perfect scores on Keyholes, Cube Counting, and Pattern Folding everytime (usually 15\15 - 13\15)

Usually miss a few on TFE and a few on Angles

I think I'm going to use your strategy and take test 4 untimed, then retake them all timed.

I suck at cube counting.

Man I really hate studying for PAT ;[

 

[vlaura0214]

I think eventually you have to start timing yourself. It helps to really kick your butt into gear. Of course, first few tests can be untimed for learning purposes. I have actually started setting the timer to 55minutes instead of 60 minutes to try and make myself rush through. It seems to be working quite well. Just got my first 25 today, so hopefully I can maintain that on the real dat.

keyholes - look for unusual features to eliminate answers

TFE - same as keyholes

Angle ranking - look at the answer choices first to choose which angle to compare instead of just head-on attacking the problem. This helps you to avoid comparing angles that won't help you narrow down answer choices. Also laptop and hill method.

Cube counting - I use tallying method, but saw a question today with easily 30+ cubes . I had to count twice and lost a lot of time. D: Oh, and I also go through the questions first to see what kind of cubes they want. I don't bother counting any unnecessary types of cubes.

Pattern folding - same as keyholes

 

[jaymin8]

I just did CDP 1 again timed and got a 23. The only thing was I memorized a few answers (like 5-ish) but I did finish 4-5 minutes early. PAT practice is starting to pay off, slowly but surely.

 

[Dgeorg6]

Just took Test 6 this morning and made a 25. Hill Method seemed to work well for me for angles!

 

[tayloreve]

Just took Test 6 this morning and made a 25. Hill Method seemed to work well for me for angles!

omg. timed?

 

[Dgeorg6]

Yup! I have noticed that what used to be one of my slowest sections (hole punches) is now probably one of my fastest behind angles and cube counting..

I think after a few tests you really understand all of the folds and where the holes will show up way better!!

 

[tayloreve]

Yup! I have noticed that what used to be one of my slowest sections (hole punches) is now probably one of my fastest behind angles and cube counting..

I think after a few tests you really understand all of the folds and where the holes will show up way better!!

Aw man. Congratulations. I hope one day I'll get a score like that. Lol.

Have you taken any full length practice tests yet?

 

[Dgeorg6]

No not yet unfortunately. So far I have just been taking all the Math Destroyer Tests and CDP Tests and doing DAT Destroyer. I think ima take the free ada test at the end of this week just to see how it is then start on my other stuff.

I bought 10 datqvault bio tests, 3 Achiever Tests, and 3 Topscore Tests. I think I'm going to continue to do DAT destroyer over and over again and start DAT Qvault Bio tests next week and then take the 3 achiever tests to mess up my self esteem and then Topscore to build it back up (hopefully) lol.

 

[Msmouth]

I did CDP # 6 today and got a 19. My biggest issue today was TFE.

I did angles bit better this test, I imagined the acute angles as bird beaks and the obtuse angles as laptops.

 

[Dgeorg6]

Good thinking. Never thought of the bird beak one. That would work good when they are sideways.

And for future references, on CDP test 8 #78 has an error

 

[Msmouth]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[jaymin8]

CDP4- 18 (AHH!!!)
CDP 5- 21

Yet to hit 25 :/

 

[NDPitch]

CDP 1 - 21
CDP 2 - 19
CDP 3 - 20

TFE is for SURE my weak spot. I spent 90 seconds on one of them for test 3. That is not good. How can I speed up TFE?

 

[Msmouth]

CDP 1 - 21
CDP 2 - 19
CDP 3 - 20

TFE is for SURE my weak spot. I spent 90 seconds on one of them for test 3. That is not good. How can I speed up TFE?

I've got 5 weeks to go and I plan to do PAT more and more and every day for the last 2 weeks. I think what happens is you get faster at cube counting and hole punch so you will have more time for your harder sections. I feel really good about keyhole and pattern folding but I heard it's harder on the real thing.

 

[ib51623]

Those are amazing scores!!! From CDP1 (scored 15) last wk to now CDP 3 (18) I've gotten better but im still struggling with time especially with TFE (eats up alot of my time). I went back and did them untimed and I was able to improve, but I need to improve alot more...SOON! I think I'll redo test 1 to 3 untimed and see if my score gets better with CDP4. How are you able skip hole punching? Do you skip through each problem or is there a quicker way to do it?

Ps. you're doing great! keep up the good work!!!

 

[ib51623]

Dgeorg6

 

[Dgeorg6]

Well on the 1st few tests I was just skipping every single question for hole punching and then would click review at the end and just go back to them. Now I have actually gotten very fast at hole punching so I dont skip them anymore..

Like I said I think it would be VERY benefecial to go through the 1st few tests un timed and just let everything soak in. Take your time and then after look at the explanations and look everything over.

I think it takes me about 10 minutes to do keyholes and about 12-15 minutes or so to do TFE. Angles and Cube Counting are usually super fast for me. Hole Punching has gotten pretty fast for me too and then I take another 15 minutes or so for Pattern Folding (used to not be like that in the 1st few tests but the patterns tend to get harder once you get farther along).

Just focus a lot on what you suck at. Like I was terrible at visualizing TFE and understanding the folds in hole punching. Now I haven't missed a single hole punching problem in my last 3 test and usually only miss 1-2 on TFE.