Hello guys,
This forum has been sooo helpful in preparing for the DAT. I've been reading through lots of posts on here, but I haven't encountered one that contained scores like mine. So I thought I'd put up my results and study methods. Here are my scores from this morning!
PAT: 24
QR: 16 😱
RC: 19
Bio:21
GC: 19
OC: 20
TS: 20
AA: 19
So yeah.. I totally failed the QR part :cry:. I don't know what to think of these scores? I mean.. AA of 19? Judging from this forum, the average must be like 29. hahahaha No but really.. Any advice on my scores would help me out a lot. Thanks!
Details about testing center:
A locker was provided immediately after checking in.
I was give 2 plastic/laminated pink papers and 2 "non-erasable" markers that smeared.
I took the optional 15 min break to walk around, stretch, and relax.
--------------------------
PAT
I used the Kaplan DAT section on the PAT to learn how to answer the problems correctly and to do so in a timely matter. Timing myself during those mini PAT practice tests in the Kaplan book really got me use to doing the problems quickly. I only went through each practice set once.
I also used the Crack Dat Pat software Ace Edition. This is where I really learned how the PAT worked. I completed a total of 7 practice tests, with scores of 20, 19, 21, 18, 22, 22, and 25. So these practice tests were pretty much in line of what the real PAT was like. Actually, I thought the keyholes on the actual DAT were simpler, but much more confusing (does that make sense?). The shapes were much simpler, but the ways you had to imagine the figures in your head, to able to fit through those keyholes provided, were giving me headaches. Top-front-end and cube counting was similar to CDP. Pattern folding was more confusing that on CDP. Shapes were simpler, but turning those black and white patterns around was difficult.
QR
For this section, I used Math Destroyer. This text was suuuuper helpful. I only did the first 6 tests, but those tests helped me get through the majority of the questions. Everything I needed to know was on there, but I still did bad. Since this was the last section, I was really tired. I wasn't able to think clearly, and couldn't figure out simple calculations in my head. I went to using the calculator, which may have slowed me down a bit more. The computer calculator was soo slow!
Reading Comprehension
Ok so I didn't study for this section at all. I didn't even do a practice test for it. Probably why I did so poorly 🙁. I thought.. "Its reading! How hard can that be?" O but it was.. There was not enough time for me to read through the passages. And since it was near the end of the test, my eyes were starting to blur and get dry from staring at the computer screen for so long.
Bio
I used Kaplan DAT and Cliff's AP Bio. Kaplan wasn't that helpful to me; it was way too broad and I felt like what I was reading were things I already knew. The book didn't go into much detail. I basically skimmed through this section as a way to organize the whole mess of biology that was in my head.
I studied Cliffs and read through it twice. It contains more detail than what I think you need to know for the Bio section of DAT.
Gen Chem
I used Kaplan DAT and DAT Destroyer. The general chemistry part of Kaplan was much more helpful than the bio section. I enjoyed working the example problems provided in the text. The DAT seemed to have general chemistry questions that were similar to those in the book. Pretty much good study material to go through to make sure you understand the concepts.
DAT Destroyer was sooo hard the first time I opened it up. I only did the first half of the gen chem problems, but went over them 3 times. After practicing with it for a while, I was able to solve problems quickly. In my opinion, the destroyer gives you many more formulas to memorize than what is actually needed. I found the DAT section to be much more simple than destroyer. There was more emphasis on actual properties and concepts, rather than problem solving with formulas.
Organic Chem
I used Kaplan DAT and DAT destroyer. I read through Kaplan DAT Ochem section once and never really looked back. It was good review material for getting used to doing ochem problems, but it didn't present the subject matter like how I learned it in class. So I resorted to my old OChem book and notes instead. Dat Destroyer ochem problems were again, suuuuper helpful. I found the reaction problems on the actual DAT were much simpler than on Destroyer, since Destroyer would combine like 4 reactions within one problem. But a lot of the DAT questions were about things other than mechanisms. Those, I didn't know. You really need to know the concepts behind the reactions and compounds, rather than just memorizing 200 reaction. I focused mainly on the Destroyer "road maps". I should've learned more about the actual compounds.
Overall, I really recommend Cliffs AP Bio, DAT and Math Destroyer, and doing the CDP PAT tests. Thanks for reading!
----------
O yeah.. I studied for 6 weeks after I finished summer school. I studied around 8-10 hours a day weekdays only. I was only able to get through half of the DAT Destroyer problems, and half of the Math Destroyer tests.
I forgot to mention that the DAT Destroyer was helpful in the Bio section. I found the actual DAT problems were much simpler than on the DAT destroyer bio section.
I also never actually did a whole practice exam. I only did the PAT and QR practice tests timed.
This forum has been sooo helpful in preparing for the DAT. I've been reading through lots of posts on here, but I haven't encountered one that contained scores like mine. So I thought I'd put up my results and study methods. Here are my scores from this morning!
PAT: 24
QR: 16 😱
RC: 19
Bio:21
GC: 19
OC: 20
TS: 20
AA: 19
So yeah.. I totally failed the QR part :cry:. I don't know what to think of these scores? I mean.. AA of 19? Judging from this forum, the average must be like 29. hahahaha No but really.. Any advice on my scores would help me out a lot. Thanks!
Details about testing center:
A locker was provided immediately after checking in.
I was give 2 plastic/laminated pink papers and 2 "non-erasable" markers that smeared.
I took the optional 15 min break to walk around, stretch, and relax.
--------------------------
PAT
I used the Kaplan DAT section on the PAT to learn how to answer the problems correctly and to do so in a timely matter. Timing myself during those mini PAT practice tests in the Kaplan book really got me use to doing the problems quickly. I only went through each practice set once.
I also used the Crack Dat Pat software Ace Edition. This is where I really learned how the PAT worked. I completed a total of 7 practice tests, with scores of 20, 19, 21, 18, 22, 22, and 25. So these practice tests were pretty much in line of what the real PAT was like. Actually, I thought the keyholes on the actual DAT were simpler, but much more confusing (does that make sense?). The shapes were much simpler, but the ways you had to imagine the figures in your head, to able to fit through those keyholes provided, were giving me headaches. Top-front-end and cube counting was similar to CDP. Pattern folding was more confusing that on CDP. Shapes were simpler, but turning those black and white patterns around was difficult.
QR
For this section, I used Math Destroyer. This text was suuuuper helpful. I only did the first 6 tests, but those tests helped me get through the majority of the questions. Everything I needed to know was on there, but I still did bad. Since this was the last section, I was really tired. I wasn't able to think clearly, and couldn't figure out simple calculations in my head. I went to using the calculator, which may have slowed me down a bit more. The computer calculator was soo slow!
Reading Comprehension
Ok so I didn't study for this section at all. I didn't even do a practice test for it. Probably why I did so poorly 🙁. I thought.. "Its reading! How hard can that be?" O but it was.. There was not enough time for me to read through the passages. And since it was near the end of the test, my eyes were starting to blur and get dry from staring at the computer screen for so long.
Bio
I used Kaplan DAT and Cliff's AP Bio. Kaplan wasn't that helpful to me; it was way too broad and I felt like what I was reading were things I already knew. The book didn't go into much detail. I basically skimmed through this section as a way to organize the whole mess of biology that was in my head.
I studied Cliffs and read through it twice. It contains more detail than what I think you need to know for the Bio section of DAT.
Gen Chem
I used Kaplan DAT and DAT Destroyer. The general chemistry part of Kaplan was much more helpful than the bio section. I enjoyed working the example problems provided in the text. The DAT seemed to have general chemistry questions that were similar to those in the book. Pretty much good study material to go through to make sure you understand the concepts.
DAT Destroyer was sooo hard the first time I opened it up. I only did the first half of the gen chem problems, but went over them 3 times. After practicing with it for a while, I was able to solve problems quickly. In my opinion, the destroyer gives you many more formulas to memorize than what is actually needed. I found the DAT section to be much more simple than destroyer. There was more emphasis on actual properties and concepts, rather than problem solving with formulas.
Organic Chem
I used Kaplan DAT and DAT destroyer. I read through Kaplan DAT Ochem section once and never really looked back. It was good review material for getting used to doing ochem problems, but it didn't present the subject matter like how I learned it in class. So I resorted to my old OChem book and notes instead. Dat Destroyer ochem problems were again, suuuuper helpful. I found the reaction problems on the actual DAT were much simpler than on Destroyer, since Destroyer would combine like 4 reactions within one problem. But a lot of the DAT questions were about things other than mechanisms. Those, I didn't know. You really need to know the concepts behind the reactions and compounds, rather than just memorizing 200 reaction. I focused mainly on the Destroyer "road maps". I should've learned more about the actual compounds.
Overall, I really recommend Cliffs AP Bio, DAT and Math Destroyer, and doing the CDP PAT tests. Thanks for reading!
----------
O yeah.. I studied for 6 weeks after I finished summer school. I studied around 8-10 hours a day weekdays only. I was only able to get through half of the DAT Destroyer problems, and half of the Math Destroyer tests.
I forgot to mention that the DAT Destroyer was helpful in the Bio section. I found the actual DAT problems were much simpler than on the DAT destroyer bio section.
I also never actually did a whole practice exam. I only did the PAT and QR practice tests timed.
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