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@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Ahoy there everyone!
Similar to a lot of people on these boards... I've been reading SDN for the past three years, wondering how awesome it would be, to be done with this test. Well, I took it a couple days ago, and I have to tell you, it's incredible to be done. Absolutely incredible. After reading all the advice that people are nice enough to post on this site, I thought it was my duty to throw in a little advice of my own. By the way, for those who care, I studied for 2 months, anywhere from 1-8 hours a day.
Here are my scores:
PAT: 23 QR: 20 RC: 23 BIO: 19 GC: 24 OC: 22 TS: 21 AA: 22
Some advice:
PAT: I used CDP. I think this is the standard for success in this section. I had the package that comes with 10 tests, but I only did 5. The highest I ever scored was a 22. Things that I noticed: TFE and Keyhole were rather challenging for me on CDP, but I found them very manageable on the real thing. Almost easy, believe or not. Hole punch is also easier on the real thing. Angles are harder on the real test. Cube counting and pattern folding are about the same. Do the CDP tests. I think that's your best chance of doing well in this section.
QR: Didn't have too many problems with QR. I bought the math destroyer. Similar to CDP, I only made it through about half the problems, but I made sure to memorize all the formulas. I have learned that there is a gap in my math knowledge. I'm not sure I've ever learned permutations and combination at any level of my academic life. I know the formulas, and I know the general ideas after studying the destroyer, but for some reason I just suck at these. Guessed on a couple on the test... By the way, I didn't have many problems on practice tests with timing, but on the real test, time goes very quickly. My strategy was to skip all problems that either I didn't know how to do, or that took me too long to do. ALWAYS fill in an answer when you mark and skip a question, just in case you don't have time to come back. Anyway, by doing this, I made sure to do all the fast problems that I knew I could do. Then I had time at the end to review the problems that took longer, and I still didn't even make it to all of these... Don't waste time on long problems! Get the points elsewhere, and come back if you have time. This is one section where I would encourage people to study whenever possible. A lot of times, students ask how early is too early to study. Well QR is one instance where you can get started even freshman year! It's not something that takes a large time investment, but constantly doing problems will make you good at this section. Math Destroyer was good, Topscore too. That's all I used for math.
RC: My score on this section blew me away. This section is by far what I have been worrying about the most since I started my studying. Here's my two cents... I can't speak for anyone else's DAT, but my DAT's reading comprehension was easier than any practice material I ever used. I did some Kaplan reading sections, Barron's, and Achiever, and my scores were all over the place. No consistency. The passages on the real test were not in very complicated language, they were concise, and quite honestly, pretty simple. Each passage was about 15 paragraphs. I would number 1-15 on my paper, and write 1 or 2 words down on my paper from each paragraph to remind me what each paragraph was about... When I read a question, I would look down at my paper to see what paragraph that material was in, scroll to that paragraph, and boom.. there was the answer. I'm not a search and destroy guy. I really needed to read the passage first to get a feel for it. I found in my practice tests I started to panic if I didn't read the whole thing first. I don't have a whole lot of advice for this section... Just stay confident, because in my opinion, the real DAT is not that hard for reading. Probably my easiest section on the test... and I was considering a 17 something I would have been okay with going into the test... very relieved. My practice tests scores ranged anywhere from a 13 (DAT Achiever's second test where they give you a bunch of economic equations to analyze is ridiculous...) all the way up to a 20. Never imagined I'd get a 23...
BIO: Bio sucked. I'm lucky I got a 19. I thought for sure I was in line to get a 17. People aren't kidding when they say there are questions all over the place. There are some that are obvious, and VERY easy. There are others with information I have never seen in my life, and blatantly guessed on. I read Cliff's AP, then Barron's AP, then more from both.. I never read Kaplan, maybe that would have helped. Didn't do destroyer either, so I don't know much about that. I really don't know the best thing to do for this section. I'm satisfied with my score, but I know a lot of you are shooting for 20+ so do whatever you feel you gotta do.
GC: I'm pretty confident I know the formula for success here, as do many people. Watch Chad's videos, take notes and do the practice problems. I didn't do his practice problems, but they are probably good. Then do the destroyer until you know how to do every problem. This may suck at first, because it takes so long the first time. I missed like every other problem, but keep going. The second time you go through it, it will be better. Take notes on problems you get wrong, and study these notes. Do destroyer again for a third time, and keep track of the problems you are missing. Then do these problems again... Do destroyer until you can sit down, and pump out all 240ish problems in a relatively short amount of time. By the way, any time you have a chemistry problem that requires a formula in the destroyer, write that formula down on a separate sheet, including the units of each variable. When you're done with the whole destroyer, you'll have a formula sheet with about 20 solid chem formulas that will help you figure out anything. Next, do Topscore, and don't be surprised if you still miss some problems. I got like an 18 on my first Topscore test after all my destroyer work, which I was mad about, because I thought destroyer was supposed to make me invincible. Well, just memorize how to do all the Topscore problems that you got wrong, and you'll be good. By the way, I think DAT Achiever is too hard, and I think Topscore is a much better representation of the real test. So if you're trying to decide between the two, go Topscore. But anyway, Chad's Videos-->Destroyer-->Topscore--> solid on the DAT. Worked for me!
OC: Same as above. Chad's Videos, do Destroyer until you've pretty much memorized it, even if it takes you 3-5 times. Then do topscore, and I think you'll be good. It's amazing how much easier this section is than the actual OCHEM class during undergrad. No mechanisms really at all. OChem II was probably the hardest class of my life, but on all my practice tests, I didn't have many problems.... I think its because you dont really have to worry about mechanisms on the DAT too much Destroyer all the way, it'll get you familiar with pretty much everything you'll see.
So that's it. Goodluck to all of you! I invested my entire summer in this test, and I am elated to be done. I know how much studying sucks, just keep going. I honestly could never picture myself sitting here typing a breakdown. For some reason it just seemed so unrealistic, but I did it, and you can do it too! By the way, thanks to everyone who contributes on this forum and provides positive, constructive feedback. I've learned a lot on here, and I appreciate everyones input. Also, I mentioned this earlier, but I don't think it's ever to early to start studying. If you're early on in college, and you're really inspired to get started. Get the math destroyer and learn to do every problem, get CDP and knock out all the practice tests. You could even get started reviewing a Cliff's or Barron's AP Bio. That way when you actually need to start studying seriously, you can really focus on OCHEM, GCHEM, and more BIO, because in my opinion, those take a huge investment in time. It would be nice to already have PAT, and math down by the time you started hittin' your sciences hard. Anyway, keep on keepin' on, and good luck to everyone!
Godspeed!
Similar to a lot of people on these boards... I've been reading SDN for the past three years, wondering how awesome it would be, to be done with this test. Well, I took it a couple days ago, and I have to tell you, it's incredible to be done. Absolutely incredible. After reading all the advice that people are nice enough to post on this site, I thought it was my duty to throw in a little advice of my own. By the way, for those who care, I studied for 2 months, anywhere from 1-8 hours a day.
Here are my scores:
PAT: 23 QR: 20 RC: 23 BIO: 19 GC: 24 OC: 22 TS: 21 AA: 22
Some advice:
PAT: I used CDP. I think this is the standard for success in this section. I had the package that comes with 10 tests, but I only did 5. The highest I ever scored was a 22. Things that I noticed: TFE and Keyhole were rather challenging for me on CDP, but I found them very manageable on the real thing. Almost easy, believe or not. Hole punch is also easier on the real thing. Angles are harder on the real test. Cube counting and pattern folding are about the same. Do the CDP tests. I think that's your best chance of doing well in this section.
QR: Didn't have too many problems with QR. I bought the math destroyer. Similar to CDP, I only made it through about half the problems, but I made sure to memorize all the formulas. I have learned that there is a gap in my math knowledge. I'm not sure I've ever learned permutations and combination at any level of my academic life. I know the formulas, and I know the general ideas after studying the destroyer, but for some reason I just suck at these. Guessed on a couple on the test... By the way, I didn't have many problems on practice tests with timing, but on the real test, time goes very quickly. My strategy was to skip all problems that either I didn't know how to do, or that took me too long to do. ALWAYS fill in an answer when you mark and skip a question, just in case you don't have time to come back. Anyway, by doing this, I made sure to do all the fast problems that I knew I could do. Then I had time at the end to review the problems that took longer, and I still didn't even make it to all of these... Don't waste time on long problems! Get the points elsewhere, and come back if you have time. This is one section where I would encourage people to study whenever possible. A lot of times, students ask how early is too early to study. Well QR is one instance where you can get started even freshman year! It's not something that takes a large time investment, but constantly doing problems will make you good at this section. Math Destroyer was good, Topscore too. That's all I used for math.
RC: My score on this section blew me away. This section is by far what I have been worrying about the most since I started my studying. Here's my two cents... I can't speak for anyone else's DAT, but my DAT's reading comprehension was easier than any practice material I ever used. I did some Kaplan reading sections, Barron's, and Achiever, and my scores were all over the place. No consistency. The passages on the real test were not in very complicated language, they were concise, and quite honestly, pretty simple. Each passage was about 15 paragraphs. I would number 1-15 on my paper, and write 1 or 2 words down on my paper from each paragraph to remind me what each paragraph was about... When I read a question, I would look down at my paper to see what paragraph that material was in, scroll to that paragraph, and boom.. there was the answer. I'm not a search and destroy guy. I really needed to read the passage first to get a feel for it. I found in my practice tests I started to panic if I didn't read the whole thing first. I don't have a whole lot of advice for this section... Just stay confident, because in my opinion, the real DAT is not that hard for reading. Probably my easiest section on the test... and I was considering a 17 something I would have been okay with going into the test... very relieved. My practice tests scores ranged anywhere from a 13 (DAT Achiever's second test where they give you a bunch of economic equations to analyze is ridiculous...) all the way up to a 20. Never imagined I'd get a 23...
BIO: Bio sucked. I'm lucky I got a 19. I thought for sure I was in line to get a 17. People aren't kidding when they say there are questions all over the place. There are some that are obvious, and VERY easy. There are others with information I have never seen in my life, and blatantly guessed on. I read Cliff's AP, then Barron's AP, then more from both.. I never read Kaplan, maybe that would have helped. Didn't do destroyer either, so I don't know much about that. I really don't know the best thing to do for this section. I'm satisfied with my score, but I know a lot of you are shooting for 20+ so do whatever you feel you gotta do.
GC: I'm pretty confident I know the formula for success here, as do many people. Watch Chad's videos, take notes and do the practice problems. I didn't do his practice problems, but they are probably good. Then do the destroyer until you know how to do every problem. This may suck at first, because it takes so long the first time. I missed like every other problem, but keep going. The second time you go through it, it will be better. Take notes on problems you get wrong, and study these notes. Do destroyer again for a third time, and keep track of the problems you are missing. Then do these problems again... Do destroyer until you can sit down, and pump out all 240ish problems in a relatively short amount of time. By the way, any time you have a chemistry problem that requires a formula in the destroyer, write that formula down on a separate sheet, including the units of each variable. When you're done with the whole destroyer, you'll have a formula sheet with about 20 solid chem formulas that will help you figure out anything. Next, do Topscore, and don't be surprised if you still miss some problems. I got like an 18 on my first Topscore test after all my destroyer work, which I was mad about, because I thought destroyer was supposed to make me invincible. Well, just memorize how to do all the Topscore problems that you got wrong, and you'll be good. By the way, I think DAT Achiever is too hard, and I think Topscore is a much better representation of the real test. So if you're trying to decide between the two, go Topscore. But anyway, Chad's Videos-->Destroyer-->Topscore--> solid on the DAT. Worked for me!
OC: Same as above. Chad's Videos, do Destroyer until you've pretty much memorized it, even if it takes you 3-5 times. Then do topscore, and I think you'll be good. It's amazing how much easier this section is than the actual OCHEM class during undergrad. No mechanisms really at all. OChem II was probably the hardest class of my life, but on all my practice tests, I didn't have many problems.... I think its because you dont really have to worry about mechanisms on the DAT too much Destroyer all the way, it'll get you familiar with pretty much everything you'll see.
So that's it. Goodluck to all of you! I invested my entire summer in this test, and I am elated to be done. I know how much studying sucks, just keep going. I honestly could never picture myself sitting here typing a breakdown. For some reason it just seemed so unrealistic, but I did it, and you can do it too! By the way, thanks to everyone who contributes on this forum and provides positive, constructive feedback. I've learned a lot on here, and I appreciate everyones input. Also, I mentioned this earlier, but I don't think it's ever to early to start studying. If you're early on in college, and you're really inspired to get started. Get the math destroyer and learn to do every problem, get CDP and knock out all the practice tests. You could even get started reviewing a Cliff's or Barron's AP Bio. That way when you actually need to start studying seriously, you can really focus on OCHEM, GCHEM, and more BIO, because in my opinion, those take a huge investment in time. It would be nice to already have PAT, and math down by the time you started hittin' your sciences hard. Anyway, keep on keepin' on, and good luck to everyone!
Godspeed!
