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DAT Breakdown
Hi, everyone! Along with many others, I've read these forums weekly during my DAT prep, which began at the beginning of May and ended in August. However, I've never posted anything before! I took my DAT today, though, and I want to share my experiences with others so that maybe I can help someone else like you all have helped me.
Some background info on me:
I decided to take my DAT a bit early. I had organic chemistry last year (sophomore) and I knew it would be long gone from my memory by next year, so I decided to buckle down and go for my test this summer! That being said, I haven't had many upper-level biology courses. No human anatomy, plant physiology, etc. However, I have had genetics, which was very useful. My organic teacher was also AWESOME, so that definitely gave me a leg up on the OC section. I had pretty much forgotten all of GC, so I retaught it to myself this summer along with lots and lots of bio. QR is not my strong suit, but I did study for it.
Before I get into my breakdown, I wanted to say that if anyone has ANY questions, feel free to ask! I want to help others. I was so anxious and terrified during this process, so if I can make it easier for someone else, that would be awesome!
Okay, so my scores:
26 AA
30 TS
23 PAT
30 BIO
30 GC
29 OC
21 QR
21 RC
What I used to study: Chad's videos, Kaplan Blue Book for bio only, CliffNotes AP Biology, Barron's AP Biology, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Crack PAT
How long I studied: 3 months, approximately 4.5 hours a day during the week. I didn't always study on the weekends. I also took off days here and there (probably about 2 weeks total). I didn't have a job this summer, but I did shadow a dentist once a week.
When I posted my breakdown previously, I had a few people ask me if I was just naturally a "genius" or something of the sort. Am I smart? Yes, I have some natural talent in the intelligence arena. 😉 However, I am not a genius. I do, however, know how to study smartly. I see breakdowns where others claim to study 10-12 hours a day for 3 months. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but seriously, I don't see how a person could possibly be productive for that long. All throughout my studying, I read these forums and thought I wasn't doing enough. I didn't EVER do a full practice test. I didn't buy Achiever, I didn't buy qvault, I didn't buy TopScore. I honestly had a life outside of my studying, and I think it helped to keep my morale up. Also, by not trying to cram so much into one day, I think my retention was better. I've become good over the years at ignoring the "fluff" when trying to study things, so I tried to make the best of my time, especially when studying biology; Basically, if something in one of my study resources was super in-depth, I'd make sure I knew the basics and moved on.
I'm more productive in the mornings. I'd get up around 9, eat breakfast, and then study until about 3 in the afternoon. However, I took breaks! I'd study for an hour, then go take a shower. Study another thirty minutes and then go dry my hair. I'd often go eat lunch with my mom or grandmother. Then, at 3:30, my boyfriend would get off work and we'd just hang out for the rest of the day. Doing so was my stress reliever, and without something to look forward to every afternoon, I think I would have gone insane! Basically, my point here is to not feel bad if you maintain a life during your studies. I was very fortunate to have not needed a job over the summer (thank you, Mom and Dad!), but if you do have to have one, PLEASE make some fun time for yourself! You deserve it! 😀
Also, every day, I studied multiple subjects; I wouldn't just spend 4 hours on one thing and call it quits. I think I would have killed myself with boredom that way. I'd study one topic for about an hour and then move on to something else. I especially hated studying biology (I was so overwhelmed because I had to teach myself A&P, plant stuff, etc.)😉, so I'd intersperse bio studying with Chad's videos, which I thought were fun to watch!
Now, on to my thoughts on each section:
PAT: I do not know how I pulled a 23 on this. IT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE. Some people think this section is easier than crack, but be forewarned that this section can also be killer! I went through each of the 10 Crack tests, some multiple times, and usually finished each with 10 minutes to spare. I typically scored around a 23 on them. However, this test was about 50x harder than any Crack test I saw. I found myself marking about every other question. When I saw I had about 35 minutes left and was barely halfway done, I started hyperventilating. I had 7 minutes left and I had to go back through the FIFTEEN questions I had just straight-up skipped; I didn't even count how many I had marked! The hole punches were weird and tiny, the folds were more intricate, etc. The keyholes, which I usually get about 14/15 right on crack, were outrageous. So stinking hard. TFE was harder than crack. The pattern folding at the end was harder, plus I was running out of time so I could hardly think. However, on a positive note, the cube counting was easy!!! So, my thoughts for this section--maybe mine was just ridiculously hard and this isn't the norm. However, even if you feel like you are absolutely floundering throughout, don't give up! I really thought I had maybe a 16 on this. I literally kept praying during this section that I could just guess some right. Seriously. I knew I had nailed the sciences, and I kept thinking to myself, "I'm going to have to retake this WHOLE DANG THING because I'm going to fail this section." Phew. My break was right after this, and the lady at the front desk was telling me to calm down because she could see how badly I was shaking. I wanted to cry. I went out to the lobby, did stretches, prayed, and came back in for the reading.
BIO: Many different subjects were covered, but none of them were random. There wasn't a single one that wasn't covered in Cliffs, Barron's, or KBB. Heck, I think every answer could have been found in a single one of the books. No need for me to have studied them all! On that note, I highly suggest Barron';s. To me, it's a much easier read than the others. I did the Destroyer bio section 2x for this, but I think it was overkill. Like I said, I got everything I needed in the other books, and their practice questions ended up being much more helpful than those in the Destroyer. Studying for this was difficult, but it paid off!
OC: I took both semesters of orgo last year and did well in both; my teacher was absolutely incredible. There was one question I was unsure of in this, and I guess I missed it! The reactions were with very common reagents, and things weren't nearly as detailed as I was used to doing in my class. Chad's is all that is necessary for this. Once again, Destroyer was overkill, though I got most of the problems right on my first time through because my class was such a great preparation. Personally, I wouldn't suggest learning the roadmaps (I didn't). A lot of that stuff is just far too detailed for this section. Make sure you really KNOW CHAD. His quizzes were also very realistic.
GC: I hadn't done anything with this subject in a while. I don't really like chemistry, so it all left me very quickly. I went through Chad's videos 3x for this, and it was all I needed. Sadly, Destroyer was once again overkill, but I did it twice. There were quite a few math problems, but they were easy (the plug and chug sort). Lots of questions were purely conceptual, and for the math questions, a lot of them just required you to set up the equation, not to actually do it! That saved lots of time. Do Chad's, KNOW IT, and you will be set.
RC: I did not really study for this section. I had very high SAT writing and reading scores, so I thought I could nail this. I also did a few practice tests and did well on them. However, my test stunk big time. I swear, even for some of the "S&D" type of questions, the answers just weren't in the stinkin' article, even after I had gone through it multiple times. Also, I am convinced that two of the questions on my final passage required me to have previous knowledge of geography, which I do NOT have! If the answers to those geographical questions were in the article, they must have been in invisible ink or something because I couldn't find them! So, yeah, this section was hard. I know I didn't do badly on it, but I thought I'd do better. When I handed my score report to my Mom, my first comment was literally,"My lowest score was my reading!!!" We both cracked up. I honestly thought this was going to be my highest score. Hah!
QR: Meh. I hate math, and I'm more than happy with this score. I suggest knowing trignometry, including the advanced stuff. This section wasn't outrageously difficult (save for a few problems), but time was just the biggest issue. I probably made some simple mistakes because obviously, nobody really has time to check over anything. Oh well. Like I said, I'm excited about this score. I went through the Math Destroyer tests 1-8 about twice, but especially on the crazy rate problems, I just said, "To heck with that!" and never really learned how to do them. (What a slacker I am!!) I wouldn't stress too much about the super difficult permutation/combination stuff. That being said, some of the algebra was difficult, and the trig stuff was hard, even though I knew all the stuff in Chad's QR videos.
I am not applying until next year, and I am so glad to have all of you along with me for the ride!
Like I said, ask away with any questions. Good luck to everyone who has yet to take the DAT! I did NOT feel ready for this, but I'm the kind of person who never feels ready for tests. You can do it. I am not a genius, and I did. I have a boyfriend, a life, and greatly enjoy my free time.
**Please see below for a collection of PMs and my responses**
Hi, everyone! Along with many others, I've read these forums weekly during my DAT prep, which began at the beginning of May and ended in August. However, I've never posted anything before! I took my DAT today, though, and I want to share my experiences with others so that maybe I can help someone else like you all have helped me.
Some background info on me:
I decided to take my DAT a bit early. I had organic chemistry last year (sophomore) and I knew it would be long gone from my memory by next year, so I decided to buckle down and go for my test this summer! That being said, I haven't had many upper-level biology courses. No human anatomy, plant physiology, etc. However, I have had genetics, which was very useful. My organic teacher was also AWESOME, so that definitely gave me a leg up on the OC section. I had pretty much forgotten all of GC, so I retaught it to myself this summer along with lots and lots of bio. QR is not my strong suit, but I did study for it.
Before I get into my breakdown, I wanted to say that if anyone has ANY questions, feel free to ask! I want to help others. I was so anxious and terrified during this process, so if I can make it easier for someone else, that would be awesome!
Okay, so my scores:
26 AA
30 TS
23 PAT
30 BIO
30 GC
29 OC
21 QR
21 RC
What I used to study: Chad's videos, Kaplan Blue Book for bio only, CliffNotes AP Biology, Barron's AP Biology, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, Crack PAT
How long I studied: 3 months, approximately 4.5 hours a day during the week. I didn't always study on the weekends. I also took off days here and there (probably about 2 weeks total). I didn't have a job this summer, but I did shadow a dentist once a week.
When I posted my breakdown previously, I had a few people ask me if I was just naturally a "genius" or something of the sort. Am I smart? Yes, I have some natural talent in the intelligence arena. 😉 However, I am not a genius. I do, however, know how to study smartly. I see breakdowns where others claim to study 10-12 hours a day for 3 months. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but seriously, I don't see how a person could possibly be productive for that long. All throughout my studying, I read these forums and thought I wasn't doing enough. I didn't EVER do a full practice test. I didn't buy Achiever, I didn't buy qvault, I didn't buy TopScore. I honestly had a life outside of my studying, and I think it helped to keep my morale up. Also, by not trying to cram so much into one day, I think my retention was better. I've become good over the years at ignoring the "fluff" when trying to study things, so I tried to make the best of my time, especially when studying biology; Basically, if something in one of my study resources was super in-depth, I'd make sure I knew the basics and moved on.
I'm more productive in the mornings. I'd get up around 9, eat breakfast, and then study until about 3 in the afternoon. However, I took breaks! I'd study for an hour, then go take a shower. Study another thirty minutes and then go dry my hair. I'd often go eat lunch with my mom or grandmother. Then, at 3:30, my boyfriend would get off work and we'd just hang out for the rest of the day. Doing so was my stress reliever, and without something to look forward to every afternoon, I think I would have gone insane! Basically, my point here is to not feel bad if you maintain a life during your studies. I was very fortunate to have not needed a job over the summer (thank you, Mom and Dad!), but if you do have to have one, PLEASE make some fun time for yourself! You deserve it! 😀
Also, every day, I studied multiple subjects; I wouldn't just spend 4 hours on one thing and call it quits. I think I would have killed myself with boredom that way. I'd study one topic for about an hour and then move on to something else. I especially hated studying biology (I was so overwhelmed because I had to teach myself A&P, plant stuff, etc.)😉, so I'd intersperse bio studying with Chad's videos, which I thought were fun to watch!
Now, on to my thoughts on each section:
PAT: I do not know how I pulled a 23 on this. IT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE. Some people think this section is easier than crack, but be forewarned that this section can also be killer! I went through each of the 10 Crack tests, some multiple times, and usually finished each with 10 minutes to spare. I typically scored around a 23 on them. However, this test was about 50x harder than any Crack test I saw. I found myself marking about every other question. When I saw I had about 35 minutes left and was barely halfway done, I started hyperventilating. I had 7 minutes left and I had to go back through the FIFTEEN questions I had just straight-up skipped; I didn't even count how many I had marked! The hole punches were weird and tiny, the folds were more intricate, etc. The keyholes, which I usually get about 14/15 right on crack, were outrageous. So stinking hard. TFE was harder than crack. The pattern folding at the end was harder, plus I was running out of time so I could hardly think. However, on a positive note, the cube counting was easy!!! So, my thoughts for this section--maybe mine was just ridiculously hard and this isn't the norm. However, even if you feel like you are absolutely floundering throughout, don't give up! I really thought I had maybe a 16 on this. I literally kept praying during this section that I could just guess some right. Seriously. I knew I had nailed the sciences, and I kept thinking to myself, "I'm going to have to retake this WHOLE DANG THING because I'm going to fail this section." Phew. My break was right after this, and the lady at the front desk was telling me to calm down because she could see how badly I was shaking. I wanted to cry. I went out to the lobby, did stretches, prayed, and came back in for the reading.
BIO: Many different subjects were covered, but none of them were random. There wasn't a single one that wasn't covered in Cliffs, Barron's, or KBB. Heck, I think every answer could have been found in a single one of the books. No need for me to have studied them all! On that note, I highly suggest Barron';s. To me, it's a much easier read than the others. I did the Destroyer bio section 2x for this, but I think it was overkill. Like I said, I got everything I needed in the other books, and their practice questions ended up being much more helpful than those in the Destroyer. Studying for this was difficult, but it paid off!
OC: I took both semesters of orgo last year and did well in both; my teacher was absolutely incredible. There was one question I was unsure of in this, and I guess I missed it! The reactions were with very common reagents, and things weren't nearly as detailed as I was used to doing in my class. Chad's is all that is necessary for this. Once again, Destroyer was overkill, though I got most of the problems right on my first time through because my class was such a great preparation. Personally, I wouldn't suggest learning the roadmaps (I didn't). A lot of that stuff is just far too detailed for this section. Make sure you really KNOW CHAD. His quizzes were also very realistic.
GC: I hadn't done anything with this subject in a while. I don't really like chemistry, so it all left me very quickly. I went through Chad's videos 3x for this, and it was all I needed. Sadly, Destroyer was once again overkill, but I did it twice. There were quite a few math problems, but they were easy (the plug and chug sort). Lots of questions were purely conceptual, and for the math questions, a lot of them just required you to set up the equation, not to actually do it! That saved lots of time. Do Chad's, KNOW IT, and you will be set.
RC: I did not really study for this section. I had very high SAT writing and reading scores, so I thought I could nail this. I also did a few practice tests and did well on them. However, my test stunk big time. I swear, even for some of the "S&D" type of questions, the answers just weren't in the stinkin' article, even after I had gone through it multiple times. Also, I am convinced that two of the questions on my final passage required me to have previous knowledge of geography, which I do NOT have! If the answers to those geographical questions were in the article, they must have been in invisible ink or something because I couldn't find them! So, yeah, this section was hard. I know I didn't do badly on it, but I thought I'd do better. When I handed my score report to my Mom, my first comment was literally,"My lowest score was my reading!!!" We both cracked up. I honestly thought this was going to be my highest score. Hah!
QR: Meh. I hate math, and I'm more than happy with this score. I suggest knowing trignometry, including the advanced stuff. This section wasn't outrageously difficult (save for a few problems), but time was just the biggest issue. I probably made some simple mistakes because obviously, nobody really has time to check over anything. Oh well. Like I said, I'm excited about this score. I went through the Math Destroyer tests 1-8 about twice, but especially on the crazy rate problems, I just said, "To heck with that!" and never really learned how to do them. (What a slacker I am!!) I wouldn't stress too much about the super difficult permutation/combination stuff. That being said, some of the algebra was difficult, and the trig stuff was hard, even though I knew all the stuff in Chad's QR videos.
I am not applying until next year, and I am so glad to have all of you along with me for the ride!
Like I said, ask away with any questions. Good luck to everyone who has yet to take the DAT! I did NOT feel ready for this, but I'm the kind of person who never feels ready for tests. You can do it. I am not a genius, and I did. I have a boyfriend, a life, and greatly enjoy my free time.
**Please see below for a collection of PMs and my responses**
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