Need Score Boosting Tips

[kiki23]

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~3 weeks before my test and I'm somewhat concerned! I've took all five bootcamp tests and just brought Qvault. I'm on test # 4 on Qvault right now and I've been consistently making biology 17, chem 18, and organic 19. This worries me because I'm aiming to make 21+ For each subject on the test. Does anyone have any last minute tips and advice on what do I should do differently these next 3 weeks to increase my score? Thank you!

 

[hiyesthomas]

I think you should go through at least 4-5 practice tests within the next 3 weeks, I took a practice test the day before my exam (topscore) and scored somewhere around your scores. But I did a lot better than expected, received 21 in bio, 21 in gc, and 25 in orgo. going through destroyer also helped.
http://acedat.com/2013-dat-breakdown-222221-by-hiyesthomas/
heres my breakdown
"Last three weeks, I locked myself in my room for about 3 weeks.. got up at 8:30am and study until lunch, take an hour break, study until 6, break until 7:30pm, study until 12:30-1:00am and read a book, go to bed. Repeat for 3 weeks.

During these three weeks, I memorized cliff notes, went through destroyer problems, solved about 7 practice tests (2007, 2009, top score 1,2,3, crack dat) and then took the test on the 26th."

 

[kiki23]

I think you should go through at least 4-5 practice tests within the next 3 weeks, I took a practice test the day before my exam (topscore) and scored somewhere around your scores. But I did a lot better than expected, received 21 in bio, 21 in gc, and 25 in orgo. going through destroyer also helped.
http://acedat.com/2013-dat-breakdown-222221-by-hiyesthomas/
heres my breakdown
"Last three weeks, I locked myself in my room for about 3 weeks.. got up at 8:30am and study until lunch, take an hour break, study until 6, break until 7:30pm, study until 12:30-1:00am and read a book, go to bed. Repeat for 3 weeks.

During these three weeks, I memorized cliff notes, went through destroyer problems, solved about 7 practice tests (2007, 2009, top score 1,2,3, crack dat) and then took the test on the 26th."

You're awesome!!!! Thank you soo much answering and for your help!!!

 

[Glimmer1991]

Most people seem to do better on the real test than they do on practice tests. I don't really advocate practice tests in the first place, but I really don't advocate taking them the final days before your test. They can mess with your confidence!

Do them if you believe they are helping you. However, for your last few weeks, I would focus on review, review, review! Go back over EVERYTHING you have done. In the last week alone, I personally went back over all of Chad's videos, all of the Destroyer, all of Cliff's AP Bio, all of Barron's AP bio, all of the Crack PAT tests, and about 10 tests in the math Destroyer. However, all of that only required about 8 hours a day--I knew the stuff pretty well by the end. The day before my test, all I did was review my notes from Chad.

Buckle down these last few weeks, but don't kill yourself! I'd ramp it up the last week (I went from about 4.5 hours a day to 7-8 hours a day during only the last week). Stay away from the practice tests right before your DAT--a fluke bad score might mess up your confidence. And, really, remember that most SDNers seem to do better on the real deal. 🙂

 

[kiki23]

Most people seem to do better on the real test than they do on practice tests. I don't really advocate practice tests in the first place, but I really don't advocate taking them the final days before your test. They can mess with your confidence!

Do them if you believe they are helping you. However, for your last few weeks, I would focus on review, review, review! Go back over EVERYTHING you have done. In the last week alone, I personally went back over all of Chad's videos, all of the Destroyer, all of Cliff's AP Bio, all of Barron's AP bio, all of the Crack PAT tests, and about 10 tests in the math Destroyer. However, all of that only required about 8 hours a day--I knew the stuff pretty well by the end. The day before my test, all I did was review my notes from Chad.

Buckle down these last few weeks, but don't kill yourself! I'd ramp it up the last week (I went from about 4.5 hours a day to 7-8 hours a day during only the last week). Stay away from the practice tests right before your DAT--a fluke bad score might mess up your confidence. And, really, remember that most SDNers seem to do better on the real deal. 🙂

Thank you so much for your insight! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond... I'm really gonna study hard these last weeks.. I was thinking doing all of chads again two weeks before my test that way I have time to do practice problems on concepts I forgot and remembered from reviewing.do you think that's a good idea? Or should I review the week before like you did? Any advice you have for math and PAT? I've done the 10 destroyer math and going through it again the second time timing myself. This is awful but it's taking me like 20 mins to answer 5 questions... HELP!!! And the PAT I'm doing really well on Keyhole, hole punch and cube counting! Only missing maybe one question for each of these sections.. However on angle ranking, pattern folding, and esp FTE I'm suffering like way way suffering in these sections (getting only 40% correct!) I've tried everything from reading wicked tutorial like gazillion times.. YouTube... Brought crack pat! And still doing that bad! Do you think I can improve a lot on math and PAT these next three weeks and you have any tips and advice on how else I should study these sections? Thank you!

 

[Glimmer1991]

I always sucked at math and was SLOW at the Math Destroyer. I think the first 8 tests were most relevant to the test--I remember the last tests being really hard. I never learned how to do the hard stuff. Hah! Math isn't my favorite subject, and I hadn't taken a math course in 4 years... Oh well! Just try to understand how to do the problems as best as you can, but don't worry too much about time. Your real DAT will be easier than the Math Destroyer. Though I didn't do the math in the regular destroyer, it is probably much more difficult as well. Don't sweat it. Just become as good at it as you can, but don't worry about the time when you're studying. Just know you'll have to pace yourself on the test, and skip over problems that are too hard!! That is truly the best thing you can do on the test. Some people run out of time and have to guess on the last 10 questions... only to realize that some of those last questions had been REALLY easy, but they just didn't have any time to work them out. Tackle the easy ones first.

I never timed myself on ANYTHING in my preparation. I also never took a practice test.

Ah. With the PAT, the only thing that makes you better is practice. I sucked when I started, and slowly but surely got more efficient. I never really had a "method" for any of the sections--I just sort of got a feel for them with experience. Just keep doing those practice tests on CDP.

And about Chad--sounds good to do them two weeks before! But if you have time, I'd also try to review them at the one week mark as well. It certainly wouldn't hurt to go over them 2 more times. You can always watch at 1.5x speed, which helps.