Need some confort!! HELP! PLS I'm going crazy...

[asdfray]

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Fellow SNDers,

Started the DAT destroyer books 2 days ago (did content review for 2.5 months before that), and boy am I getting slammed. First 50 questions for each section, I'm getting around only 20-25% right (maybe less!) and I only have 29 days left! (yes, I do the countdown to modivate myself to work hard). Ironically, the best part for me is Bio right now (50% right?) At this point, I feel that at this pace and knowledge level, I'm not ready to take the DAT in less than a months time, even though I put lots of hours in studying for it (just finished a 20hr of it and still feel very nervous). I feel so dumb right now.. Also, with all this time, I'm not getting better, but worse(maybe I'm just tired.. idk). Can someone tell me how it was for you, when you started the book? Did anyone have this much trouble?!

For now, I kind of want to lean towards rescheduling, even though I spend so much time studying already, but this is better than doing bad on it and wait 3 months.

Sorry, had to vent - nervous and scared.. someone provide me with some comfort pls?

Ray

 

[kirkpat11]

I don't know how much this would help, but I've been studying for the last 2 months and I probably get about 50% right on gen chem 60% o-chem and QR kills me, but about 60% in the math destroyer. I would say not to let it get you down, just stay focused and learn from all your mistakes. The destroyer is difficult, have you tried watching Chad's videos? Cause they helped me a ton.

I'm actually studying the destroyer right and am 10 days out form my test,and only have half of gen chem and o chem done. I wouldn't move the date until you start getting close and still feel unprepared.

 

[r4nb]

Yep, it was like that for me too. My first go at the Destoyer problems, and I barely got 50% of each section correct. I'm not sure how your schedule is for this next month, but it'd be great if you could get through Destoyer at least three times to reinforce the concepts. It gets easier with practice, promise 🙂.

 

[asdfray]

only taking one class and have a midterm for that coming up soon (I accounted a certain amount of days for that already.) - I'm a post-bach btw.

I'm just so bummed out right now, and yeah, I used all the materials everyone used (Chad, AP Bio, Cliff, etc..) Feel shot down at this point. I'm probably going to put myself on over drive the next couple of weeks and go through the book as many times as I can and learn what I need to improve on. Then, towards the last two weeks, I'll take full-practice exams and see where I stand. If I still scoring that bad, I'm just going to postpone, likely..

Any other feedback is appreciated. Just need some motivation - I'm not a very confident person =(. In fact, I'm a nervous wreak, when it comes to exams and grades

 

[r4nb]

Aww. That sounds like a good plan though, reexamine how you feel in about two weeks, if you still don't feel confident, then postpone. There's no shame in postponing. I postponed three times before taking the DAT. If I don't feel confident walking into the exam, I just knew I wouldn't do well. You'll gain confidence as you absorb more and more of the content, and as you begin to apply them.

 

[TXpredent]

asdfray, I'm going through the same thing right now and I haven't even gotten to the Destroyer yet! I've been taking the Kaplan practice exams and I'm doing pretty bad. I'm not even getting the chance to finish the sections. Luckily, I have some time still to keep improving and I'll be starting the Destroyer in a couple weeks. The general theme with the Destroyer that I've been seeing is that it really does just kick your butt. In my opinion, don't over work yourself! Stay calm and have faith in the fact that despite you're getting destroyed (pun intended) that going over the mistakes is making you better. If it makes you feel any better, I'm a nervous wreck right now too. Just stay calm, relax and remain productive.

 

[kirkpat11]

I honestly think Kaplan material is out of date and doesn't help too much because it is so much harder. I was constantly getting like 50% on all their quizzes because they are so hard. If I had the options I would say chad's videos, then master the destroyer. I am taking the test in 2 weeks and am about halfway through the destroyer the first time around. I just hope I retain all the knowledge from it.

Do you guys fully understand every problem's explanation or have one in every once in while that you just don't understand and skip?

 

[JonLee]

Fellow SNDers,

Started the DAT destroyer books 2 days ago (did content review for 2.5 months before that), and boy am I getting slammed. First 50 questions for each section, I'm getting around only 20-25% right (maybe less!) and I only have 29 days left! (yes, I do the countdown to modivate myself to work hard). Ironically, the best part for me is Bio right now (50% right?) At this point, I feel that at this pace and knowledge level, I'm not ready to take the DAT in less than a months time, even though I put lots of hours in studying for it (just finished a 20hr of it and still feel very nervous). I feel so dumb right now.. Also, with all this time, I'm not getting better, but worse(maybe I'm just tired.. idk). Can someone tell me how it was for you, when you started the book? Did anyone have this much trouble?!

For now, I kind of want to lean towards rescheduling, even though I spend so much time studying already, but this is better than doing bad on it and wait 3 months.

Sorry, had to vent - nervous and scared.. someone provide me with some comfort pls?

Ray

Cheer up man.
I was getting slammed as well by a LOT of questions on destroyer 3 DAYS before my test, but everything turned out fine!
You have a lot more time than I did to prepare and sufficiently learn that book so don't worry! You got this!!👍👍

 

[ushaseos]

Fellow SNDers,

Started the DAT destroyer books 2 days ago (did content review for 2.5 months before that), and boy am I getting slammed. First 50 questions for each section, I'm getting around only 20-25% right (maybe less!) and I only have 29 days left! (yes, I do the countdown to modivate myself to work hard). Ironically, the best part for me is Bio right now (50% right?) At this point, I feel that at this pace and knowledge level, I'm not ready to take the DAT in less than a months time, even though I put lots of hours in studying for it (just finished a 20hr of it and still feel very nervous). I feel so dumb right now.. Also, with all this time, I'm not getting better, but worse(maybe I'm just tired.. idk). Can someone tell me how it was for you, when you started the book? Did anyone have this much trouble?!

For now, I kind of want to lean towards rescheduling, even though I spend so much time studying already, but this is better than doing bad on it and wait 3 months.

Sorry, had to vent - nervous and scared.. someone provide me with some comfort pls?

Ray

Take destroyer all the way to the end. You'll get MUCH better as you keep going. Its very discouraging to get only 25% right. I started getting 1 in 3 right in O-Chem, but by the time I finished the 2007 version, I had nearly 75-80% correct. Don't reschedule now, wait till you're don with Destroyer and have done either Top Score or Achiever or whatever practice tests you want to do. On in the unlikely event that you get an AA of 16 on Top Score or an AA of 13 on Achiever you have reason to worry but otherwise you'll be fine.

P.S. Everytime you make a mistake write down what went wrong in a notebook or something and read through it every day. It'll prevent you from making the same mistakes again.

 

[asdfray]

Thanks for the peptalk guys! 😍

Just took my first CrackPAT test and scored a 18. (don't know if that's a good thing for the first time?)
and I am getting more questions right as I go on.. I feel it (except gen chem -.-'')

Guess there's hope for me after all?!

 

[white fang]

Thanks for the peptalk guys! 😍

Just took my first CrackPAT test and scored a 18. (don't know if that's a good thing for the first time?)
and I am getting more questions right as I go on.. I feel it (except gen chem -.-'')

Guess there's hope for me after all?!

Keep plugging away at it. I started at 17 on CDP and was getting 20-22 by test 6. I got a 20 on the real test. I think with work you will get higher than I did on the real PAT.


Also, don't judge where you are at and consider a retake until maybe 5 days out. As I told you in my PM, I got a 16 on O-chem on TS test 2 two weeks out from my real test and got a 27 on the real test. Almost all my improvement came at the end.

DAT Destroyer is tough, but you will get a lot better at it as you repeat it.

 

[ushaseos]

I started CDP with an EMBARASSING 16. I skipped the last 29 questions and had a mini freak-out.

Seriously, you're gonna be fine. I scored a 23 on the real thing with enough practice. All these prep materials are difficult at first, just like the real test. With more familiarity, everything becomes easier and it all starts to kind of fit together. You're doing good and clearly have plenty of determination to reach your goals.

 

[JonLee]

I started CDP with an EMBARASSING 16. I skipped the last 29 questions and had a mini freak-out.

Seriously, you're gonna be fine. I scored a 23 on the real thing with enough practice. All these prep materials are difficult at first, just like the real test. With more familiarity, everything becomes easier and it all starts to kind of fit together. You're doing good and clearly have plenty of determination to reach your goals.

I started with a 16 as well. I scored a 19 on the actual thing, but i seriously would like to thank the kind girl typing like a monster sitting next to me during the PAT lul

You will be fine if you started with an 18! just keep practicing!

 

[NguyenDDS]

After doing Destroyer FOUR times, going over Chad's videos, my notes, and his quizzes... I still couldn't get passed getting 80% correct in Destroyer (I think I got like 30% correct the first time). Destroyer is a learning tool and good practice... but nothing close to predicting how well you will do. When doing destroyer, don't measure how many problems you get right or wrong... use it to learn new material, your mistakes, and how to interpret questions. 🙂 Good luck!

 

[capitan2011]

Honestly, if you do not feel ready, don't be afraid to reschedule. It could be the best decision you'll ever make. I was scheduled to take my test feb 4. It was about Jan 25 that I realized I will not be prepared by test day, so I rescheduled to feb 23. Scored 23 AA/24 TS/24 PAT. After taking it, I don't think I could have done that well without studying my butt off for those 2 extra weeks.

Best of luck!

 

[asdfray]

again thanks for providing me with modivation to keep on working!

Just took the benchmark test for DATqvault and got a 22 for Bio.. (any one score around the same on their real DAT?) The ones I got wrong are ones I knew too, but must be tired and not read the question/choices correctly haha.

Orgo/GC in destroyer is going.. slightly better but still not as great and efficient as I want to be going.

Math, I'm actually getting better at, getting over 50% right now.. and up to the 5th test in destroyer. The only thing that's killing me now is permutation and computation (any guidance?)

Overall, I will keep on going fighting! ..But probably not the rest of the night, just finished a 22 hr study run (not kidding!)

Guess I'm just going to keep this thread going til I take my DAT, incase someone cares about my progress hah!

Happy St. Patty and have a great night guys
Ray

 

[kirkpat11]

I'm in your same stage of the game as you. I decided to place a emphasis in gen chem and o chem for the destroyer because I think they'll be the most like the actual test. I also am on test 4 for the math destroyer. I would say what helped me the most was watching Chad's videos and doing his problems on permutation and combinations. I'm getting about the same score and I also am a week out from my test, so I'll let you know how it goes.

I don't know about you, but I finished gen-chem and even though I'm going through it for the second time, its still pretty difficult. The biggest issue I face is misplacing a decimal or something very simple! Have you attempted your Bio problems in your destroyer yet?

 

[asdfray]

yups! roughly about 50-60% right.. damn those which of the following is false/true

And I did look over the math review Chad did, and I'm still having trouble lols. Mostly guessing if order matters in most cases. 50/50 chance right?!!

Best of luck to ya buddy! I hope to hear great news from you. Keep me updated, I'm eager to see how you did. hehe👍

 

[asdfray]

Hey guys I'm just about to finish my FIRST run though the destroyer and as of now, I'm getting the following amounts right...

-Orgo: 80-85% correct (sooo much better than where I started)

-G-chem - 45-50% correct 🙂mad🙂 - Any tips on this section?

-QR - 50% right and this is with unlimited time! 🙁🙁 (Did Test 1-9 so far on Math destroyer ( From what I read on SDN, test 10-12 are pretty hard? - I think i'm going to head back to test 1 and start perfecting these exams before tackling the more challenging ones and this time, time myself)

-Bio - 80-85% correct on Destroyer
Qvault Diagnostic - Test 1 = 22; Test 2 - 19

-PAT - Did a 2nd practice exam on CDP and got a 18 again! Analysis shows that I got 100% right on keyhole and 80% right on holepunch and TFE, but I ran out of time towards the end and started guessing the last 12 questions... Any tips to improve time?!

-RC - I DID NOT EVEN START THIS SECTION OMG!!

As of now, where do I stand guys? Does it look good so far? Idk how to interpret where I stand - I got 19 days till writing the DAT and I'm freaking the fu@K out right now.

Thanks for reading, more venting will follow.. I'm sure of it 😳

 

[white fang]

Hey guys I'm just about to finish my FIRST run though the destroyer and as of now, I'm getting the following amounts right...

-Orgo: 80-85% correct (sooo much better than where I started)

If this is your 1st run through, you are doing very well. Do it a couple more times until you get them all right and you will crush O-Chem. Memorize the road maps cold.

-G-chem - 45-50% correct 🙂mad🙂 - Any tips on this section?

Keep working here, you're not doing too bad but you will definitely want to hit this hard over the next couple of weeks.

-QR - 50% right and this is with unlimited time! 🙁🙁 (Did Test 1-9 so far on Math destroyer ( From what I read on SDN, test 10-12 are pretty hard? - I think i'm going to head back to test 1 and start perfecting these exams before tackling the more challenging ones and this time, time myself)

You need to figure out why you are getting questions wrong. I suggest taking 1 test, like test 4, and mastering it. Do it until you get it all right in 40 minutes. Then do another test and see where you are. I did this a few days before my test and it worked wonders.

-Bio - 80-85% correct on Destroyer
Qvault Diagnostic - Test 1 = 22; Test 2 - 19

You are in pretty good shape for bio, that is a good # correct. Keep doing 50 practice problems a day and skim through cliffs or barrons to stay sharp.

-PAT - Did a 2nd practice exam on CDP and got a 18 again! Analysis shows that I got 100% right on keyhole and 80% right on holepunch and TFE, but I ran out of time towards the end and started guessing the last 12 questions... Any tips to improve time?!

Take less time on keyhole, practice hole punch, cube counting, and angles until you can do them all in less than 15 minutes. These should be very, very quick compared to the other problems. Get to the point where you can cube count and hole punch in your sleep. I know you are short on days, but 1 solid day of practice on nothing but PAT could be in order.

-RC - I DID NOT EVEN START THIS SECTION OMG!!

I didn't do anything to practice RC besides practice tests. What have you done for practice tests? I thought Topscore was a good way to learn technique I hadn't tried before (search and destroy) and it worked fine on my real test.

As of now, where do I stand guys? Does it look good so far? Idk how to interpret where I stand - I got 19 days till writing the DAT and I'm freaking the fu@K out right now.

Thanks for reading, more venting will follow.. I'm sure of it 😳

I think you could take the test tomorrow and do OK, however I think you are doing well enough that if you continue to work and improve you could kill the test. Good luck studying, tough it out now and be done with it forever.

 

[TXpredent]

I think 19 days (or less now) is plenty of time to get enough practice in! Especially if you're capable of pulling 22 hour study sessions. Are you taking breaks? Sometimes breaks can REALLY help, especially making sure your brain is fresh for the next part so you can retain it all. How long did it take for you to get through the Destroyer once? I'm nearing the one month mark and I haven't even gotten close to starting yet! I'm getting killed by Kaplan's practice tests right now still and need a ton of work to smooth out everything still.

 

[asdfray]

@ TXpredent - The time I'm on the forum reading comments, is considered my break.. lols I do this in btw starting one area of focus to another. Also, other than take the occasional trip to the bathroom, I glue myself to my chair lols - it's a good thing my library is open from 7am-12am 😀 (the 22hr study runs were during midterm week, where my library was open 24/7 - i miss that.. sigh)


Going through destroyer once took me.. around 7 days? (estimated.. alot of things came up ex. going to roadmaps, reading barrons ap bio over, math destroyer practice exams, datqvault, school work, etc.)

Takes alot of time to just go over the solutions of the ones you got wrong so don't feel too bad. The bright side - you still got about a month and a half so hang in there...

Also, I see you come here to vent sometimes too.. wouldn't it be break if there's a place where we can just throw all our anger and frustration at?! haha

@whitefang - as always, thanks for the encouragement and advice. I'm going to keep going and see how much I can get done before the last 10 days and start doing full length exams. IN SHORT, I DIDN'T ANY FULL PRACTICE EXAMS YET! Should I start doing them now?

Also, I forgot to even read Alan's notes.. just popped into my head when reading your comment lols.

Anyhoo back to work - about to run another CDP test eek! (EDITED: Got a 21)

ALSO big favor to anyone who took the DAT already. Can you find an image of the calculator they provide for the QR section? Just want to know what kind of functions are available and get use to the whole thing. Thanks in advance!

 

[asdfray]

Quick question: when did you start on full length practice exams. I just talked to a friend studying for his MCAT and he just told me to get on the full length right now!! Did not do any full length yet and starting to worry...!

I only went through DAT destroyer and Math destroyer once and need alot of work on each section...

PAT, I still running out of time

RC - I didnt even get to yeT! EDIT: Started and got a 16 the first one without any prior knowledge... another thing to work on dammit!

16 days left and I'm freaking the (#*#$*#$ out and dont know what to do!! Do i start doing full length or go back to destroyer..

Need help plS!!!

 

[TXpredent]

Honestly, I think full length practice tests are probably always good but the problem is there's only a certain amount you can have access to lol. I think if you get the 2007 ADA one and like 3 Achiever ones you can start on them in a couple days to start getting into the testing mindset. That will also show you where you are on RC and PAT as well. However, I have to warn you... Achiever is apparently EXTREMELY difficult and wrecks you just as bad as the Destroyer so don't be discouraged! People say that 16-18 is a good score on there.

but if you don't have the funds for practice tests, just get the 2007 ADA one (pretty cheap I think) and save that for like a few days before your test. In the meantime keep going through the Destroyer. With the 2007 ADA one it'll help with your pacing. You could also start timing yourself I guess through the Destroyer.

 

[Helms99]

I wouldn't get discouraged. Yes Destroyer is hard and yes it can be very frustrating. But in terms of improvement it will be the best thing you can do. When I first started on Destroyer I was also getting about 25% of the questions right. By the time I took the test I was getting about 75%.

20 days is enough to significantly improve your performance. Just lock yourself in a room and work through Destroyer. It won't give you an ego boost but it will give you a higher score.

 

[asdfray]

It's not only destroyer that's getting me down - it's basically the timing that's killing me.

For the QR and PAT section, I keep running out of time...

For QR, I just retook math destroyer test 1 and ended up using over an hour and half on it. (I'm just really slow i guess..)

I need a way to work faster and it's alot of pressure when you know that's there's only 16 days till dooms day. (well 15 now fml)

So you guys dont recommend me doing full length til I deal with the whole timing things huh?

 

[ushaseos]

It's not only destroyer that's getting me down - it's basically the timing that's killing me.

For the QR and PAT section, I keep running out of time...

For QR, I just retook math destroyer test 1 and ended up using over an hour and half on it. (I'm just really slow i guess..)

I need a way to work faster and it's alot of pressure when you know that's there's only 16 days till dooms day. (well 15 now fml)

So you guys dont recommend me doing full length til I deal with the whole timing things huh?

Yes, definitely do something like Top Score or the 2007 ADA. Actually start with the 2007 exam. Its every so slightly on the easier side so that should be a great measure for you. I normally recommend Achiever, but if you're already freaking out a little, Achiever isn't probably the best thing to try out. I am normally very calm, but after my first couple Achiever tests, even I had a freak out session.

Math Destroyer is probably much more difficult since the rest of the destroyer regimen is pretty difficult!

Don't take this as if I am discouraging you, but if you don't do too well on the practice tests you always have the option to postpone. I don't think you'll need to, but always be aware of your options 🙂

 

[r4nb]

It's not only destroyer that's getting me down - it's basically the timing that's killing me.

For the QR and PAT section, I keep running out of time...

For QR, I just retook math destroyer test 1 and ended up using over an hour and half on it. (I'm just really slow i guess..)

I need a way to work faster and it's alot of pressure when you know that's there's only 16 days till dooms day. (well 15 now fml)

So you guys dont recommend me doing full length til I deal with the whole timing things huh?

I did most of the Math Destroyer exams, and I always wound up running out of time on it too. When I started studying, I noticed that I understood how to do the calculations, it's just that I was slow at completing the problems. If you understand a lot of the concepts behind the questions though, I think you'll be fine.

I'd suggest doing practice exams only if you've completed studying the materials. Since I had 10 practice exams to get through, I started taking them 2.5 weeks from my actual test date. That way I had a few days to recoup after each test - should I need to.

If you feel like you need more time studying though, there's no shame in postponing! Even if you postpone to a date that's only two more weeks away from your initial date. Good luck! 🙂

 

[asdfray]

Thanks for the response everyone

the thing is that if I had to postpone it (help I hope I don't need to) I would have to reschedule it for the June..

I got my 2nd midterm coming up and I'm ranging a B in the class right now due to lack of studying. I originally planned to take the DAT now and afterward, fully spend time on the class. I'm really torn at this point. I'll see where I am at the last week and will decide after taking my first 2 achiever exams. (Got the 5 test and 3 topscore to do) - plan to take 2 a day 1 in the morning and 1 at night and in btw.. is pat practice, review, datqvault, math review.

Let's see how this goes. Will keep ppl updated if there's anyone actually following haha

 

[r4nb]

That's a good plan 🙂. See where you are after taking some Achiever exams, if you score above 16, I'd think you're in good shape!

Keep us updated, definitely!

 

[asdfray]

This is not good..

I'm still having trouble with Math Destroyer and not able to finish one exam in 45 mins!! (even with the calculator basic functions..)
-I do two of these practice exams a day to increase speed and yeah I'm getting better but still not close to 45 min!.. For instance, I just finished one and went over by 20 mins.

PAT is getting better - I'm actually getting to pattern folding with around 10-15 min to spare - but b/c of this, I'm making careless mistakes in previous sections (ohh wells..). Just got a 21 on CDP test 10 this morning and currently running one practice exam per day.

Bio - Just took another qvault exam this morning and got a 21 on it. (getting 36/40q right in destroyer as well)
GC and OC - I feel like I'm forgetting things... esp. reactions I should be forgetting (ohh no!)
-OC I'm on and off in destroyer: did 30 question today and got only 16 right! whereas, the other day, I got 26/30 right..
-GC - is just slowly increasing more and more..

+ with all the work I'm doing a day, I don't even have time to review each individual section.. (I only look at the roadmap on the train ride home or going to the library and I don't know when's the last time I touched cliff's)
I'm going through about 100 questions per day in destroyer (40 bio, 30 gc, and 30 ochm); but I feel like this isnt enough and not spending enough time going through destroyer and starting tom. will double up on what I'm doing (200 q a day)

Started RC and I must say.. I'm glad I started now; went through test 1 on CDR and got a freaking 17 bc I didn't know what method to use or how to approach this. I'm probably going to do the reading the whole passage, focus, and write down keywords technique.
Will probably do 2test a day, if i have enough time..

SERIOUSLY NEED MORE HOURS IN A DAY! I'm running on 4 hours of sleep a day and still feel like there's no time OFFICIALLY 2 more week til my doom.
Anyone wants to give me any advice on what I should be spending time on and if I'm spending too much time on one thing compared to another? any takers?

 

[ushaseos]

Get more sleep. Don't exhaust yourself. You're doing fine and you are improving for QR so really keep confident.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

achiever is kicking my butt in PAT. but i'm improving, slowly but surely.

and iMO achiever gen chem and orgo isn't that bad

 

[tommyli128]

I suggest you start sleeping more. Your brain needs rest to focus and learn so if you're really sleeping only 4 hours every day, you're probably not helping yourself much when it comes to studying all those hours each day. A well rested brain = increased ability to recall/memorize/focus.

GL!

 

[asdfray]

Yeah I knew I would crash one of these days.. and it was definitely today.

Woke up this morning and was like.. fu*k this.. and kept sleeping.

Slept til about 4 and just doing some light studying today (and when I mean light, I mean 1 pat test, sleep, 1 math test, sleep...) to give myself a break - saying that this is my last day to rest (besides the last day before of course) and the next 10-12 days is back on the grind.

Anyone crashed and just gave up a day of studying close to dooms day?
feel so guilty to waste a perfectly good day like this.

 

[r4nb]

Lol, I did. Like you I was averaging 4 hours of sleep, but when I noticed it started taking its toll, I let off a little on the studying to get more rest.

Enjoy the day, study lightly, and don't feel guilty for relaxing!

 

[Dotoday]

Everyone is different. Noone can tell you how long to study. If you feel like you need a break because you are getting nowhere, then take a break. Study until you feel that you understand the material.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[JonLee]

Yeah I knew I would crash one of these days.. and it was definitely today.

Woke up this morning and was like.. fu*k this.. and kept sleeping.

Slept til about 4 and just doing some light studying today (and when I mean light, I mean 1 pat test, sleep, 1 math test, sleep...) to give myself a break - saying that this is my last day to rest (besides the last day before of course) and the next 10-12 days is back on the grind.

Anyone crashed and just gave up a day of studying close to dooms day?
feel so guilty to waste a perfectly good day like this.

I did have a couple of those guilty waste days in the two weeks prior to dooms day haha but don't have that negative outlook going into the test. Be confident and have a positive attitude!

Also, when you are back into the grind, take a short break once you notice your mind starting lose focus.

Running a couple miles of so for a midday break was something I often used. Not only are you increasing your cardiovascular fitness, you will feel heck of a lot better with all the great neurotransmitters your brain releases 😉

Don't get discouraged and keep at it man.

Looking forward to a nice breakdown by you in a couple weeks!

 

[AllahIsGreater]

the biggest mistake you can do is take the exam when you are not ready. with that said, when i first started the destroyer...say there was 500 questions...i only got about 50 right. i made sure i learned everything, new ever word in that book (especially the bio solutions), and made flash cards of every concept, and every problem i would get wrong. went through the destroyer 3 times, and was still getting stuff wrong. rescheduled exam prob like 3 times. but you know what? I got the exam done from one shot. if you cram or are not ready, well then you better be ready to re-study cause you'll be retaking in three months. and not to mention, your application wont be in on time, which is HUGE. good luck!

 

[Hygienist]

Im having the same problem in Math destroyer and PAT with the timing. I was able to work the CDP tests in 60 mins but not for Math tests. im getting most of them correct but i cant finish a destroyer math test in 45 mins! im doing it in like a good 1 and half hour!!
Taking DAT in couple of weeks...someone please tell me the real DAT QR section is simpler than the Destroyer math tests!
thanks

 

[ttconsultantsin]

I genuinely think Kaplan content is out of your energy and energy and effort frame and doesn't help too much because it is so much more complicated. I was regularly getting like 50% on all their tests because they are so challenging. If I had the alternatives I would say chad's video clips, then expert the destroyer. I am getting the analyze in 2 several weeks and am about almost through the destroyer once around. I just wish I maintain all the understanding from it.

 

[asdfray]

Hey guys,

Quick update:

Took 2 practice exams today and I'm exhausted.. Timing is still killing me (esp. QR), but it's still a working progress.. 8 more days omg..

Ok here's my results so far:


OAT Practice Exam - Some of the answers.. just don't make sense to me lols. Don't know how to learn from my mistakes if there's plenty of mistakes to begin with!

Bio – 21
GC – 19
OC – 19
PAT – 20 (CDP Test #8)
RC – 20 (CDR Test # 9)
QR – 18
19AA/19TS/20PAT

Topscore Test #1 (Basically rushed on OC section - Took too much time on GC; also ran out of time on QR as always.. 23/40 at the last 10 min. Also, ran out of time on the RC section towards the end (had to do 10-12 question in 10 min) Started to guess on a couple of calculation GC due to time..ugh..

Bio – 18
GC – 17
OC – 20
PAT – 19
QR – 17
RC – 19
18AA/19TS/19PAT

QUESTION: Is there a way to review the questions from the topscore first test? I can't seem to find the option to let me do that. thanks

My Qvault results are all over the place. One test I'm good at one section, another test I'm better at another. It's so randommm! what do i focus onnn!

Let me know what you think..
I'm running my first achiever exam tomorrow morning followed by an afternoon of destroyer (going through math destroyer for third time and more than half way through the 2nd time for DAT destroyer) - also doing a CDR and CDP test also... Is there a specfic thing I should focus on you think, based on these scores?

I will be constantly posting updates from now till tuesday (sorry if it gets annoying..) I need to decide by then if I'm ready or not to tackle this exam. Let me know what you think. TELL ME IF I'M READYY AHH!

EDIT:

Just finished my 2nd round in destroyer (except the math section - didn't even touch that part since I'm already using Math destroyer (third time through))
For each part:
OC - 80%?! This is a big indication that I'm starting to get rusty and was doing better earlier this past month
GC - 75% Still a working progress...
BS - 90-95% Well idk if I'm just remembering these question now but I think I'm ok with this

Going to go through destroyer for a 3rd time this next week but not fully go through it (only the ones I got wrong the 2nd round through)

datqvault scores:
test #
1 - 22
2 - 19
3 - 19
4 - 21
5 - 18
6 - 20
7 - 19
(3 more to take - Weakness is different in everytest and don't know what to do about that lols. there's no one specific part!)
How do I look here?

CDP - Started with 18 and now, i'm averaging a 20-21 (21 was my highest ever!) But my timing is getting mucchhhh better and actually have about 15 min. left for the pattern folding section. I also lose 3-4 q off cube counting EVERY test and idk why.. must not be very good at this section and prob. practice on this for a bit on the last day

CDR - scores vary for this section... starting from about 17-16 at first and now 19-20.. but took one yesterday and went back to 16! ugh don't know what happened that last test but it isn't looking good.

Will update achiever score later on tonight.

 

[r4nb]

Your Topscore test #1 results look great! I think you're gonna do well on the exam!

 

[white fang]

Your sciences look good, I bet you will get 21+ TS.

I found the PAT, RC, and QR of topscore test 1 to be fairly accurate to my first test, though I gained a point or two in these categories on the real test.

As far as reviewing the answers, you need to go back into the test restart it. It will save your answers so you can see what you answered and click solution in the bottom right corner to see the correct answer and a possible explanation. Weird software for sure.

 

[asdfray]

thanks for responding guys, really somewhat a relief to hear some positive reinforcement

just about to start my achiever test 1 and I got into a problem about activation! bought it week ago and activated a week ago and now it won't let me reactivate (I originally activated on this computer).

Ughhh this is so annoying I'm like behind now and don't think I can run the achiever exam tonight. Anyone else had this problem of activatiing once and the popup window ask you to reactivate? they're not allowing me to do it! I emailed and called achiever...
EDIT: nm they fixed the problem. They're so nice about it too!

 

[TXpredent]

great scores bud, you're going to be fine!

 

[invictusx]

I've been in your shoes before. In fact, in a more sloppy situation. I spent 3.5 weeks studying for the DATs. I did the Destroyer my second week and I was getting smashed (1.5 weeks left)... But you just have to practice over and over again and learn from your mistakes from the Destroyer. 🙂

 

[biomolecmed]

I think you are spreading yourself too thin. Do not rush into taking DAT. Often times DAT questions may be on the material you either did not cover in class or simply forgot because you were studying for other classes. That is completely normal. Just sit down clamly and keep looking up any topics from desgroyer that you do not feel comfortable on. See if you can postpone the DAT, calm down, learn ththe material and you will be fine. Dewtroyer, chads, achiever and crackpat are all great tools if used wisely. However, never study anything in panic mode. Good luck.

 

[asdfray]

@biomole: I don't think I'm rushing to take the DAT at all! This is just how I work and studying.. I push myself and it keeps me on things (though I know it maybe bad for my health for now, it cost of doing well is greater). I've been studying since January 2nd and covered each topic extensively for 2 months before I hit DAT destroyer. If I don't take it now, i don't think I'll ever be ready.. (stayed at the library almost everyday)

For me, it's just that I'm not a very good test taker in general(timing in general kills me).. I over think things and that kills time (pick on the smallest things and ponder). Also my nerves are off the charts and I panic and blank out (which will happen regardless when I take it) Sorry, I'm not getting defensive, but just wanted to give you a little idea of what I'm like and how I go about things. =)

Ty for the feedback though. much appreciated!!

 

[r4nb]

How'd your first Achiever test go? 🙂