This thread seems like a good opportunity for a monologue.
It is pretty similar to the real thing. On the practice test, I got:
270BIO/390GC/390OC/400RC/350PHY/360QR
On the real thing I got
*Edited out my specific scores sorry =[
Percentiles on the real thing:
AA: 97%
TS: 100%
My practice BIO score was not a typo... I missed like 25 questions or something horrendous. I didn't know the material at all. It was on par with the real thing, but since it's such a wide range of info, it's not a good idea to just study the material presented on the sample OAT. Studying over a *long period* of time (not cramming!!) helped so much. Long period meaning like 1.5 months, maybe 1.5 hours per day. You have to retain a wide variety of information for bio. think breadth, not depth!!
RC was much easier on the sample. Partly because there was no stamina required. But, partly because it was just a type of passage that I found easy. Other passages are different...styles... and might be easier or harder depending on your strengths/weaknesses. And some strategies don't work as well for different types of passages.
For RC, I wish I would have practiced some more on some practice software or something, because I was just winging it in the real thing. I think it would have helped to see more variety as to what the reading passages would be like -- I did awful on the first passage for my OAT, but then did really well on the last two passages once I honed in on a strategy that worked for me. I'm pretty sure I missed half the questions on my first passage and then none on the second and third.
One piece of random advice I thought helped was to practice QR at the end of the day - when you're really tired. It'll be like that on the real thing. You'll be drained by the time you get to QR. Also, for QR, answer the questions you know first. Liberally utilize the option to mark questions...you can miss like 10 questions and still get a 360 or 370 (can't remember the exact numbers). And..abuse the calculator! The one at my test center worked quickly - no lag at all.
OC and GC you just gotta know chad's videos. I took very extensive and detailed notes for his videos on OC and GC. I did all of his quizzes 10+ times and went through OAT destroyer GC and OC once.
For BIO AP Cliff's is good. Over a long period of time. Craig Savage's AP bio YouTube videos are also great. I think I got +5 questions just from passively watching his videos (usually at the end of the day) on topics I was unfamiliar with. For me, that meant plants, diversity, evolution, immunity, menstrual cycle, and kidneys.
I studied for about 8 hours total for physics and it seemed like I was just taking a test on logical problems solving...not physics. I dunno. I did very well in my undergrad physics courses, but that was over 7 years ago. Know how to sum up forces and do mechanics problems... All the types of problems you'd see in first semester physics. Momentum...energy... All that. Electricity and magnetism was big, but you can just get so much done by eliminating the wrong answers. I don't even know what a capacitor is.. But there were like 5 questions dealing with them/related topics on mine. And I ended up with a score just above the 90th percentile. I literally don't even.
Also...
TAKE THE DAT 2007 sample test, and the DAT 2009 sample. Both are equally as useful practice/gauges for your performance on the real thing. Although 2009 QR, for me, was impossible. I didn't do 2009 RC, but I think it would have helped.
