PAT strategory

[the3rdi]

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arite-

cube folding and bottom/top/right are KILLING me- any other methods/strategies besides answer elimination. and during the actual DAT, is there a scratch piece of paper that we can work on or anything?? so i can use that paper and oragami my way to a perfect score...

thank yall
ya3rdI

 

[w3chen99]

you can use paper if you want, but you will likely find yourself running out of time since you get less than a minute per problem. Also, since angle problems take the most time out of all the types of PAT problems, you shouldn't be wasting all of your time on what are supposed to be the faster sections.

Some advice would be to try using the paper at home and then getting a sense of how it works...that way, during test day, you can start folding it in your mind. You just have to get your mind in a PAT frame of mind. You can't really do anything with top/bottom/side problems, but that will just require practice. Don't expect to be spectacular at these kinds of problems right away...it takes lots of practice and time. Good Luck.

 

[KorgTuner]

lots and lots of practice. The key is to not get discouraged because you will suck and suck and suck and suck and suck and suck and then one day you will get better and one day you'll do well. It's like there's no process to figuring this part out.. one day it just snaps. Also, I agree with the last reply, work it so that the day of the dat you are "mentally folding" -- real paper folding will take too much time.


KorgTuner
Temple Class of 2007

 

[Supernumerary]

Hey KorgTuner, cool handle. Let's give it up for all guitar playing dentist wanna-bes.

Oh yeah, the PAT. Just practice until you get it. My hardest part during practice was the cube counting, I just kept doing them until it came. But when the real test came my problem was ANGLES! I basically just skipped those cause they were so easy in the practice exams. I was sooo wrong; all the angles looked EXACTLY the same on the DAT!!!! 😱

Moral: Don't skip stuff. 🙂

 

[freedyx3]

I am wondering for the angles section can't you just use paper to trace the angles to see which is bigger?

 

[Supernumerary]

Not allowed. You could be dismissed from the test if you are caught holidng anything up to the screen. 😱

I think part of the problem may have been the poor reslution of the computer monitor. Your typical CRT monitor is just not capable of displaying a difference of 0.5 degree!!!!😡

Oh well, I'm still starting in Aug. 😀

 

[freedyx3]

Now are you sure thats the policy? Are test monitors all aware of this policy?

 

[the3rdi]

what exactly can you not do in that computer room- i point my pencil at the cubes to count the sides...is that a problem-- why they gotta sweat us so much. what are the rules about scratch paper

cubes are much easier with the "tally" method and angles are beginning to be hopeless- gettin there, a month to go babyyyyyyyyyy

3rdbluredI

 

[Supernumerary]

I'm pretty sure that the policy prohibits any type of "measuring device" to be used during the PAT. It seems that in the DAT packet they explicitly forbid holding your scratch paper up to the screen during that section. And they told me again when I signed in to take the test.

The odds are good that the test administrator isn't going to notice though; you are in there with people taking about a dozen different tests:NCLEX, IT certifications etc... It would be pretty hard to keep track of something like that. BUT... I wouldn't risk it.

 

[w3chen99]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this strategy for cube counting, but I would count the cubes column by column and write down the number of cubes on the paper in relation to their location on the problem. Hmmm....does that make sense?

So, basically you are writing down the overhead view of the cubes you are counting. You do spend a little more time preparing for each problem, but then if you have 3 or 4 questions on that particular set of cubes, you can answer them all in a couple of seconds.

Example of what it should look like:

44
3222
21115

something like that....

 

[the3rdi]

alright, i've heard a lot of hoop-la and hullabaloo of the PAT gradients across different practice tests. SO, how does 1999 BARRON'S 2 PATs compare to the real DAT...i found it to be of the more challenging PATs, especially the apertures on Barrons, that i've taken...craplan is just garbage, there's no need for that. any opinions? Oh yeah, and i really really suck at top/front/side...just terrible, any tips?

thanks yall

 

[critterbug]

I hear ya....I really SUCK at the top/front/side. I just can't get it!! I do Ok on the keyhole and angles. i do REALLY well on the paper folding(relatively speaking of course). But, I can honestly say, under time pressure, I have so much trouble on the top/front/side problems. I honestly feel like i'm guessing on every single one of them.

DOES ANYONE have a trick to doin these. I have read matching up lines, but I don't understnad. Can someone give detailed process on how to conquer these problems. I am getting a little discouraged. 🙁

 

[rsweeney]

This may or may not help but I find it to be very effective in discriminating angles--it is a strategy not listed in prep-books (some may be)

1) mentally mesure each angle relative to the X-axis. Having a reference point for comparison really helps.

2) for angles that are intentionally similar, look at the leg lengths--clearly, the choice with the longer legs will be the smaller angle for angles that seem the same.

3) for angles that are very very very close (which, on the actual DAT they are) look for parallel lines. Say you have choices a), b), c), and d). Most of the time it is easy to discriminate the exremes, but for those that are tough, stay cognizant of whether of not the different choices have legs that are parallel to each other. Say the top leg of the angle in choice a) is parallel with the top leg on the angle in choice c). Ask yourself if the other legs will intersect. By mentally noting what you would have to do to make the other legs parallel to each other (or not intersect) will tell you which angle is bigger or smaller relative to the other. The leg doing the intersecting is the leg that is on the smaller angle. The test makers do things like putting legs parallel to each other to give the test-taker another path with which to solve the problem. In summary, with angles that are really close in measurement, look for:

1) leg-length disparity-----the longer legs are on the shorter angle for angles that seem ridiculously close.
2) parallel legs-----what leg is doing the intersecting and ask yourself what you would have to do to make the other legs parallel as well.

Hope it helps a little.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I did what w3chen99 mentioned for the cube-counting portion. It worked very well for me on practice exams (I rarely missed any) and I assume it worked well in the actual exam.

I *do* wish the grade would break down the PAT portion for our benefit.