For people who used the 4x4 grid method on the DAT, when did you go about drawing the grids? When I was going through CDP, i found this method very useful for the more difficult (multihole/ 1/2 holes etc) problems and bulletproof for easy to med difficulty. Drawing out 15 grids is time consuming. I understand that there are no breaks between Survey Science and PAT. Is the whiteboard dbl sided? If that is the case I'm thinking about drawing the grids during the SNS tutorial. How useful of a strategy is that?
Quick tic tac toe / grid question hole punch
- Thread starter rmm30
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You have to set up your grids during the tutorial which is 15 minutes long.
Things vary by test centers. Most of them provide two double-sided laminated sheets so essentially you have four sides to work with. I would call your local Prometric and find out what they have.
Actually, you have more than 15 minutes to get set up. The 15-min timer doesn't start until you confirm your name on the screen. Just don't click anything until you have everything setup. You can always end the tutorial at any time and proceed to the exam.
Things vary by test centers. Most of them provide two double-sided laminated sheets so essentially you have four sides to work with. I would call your local Prometric and find out what they have.
Actually, you have more than 15 minutes to get set up. The 15-min timer doesn't start until you confirm your name on the screen. Just don't click anything until you have everything setup. You can always end the tutorial at any time and proceed to the exam.
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is drawing grids really that time consuming?
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Yeah, I'm wondering this too. It takes me less than 5 seconds to draw one. Is this considered bragging?
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Well you know, if you have to draw 15 grids, then that's 15 x 5 sec = 75 sec or 1 min 15 sec.
Even if it takes 2 sec to draw one, then that's still 30 sec total. So it could add up for some people.
For me, I only need to draw 5 grids at most as I can probably do 10 of the problems in my head. so that's only 10 sec at most I can save. And not worth it for me.
it takes me more like 10-12 sec. i have to have them almost perfect or I get thrown off my game. so for me it drains about 3-4 min of my time. Kaplan and Barrons recommends finishing hole punch in under 5 minutes. assuming i work through the hole punch with a solid clip in the alotted time (not likely for me bc statistically hole punch has been my achilles heel), that works out to spending 80% longer, at best, on this section.
anyways thanks for the responses. i shall just draw up the grids during the tutorial.
jesus there sure are alot of DATers up at 5am.
