Reading Comprehension Resource suggestions

[islandergal]

Hello!
I took my first DAT this past summer and made these scores

AA: 18 TS: 19 OC: 20 GC: 20 Bio: 18 RC: 16 QR: 18 PAT: 27

I recently took it again in February (on top of taking classes)

AA: 17 TS: 18 OC: 19 GC: 19 Bio: 16 RC: 16 QR: 16 PAT: 19

I used DATBootcamp for both attempts. I plan to retake one last time in the summer before submitting my application. I've decided to use DatDestroyer, Math Destroyer, and PATbooster. I would really like to avoid purchasing Bootcamp again. (1. for the price 2. I feel like I'm already too familiar with the practice questions)

Are there other recourse available that other full length tests and reading comprehension practice? I used search&destroy the first time, but decided to switch it up my second attempt by reading the first question and then reading the passage until I found the answer and so on. On bootcamp my RC exams scores ranged between 18-22 but my real DAT score showed other wise. I'm sure that by using the Destroyer materials and taking a lighter load in the summer, I can bring up my sciences, but my concern is my Reading Comprehension.

Any advice and/or suggested methods would be greatly appreciated!

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[ChemistryDentist]

Hello!
I took my first DAT this past summer and made these scores

AA: 18 TS: 19 OC: 20 GC: 20 Bio: 18 RC: 16 QR: 18 PAT: 27

I recently took it again in February (on top of taking classes)

AA: 17 TS: 18 OC: 19 GC: 19 Bio: 16 RC: 16 QR: 16 PAT: 19

I used DATBootcamp for both attempts. I plan to retake one last time in the summer before submitting my application. I've decided to use DatDestroyer, Math Destroyer, and PATbooster. I would really like to avoid purchasing Bootcamp again. (1. for the price 2. I feel like I'm already too familiar with the practice questions)

Are there other recourse available that other full length tests and reading comprehension practice? I used search&destroy the first time, but decided to switch it up my second attempt by reading the first question and then reading the passage until I found the answer and so on. On bootcamp my RC exams scores ranged between 18-22 but my real DAT score showed other wise. I'm sure that by using the Destroyer materials and taking a lighter load in the summer, I can bring up my sciences, but my concern is my Reading Comprehension.

Any advice and/or suggested methods would be greatly appreciated!

Make sure you use the Destroyers a ton to bring up all of your sciences and QR. I'd check out their facebook page too if you can - there's a free biology note set there that is killer for bringing up biology scores. And tons of other free resources on top of that that should help yank your scores up from where they are.

As for RC, I just always recommend reading a ton. Read when you wake up, when you go to bed, when you're taking a break, in the bathroom, whenever! Just read science articles as much as you can. You'd be surprised with how much that will bring up your score. If you're looking for practice passages, I've heard of people using free GRE reading practice tests online for questions. But in general, just read a ton.

I personally used the vanilla method for attacking the RC section, and I detailed it more in my breakdown. TL;DR: Read the passage and highlight, answer the questions, refer back constantly to the passage unless you know something for certain.

Best of luck!

 

[futureteethdriller]

Hi there,

So glad you decided to use the DAT Destroyer materials. They are awesome. They helped me to literally DESTROY my DAT, and I wouldn't be in dental school without them. The first thing I would do is join the 2020 Official DAT Destroyer and OAT Destroyer Study Group on Facebook. There, you will find TONS of free resources. First and foremost, Dr. Jim Romano (the creator and author of the DAT Destroyer), posts daily questions, and is up on the page literally every hour, to check and see if you have any questions for him. Then, he has a study guide you can choose to follow (or guide you to make your own study guide), and many many more free resources you can use.

I would highly recommend using the Dynamite Biology which is also FREE on the FB page. It is very easy to read, and will help to increase your biology score. I would do this to build your foundation, before you use the DAT Destroyer.

For reading, read read read!! I would start by just reading anything that you enjoy (a novel etc), but after you get warmed up, quickly move to the articles that Dr. Jim Romano posts. They are very similar to what you will see on the real DAT (and are pretty interesting). If you feel like you need a practice test after you have read many many articles (I would read all of what Jim Romano posts everyday about 2-3 articles), you should check out the free Reading Comp exam on the Orgoman website. On the exam, I personally just skimmed the whole passage, then looked at the questions, then found them in the passage. I found reading tons and tons of science articles, improved my reading speed.

When you feel you have mastered everything in the DAT Destroyer and Math Destroyer (I mean know those books INSIDE AND OUT, know every little detail, and not sort of know - REALLY know), you should move to the Orgoman website and check out the free practice exams.

A word on the Math Destroyer - it is literal GOLD. If you know that book inside and out you will increase your QR score too.

Don't rely on practice exams to tell you your real score. The real score is determined by how well you know the information, and how much you have practiced reading.

Best of luck to you!

 

[0Mik3cho]

No need to buy Bootcamp again. Just use the Organic Chemistry Reaction Summary Sheet and the 141pg Bio notes. Destroyer will be good for the rest.

As for reading, I used a variation of the BYU4You method to get a 30 on RC. First, I read the first half of the passage at a moderate speed to achieve 75% comprehension. This is very important because when I first started, I was to obsessed on 100% comprehension which slowed me down significantly. A moderate pace is one where you understand the main ideas in each paragraph as well as the basic relationships in the explanations or arguments the author is trying to make but you still don't fully get everything. Then skim the remaining half of the passage focusing on first and last sentences and mentally noting keywords in that paragraph. As you read, don't neglect to mentally map out the key ideas and the flow of the passage. So after each paragraph, I like to spend a few seconds summarizing the passage mentally.

Next start answering questions and when you find something that is from the first half of the passage, find the pertinent section based on keywords and find your answer. In the course of this, you may find your understanding of the material increase. If a question has stuff not in the first half of the passage, skim the remaining half of the passage noting first and last sentences and keywords. When you find the relevant paragraph, read that one just a bit more slowly to achieve 75% comprehension and find your answer.

However, lets say you find yourself short on time, in this case, I have also found it useful to rely on search and destroy on the second half of the passage only. This will be faster since you've read the full first half and only need to search the second half for stuff you don't recognize. I prefer to avoid this though. I didn't use the vanilla method because personally, I find it put too much pressure on me to read rapidly. For me, being able to start answering questions sooner helped me feel like I was less pressure on time and making more progress.

 

[0Mik3cho]

I used search&destroy the first time, but decided to switch it up my second attempt by reading the first question and then reading the passage until I found the answer and so on. On bootcamp my RC exams scores ranged between 18-22 but my real DAT score showed other wise. I'm sure that by using the Destroyer materials and taking a lighter load in the summer, I can bring up my sciences, but my concern is my Reading Comprehension.

What difficulties did you have in the progress of reading the second time? Did you ever feel short of time? Did you feel able to summarize each paragraph as you read?

 

[islandergal]

What difficulties did you have in the progress of reading the second time? Did you ever feel short of time? Did you feel able to summarize each paragraph as you read?

I'm not to sure where I went wrong the second time. I spent about 20 minutes on each passage and finished with a few minutes left. I thought for the most part I was finding the right answers in the passage. There were more factual questions than any other kind. So I'm not sure if I went too fast and overlooked the details in the question. I did skim the paragraphs, but I think I still had a good idea as to what was going on in each paragraph.

 

[0Mik3cho]

I'm not to sure where I went wrong the second time. I spent about 20 minutes on each passage and finished with a few minutes left. I thought for the most part I was finding the right answers in the passage. There were more factual questions than any other kind. So I'm not sure if I went too fast and overlooked the details in the question. I did skim the paragraphs, but I think I still had a good idea as to what was going on in each paragraph.

When you took your RC practice exams, did you take any of them as part of a full length? Fatigue may be an issue; took me a few tests to get more used to the pacing.

Another potential issue is some questions can be tricky in that a keyword is found in one section and one answer choice referencing this section is partly accurate. However, the keyword is also found in another section and there is the correct answer choice that is most accurate. This did not occur on my exam but did show up on practice exams sometimes.

Rather than skimming, I would try the BYU4You method or something like my take on it. That way, I think you'll be more likely to get an accurate picture.