Stressed about PAT, esp. top front bottom

[tandem7]

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I did my first set of 15 practice TFB questions and got less than half right. 🙁 I'm freaking out. Any tips or insight? How hard are the real ones on the DAT?

 

[Ari Rezaei]

Which source did you use?

Also, this thread will help you understand whats going on much better. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528643&highlight=perceptual+guide

The trick to TFB is to not visualize the whole object. Try to find a defining feature, there always is at least one. Then see if that one defining feature exists correctly in all 3 views. Use this to eliminate answer choices to get to the right answer, rather than trying to find the correct answer.

 

[FutureDentist17]

I haven't taken the DAT yet and have been using Crack DAT PAT and trust me once you start doing more you get the hang of it... don't stress just practice!

Sent from my SCH-i705 using SDN Mobile

 

[acoburn73]

I did my first set of 15 practice TFB questions and got less than half right. 🙁 I'm freaking out. Any tips or insight? How hard are the real ones on the DAT?

Only one set of practice? Which test are you using to practice?

Regardless of which test, I would advise repeat, repeat, and then repeat some more. Crack DAT PAT lets you do 15-problem (or more) tests with timers for as many times as you want, and they have decent 3D graphical explanations of each after you've tested. I've just spent a couple of hours tonight on a "break" from Chad's GC videos, and after 5-6 different tests (fold, hole, TFE, keyhole), I saw my score on each go up a bit after starting off low. Still not great (started at 6/15 on one PAT and now up to 12/15 after 2 repeats of different versions of the same PAT), but I have time and I know they will improve.

Others here with more experience can correct me if I'm wrong, but after repeating the practices over and over and not letting frustration take over, you should start to find them a bit easier. It's also my understanding from comments on SDN that Crack DAT PAT is a bit harder than the real DAT, so if you can consistently rock 13-15/15 on all Crack sections, you should be OK on the real test.

One of the tricks I always use for TFE is line counting and matching edges. I typically start by looking for the solid lines, counting them, and then trying to match them on other views with either the solid or dashed lines. Hard to explain, but I know you can search the forum for "line counting" and find threads.

Here's one thread with tons of tips that's still alive after 4 years!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528643&highlight=hole+punch

Good luck!

 

[KittySquared]

It's a matter of practicing. Get CrackDAT PAT. I have terrible astigmatism in both eyes. If I can be blind as a bat and get a 22 on the PAT, anyone can. I think I did 10 sets of those.