- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 550
- Reaction score
- 73
Alrighty.. so I promised myself I would do one of these regardless of my scores just to share my experience and thoughts. I took the DAT the second week of August but have relaxed and had a little fun so now I'm finally getting back to everything and reading the forums again. My scores aren't straight 26's like this forum almost makes you believe you should be getting in order to get into dental school, but I'd say they're pretty good except for quant (meh).
PAT: 20
QR: 17
RC: 20
Bio: 18
GC: 19
OC: 20
TS: 19
AA: 19
Materials available:
I went ahead with the Kaplan classroom (won a discount from my school's pre-professional club) but I'm still 'ify' on if I'd really recommend it. The materials they give you are nice along with the online resources (besides their PAT) but it was a complete waste of time going to the class. I also took it when my spring semester was 1/2 way through/coming to a close so sometimes I wouldn't do they studying or go over the chapters like you were supposed to for the class. So I'd say if you really want to go with Kaplan, just do the online part, but ... there are much better resources and at such a cheaper cost than what Kaplan offers. However, if you like the structure and are in desperate need of a push or a 'you're taking the right steps' pat on the back.. maybe it's for you. Oh, also I took their practice tests available in the online materials and those are the only practice tests I used.
I sort of freaked out/stumbled upon this site a little later than what I should have so I purchased other materials beforehand and then bought some stuff everyone suggested here.
So I also had:
Barron's DAT, Kaplan BB (2 versions), Cliff's AP Bio, DAT Destroyer, Chad's Videos, and Crack PAT (5 test version), biology textbooks/cd's that come with them
PAT: 20
These were always kinda fun to me and I made it a little game like 'I'll figure you out, you little b*tch' lol so I used Kaplan's online material (except angles because they really are a joke) and mostly Crack PAT 5 test version. CDP was really the most helpful. Going into the test I was really expecting this to be harder because I've seen breakdowns where people are like 'they're so much harder than CDP' for keyholes and TFE. In my opinion, everything was across the board on par with CDP.
QR: 17
Low, I know.. but thankfully it's still at or above the cut-off scores for schools. Math has never been my thing and I really hate it because... I simply don't care to solve for variables and things like that since it's really irrelevant in the real world. I'm not trying to dumb it down or make an excuse, it is what it is and it beat me in that battle. I just used the section they had in the DAT Destroyer and watched Chad's math videos which gave a decent amount of quick tips that help in saving time in problems which is really the essence of this section. I could have solved them all if given more time like everyone else, but that's not the case so study this section with quickness in mind... which I should have focused on more.
RC: 20
All three of my passages were interesting to me because they dealt with biology and didn't have any of the dreaded physics passages (THANK GOD). I didn't practice much for this because I had my method down pat and so all I had to do was put it in motion. I used the passages in the Kaplan white book (that came with the course) and in Barron's DAT. I would know to spend only 20 mins on each passage so for the first 6 or so minutes I quickly read the jist of each paragraph and jotted down some notes so I knew where to come back later if asked a specific question on it. Any tone questions/what sentence fits best practice questions I've ever had... I got right so I wasn't worried about those. Overall, I'd say just get a method going and make sure it's perfected and go in confidently with it on test day and you'll be fine.
Bio: 18
Honestly, I'm really disappointed with this score. I'm a modified bio major and expected this to be my best section, guess not. Like people say, it's random but since bio encompasses so much, it has to be that way. I only had one taxonomy question, no plant, and a couple on environment related topics and I felt like the majority of my questions weren't simple 'name this' or 'what happens here' but it was understanding the larger picture of biological processes. Without giving things away or being too specific, I remember one in particular that made you apply the info on what would happen a few days AFTER something was ingested. Meaning you had to know the effects or the process. I don't know, that one just stuck out in my mind of 'really?' because I didn't expect to see things like that on there.
GC: 19
Used Chad's Videos, Kaplan white book and online materials, and DAT Destroyer a little. Chad's Videos are quite frankly essential to have in preparation, in my opinion. I went through Destroyer once but felt like they were ridiculous problems that I'd never see and calculation heavy so I didn't use it much after that. Maybe if I would have, I would have scored higher. I'd say it was 50/50 on concept/math problems. There were a few that I had to solve for a value, nothing difficult, and some where the answer was set up as an equation. It's funny, because I felt like some of the concepts or equations they were for sure going to test on, weren't there at all.
OC: 20
Used Chad's Videos, Kaplan white book and online materials, and DAT Destroyer. I used the Destroyer more for this section than I did with Gen Chem. I loved the roadmaps because you really need to know those for reactions, period. Again, like everyone says, Chad is awesome and gives you what you need to know BUT then you must practice... can't go over them just once and not do any problems and expect to be fine. Love Chad's quizzes for this section (as well as others). Overall, nothing tooo difficult or random. Out of all the sections, I'd say this is the one where the things I expected to be on it, were.
I know I'm not an all-star in taking the DAT but at the same time, I feel like I did pretty good. The best advice I can give anyone and whole-heartedly mean it is this: when you're taking the DAT only focus on what's at hand, don't think about past sections or if you think you're doing poorly.. just keep chugging along. If you don't know a question or think it'll take longer to figure it out, pick an answer, mark it, and move on. I'm really proud of myself that I was so incredibly nervous and anxious going into the test, but once I was there I was focused like no other, I knew what I had to do and just needed to do it. Use the 15 min tutorial to get situated and calm yourself down, take some deep breaths and realize.... it's just the DAT
PS- I have materials for sale... PM me if you're interested in Barron's DAT, Kaplan Blue books, Destroyer, other Kaplan material.
Good luck this cycle everyone!!
PAT: 20
QR: 17
RC: 20
Bio: 18
GC: 19
OC: 20
TS: 19
AA: 19
Materials available:
I went ahead with the Kaplan classroom (won a discount from my school's pre-professional club) but I'm still 'ify' on if I'd really recommend it. The materials they give you are nice along with the online resources (besides their PAT) but it was a complete waste of time going to the class. I also took it when my spring semester was 1/2 way through/coming to a close so sometimes I wouldn't do they studying or go over the chapters like you were supposed to for the class. So I'd say if you really want to go with Kaplan, just do the online part, but ... there are much better resources and at such a cheaper cost than what Kaplan offers. However, if you like the structure and are in desperate need of a push or a 'you're taking the right steps' pat on the back.. maybe it's for you. Oh, also I took their practice tests available in the online materials and those are the only practice tests I used.
I sort of freaked out/stumbled upon this site a little later than what I should have so I purchased other materials beforehand and then bought some stuff everyone suggested here.
So I also had:
Barron's DAT, Kaplan BB (2 versions), Cliff's AP Bio, DAT Destroyer, Chad's Videos, and Crack PAT (5 test version), biology textbooks/cd's that come with them
PAT: 20
These were always kinda fun to me and I made it a little game like 'I'll figure you out, you little b*tch' lol so I used Kaplan's online material (except angles because they really are a joke) and mostly Crack PAT 5 test version. CDP was really the most helpful. Going into the test I was really expecting this to be harder because I've seen breakdowns where people are like 'they're so much harder than CDP' for keyholes and TFE. In my opinion, everything was across the board on par with CDP.
QR: 17
Low, I know.. but thankfully it's still at or above the cut-off scores for schools. Math has never been my thing and I really hate it because... I simply don't care to solve for variables and things like that since it's really irrelevant in the real world. I'm not trying to dumb it down or make an excuse, it is what it is and it beat me in that battle. I just used the section they had in the DAT Destroyer and watched Chad's math videos which gave a decent amount of quick tips that help in saving time in problems which is really the essence of this section. I could have solved them all if given more time like everyone else, but that's not the case so study this section with quickness in mind... which I should have focused on more.
RC: 20
All three of my passages were interesting to me because they dealt with biology and didn't have any of the dreaded physics passages (THANK GOD). I didn't practice much for this because I had my method down pat and so all I had to do was put it in motion. I used the passages in the Kaplan white book (that came with the course) and in Barron's DAT. I would know to spend only 20 mins on each passage so for the first 6 or so minutes I quickly read the jist of each paragraph and jotted down some notes so I knew where to come back later if asked a specific question on it. Any tone questions/what sentence fits best practice questions I've ever had... I got right so I wasn't worried about those. Overall, I'd say just get a method going and make sure it's perfected and go in confidently with it on test day and you'll be fine.
Bio: 18
Honestly, I'm really disappointed with this score. I'm a modified bio major and expected this to be my best section, guess not. Like people say, it's random but since bio encompasses so much, it has to be that way. I only had one taxonomy question, no plant, and a couple on environment related topics and I felt like the majority of my questions weren't simple 'name this' or 'what happens here' but it was understanding the larger picture of biological processes. Without giving things away or being too specific, I remember one in particular that made you apply the info on what would happen a few days AFTER something was ingested. Meaning you had to know the effects or the process. I don't know, that one just stuck out in my mind of 'really?' because I didn't expect to see things like that on there.
GC: 19
Used Chad's Videos, Kaplan white book and online materials, and DAT Destroyer a little. Chad's Videos are quite frankly essential to have in preparation, in my opinion. I went through Destroyer once but felt like they were ridiculous problems that I'd never see and calculation heavy so I didn't use it much after that. Maybe if I would have, I would have scored higher. I'd say it was 50/50 on concept/math problems. There were a few that I had to solve for a value, nothing difficult, and some where the answer was set up as an equation. It's funny, because I felt like some of the concepts or equations they were for sure going to test on, weren't there at all.
OC: 20
Used Chad's Videos, Kaplan white book and online materials, and DAT Destroyer. I used the Destroyer more for this section than I did with Gen Chem. I loved the roadmaps because you really need to know those for reactions, period. Again, like everyone says, Chad is awesome and gives you what you need to know BUT then you must practice... can't go over them just once and not do any problems and expect to be fine. Love Chad's quizzes for this section (as well as others). Overall, nothing tooo difficult or random. Out of all the sections, I'd say this is the one where the things I expected to be on it, were.
I know I'm not an all-star in taking the DAT but at the same time, I feel like I did pretty good. The best advice I can give anyone and whole-heartedly mean it is this: when you're taking the DAT only focus on what's at hand, don't think about past sections or if you think you're doing poorly.. just keep chugging along. If you don't know a question or think it'll take longer to figure it out, pick an answer, mark it, and move on. I'm really proud of myself that I was so incredibly nervous and anxious going into the test, but once I was there I was focused like no other, I knew what I had to do and just needed to do it. Use the 15 min tutorial to get situated and calm yourself down, take some deep breaths and realize.... it's just the DAT
PS- I have materials for sale... PM me if you're interested in Barron's DAT, Kaplan Blue books, Destroyer, other Kaplan material.
Good luck this cycle everyone!!
