Timing on PAT help!!!!

[litldime]

Hi guys,
I really need help with speed on PAT. I do the cube counting, then hole puching, followed by angles, then keyholes, then t/f/e, and lastly pattern folding...
I'm pretty good at the first 3..then the next 2, i'm okay...but i always run out of time...without finishing and/or attempting the last section....

any words/ methods of advice will help.... how do i work faster? I've been doing lots of practice and reviewing the answers.... its helping and i'm making some connections but I need to answer every question and I've yet to do that...

Please any tips are appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance,
-ld

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[jeezy]

try pacing yourself during each section..

5min - angle ranking, patern folding
10min - keyhole, cube counting
15min - TFE, pattern folding

 

[dentstd]

do angles last. but don't skip around too much. do most of them in order. there's a computer delay as you're moving thru questions. you lose time if you skip around.

know the wrong answer pathology. it helps key in your skills and makes them more time-efficient.

 

[BodybldgDoc]

dont skip around at all, you will end up losing precious time. go in the order that is given. The only way to boost your speed is to keep practicing until it becomes second nature to you and slowly but surely you will increase your pace over time. Also allot a certain amount of time to each PAT subsection like jeezy said. Although I would break the timing down as written below.
5min - angle ranking, cube counting
10min - keyhole, hole punching
15min - TFE, pattern folding

 

[litldime]

thanks for all the responses...anyone else have any suggestions?
-ld

 

[Mackchops]

Yeah... don't skip around... skip a single question if you absolutely don't know but even then, answer it and mark it.

All I can say is practice. Grab random objects around your apartment and try to draw the t/f/e perspectives.

On keyholes, draw every directional possibility before even looking at the answers.

For angles, just pick the largest and the smallest and guess on the middle two -- this should be a fast section because you're not going to get anything extra out of just staring at them.

Cubes should be automatic points. Use barron's method and you shouldn't get a single question wrong here.

For hole punching, actually practice using pieces of paper and a hole punch. Try out different folds and get an idea of where holes will end up.

My worst section was folding. The key here is looking at which designs are matched up next to each other.

But practice practice practice. And if you can't get through all the questions, make sure that each one you answer is absolutely right and you should still end up with a good score.

Mack

 

[Dotoday]

I agree with everyone on this board. The best way to achieve speed is to practice. I would use Topscore and Achiever, since they have a lot of PAT practice problems. Then use a timer to time yourself taking each PAT section. I would do about a few sessions a day. In a week you will develop a strategy for yourself on how to get the maximum results while spending minimal amount of time.
Good luck on your test.

 

[litldime]

thanks so much guys! good stuff!
-ld

 

[shoeler]

1-The thing I found that worked for me was practice... practice... practice... The more practtice... the better you get.
2-When it comes to cube counting the best thing to do is use the kaplan method for counting/marking the whole thing and then using that table for each question. It works really fast and effective.
3-Pattern folding was a lot easier on the DAT for me, the test I got didn't have a lot of complicated stuff, i.e. lines and colors on the paper. Most of my test has simple folds that were very easy to do. Also when I ran into a few of the hard ones I learned to practice drawing out the pattern on my scratch paper and then try folding it, that helped prep me for the test.
4-I heard the angle ranking was supposed to be killer on the DAT, so a friend and I worked over a million angle ranking problems. Some people use their ID or pencil to extend the line and that works for them, didn't work for me though. Kaplan also teaches you to look for the fatest angle first and then the smallest angle and usually you can narrow down you answers very quickly, and sometimes you can eliminate all the answers except the right one. If you use these methods to practice sometimes they can help...

 

[tRNA]

when did you take the test shoeler, cuz now we just get laminated paper and marker, were you able to do all that cutting corner of scratch paper stuff??

 

[hokie4life]

the cuttign paper stuff sounds great! how do we manage to do that though...can we get in trouble for it? it sounds really useful so i think it's smart, how do you get away with doing that though?

 

[cabbagebrain]

I guess I see why we have to use the dry erase markers and laminated paper now. Why don't they just hand out protractors? Hey, let's have some calculators while we're at it!

The test is meant to gauge your PERCEPTUAL ABILITIES, not how well you can use tools or improvise to cheat. Believe it or not, your PERCEPTUAL ABILITIES are pretty important if you are going to have a career in dentistry.

 

[shoeler]

I am talking about for practice. Obviously you can't do that with a dry erase board.

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

Does the computer let you mark on the pictures? like draw symmetry line for hole punching or extend lines on the angles or write #s on the cubes???...those strategies (from kaplan) really helps me.

I am so good at angle ranking, hole punching & cube counting ...but only because I draw all over my test questions. If i won't be able to do that on computer then i will fail those sections for sure .

I am ok at keyholes & pattern folding

But I suck at t/f/e so bad..........I can barely get 2/15 lol.

 

[Japin]

Does the computer let you mark on the pictures? like draw symmetry line for hole punching or extend lines on the angles or write #s on the cubes???...those strategies (from kaplan) really helps me.

I am so good at angle ranking, hole punching & cube counting ...but only because I draw all over my test questions. If i won't be able to do that on computer then i will fail those sections for sure .

I am ok at keyholes & pattern folding

But I suck at t/f/e so bad..........I can barely get 2/15 lol.

You can't do that on the computer. Paper perception looks easier than when you try to do the same thing on the screen. You should begin making more efforts getting used to the computer format where possible. For TFE, I believe DAT Achiever has got the best problems and most helpful explanations that show you all possible views for the right and the wrong answers. I personally learnt a lot from this particular section.

 

[litldime]

1-The thing I found that worked for me was practice... practice... practice... The more practtice... the better you get.
2-When it comes to cube counting the best thing to do is use the kaplan method for counting/marking the whole thing and then using that table for each question. It works really fast and effective.
3-Pattern folding was a lot easier on the DAT for me, the test I got didn't have a lot of complicated stuff, i.e. lines and colors on the paper. Most of my test has simple folds that were very easy to do. Also when I ran into a few of the hard ones I learned to practice drawing out the pattern on my scratch paper and then try folding it, that helped prep me for the test.
4-I heard the angle ranking was supposed to be killer on the DAT, so a friend and I worked over a million angle ranking problems. Some people use their ID or pencil to extend the line and that works for them, didn't work for me though. Kaplan also teaches you to look for the fatest angle first and then the smallest angle and usually you can narrow down you answers very quickly, and sometimes you can eliminate all the answers except the right one. If you use these methods to practice sometimes they can help...

where did you get all the angle ranking problems from? t/f/e is the hardest for me as well!
-ld

 

[litldime]

anyone else have suggestions?
thanks!
-ld

 

[hokie4life]

Does the computer let you mark on the pictures? like draw symmetry line for hole punching or extend lines on the angles or write #s on the cubes???...those strategies (from kaplan) really helps me.

I am so good at angle ranking, hole punching & cube counting ...but only because I draw all over my test questions. If i won't be able to do that on computer then i will fail those sections for sure .

I am ok at keyholes & pattern folding

But I suck at t/f/e so bad..........I can barely get 2/15 lol.

yup i'm the same way: my best to worst are def. cubes > angle > hole punch > keyhole > pattern fold > t/f/e

the last two REALLY give me trouble but form what I've read and been suggested we just have to really keep practicing them to get better and quicker at them

good luck!

 

[litldime]

yea...I've been doing practice from my kaplan class and I did the first crack the pat test...their hole punching was ridiculous... i started laughing half way through with the half holes....goodness...I've gotten better at timing...i attempted every section... i look at the time during cube counting and started gunning it......yea still got lots of work to do....

if anyone has any other tips...please share...those using crack the pat...what do you think?... i like it!...now to review my 3d explanations...oh what fun!
-ld