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- Sep 17, 2012
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So as you can see with the title...I have taken the DAT 3 times....I am posting this in hopes that I can save someone from spending money on some worthless review....
Don't be discouraged if you score low the first time...just keep studying and trying and if I can do it...you can too!!
So here are my scores *drumroll*
1st attempt
PAT - 16
Total Sci - 17
Biology - 16
Gen Chem - 17
O Chem - 18
RC - 18
QR - 18
AA - 17
**6 months later**
2nd attempt
PAT - 18
Total Sci - 17
Biology - 16
Gen Chem - 17
O Chem - 19
RC - 17
QR - 15 (wuuut??)
AA - 17
Ok so I have already taken it twice and as you can see...there was no improvement...I blame it on just depending on one resource and that was kaplan..I have read somewhere on sdn that Kaplan really helped them ace the DAT....I don't know how but obviously I was one of the unlucky ones who solely depended on Kaplan classes to help me ace this test. I shouldn't have done that because my teacher in Kaplan was a soon to be medical student...honestly I was skeptical because I wanted someone who had taken the DAT to teach my class....but whatever...I would say that was a big money waster for me...an extra $1000 I could have spent on more valuable resources.
I think Kaplan is good for people who want a schedule planned for them. I thought it would help me but I felt that Kaplan on ALL subjects was much easier than the actual DAT...especially the PAT...which pretty much shows in my scores....
I also saved up O chem notes from my teacher and I used those for my second attempt...Hence why Ochem was the only one that gradually went up a point...but still...all my scores were still low and I didn't know what to do...
So then I did some research and I started ordering EVERY resource that I could find.....I started reading biology casually 5 months before my DAT (like an hour or two every other day) but I didn't study hardcore until 1 month before my DAT...This is where I studied 6 - 13 hours a day going over stuff I remembered from the last two DATs....Here are the other resources I used:
*Cliff's Biology AP book 3rd edtion - I saved this from high school and thank goodness I did...I reread the whole book and went over questions in that book. Doing that ingrained what I learned that day...I have heard Campbell's Biology book was good...I didn't use it because it was kind of out my budget...but if you have that textbook already...SAVE IT BECAUSE it is an AMAZING resource...read it if you have time to spare..
*Chad's videos/quizzes - LET ME TELL YOU...HE DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN KAPLAN HAS DONE FOR ME....EVER AND IT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER!!! I wish i found this resource sooner because you can watch those videos anytime and you can repeat it as many times as you want...The questions were spot on with the DAT i thought...he recently came out with the Bio section towards the end of my subscription...I have given it a whirl and it was pretty good. I feel like supplementing his biology quizzes with the Cliff's Biology AP book would be a very good idea
I promise you chad's stuff are going to be worth the money...get all his videos and quizzes..seriously
*DAT Achiever - for those who want to get better at timing and reading (I have never been good at reading comprehension....information always blows past me) this is the thing for you...seriously if you can get through with these tests (even if your brain is dying)...you'll be able to breeze through the DAT and have time to spare to check you questions....DONT BE DISCOURAGED!
Keep taking these tests multiple times...it will really help you with timing in case you got unlucky with your DAT by getting all the hard questions...
*Top Score - this is really a good gauge on how you'll do on the DAT...although Biology was a little bit on the easier than DAT....and so was the PAT....but it's good to go over these questions and keep studying these questions...remember that biology is not all memorization..there will be those few questions where you have to apply what your knowledge...
*Crack DAT PAT - YEAAAA this one helped me with my PAT score...this would you definitely help you....just repeat these tests...you'll get the hang of it...if you have problems with angles...actually just put whatever your first answer is...your brain can usually tell if you view it really fast...
*DAT destroyer 2012 - AMAZING...get it....and you'll think gen chem and ochem are a breeze...i didn't get to finish the biology part...but i repeated the gen chem and ochem part three times
*Other resources - I saved my textbooks in gen chem and ochem for references in case I didn't really understand the material
Overall: i used Destroyer, Chad's videos/quizzes, and DAT achiever much more than the others.
I absolutely learned my lesson...I did not use Kaplan....at all....
My studying was basically repeating problems and working on them until I can solve them without any help. I think it's really helpful if you have a study buddy to talk out the study material..because you will teach them and get the knowledge more ingrained into your brain (this can help you for the science concepts)....this is a win win situation
Also give yourself a break every now and then...i always took saturdays off and i took a few breaks in between my studies
I tried datQvault...it's alright...ochem and biology were way too easy on here compared to the actual DAT....your money would be better spent on Chad.
Third attempt:
PAT - 21
Total Sci - 19 (FINALLY lol)
Biology - 18 (i didn't get time to check my answers for a second time)
Gen Chem - 20
O Chem - 20
RC - 22 (thank you achiever)
QR - 17...meh....
AA - 19
My Math score was low because I only studied QR 5 days before my DAT...I would suggest investing in Math Destroyer because I saw my friends book..and some of my DAT questions were similar to the Math Destroyer problems
...but oh well..i think I scored ok on the other subjects...i actually did way better than my first two attempts...so I am happy
i hope this helps someone out and if you have any questions...just pm me or ask on this forum
GOOD LUCK GUYS!
**EDIT**
because some of you guys have asked for a more specific breakdown....
So this is what I did...
When I studied chemistry and ochem...I really kept repeating problems on DAT destroyer without looking at the solution...and if i didn't understand the topic...i went to chad's videos and listened to how he did it. I kept repeating it until I got it right on my own. I did this..sometimes I would work on one type of problem the whole day. With sciences...I didn't study bio, chem, and ochem all in one day. I divided up my time..for one day i would focus on only biology and qr and another I would focus on gen chem and RC....another day I focused ochem and PAT...i divided it up like that. I didn't do sections like gen chem and qr together because honestly...i can't stand doing math the whole day...but hey whatever works with you...just divide up studying each subject every other day (or try to because sometimes i would be stuck on a problem and get annoyed so i'll try working on that type of problem the whole day lol)
biology is really a broad topic but focus on the main stuff that you don't understand in biology....try to remember the past questions in bio from the last time you took the DAT and try finding the answers on your Cliffs AP bio book...what helped me for biology was actually talking it out with another person who was taking the DAT...talking it out will ingrain it more in your mind and you'll get to teach them...i know my score doesn't really show it...but in that section.. i ran out of time to check for a second time...I had 15 minutes to spare and i spent it on gen chem and ochem... =__= ,
For the first timers taking the DAT, the test break down that helped me determine what to focus on is this link:
predds [dot] net/dat-guide/
(they wouldn't let me post the link)
I would focus on the topics you don't know for the of the time you have to study....after you study that just skim on topics you know for like 15 - 30 minutes a day..if you have cliffs AP bio book...try doing the questions at the end of each chapter
For the PAT, just keep practicing. I know how you feel because I was frustrated the first time I took it. But if you practice like at least an hour a day and ask yourself how does this make sense..then you'll start to get it...like for the folding section...i was bad at it at fist because I didn't know that it was almost like top font side section of the DAT. So yea treat the folding section like the top front side question. Give that a try if you're having a hard time on that section. Angles I know are impossible but I learned if you just quickly glance at it...just go with your first answer...most likely you are right the first time...don't over think for this section. just quickly glance. If they give you a chance to compare (like if there are both answer choices where the smallest angle is 1 and the highest is three)...just compare the two remaining angles...this will save you a lot of time....cube counting...make a chart from 0-5 and count how many cubes there are in the figure...i know this seems like it would take a long time...but believe me...for each figure there are 3-6 questions so counting actually saves you time...as for keyholes look for minor differences...at first is hard but if you start focusing on the finer details of the picture and practicing that...you will get a hang of it...what helped me...i know this will sound stupid but when i was heading to class (not when i'm in a hurry or anything) I practiced looking at details from a distance...like I would try to compare trees that looked the same...I think that practice in everyday life...you'll become a more observant person to detail....for hole punching...at first it was difficult so I used the quadrant method where I tried to map where the holes were....I did this a few times and practiced. Pretty soon I just started visualize it in my mind. Crack DAT PAT gives you 2500 of these problems. Practice and take advantage of this feature....for top, front, and side....i just practiced this section...you'll start to notice a pattern with some shapes. Just keep practicing this section...so if you have Crack DAT PAT, i think there an option where you can do all top front side problems in an hour...I did not time myself at first....but once you start practicing and getting the hang of it...challenge yourself...like if you started doing this in 30 minutes...cut it down to 20...cut down by 10 minutes....so soon you will get the hang of it
For RC....i think I scored low the first two times was because I was so worn out because of the science and PAT section...those sections tired me out...even when I took a break...this was because i wasn't used to taking the whole test....so if you have DAT Achiever..this will seriously help you with timing because these questions are harder or equal to that of the DAT. Keep repeating the tests...timing will soon be easier for you...and since the DAT Achiever is so hard....RC will start to become a breeze on the real thing because DAT achiever is like how the DAT would be like if you were absolutely unlucky with the questions and all. When reading each article...i treated it like a yahoo article...I tried to take interest in the material...read the material as if you want to learn about a certain subject...your brain will take it in differently and retain the information a little better. What I did...for each paragraph...i wrote the most important sentence or i wrote what was the topic of that paragraph...this really helps if you need to reference back to any part of the article....keep practicing this method on the DAT Achiever...soon you'll find when you take the DAT...the articles are not as hard as you thought. If you can't find the answer...just fill in any answer, mark it, and go to the next question...that way you aren't wasting time. If you have some time to spare...go back and choose the best answer. The articles i had dealt with Mad Cow proteins, Chinese herbal medicine, and i think flu vaccinations...? i really forgot lol
QR...i didn't practice enough...if you didn't get Math destroyer, try to get it...if you still have your SAT stuff...the math there is pretty good practice...not the best but you do what you can right? what i would do go over the section and repeat the section multiple times...keep practicing...you'll find that math will be easier...i should have put more time on the subject but I didn't.... so this is the only advice that I can think of...
So to sum it up...
repetition for gen chem, ochem,, and math are essential...biology...review topics you don't know..and for the topics you do know..skim over it for like 15 - 30 minutes each day...test yourself after each section. gchem and ochem...do the problem multiple times until you can do it without help..
PAT - just keep practicing. don't over think angles, treat the folding section like top, front, side section. Try to notice fine details surrounding you for keyholes, count the cubes on the cube section, and practice top,front, and side section because you'll start to notice a pattern for some shapes...hole punching...use quadrant method first (draw quadrants...like make a cross then put four circles in each mini square) and try to map out the holes by filling the circles in...the more you do this the more you'll be able to visualize it in your head.
RC- practice learning how to survive the DAT in the absolute hardest testing conditions by using DAT achiever...because the reason i scored low was because i go worn out easily...take in information like you want to learn...not like a chore
QR- repeat repeat repeat each problem and every problem!!!!
I hope this helps you get an idea how to plan your study schedule. I cant exactly give you how many hours you should do this because this depends on how long you can study with pure concentration and how much material you've learned before studying for the DAT.....
...i get easily distracted which is why i took mini break in between each study session..but i made sure when i studied..i focused on the material at hand...I really hope this answer your questions! pm me if you need additional help.
Don't be discouraged if you score low the first time...just keep studying and trying and if I can do it...you can too!!
So here are my scores *drumroll*
1st attempt
PAT - 16
Total Sci - 17
Biology - 16
Gen Chem - 17
O Chem - 18
RC - 18
QR - 18
AA - 17
**6 months later**
2nd attempt
PAT - 18
Total Sci - 17
Biology - 16
Gen Chem - 17
O Chem - 19
RC - 17
QR - 15 (wuuut??)
AA - 17
Ok so I have already taken it twice and as you can see...there was no improvement...I blame it on just depending on one resource and that was kaplan..I have read somewhere on sdn that Kaplan really helped them ace the DAT....I don't know how but obviously I was one of the unlucky ones who solely depended on Kaplan classes to help me ace this test. I shouldn't have done that because my teacher in Kaplan was a soon to be medical student...honestly I was skeptical because I wanted someone who had taken the DAT to teach my class....but whatever...I would say that was a big money waster for me...an extra $1000 I could have spent on more valuable resources.
I think Kaplan is good for people who want a schedule planned for them. I thought it would help me but I felt that Kaplan on ALL subjects was much easier than the actual DAT...especially the PAT...which pretty much shows in my scores....
I also saved up O chem notes from my teacher and I used those for my second attempt...Hence why Ochem was the only one that gradually went up a point...but still...all my scores were still low and I didn't know what to do...
So then I did some research and I started ordering EVERY resource that I could find.....I started reading biology casually 5 months before my DAT (like an hour or two every other day) but I didn't study hardcore until 1 month before my DAT...This is where I studied 6 - 13 hours a day going over stuff I remembered from the last two DATs....Here are the other resources I used:
*Cliff's Biology AP book 3rd edtion - I saved this from high school and thank goodness I did...I reread the whole book and went over questions in that book. Doing that ingrained what I learned that day...I have heard Campbell's Biology book was good...I didn't use it because it was kind of out my budget...but if you have that textbook already...SAVE IT BECAUSE it is an AMAZING resource...read it if you have time to spare..
*Chad's videos/quizzes - LET ME TELL YOU...HE DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN KAPLAN HAS DONE FOR ME....EVER AND IT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER!!! I wish i found this resource sooner because you can watch those videos anytime and you can repeat it as many times as you want...The questions were spot on with the DAT i thought...he recently came out with the Bio section towards the end of my subscription...I have given it a whirl and it was pretty good. I feel like supplementing his biology quizzes with the Cliff's Biology AP book would be a very good idea
I promise you chad's stuff are going to be worth the money...get all his videos and quizzes..seriously
*DAT Achiever - for those who want to get better at timing and reading (I have never been good at reading comprehension....information always blows past me) this is the thing for you...seriously if you can get through with these tests (even if your brain is dying)...you'll be able to breeze through the DAT and have time to spare to check you questions....DONT BE DISCOURAGED!
Keep taking these tests multiple times...it will really help you with timing in case you got unlucky with your DAT by getting all the hard questions...
*Top Score - this is really a good gauge on how you'll do on the DAT...although Biology was a little bit on the easier than DAT....and so was the PAT....but it's good to go over these questions and keep studying these questions...remember that biology is not all memorization..there will be those few questions where you have to apply what your knowledge...
*Crack DAT PAT - YEAAAA this one helped me with my PAT score...this would you definitely help you....just repeat these tests...you'll get the hang of it...if you have problems with angles...actually just put whatever your first answer is...your brain can usually tell if you view it really fast...
*DAT destroyer 2012 - AMAZING...get it....and you'll think gen chem and ochem are a breeze...i didn't get to finish the biology part...but i repeated the gen chem and ochem part three times
*Other resources - I saved my textbooks in gen chem and ochem for references in case I didn't really understand the material
Overall: i used Destroyer, Chad's videos/quizzes, and DAT achiever much more than the others.
I absolutely learned my lesson...I did not use Kaplan....at all....
My studying was basically repeating problems and working on them until I can solve them without any help. I think it's really helpful if you have a study buddy to talk out the study material..because you will teach them and get the knowledge more ingrained into your brain (this can help you for the science concepts)....this is a win win situation
Also give yourself a break every now and then...i always took saturdays off and i took a few breaks in between my studies
I tried datQvault...it's alright...ochem and biology were way too easy on here compared to the actual DAT....your money would be better spent on Chad.
Third attempt:
PAT - 21
Total Sci - 19 (FINALLY lol)
Biology - 18 (i didn't get time to check my answers for a second time)
Gen Chem - 20
O Chem - 20
RC - 22 (thank you achiever
)QR - 17...meh....
AA - 19
My Math score was low because I only studied QR 5 days before my DAT...I would suggest investing in Math Destroyer because I saw my friends book..and some of my DAT questions were similar to the Math Destroyer problems
...but oh well..i think I scored ok on the other subjects...i actually did way better than my first two attempts...so I am happy
i hope this helps someone out and if you have any questions...just pm me or ask on this forum
GOOD LUCK GUYS!
**EDIT**
because some of you guys have asked for a more specific breakdown....
So this is what I did...
When I studied chemistry and ochem...I really kept repeating problems on DAT destroyer without looking at the solution...and if i didn't understand the topic...i went to chad's videos and listened to how he did it. I kept repeating it until I got it right on my own. I did this..sometimes I would work on one type of problem the whole day. With sciences...I didn't study bio, chem, and ochem all in one day. I divided up my time..for one day i would focus on only biology and qr and another I would focus on gen chem and RC....another day I focused ochem and PAT...i divided it up like that. I didn't do sections like gen chem and qr together because honestly...i can't stand doing math the whole day...but hey whatever works with you...just divide up studying each subject every other day (or try to because sometimes i would be stuck on a problem and get annoyed so i'll try working on that type of problem the whole day lol)
biology is really a broad topic but focus on the main stuff that you don't understand in biology....try to remember the past questions in bio from the last time you took the DAT and try finding the answers on your Cliffs AP bio book...what helped me for biology was actually talking it out with another person who was taking the DAT...talking it out will ingrain it more in your mind and you'll get to teach them...i know my score doesn't really show it...but in that section.. i ran out of time to check for a second time...I had 15 minutes to spare and i spent it on gen chem and ochem... =__= ,
For the first timers taking the DAT, the test break down that helped me determine what to focus on is this link:
predds [dot] net/dat-guide/
(they wouldn't let me post the link)
I would focus on the topics you don't know for the of the time you have to study....after you study that just skim on topics you know for like 15 - 30 minutes a day..if you have cliffs AP bio book...try doing the questions at the end of each chapter
For the PAT, just keep practicing. I know how you feel because I was frustrated the first time I took it. But if you practice like at least an hour a day and ask yourself how does this make sense..then you'll start to get it...like for the folding section...i was bad at it at fist because I didn't know that it was almost like top font side section of the DAT. So yea treat the folding section like the top front side question. Give that a try if you're having a hard time on that section. Angles I know are impossible but I learned if you just quickly glance at it...just go with your first answer...most likely you are right the first time...don't over think for this section. just quickly glance. If they give you a chance to compare (like if there are both answer choices where the smallest angle is 1 and the highest is three)...just compare the two remaining angles...this will save you a lot of time....cube counting...make a chart from 0-5 and count how many cubes there are in the figure...i know this seems like it would take a long time...but believe me...for each figure there are 3-6 questions so counting actually saves you time...as for keyholes look for minor differences...at first is hard but if you start focusing on the finer details of the picture and practicing that...you will get a hang of it...what helped me...i know this will sound stupid but when i was heading to class (not when i'm in a hurry or anything) I practiced looking at details from a distance...like I would try to compare trees that looked the same...I think that practice in everyday life...you'll become a more observant person to detail....for hole punching...at first it was difficult so I used the quadrant method where I tried to map where the holes were....I did this a few times and practiced. Pretty soon I just started visualize it in my mind. Crack DAT PAT gives you 2500 of these problems. Practice and take advantage of this feature....for top, front, and side....i just practiced this section...you'll start to notice a pattern with some shapes. Just keep practicing this section...so if you have Crack DAT PAT, i think there an option where you can do all top front side problems in an hour...I did not time myself at first....but once you start practicing and getting the hang of it...challenge yourself...like if you started doing this in 30 minutes...cut it down to 20...cut down by 10 minutes....so soon you will get the hang of it
For RC....i think I scored low the first two times was because I was so worn out because of the science and PAT section...those sections tired me out...even when I took a break...this was because i wasn't used to taking the whole test....so if you have DAT Achiever..this will seriously help you with timing because these questions are harder or equal to that of the DAT. Keep repeating the tests...timing will soon be easier for you...and since the DAT Achiever is so hard....RC will start to become a breeze on the real thing because DAT achiever is like how the DAT would be like if you were absolutely unlucky with the questions and all. When reading each article...i treated it like a yahoo article...I tried to take interest in the material...read the material as if you want to learn about a certain subject...your brain will take it in differently and retain the information a little better. What I did...for each paragraph...i wrote the most important sentence or i wrote what was the topic of that paragraph...this really helps if you need to reference back to any part of the article....keep practicing this method on the DAT Achiever...soon you'll find when you take the DAT...the articles are not as hard as you thought. If you can't find the answer...just fill in any answer, mark it, and go to the next question...that way you aren't wasting time. If you have some time to spare...go back and choose the best answer. The articles i had dealt with Mad Cow proteins, Chinese herbal medicine, and i think flu vaccinations...? i really forgot lol
QR...i didn't practice enough...if you didn't get Math destroyer, try to get it...if you still have your SAT stuff...the math there is pretty good practice...not the best but you do what you can right? what i would do go over the section and repeat the section multiple times...keep practicing...you'll find that math will be easier...i should have put more time on the subject but I didn't.... so this is the only advice that I can think of...
So to sum it up...
repetition for gen chem, ochem,, and math are essential...biology...review topics you don't know..and for the topics you do know..skim over it for like 15 - 30 minutes each day...test yourself after each section. gchem and ochem...do the problem multiple times until you can do it without help..
PAT - just keep practicing. don't over think angles, treat the folding section like top, front, side section. Try to notice fine details surrounding you for keyholes, count the cubes on the cube section, and practice top,front, and side section because you'll start to notice a pattern for some shapes...hole punching...use quadrant method first (draw quadrants...like make a cross then put four circles in each mini square) and try to map out the holes by filling the circles in...the more you do this the more you'll be able to visualize it in your head.
RC- practice learning how to survive the DAT in the absolute hardest testing conditions by using DAT achiever...because the reason i scored low was because i go worn out easily...take in information like you want to learn...not like a chore
QR- repeat repeat repeat each problem and every problem!!!!
I hope this helps you get an idea how to plan your study schedule. I cant exactly give you how many hours you should do this because this depends on how long you can study with pure concentration and how much material you've learned before studying for the DAT.....
...i get easily distracted which is why i took mini break in between each study session..but i made sure when i studied..i focused on the material at hand...I really hope this answer your questions! pm me if you need additional help.
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