DAT Breakdown by: Dental2000

Taken from Off the Dribble...

Once again one of your predental peers has graciously donated their DAT breakdown. Please take the time to read through this breakdown as there is a lot of solid advice that is beneficial to anyone preparing to take the DAT. Please show your appreciation to "Dental2000" by leaving a comment at the bottom of the post!

Dental2000 DAT Breakdown

I took this test in 2010 and got a 17AA/15PAT

2011
PAT - 21
RC- 20
QR- 22
Bio- 19
G-Chem-20
O-Chem-21
TS- 20
AA- 20

Bio
Materials used: KWB (Kaplan White Book), Alan's notes, DAT destroyer, Datqvault, Cliffs AP Biology, Schaum's (a little), flashcards, various bio websites, 2009 ADA exam
All I can say here is keep studying it over and over again over the span of your study schedule. Use Cliff notes for sure, DO NOT use KWB as your only source, you are bound to mess your bio score up. Make your own notes from Cliffs AP Biology and KWB and make your own flashcards and study them over and over. The more you revise something the more it will get embedded in your long term memory. DAT Destroyer is a great source which doesn't get enough credit. DO IT. Definitely will surprise you as to how many similar questions appear on the DAT from the destroyer.

G-Chem and O-Chem
Materials used: Chads Videos, KWB, DAT destroyer, various websites of chem, 2009 ADA exam
Chad is great, Amazing for the DAT...His concepts are pretty sweet and concise for the DAT. Look through his videos and treat it as if you were in the classroom with him, make your own notes and try to answer his questions when he asks them in the videos. General chemistry is straight practice after you understand the concepts. Organic chemistry you have to keep practicing reactions in order to remember them. DO the destroyer road maps, you may think they don't help that much but trust me, the more you practice the road maps the more you will learn some of the reactions and reagents that correspond to them.
Do the destroyer over and over for the Chem sections, great practice and great help.
Best Advise: GET CHADS!

PAT
Materials: CDP, Kaplan PAT, Ross videos, 2009 ADA exam and Ross's free PAT practice test on his website from http://predds.info/.

This is just Pure practice, CDP is the key. I just practiced CDP 5 times a week and went over my mistakes. Ross's free PAT practice exam is a good representative for how you might do on the actual DAT.

Keyholes and a bit harder than CDP, but very doable
TFE was just a point harder than CDP but overall comparable
Angles were easier
Hole punching was way easier than what i expected, folds were very straightforward and I didn't get any half punches or 'punch over a punch'
Cubes were very easy, no illusions like CDP
Pattern Folding has always been my Achilles heal, could not figure some out so i just picked the best out of the 4. I probably lost most points here. If you can do CDP then you are golden on the DAT.

RC
Prepared the least for this section. Wasn't expecting the score I got. My passages were simple. I would look over a question and then read the passage and if I came across the keyword in the paragraphs that matched the question I would answer the question. Can't really give you guys tips here except train yourself to not get bored while reading them. Every time you yawn while reading it wastes time, lol .

QR
Materials: MATH Destroyer and Kaplan math

I was least worried about this section since I was good at math in high school but Math Destroyer is all you need. Do their problems over and over again until you understand their concepts.

Very Importanto - Do not spend to much time on one question. If you don't understand it, mark it and move on. It's basically a race against time type of test. Do what you know and if you have time redo the stuff you are not sure of.

Overall I'm pretty happy with what I got based on my studying. If I could do it again I definitely would change some of my studying habits and work harder in general chemistry and biology.

Advice to my fellow DAT takers: You Can do it if you push yourself. Don't give up if people say you can't do it. Remember it is not what you do when your down but what you do when you get back up. Hard work always triumphs.

Pray and ask for his guidance, He always answers. Ask and you shall receive.

Other DAT Breakdowns:

• My DAT Experience (breakdown) 
• DAT Breakdown by "Lucky Tangerine"
• DAT Breakdown by Tely

Thanks once again to Dental2000 for donating their DAT Breakdown! If you have a DAT breakdown you would like to donate you can contact me by e-mail at TheCreator@DentalDAT.com.