Question & Answer Session With "Lucky Tangerine"

"Lucky Tangerine" is a student who had an amazing performance on the DAT. He received an astounding 26 academic average, 28 total science, and 30 perceptual ability all of which are in the 100 percentile range! "Lucky Tangerine" was already gracious enough to write a detailed breakdown of his DAT experience.


In addition to his breakdown I had a few other questions for him which I thought would be valuable to the pre-dental community. Please enjoy the responses and let us know what you think in the comments section!

1. How many months did you study for?

I set aside my entire summer to study for the DAT, so it was about 3 months. I knew that was more than enough time to prepare for the DAT so I took many days off to relax, hang out with friends, and go out.

2. What was your study schedule like? 

During my review phase, which was from mid-June to end of July, I believe I studied at most 8 hours a day if I was feeling productive. Most days I would probably average around 6 hours of studying time. I usually took Fridays off, or if I did study on Friday, then it would just be for an hour or two.

Three weeks up until my test day, I kicked my studying into overdrive. I studied everyday of the week for about 9 hours. I remember each of those days was a daily routine for me. All I basically did was wake up, workout, eat, study, eat, study, eat, study, browse SDN, and then sleep. During Friday nights, however, I hung out with my best friend just to get outside and give my brain a break from studying

3. Were you able to still have fun while studying for the DAT?

Of course! If I studied every single day of those three months I dedicated for DAT studying, I would go crazy.

During my review phase, I had a lot of free time during my days since all I was doing was reading through my Kaplan book+highlighting, Cliffs AP Bio+highlighting, or watching Chad's videos+taking notes.

4th of July weekend I had a few friends come down to visit so I essentially took the entire weekend off to go to the beach and stuff. I also ran a 5k on 4th of July back in my hometown.

Every Friday during the month of July, I watched a movie at the theaters with my roommate. It definitely helped to get my mind off of studying.

I also did a mud run during July as well. I did that with a group of friends and that was definitely fun!

I took one weekend off to go down to Ensenada for a humanitarian trip. I volunteered during the day and lived it up during the nights. It served as a mini-vacation for me.

I also went go-karting with my best friend one of the Friday nights leading up till test day. This was a huge stress reliever honestly. Who knew go-karts could be so fun?

All throughout the three months, I went to the pubs to enjoy a beer or hit up some happy hour specials just to be out of the apartment and away from studying. I did this maybe like once a week and I usually used these moments to see a few friends who were available at the time to refrain from being antisocial.

I definitely worked as much as I can. I would usually go out for a run or lift some weights here and there. I felt that I have to keep myself physically fit in order to keep up with the excessive studying. And, of course, sitting all day studying is definitely not good for my health so trying to stay active is essential for the mind and body.

Overall, it seemed like I did a lot, but that's because I set aside more than enough time for myself to study for the DAT (3 months). I knew I wouldn't be able to study consistently everyday, so 3 months gave me plenty of days to relax and to have some fun. Of course, if I was going to take a day off from studying, then I would make the most of it!

4. Can you give some of the details of your schedule for the day before and day of the DAT?

Day Before
The day before I went to grab some Chick Fil A with a couple friends since, at the time, Chick Fil A was having a promotion to enjoy a free breakfast entree. Afterwards, I stopped by a Target to buy Cliff bars and Gatorade for my break during the DAT. My friends and I also went to the mall afterwards just to walk around and talk about things to do the following week before summer was about to end for most of us. During this entire time, I had completely forgotten that I was going to take the DAT. It wasn't even on my mind at all! I definitely encourage others to relax and go hangout the day before the DAT.
I got home around mid afternoon so I just skimmed through Alan's Bio Notes with the supplemental notes I added on while studying. I enjoyed a salmon for dinner and looked through Destroyer Road Maps for O chem. I tried sleeping early but my sleep schedule at the time wouldn't let me sleep until 3AM (fortunately my DAT was scheduled at 12:30 the following day.So I just watched random YouTube videos until I felt tired.

Day Of
I woke up around 9AM. Worked out for half an hour. Watched three episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air while eating breakfast. Afterwards, I showered and got ready. I left for my test center at 12 and arrived there about 20 minutes before my appointment. It took a while to sign in since a lot of people were coming in to take their GREs I believe. I entered the testing room around 12:34 and it was showtime!

5. If you could do one thing different what would it be?

Not take the Kaplan course. It's not worth the money honestly. The class wasn't very helpful since the teacher just regurgitated basic information that we already reviewed from the Kaplan book. My teacher also kept rushing through the lessons making a lot of mistakes while trying to explain stuff. The online materials were good though, but I'm sure the other studying materials I had would've been sufficient.

Cliffs AP Biology: The Rave

If you have done any kind of research about what to use for the biology section of the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) then you probably have come across several sources saying to use CliffsAP Biology book. What is the rave all about?

First off, CliffsAP Biology book was not written for the DAT but for high school students taking the Advanced Placement (AP) Biology test for college credit. This means that it is broken down so simply that even a high school student can understand it!

Why use CliffsAP Biology for studying for the DAT? Easy, the book is broken down in to 13 subsections which coincidentally mirror the outline of the DAT. It teaches nearly all the material needed for the DAT in less than 254 pages (including practice problems). This may sound like quite a few pages but when you consider the 6 pages of multiple choice questions and essays between each chapter, it is not much at all.

CliffsAP Biology is by no means a fancy book but it does include some helpful pictures and some easy to memorize charts.

Take a look here at the ADA outline for biology:

Click image to enlarge

The outline of CliffsAP Biology:

You can get a feel for what is covered and what is not covered. One thing that I would have to advise against is strictly using CliffsAP Biology. You might ask, why? The real reason is that Cliffs does not cover EVERYTHING. If yo notice it lacks in some of the physiology areas and possibly a few smaller areas. My recommendation would be to take the ADA Outline and go through Cliffs filling it out. When you finish filling out the ADA Outline, look at what sections are lacking and then go to another resource (Campbell's, Kaplan, Internet, etc...) and fill in the missing pieces. I would do this for you but lack the time! However, if anyone has done this and would like to forward it I would be glad to post it for everyones benefit. 

Remember, Cliffs is short, in outline form, and costs less than $10. Hope this gives you a little better feel for what CliffsAP Biology is all about.  

What should you be aiming for on your DAT?

The Dental Admissions Test (DAT) is an important part of applying to dental school. It does not matter if you have a high GPA or a lot of volunteering experience, if your DAT scores are low you will have difficulty landing an interview and essentially getting into dental school.

According to the ADA statistics the average DAT score of a dental applicant is 17.59 for the academic average, 17.56 total science, and 18.17 perceptual ability. What does this mean to you? As of right now, it does not mean much. Lets first take a look at the average scores of matriculating dental students.

 The average academic score for someone who is accepted into dental school is about a 19. There are several schools with higher averages and some with lower averages. This means that if you want to have a good chance at being accepted into dental school, and you have an average or slightly below average GPA, you will need to score at least a 19 overall. Am I saying that if you score an 18 that you will not get accepted into dental school? No, there are is a great number of dental students who scored an 18 on their DAT and were accepted into school. However, if you only want to apply one cycle and have some choices, I would highly recommend aiming for a 20+ on your DAT.

So, why do I write this? My one purpose in writing this post is to help open the eyes of predental students who do not know what they should be aiming for on their DAT. Do not take the DAT lightly! If the average score is around 17.5, that means that there are many students scoring below this and they will eventually need to retake the DAT if they want to have a fighting chance at getting accepted into dental school. You do not want to put your self in this position! The ADA statistics also show that students who retake the DAT have nearly the same average as that of students taking the DAT for the first time. Does this mean give up if you have already taken it and scored low? Absolutely not because your score will reflect the effort that you put into studying. However, I would highly recommend studying for the DAT like you only have one chance at taking it. This is not a test that you want to prepare for more than one time.

For more statistics and information on the DAT visit the ADA at http://www.ada.org/3746.aspx.

The Hottest DAT Study Material 2011

I would like to present the top 10 most useful study materials for the DAT. The study material was chosen by your peers. Those who participated in choosing the top ten where students who previously studied for and took the DAT. Each of these students knows the time, money and effort that goes into being successful on the test. Like wise, they know which materials did and did not work for them and which ones best prepared them for the DAT. Without further adieu, I present to you the Hottest DAT Study Material for 2011!

**Click Here for 2012 Results**

 #1- DAT Achiever

This was a huge surprise in my book! I suspected that DAT Achiever might make the top 5 on the list but never would have guessed that it would come in at #1. After all, DAT Achiever is demeaning and demoralizing to students who take these tests for the first time, but I guess this is what makes it so great! It is called "Achiever" for a reason. If you look at breakdowns of students who used DAT Achiever and compare their scores to that of their actual DAT scores you will see that, on average, they score 2 to 4 points higher. The questions presented are challenging but not unrealistic. DAT Achiever is preparing students for the difficult questions because those are the questions that can make a difference between getting 18 or a 21 academic average. In order to make DAT Achiever an effective study tool it is essential that you know why each answer given is either correct or incorrect. Feel like you have organic chemistry down? What about general chemistry or perceptual ability? DAT Achiever will challenge you in any section, so if you are looking for an edge over the other dental students this is the program for you. DAT Achiever accelerates in several areas including usability, question clarity, consistent upgrades, and solid customer support. For all these reasons and more DAT Achiever is the #1 Hottest DAT Study Material for 2011!

#2 - Crack DAT PAT

You are going to hear enough about this program on all my other posts and tutorials. Whether you feel that you can succeed or do not have the perceptual ability skills to succeed Crack DAT PAT will help you to improve. There are 10 full length tests along with thousands of bonus practice problems. The problems are unbelievably close to the real DAT. In fact, when I was taking the DAT I felt as if I was just taking another Crack DAT PAT test. This program is more than enough to do well on the PAT and believe it deserves to
be in the #2 Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011.

#3 - DAT Destroyer

Overall, this is an excellent source for the sciences. The problems are difficult and as it states it will "Destroy" you your first time through. It is essential that you don't just memorize the answers but understand everything possible about each answer choice given. The problems are organized according to Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Quantitative Reasoning. However, the problems within each section are not organized by topic but randomized. Because of this and the difficulty of the problems it is important that you have a good base knowledge of the subject before you begin. If you do not have a base knowledge DAT Destroyer will only frustrate you and make studying difficult. Excellent resource if you are looking to score high on your DAT. It includes biology, organic chemistry, general chemistry, and math all of which are an excellent resource and highly recommended by the predental community. This is definitely a top 5 Hottest DAT Study Material in my book!

#4 - Chad's Videos (Organic and General Chemistry)

Were you ever frustrated because your chemistry professors did not seem to be able to make chemistry simple, interesting or easy to understand? I know I was but when I watched Chad's Videos I was amazed at how simple and clear chemistry was. Both the General and Organic Chemistry videos are a great resource especially if its been a few years since you have taken the course. The videos are invaluable and definitely worth the $50 he charges to gain access to the videos. I don't have much to say except, CHECK THEM OUT! You definitely will not be disappointed with your purchase. Chad just came out with the new HD Videos which is an upgrade from the original version that came out about 2 years ago. Ever since the videos came out they have been gaining popularity and I would suspect if I were to do the poll in another year or so that Chad's Videos would definitely be in the top 3 of the Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011.


#5 - Cliffnotes AP Biology

Not much to say here, except that the notes are clear, concise, and contains just about everything you need for the DAT in terms of biology. It does lack a little in the physiology portion and a few other small topics. However, for the $10 that you spend on Amazon for this book it is definitely worth the money. It is basically condensed notes ready for memorization. There is not a lot of fluff to sift through and is an easy read, unlike some of the other more boring materials such as Schaum's Outlines (still good, just not as good). Currently, ranked 5th for the Hottest DAT Study Material for 2011 based on value (content & price).

#6 - Math Destroyer

Just like the DAT Destroyer the Math Destroyer will also destroy you. This is an excellent resource for studying the math section. The problems are difficult and much like the real DAT. I was only able to go over the first few tests right before my DAT and I wish I was able to go over more! I saw problems on the DAT that were just like the MATH Destroyer. Need help with the quantitative reasoning section? Get the math destroyer! Not only are the problems good but the solutions are excellent. Like the DAT destroyer the only thing this lacks is structure to the problems (which is intentional). You may want to supplement this with the outline from the ADA, a good textbook, and the internet in order to have a clear understanding of all the material you need to know for the DAT. I am not surprised that Math Destroyer is #6 on the Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011.

#7 - Top Score Pro

If you are looking for the most accurate representation of how you are going to score on the DAT then take the Top Score Pro tests. Throughout the predental community the consensus is that Top Score Pro will give you the most accurate judgment of how you will do on the DAT. However, remember that while some students, like myself, will have nearly identical scores others will have as much as +/- 4 points on the real DAT. Most commonly scores are with in +/- 2 points. With that said Top Score Pro does lack in a few areas. The biggest area is the biology section. Don't get me wrong, the questions in the biology section are great but they add a lot of taxonomy questions (5-7 per test) to the test which causes students to score lower on their practice test. The actual DAT may only have 2-3 taxonomy questions. Also, if you are scoring 17-18 on the quantitative reasoning section you may want to do some extra practice (perhaps with Math Destroyer) because often times students quantitative reasoning scores decrease from what they were getting on Top Score Pro. All in all, this program is well worth the money and I am surprised that it is not in the top 5 Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011!

#8 - Kaplan Blue Book

Kaplan Blue Book has all the subjects with easy to read outlines. Need instructions for the perceptual ability section? They've got it! Need an outline of the quantitative reasoning section? They've got that too! If you are rusty on any subject Kaplan breaks each section down into the basics. It will help you gain a good basis in each of the sections. Want to get a 20+ on the DAT? Perhaps, this is where the Kaplan Book lacks. Although, it has everything some areas are just to simple and not enough detail. The general consensus is that it lacks the details you need to do well on the biology section. So, is this a good book to buy? Yes, but be sure to supplement it with some of the other materials that are up higher on the Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011.


#9 - Studentdoctor.net

If you need to ask questions or advice then Studentdoctor.Net (SDN) is the place to go. There are already thousands of posts answering just about any question a predental student could ask. If for some reason your situation or question is unique or you just want to post then those who join the SDN (free) can post and make comments. Invaluable source for any predental student. SDN is a definite top 10 on the Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011!

#10 - Chad's Practice Material (Quiz)

I never used these materials since they are new within the last year or so. They have made the top 10 on the Hottest DAT Study Materials for 2011, so, they must be good. Don't worry about purchasing these separate because they are included with Chad's Videos (#4) when you purchase them. Sounds like an a good supplement to some excellent videos!

If you have a differing opinion or want to add anything to the above statements feel free to do so by posting a comment in the comments section.

8 Week Study Plan

On studentdoctor.net there is an 8 week study plan and all the details needed in order to complete the study plan successfully. The plan is in no way, shape, or form my own original work. In fact, "DentalWorks" posted this on studentdoctor.net as a helpful resource for predental students looking to study for the DAT.

I am currently working on a complete study guide which will include information from Cliff AP Biology, Kaplan Blue Book, ACS study guides, textbooks, and many more resources. This study guide is meant to eliminate the need to purchase all of the books (you may still want to have some for references and practice test purposes). I will also be putting together a 100% original study plan utilizing the study guide and testing software such as Top Score Pro, and DAT Achiever. Included will be a 4 week, 8 week, and 12 week study plan.

Hope you can utilize this valuable source!
8 Week Study plan by "DentalWorks"
You are one step closer to becoming one of these



A DENTIST!

If you would like to purchase the entire DVD click here.

DAT Study Plan Suggestions

I will add each of the sections of the DAT to this post as I find time to do so. My goal is not to tell you how long to spend studying each section of the DAT because this will vary person to person depending upon how strong you are in the section and how recent you have taken the course. However, my goal is to provide you with a way to study that will help you retain the information for the test and allow you to feel confident in each section.

(1) GENERAL CHEMISTRY

For me it was 4-5 years since I had general chemistry. Needless to say this was one area of focus for me while studying for the DAT. I went from know absolutely anything about general chemistry to scoring an 18. If you have had general chemistry at any point in the last 1-2 years this study pattern should get you to where you want to go.

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is find your weaknesses. If you have Top Score pro, or something similar, take the first test and find out your weaknesses.

2. Use the ACS general chemistry book to do problems relating to the area you are having difficulty. There are about 5-10 example problems per section and 30 practice problems. You can buy the book either from Amazon.com or http://www.examsinstitute.com/Study-Guides_c_1.html. If you do not have this and already have the kaplan subject tests then those will probably work too but having not used them I could not tell you for sure.

I like theACS general chemistry book because it is broken down into easy to study sections:

Content is derived from both semesters of General Chemistry and includes:
Atomic Structure
Molecular Structure and Bonding
Stoichiometry
States of Matter / Solutions
Energetics
Dynamics
Equilibrium
Electrochemistry / Redox
Descriptive Chemistry / Periodicity
Laboratory Chemistry

3. If you still feel uncomfortable with that material take out your textbook and do more problems related to the material.

4. Find another area that you are struggling in and repeat steps 2 and 3

5. Repeat this process until you've gone through the entire ACS general chemistry book

(I would suggest writing out solutions on paper to each of the questions. ESPECIALLY if you had difficulty figuring them out. This will allow you to try the problems over again and save time on trying to figure exactly what you are doing wrong or the correct solution)

6. Once you are finished ACS general chemistry through the general chemistry portion of DAT Destroyer. Whenever you miss a problem figure out why you missed it. Use problems from ACS book and textbook that you have previously completed in order to see how to do the problem correctly. I would repeat the DAT Destroyer. You will generally get about 60% correct depending on how much work you need or don't need. However, by the time you repeat it you should be getting 85% + correct. Once again this is dependent upon ones background. If you are still missing quite a few when you go through it a second time I would start the ACS book over again and go through the study plan a second time. By the time you repeat the Dat Destroyer general chemistry section a third time you should have it nailed down!

***Don't forget to slow down and write out formulas that you need to know. Memorize them and use them as you practice.***

Go through theACS general chemistry and the DAT destroyer as many times as needed. For some it will be one and for others it will be 3-5 times. You may also use kaplan subject tests for extra sample problems. After doing this only one time you should see an increase in your Top Score/Dat Achiever practice scores. If not you may need to slow down in your weaker areas your second time through. I did not score great on this section but I went from knowing nothing about gen chem to scoring an 18! If you are struggling in this section you are simply going to have to sit down and do problem after problem to get the formulas to stick.

(2) ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

The study plan for organic chemistry is virtually the same as the general chemistry study plan. Use the same steps but instead of using ACS general chemistry, Dat destroyer general chemistry, and a general chemistry textbook, use the organic chemistry versions of the books! I would highly recommend getting blank paper and writing out any and all reactions you come across (Diels-Alder reaction, aldol condensation, free radical reactions, etc...). You can use this as a quick reference in case you forget it down the road.

(3) BIOLOGY

This section is all about memorizing and becoming familiar with a broad range of topics. You will need to be thorough in your study but do not carried away with the details. I have provided a general outline from the ADA Dat user manual. The number located in the parenthesis represents and estimate of how many questions are from each section and may help you to know what to emphasize while studying. Become familiar with this outline and make this the basis for what you study.

For the biology section I am going to recommend starting at the beginning of this outline. However, it is important that you recognize your weaknesses. Some may already have a good feel for what they are weak in and others may want to take a practice test in order to find weaknesses. This is going to be key in managing time and being successful on the biology section. If you are strong in an area you may want to read over that section and take some notes in order to keep it fresh. If you are weak in an area you are going to want to not only read and take notes but spend time understanding and memorizing. How much time you spend on each section is going to be up to you. If you have already taken anatomy and physiology it may only take a quick review to get that solid but if you have not it may take a little longer and some more memorizing for you.

1) Start at section I "Cell and Molecular Biology"

2) Begin reading and outlining each of the subcategories. The first subcategory is origin of life. Create an outline using Cliffnotes AP Biology which, in my humble opinion, is by far the best condensed outline for biology.

3) If a subcategory is not covered in Cliffnotes AP Biology use another resource to fill in the gap. Other decent resource include the Kaplan Blue book if you have it, Schaum's Biology Outlines, or your class textbook/notes.

4) Memorize any charts or key points created in your outline. Sometimes this may take 5 minutes and other times you may spend an hour. Once again this depends upon your background and the size of the topic.

5) After completing the first subcategory continue on to the second subcategory which is cell metabolism. Repeat steps 2-4 for this subcategory and any following subcategories for section I.

6) No step is more important than another, however, completing this step will immensely improve your ability to retain the information for the DAT. With your outline complete for section I take blank paper or a white board and list out each of the subcategories. Now write out everything you can remember about each subcategory. Force yourself not to look at the notes! When you are finished writing out everything for each subcategory compare it with your notes. If you truly memorized the material or felt that you were solid in the areas you should be able to write out just about everything from your outline. Not necessarily word for word but the content would be the same. Use pictures, charts, and colors to enhance your outlines and help you remember it. Explain the material out loud as if you are teaching it when you write it on the white board. All of this will help with retention.

7) If you struggled with writing out your outlines in step 6 then go back to the subcategories that tripped you up and memorize the outline you created. Strive to understand the information you are memorizing and try to make connections with things that you already know. If you struggled with many of the subcategories this means you need to SLOW down while going through step 4.

8) Find questions pertaining to the information in section I. At this point you should be able to answer most of the questions you find pertaining to this section. There are questions in Cliffnotes AP Biology, Dat Destroyer, Kaplan subject tests, or any textbook that you own. This is what step 8 is all about, checking that you can apply your knowledge to questions!

9) MOVE ON! Go to section II "Diversity of Life" and repeat steps 2-8 for this section. This section is less conceptual and more memorization than many of the others. Take your time and memorize the material. You are going to need it memorized before the DAT  anyways! The tendency is to read it and halfway memorize it. Just get it done with and memorize it! This means focus on step 4...

10) Repeat steps 2-8 for sections III-VI. After you complete section III repeat step 6 for sections I-III and then move on to section IV. After completing section VI repeat step 6 for sections IV-VI.

11) YES! You have now completed the biology section. But wait there is more! Now repeat step 6 starting with section I all the way through section VI. By this point you may have forgotten some of the material in section I-III so this will be a good review.

12) Do lots of problems! Go through any biology problems you can get your hands on. Use the practice test programs (Top Score, Dat Achiever), Dat Destroyer, Kaplan Subject Tests, Cliffnotes AP Biology, and whatever else you can get your hands on. If you only have time for one I would suggest doing the problems in Destroyer because they have really good explanations and test your knowledge. Don't worry if you are missing some questions. Learn from your mistakes! Know why each answer choice is either right or wrong.

This is a hefty study plan! Some of you will breeze through this because the material is still fresh from your classes and others will struggle through much of the material. Either way, by the time you complete the steps you will be ready for the DAT!

(4) Perceptual Ability Test (PAT)  

This section is new to everyone taking the DAT! Some of you are going to be naturals and others are going going to have a little bit of trouble with this section. If you fit in the latter category, don't worry! This section is learnable. You do not have to be naturally good in order to do well on the exam. It is like sitting down with a mirror and a drill, eventually everyone gets the hang of it!

There are 5 sections within the PAT:
a) Key Hole
b) Hole Punch
c) Top/Front/End
d) Cube counting
e) Pattern Folding

It will be essential that you become efficient in all of these areas if you want to do well. The following are steps that will help you to study the PAT section.

1) Before you do anything, become familiar with ALL the rules for each sections. Some times you may get one correct but for the wrong reasoning. To eliminate this know the rules. There are a few good resources for the rules including but not limited to Kaplan Blue Book, Studentdoctor.net (use search feature), Barron's, and Crack DAT PAT.

2) Now that you know the rules you can practice and practice and practice. In general, Kaplan's resources are the easiest for this section, so you may want to start out with these. Just do a few at a time until you get the hang of them.

3) With a good foundation, you can now begin testing yourself! I would suggest starting out with Crack DAT PAT because they offer a large number of tests. I would save the Top Score Pro and DAT Achiever tests for when you do full length practice tests (meaning all the sections together just like you would on the real DAT). I believe Crack DAT PAT has 10 tests total but you can also randomize the tests.
(Take a look at my DAT Breakdown in order to see how my real scores compared with my practice scores.).

4) Start by completing one Crack DAT PAT test. You will quickly find your weaknesses and find that timing can be difficult. Don't worry so much about timing at this point. With all the practice you are going to get it will not be a problem by the time the DAT comes around.

5) After finding your weakness go back and look at your score breakdown. What type of questions did you get incorrect? Was it key holes? If it was figure out what you did wrong. Then go back and practice, practice, practice. Crack DAT PAT comes with several bonus key hole problems that you can do separately from the tests. Do a lot of these. Do the same thing for any other section that you struggled with.

6) Now you can move on to Crack DAT PAT test number two. Repeat step 5 for this test. This process will continue all the way until test number ten. I would not do them all in one day or even in a week or two weeks. Spread them out with your other studies. If you plan on studying for 3 months then find out how often you need to do the tests in order for them to get you about 3 months. Note that just because you are only going to take one of these a week, that does not mean you skip studying for the PAT the remainder of the days. Between tests is when you should be doing practice problems and reviewing rules on sections that you did not accelerate at.

7) It is going to be important that you take full length practice tests such as those sold by Top Score Pro or DAT Achiever. If you struggle with this section during the full length test do step 5 for each of those tests also.

8) If you complete all of Top Score Pro, DAT Achiever, and Crack DAT PAT and you still do not feel comfortable then I would suggest taking randomized Crack DAT PAT. However, this should not happen if you took your time learning the rules and analyzing the problems you get wrong on each test!

(5) READING COMPREHENSION 

There is not much you can do to improve your ability to read over the next month or two. However, you can improve your reading comprehension score! There are not really any steps to studying this section but in an an attempt to keep this post coherent and complete I have come up with the following;

1) Take a practice test from either Top Score, Dat Achiever, or Kaplan. If you did well on this section you should be set. Continue to take the remainder of the reading tests as you take the complete tests. As long as you consistently get high scores you should be fine. If you don't do well on the practice test there is still hope.

2) Start searching for (on studentdoctor.net) different strategies posted for the reading comprehension section. Take those strategies and modify them to your liking.

3) Begin taking more practice tests. I would recommend Crack DAT reading. Not because these tests most accurately represent the real dat but because there are about five or so tests. Use the strategy that you think best fits you. If you improve your score and feel comfortable with that strategy then use it. It will take a few more practice tests for you to get the strategy down but stick with it and modify it until you feel like you are where you would like to be.

4) If you did not score well or feel comfortable with the first strategy then either modify it for your liking or try a new strategy. If that strategy does not work keep modifying and finding new strategies until you find one that you like. You should be able to find a strategy that works before you complete the five tests.

5) Now that you have a strategy that works for you use that strategy while taking your full length practice tests by Top Score Pro, DAT Achiever, and Kaplan. Your scores should be fairly consistent through out those tests.

The strategy I used:

For this section I would read 2 or 3 questions. I would then begin reading through the passage until I answered all three questions. Usually only have to read a few paragraphs but sometimes almost all of the paragraphs (just depended on the test). As I read I wrote down key words for each paragraph. I then read questions 4-6 and answered the ones that I already came across. If I did not already come across the answer I continued reading where I left off and continued writing down key words for the remaining paragraphs. Once those were answered I read questions 7-9 and answered them. By this time you usually have read through the entire passage. It is now up to you to remember the answers or at least remember where to find the answer. This is where the key words should help out. You may end up doing a little skimming but this should be mostly eliminated if you really read the paragraphs as you went.

* This strategy worked for me but may not work for you. In a future post I will include a detailed description of different strategies used for the reading comprehension section.


(6) MATH COMING SOON!

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DAT Experience (Breakdown)

The purpose of this post is to record what and how I studied for each section of the DAT and allow others to decide if what worked for me on the DAT will work for them.

***I am now in dental school ;) You will be there soon!!! I have gone back through this post and made comments on some things that I believe may be of value. These comments are marked with the three asterisk (*).

The Real Deal!

AA    TS    PAT    BIO    GCHEM    OCHEM    RC    QR

19     20      21       19         18               23          20      17

TopScore

#3--1 weeks before test

AA TS  PAT  BIO  GCHEM  OCHEM  RC  QR

21   19    22     17       19              28      21    22

#2--2 weeks before test

AA   TS   PAT   BIO   GCHEM  OCHEM   RC   QR

20     20    23      17       20              28          19    18

#1--Still Need to Find them

NEW: Top Score Pro Vs Real DAT Poll ==> Studentdoctor.net
DAT Achiever

TEST 1- PAT 18-QR 20-BIO 15-G-Chem 16-O-Chem 18-TS 16

TEST 2-AA 17-TS 16-PAT 19-QR 18-RC 20-Bio 15-Gen-Chem 15-O-Chem 19

TEST 3-AA 18-PAT 18-QR 22-RC 20-BIO 14-Gen-Chem 15-O-Chem 18-TS 16

NEW: DAT Achiever vs Real Dat Poll ==> Studentdoctor.net

My practice scores varied depending on the test and where I was at in my studies. I felt that "Top Score Pro" best represented the real test. I think the main thing is to practice your timing and get your game plan down, then use what you did on the practice tests on the real test so you have no doubt on what you will be doing throughout the test. Also, use them to find your weaknesses and then WORK on them.

The day leading up to the Test

The day before my test I woke up and traveled 4 hours to where the testing center was. I went in and talked with the Prometric staff and asked any questions that I had. Some good questions to ask may include but is not limited to; (1) May I see the dry erase boards/markers? (2) Are there ear plugs available and if not am I allowed to bring my own?, and (3) Confirm the things you need to bring to the testing center with you on test day. I then went to the hotel relaxed from the long drive, ate some good food and then studied the rest of the afternoon. I shut the books down around nine and retired to bed (Key). Woke up around 7:30 went down to the lobby and ordered a three egg omelet. I then read outlines, note cards, math formulas, etc until about 10:15. I went to the prometric center at about 10:30. This left me plenty of time to find parking, use the restroom, eat a snack, and get comfortable. My appointment was not until 11:30 but I signed in took a few breaths and they had me started by 10:50.

The Test

BIO (19)- As you can see my actual score did not resemble any of my practice scores. My main source for this section was Cliffs bio. The questions on the DAT were not that detailed. I had a random taxonomy question but other than that I felt that all the questions were very doable. If you are looking for 18+ cliffs will definitely do it. I felt good about the biology section when I was done. ***If you have the opportunity to take biochemistry before the you take the DAT then I would recommend doing it. The questions on the DAT are not as detailed but it will make any questions (which seems to be a good handful) a lot easier.

Sources: Cliffs AP Biology, Kaplan Blue Book (physiology only), Knowledge from classes

Real vs. Practice: Top Score was more representative of the real test but it still had a lot more taxonomy questions than the real test. The DAT also seemed to cover a broader range of topics than any of the practice tests. Not very many questions were in depth but it seems that they are just testing your knowledge of the basics of a lot of the topics. ***Take the both the questions that you get wrong and right on Top Score and know why each answer is either correct or incorrect. If you already know the reasoning then don't spend time looking it up. However, if you are not sure spend a little time reading and figuring it out. The questions on the test will not be duplicates but will be a similar variation of questions that you have most likely already seen.

Gen Chem(18)- I always struggle more with the conceptual questions on the practice tests. It has been 4-5 years since I had gen chem. During the test I feel like I froze a little in this section and was just blanking on some of the information (formulas and concepts). I watched Chads videos to regain a good foundation of General Chemistry. I did the problems in Destroyer two to three times each and supplemented it with did the ACS general chemistry study guide to solidify certain concepts. Destroyer defiantly covers any of the calculations needed. Be sure to know them all! Also ACS did a good job of really making some of the concepts stick. Overall I think both those sources are good enough to do a 20+. I just felt like I did not perform well.

Sources: Destroyer, ACS general chemistry study guide, Chad's Videos (Links are posted under the resource tab), Text Book

Real vs Practice: Both the tests seemed to be about even. The third test on Top Score Pro seemed to represent my test very well. There was a good amount of conceptual and calculation formulas.

O-Chem(23)- Not much I can say here. It all seemed very basic. I did not have any IR or NMR which I found very odd. I was prepared to answer them and I would be sure not to skimp on this part despite what my experience was like. There was only one question I thought I was unsure of. I am still happy with a 23 though. I went through Destroyer once about 5 days before my test. Then two days before my test I did the ACS organic chemistry study guide. I will have to note that I completed O-chem part II about two months before I took the DAT. I did well in both parts and thus did not have to put much effort into this section. If you struggled with this in class or it has been a while since you have taken it I would highly recommend spending more time on this section. If you are scoring well on the practice tests and feel like you are getting the answers right because you know the information (not because you got lucky on a few) then I would say that you are set.

Sources: Destroyer,ACS organic chemistry study guide, Class Knowledge(key)

PAT(21)- I may have made a mistake in studying for this. I bought Crack Dat Pat at the beginning of the year and went through it several times. It was right on. However, I did not study for it for about two to three months and then about 5 days before the test I took one a day. I did not feel as sharp as I was in the past. They key is to make sure you are at the top of your game on game day. When I finished the test I actually felt like I had gotten at least a 23.

Sources: Crack Dat Pat, Top Score, Dat Achiever

Real vs Practice: Crack Dat Pat was almost exactly like the real thing. I actually felt like I was taking another Crack Dat Pat test. My average practice score for Crack Dat Pat range from about 21-23 with a few 24s and 25s. Key holes=Same, TFE=Same, Angles=Same to slightly harder, Hole punch=Easier, Cubes=A lot easier, Patern Fold= Same with a few harder. Not bad at all. If you can do the practice tests, you will do well on the real deal!

RC(20)- Ok, this was a surprise. I was hoping for an 18 after I finished. Like everyone says there are the questions that say “The statement is true but the reasoning is false, The statement is false but reasoning is true, ect” They are not as bad as everyone says! The answer to the question is all in the same sentence or two sentences. Its not like you have to look in the first paragraph for the statement and the 5th paragraph for the reasoning. There was a lot of tone questions but I just read the question and went with my gut instinct. The key to doing well on this section is to experiment with strategies on the practice tests until you find something that works. Once you find that something practice it several times and then when the test comes use that strategy and stick with it. My strategy was to read the first 2-3 questions and start reading. Once I found the answers I did the next 2-3 questions. If they were in the first paragraphs I read it was easy, if not I just continued reading. By the first 7-10 questions I was almost finished which made the remain questions fairly easy. I also would jot down a key concept of the paragraphs as I read so I could look at it and go straight to that paragraph without skimming.

Sources: Top Score, Dat Achiever, Crack Dat Reading

Real vs Practice: As you can see from my practice scores of 19, 21, 20, 20, 18 all of the practice tests were pretty close to the real thing. Crack Dat Reading was a little more difficult because they had several tone questions. My scores ranged more in the 17-19 range. However Crack Dat Reading is good for practicing your strategies so you dont waste your Top Score and Achiever tests.

QR (17)-Timing is Key! I used Crack Dat Math for practicing my timing. After I could finish the test with 45 minutes I would cut the time to 40 minutes and then 35 minutes. This helped me to be able to look at a problem and know if I need to skip it or if I can do it quickly. I finished the real test with 3-4 minutes to go. I went back and checked a few of my marked questions. I was expecting at LEAST an 18 after I was finished but I must of made some calculation errors. I also used Math Destroyer (not the math section in destroyer which is not Representative). I only did two of the test and the night before I just read the formulas, problems and the solutions.

Sources: Crack Dat Math, Math Destroyer, Text Book

Practice vs Real: Both Dat Achiever and Top Score were easier than the DAT. I suggest using Crack Dat Math which is more representative. However my averages ranged more in the 18-22 range but it was nice because the solutions are now video which makes it easy to figure out why you missed certain problems. It also has the timing feature which makes it nice. Math Destroyer seemed to be most representative of the DAT. Know the formulas and the short cuts to the problems that are in the solutions.

OVERALL--If you can do well on the practice tests you will do well on the real test. I felt the test was easier than any of the practice tests I took. My results do not show it all the way but I may not have performed to the same level. I was only .1 away from a 20AA. Overall, I am happy with my scores and feel that they should do the trick! ***These scores definitely did the trick! My application was not complete until mid-September. If you have similar scores, a decent GPA, and apply in June you should have NO problem getting interviews.

Other DAT Breakdowns:

• DAT Breakdown by "Lucky Tangerine"
• DAT Breakdown by "Dental2000"
• DAT Breakdown by Tely

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