Yes, I got no sleep the night before my exam due to my nerves. At 7 AM, I ditched the idea of trying to get some sleep and instead focused on a Plan B, as I consistently told myself that this exam would be easy. I also thought of my nervousness not as anxiety, but as excitement. I believe it worked, and with the correct mindset, I was able to outsmart my then disintegrating brain and remain calm for the entire exam.
Background: Psychology major with a 3.94 GPA.
First: the highest-yield info you can hear, and that few tell you.
Practice test results: 20, 23, 23, 22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 24, 23
PAT practice results: 19, 25, 26, 25, 26, 27, 26, 26, 27, 26
Actual exam - Bio: 30, Chem: 26, Orgo: 26, Reading: 21, Math: 27, PAT: 26, TS: 27, AA: 26
Bio (30): This section is super dense on material, so as you study focus on breadth over depth. 75% of the questions I encountered were surface level questions (not too deep). I recommend you watch the videos (only animated ones - they are mouth-droppingly good as they really visualize the numerous biological processes), then read Feralis notes (I didn't memorize from this, only read it at a nice pace to understand and LEARN the material as much as I could, as it goes pretty dense), then use the Anki flashcards to rehearse the material. Next, go to the question bank of that chapter and complete however many questions your time permits (remember: more exposure = more repeats) (try to complete them, you will feel more satisfied and less anxious). As you complete the questions, take a piece of blank white paper, name it the chapter name (ex: "muscular system"), and WRITE down everything you don't know (from questions you got right/wrong). If you will do this, please don’t type: a lot of students type, but that is ineffective for memorization and understanding. Review this sheet the next day (I didn’t have time for this). I also HIGHLY recommend you look over the cheat sheet for each chapter after completing it; they truly live up to their name. In the last week, you should definitely look over all the cheat sheets again. I observed that the DAT has around 75% of the questions on the level of the Anki decks and cheat sheets, so I recommend only memorizing from these sources. However, don't neglect Feralis notes because 25% of the questions will require a deeper understanding to answer. DATBooster really over prepares you for this section, and around eight of the questions were almost identical to the ones I saw in Booster (big wow). My average score on the Booster bio sections was a 21.
GenChem (26): Very few and basic calculations on the exam, mostly conceptual questions. The test was heavy on acid-base chemistry and periodic table/element trends. I watched Booster’s videos (I had a strong foundation and lacked time, so I didn't bother with Chad, though feel free) and took notes on things I didn't know, and did the practice problems (again, blank sheet if your time permits). Tip: don’t neglect calculation questions because, according to Booster, in some cycles the DAT may be heavy on calculations. 26 Booster average.
Orgo (26): Very fresh in my memory from orgo class and lab, and all the reactions were familiar. Again, watched Booster’s videos to refresh knowledge (feel free to use Chad) and did all the practice. I also used the Anki deck to understand the reactions (extremely effective). Test focused on the more simple reactions and acid-base ranking, though there were two questions regarding the Michael addition and the Aldol condensation. Tip: you will do much better and be able to answer many more questions if you understand the mechanisms behind all the reactions instead of just memorizing. 25 Booster average.
Perception (26): Surprisingly, the lack of sleep did not affect my perception to a very great extent, my brain just went a little slower on patterns and TFE (where thinking is required). Booster was slightly harder overall (Booster average was a 26). Had three rock keyholes, which absolutely sucked. For this section practice is important. A lot of people neglect this section, but please don’t. Yes, some people may have slight advantages playing legos and block games as kids, but that is besides the point: you are GUARANTEED to get better with practice (I went from a 19 to a 25 in just one week). Have fun in this section (you will perform much better). I sort of treated my daily PAT practice as a break from the other (more taxing) science sections. I practiced one hour each day TIMED (around 10-15 Q from each section). It's also important to go back after the one hour to the questions you got wrong and understand/visualize WHY you got them wrong (it's ineffective if you don't). The generators are not as representative as the question banks for patterns and keyholes, so make sure you use up the question banks fully. Use insane settings for all generators (great practice). Started by watching Booster videos at 2x for tips and tricks.
Tip: spend more time understanding sections you are weak on (but don’t neglect your strengths - use them as confidence). My weak section was pattern folding, so I focused more heavily on it.
Sections tanked from most to least difficult for me: Pattern folding, angle ranking, keyhole, TFE, cube counting, hole punch.
BTW: I emphasize my practice strategy for this section because with practice, hole punch and cubes were always 15/15, and TFE and Keyhole were always 14-15. Angles and patterns were 12-15 as well.
Tricks and time used for each section:
Keyhole (10 min) - Process of elimination. BTW: many say this is the hardest section, but at one point it clicks, and you get so good that it becomes pretty easy.
TFE (10-12 min) - Process of elimination. Try to visualize the figure in your mind before looking at answers. It will become easier with practice.
Angles (6-7 min) - Sit back, wear glasses if you have (I cannot emphasize the importance of 20-20 vision) Knife method (<45), roof method (110-150), 90 degree reference angle (angles close to 90), 180 degree reference angle (angles close to 180).
Hole punch (10 min) - Draw a grid, go straight to hole punch and work backwards.
Cube counting (5-7 min) - learn to count fast, ditched tallying (too inefficient on time), count by planes to not get lost (very easy clusters of cubes on exam btw).
Pattern folding (10 min) - don't fold pattern, look for a pattern within the pattern, process of elimination.
Snack break: took the full 30 min. Ate an apple and chocolate bar to renew energy. Don't eat fried food, it makes your brain foggy. Also for breakfast, have a lot of protein and less carbs.
Reading (21): At this point I was feeling the brain fatigue from the lack of sleep. I blundered on the first article, frequently zoning out while reading. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't focus beyond a certain limit. Also, the font absolutely sucked. Once I built my nerves at the first passage, the rest was a domino effect. Nevertheless, to any other person, this section would be a boost as the questions were 90% in chronological order and the passages had 7-10 paragraphs each. Averaged 23 on practice tests. TIP: I found the hard way that practice doesn't help in this section. What does help is experimenting different strategies to see which one works. I couldn’t quite get a grip for this section. Notwithstanding, the strategy I found somewhat efficient was to read the first question, then read five paragraphs (if you found the answer to the first question within those five paragraphs, go onto the second question, read it, and keep reading till the fifth paragraph, etc.). Don't highlight everything, only key words. Once done, the rest is search and destroy. Perhaps a different method would work better.
Math (27): At this point my heart beat fast and my mind was a mess. I'm lucky that I'm decent in math because of a good high school foundation. This section was slightly harder than Booster! (in terms of randomness. One question is super easy, and the next may be a complete curveball). Averaged a 26 on Booster tests. In this section, the content is not a problem, the time is. You have to work and think quickly in this section! Write down things as you read so that you don't have to read questions twice, learn to write without looking at the paper, do as much of the math mentally as you can, don't use the calculator for 4x4, etc. The more time you have to check, the more you will get right. BTW: mostly, we perform worse under pressure, and that is why I recommend finishing quickly, because it is in your extra time that you will think most sharply (no more completion anxiety). Admittedly, the Booster videos for math were a little boring to go through (but they are redoing them currently). Thus, to study, I watched all the videos at 2x, and took notes on things I forgot. After watching the videos for a section, I completed the practice questions for it. You will get faster with time and more knowledge.
A note on Booster: I used their Anki flashcards for every section they provided (except genchem), though I didn't have time for quizlet cards. If you're gonna use these flashcards for something, it's Orgo! They are extremely effective with remembering the reactions. Also, as I learned each chapter in any section, I made sure to do the questions for it right after, and took a sheet of paper and wrote down all the things I didn't know. Review that sheet the next day (I didn't have the time). Admittedly, I was a little disorganized, and did not get to complete all of the question banks for Orgo and Bio.
I highly recommend Booster. The team is very humble and helpful, and helps you with any question you have, and they consistently try their hardest to make the content more comprehensive and representative! You're essentially ripping them off by only paying $300 ($230 on black friday).
Finally: Please try to get three to eight hours of sleep - your brain will perform around 30% better. I only felt this in the reading and PAT sections though, so: if you cannot get any sleep, it's not uncommon, and please don't panic! Just make sure you make up for it by breathing well the whole morning, remaining calm, and setting a strong mindset! Thanks for reading, and truly, good luck!
Background: Psychology major with a 3.94 GPA.
First: the highest-yield info you can hear, and that few tell you.
- You will perform worse if you do not somewhat enjoy what you do. This is psychologically proven, so try to find some fun in this short process. For instance, I found it absurdly fun that this is the first and last time I will ever be tested on puzzles (PAT), and it was a good mid-day refresher for me. Moreover, we perform better doing things that are easy for us. During your study period, remind yourself that the DAT is easy, and not as bad as people make it seem.
- Set yourself a goal, and make it high so as not to subconsciously slack off. My goal was a 25, and reminding myself of this daily made me that much more sharp.
- Set aside some time (4 weeks was enough for me) only for DAT, but allocate a few hours of each week to something else (I went to the temple to pray, for example).
- During this period: do not think “Oh, I can just retake it so i’ll be fine” because that may make you subconsciously slack off, and not try to your best ability. Treat this as the only time you will ever take the DAT.
Practice test results: 20, 23, 23, 22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 24, 23
PAT practice results: 19, 25, 26, 25, 26, 27, 26, 26, 27, 26
Actual exam - Bio: 30, Chem: 26, Orgo: 26, Reading: 21, Math: 27, PAT: 26, TS: 27, AA: 26
Bio (30): This section is super dense on material, so as you study focus on breadth over depth. 75% of the questions I encountered were surface level questions (not too deep). I recommend you watch the videos (only animated ones - they are mouth-droppingly good as they really visualize the numerous biological processes), then read Feralis notes (I didn't memorize from this, only read it at a nice pace to understand and LEARN the material as much as I could, as it goes pretty dense), then use the Anki flashcards to rehearse the material. Next, go to the question bank of that chapter and complete however many questions your time permits (remember: more exposure = more repeats) (try to complete them, you will feel more satisfied and less anxious). As you complete the questions, take a piece of blank white paper, name it the chapter name (ex: "muscular system"), and WRITE down everything you don't know (from questions you got right/wrong). If you will do this, please don’t type: a lot of students type, but that is ineffective for memorization and understanding. Review this sheet the next day (I didn’t have time for this). I also HIGHLY recommend you look over the cheat sheet for each chapter after completing it; they truly live up to their name. In the last week, you should definitely look over all the cheat sheets again. I observed that the DAT has around 75% of the questions on the level of the Anki decks and cheat sheets, so I recommend only memorizing from these sources. However, don't neglect Feralis notes because 25% of the questions will require a deeper understanding to answer. DATBooster really over prepares you for this section, and around eight of the questions were almost identical to the ones I saw in Booster (big wow). My average score on the Booster bio sections was a 21.
GenChem (26): Very few and basic calculations on the exam, mostly conceptual questions. The test was heavy on acid-base chemistry and periodic table/element trends. I watched Booster’s videos (I had a strong foundation and lacked time, so I didn't bother with Chad, though feel free) and took notes on things I didn't know, and did the practice problems (again, blank sheet if your time permits). Tip: don’t neglect calculation questions because, according to Booster, in some cycles the DAT may be heavy on calculations. 26 Booster average.
Orgo (26): Very fresh in my memory from orgo class and lab, and all the reactions were familiar. Again, watched Booster’s videos to refresh knowledge (feel free to use Chad) and did all the practice. I also used the Anki deck to understand the reactions (extremely effective). Test focused on the more simple reactions and acid-base ranking, though there were two questions regarding the Michael addition and the Aldol condensation. Tip: you will do much better and be able to answer many more questions if you understand the mechanisms behind all the reactions instead of just memorizing. 25 Booster average.
Perception (26): Surprisingly, the lack of sleep did not affect my perception to a very great extent, my brain just went a little slower on patterns and TFE (where thinking is required). Booster was slightly harder overall (Booster average was a 26). Had three rock keyholes, which absolutely sucked. For this section practice is important. A lot of people neglect this section, but please don’t. Yes, some people may have slight advantages playing legos and block games as kids, but that is besides the point: you are GUARANTEED to get better with practice (I went from a 19 to a 25 in just one week). Have fun in this section (you will perform much better). I sort of treated my daily PAT practice as a break from the other (more taxing) science sections. I practiced one hour each day TIMED (around 10-15 Q from each section). It's also important to go back after the one hour to the questions you got wrong and understand/visualize WHY you got them wrong (it's ineffective if you don't). The generators are not as representative as the question banks for patterns and keyholes, so make sure you use up the question banks fully. Use insane settings for all generators (great practice). Started by watching Booster videos at 2x for tips and tricks.
Tip: spend more time understanding sections you are weak on (but don’t neglect your strengths - use them as confidence). My weak section was pattern folding, so I focused more heavily on it.
Sections tanked from most to least difficult for me: Pattern folding, angle ranking, keyhole, TFE, cube counting, hole punch.
BTW: I emphasize my practice strategy for this section because with practice, hole punch and cubes were always 15/15, and TFE and Keyhole were always 14-15. Angles and patterns were 12-15 as well.
Tricks and time used for each section:
Keyhole (10 min) - Process of elimination. BTW: many say this is the hardest section, but at one point it clicks, and you get so good that it becomes pretty easy.
TFE (10-12 min) - Process of elimination. Try to visualize the figure in your mind before looking at answers. It will become easier with practice.
Angles (6-7 min) - Sit back, wear glasses if you have (I cannot emphasize the importance of 20-20 vision) Knife method (<45), roof method (110-150), 90 degree reference angle (angles close to 90), 180 degree reference angle (angles close to 180).
Hole punch (10 min) - Draw a grid, go straight to hole punch and work backwards.
Cube counting (5-7 min) - learn to count fast, ditched tallying (too inefficient on time), count by planes to not get lost (very easy clusters of cubes on exam btw).
Pattern folding (10 min) - don't fold pattern, look for a pattern within the pattern, process of elimination.
Snack break: took the full 30 min. Ate an apple and chocolate bar to renew energy. Don't eat fried food, it makes your brain foggy. Also for breakfast, have a lot of protein and less carbs.
Reading (21): At this point I was feeling the brain fatigue from the lack of sleep. I blundered on the first article, frequently zoning out while reading. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't focus beyond a certain limit. Also, the font absolutely sucked. Once I built my nerves at the first passage, the rest was a domino effect. Nevertheless, to any other person, this section would be a boost as the questions were 90% in chronological order and the passages had 7-10 paragraphs each. Averaged 23 on practice tests. TIP: I found the hard way that practice doesn't help in this section. What does help is experimenting different strategies to see which one works. I couldn’t quite get a grip for this section. Notwithstanding, the strategy I found somewhat efficient was to read the first question, then read five paragraphs (if you found the answer to the first question within those five paragraphs, go onto the second question, read it, and keep reading till the fifth paragraph, etc.). Don't highlight everything, only key words. Once done, the rest is search and destroy. Perhaps a different method would work better.
Math (27): At this point my heart beat fast and my mind was a mess. I'm lucky that I'm decent in math because of a good high school foundation. This section was slightly harder than Booster! (in terms of randomness. One question is super easy, and the next may be a complete curveball). Averaged a 26 on Booster tests. In this section, the content is not a problem, the time is. You have to work and think quickly in this section! Write down things as you read so that you don't have to read questions twice, learn to write without looking at the paper, do as much of the math mentally as you can, don't use the calculator for 4x4, etc. The more time you have to check, the more you will get right. BTW: mostly, we perform worse under pressure, and that is why I recommend finishing quickly, because it is in your extra time that you will think most sharply (no more completion anxiety). Admittedly, the Booster videos for math were a little boring to go through (but they are redoing them currently). Thus, to study, I watched all the videos at 2x, and took notes on things I forgot. After watching the videos for a section, I completed the practice questions for it. You will get faster with time and more knowledge.
A note on Booster: I used their Anki flashcards for every section they provided (except genchem), though I didn't have time for quizlet cards. If you're gonna use these flashcards for something, it's Orgo! They are extremely effective with remembering the reactions. Also, as I learned each chapter in any section, I made sure to do the questions for it right after, and took a sheet of paper and wrote down all the things I didn't know. Review that sheet the next day (I didn't have the time). Admittedly, I was a little disorganized, and did not get to complete all of the question banks for Orgo and Bio.
I highly recommend Booster. The team is very humble and helpful, and helps you with any question you have, and they consistently try their hardest to make the content more comprehensive and representative! You're essentially ripping them off by only paying $300 ($230 on black friday).
Finally: Please try to get three to eight hours of sleep - your brain will perform around 30% better. I only felt this in the reading and PAT sections though, so: if you cannot get any sleep, it's not uncommon, and please don't panic! Just make sure you make up for it by breathing well the whole morning, remaining calm, and setting a strong mindset! Thanks for reading, and truly, good luck!
