Tiffany Zhang | 27 AA
I would recommend you to start studying early. You should only take the test when you truly feel ready instead of rushing it. Everyone is different in how quickly they can study. It took me 2 months to review all of the science materials and complete the practice tests. Then, I postponed my DAT by 2 weeks, so I could prepare more.
In 2018, I got 20 on my first DAT and this was my second trial. It was also my first time using Crack the DAT as my only resource. The result this time actually turned out much greater than I expected. If you also plan retaking your exam, give yourself some time and find the right study materials to study. My advisers said that if you retake an exam after 3 months, you would most likely not increase your DAT score much.
Last but not least, try to set strict time schedules for visiting the library or somewhere that you could focus on studying for a long period of time. When you do practice problems, make sure you understand questions that you’ve gotten wrong. If you still can not understand from the explanation, try to find out, do your own research, or ask people in the Facebook study group.
How did you use Crack the DAT to prepare for the DAT?
Crack the DAT question bank for every subject was awesome. Most of the questions there were harder than my actual exam, so I felt more confident. I took all practice tests and full-length exams available on the website. I took each exam seriously and made sure I didn’t have any interruptions. It helped me keep pace with each section and allowed me to find out where my weak points were.
Also, I downloaded all applications (Crack DAT, Crack DAT PAT, and Crack DAT Reading) for my iPhone to study for the DAT. I usually used them while waiting for the bus or during lunch break. All of them were actually very helpful and convenient for me.
In addition, Crack the DAT has an analysis tool that tells you exactly which topics you got wrong and I thought that was very handy. I checked my progress there every single day. Then, I sorted out the questions I got wrong using the google doc that I made and compiled a very comprehensive list of questions. I would go over these in my spare time just to make sure I really knew the answers instead of typing away passively.
What would you do differently to prepare for the DAT?
After taking my first DAT exam in 2018, I learned that finding the right study material is extremely important. I was wasting money buying some books and using other resources, which made me feel quite disappointed. They did not offer enough practice for simulated tests.
After reading all of the good reviews and recommendations, I decided to try Crack the DAT for my second time. My PAT score was greatly improved just by applying their tips. The more you practice PAT training, the faster you can finish it during the exam. Even 5 minutes of playing PAT on your app will help.