November DAT

As we are getting closer to November, and start of schools, there has been a lot of inquiries on when to begin studying, and how to set a schedule to begin preparing for the DAT.

My schedule for the November DAT began in September, that is when I managed to put everything in order and begin scheduling time lines and set study goals. I had started to read biology and some chemistry textbooks, but I was not in the studying mode. As soon as school started I began getting my affairs in order, but as I had courses to take there was not enough time, and thus I was forced to drop some of my courses so I could study for my DAT examination. So learning from my previous mistake in December, I began studying 2 months in advance, so I would have enough time for practicing and getting comfortable with my DAT exam. I started setting at least 4 hour increments dedicated to studying for the DAT, 5 days a week. I was determined since I did not want to redo the exam again, so if I could dedicate more time to study for DAT I would not hesitate to do so. Overall, my experience consisted of starting with a PAT test, as it was my lowest mark, and moving on to RC, followed by one biology and one chemistry test. I would record my score, and check my mistakes to make sure I understood where I went wrong. This allowed me to review materials as I was doing tests, to both increase my speed and expand my knowledge. I managed to do tests from every resource I could get my hands on. I bought Kaplan and Princeton books. I bought DAT crusher, DAT bootcamp, and DAT destroyer. I was determined to score higher, but none of these resources helped as much as my own strategy of printing out questions. I would print out passages with question, and give myself 50 minutes timeline to finish RC tests, same would apply to PAT, BIO, and CHEM. I believe this strategy that I did differently from the first time I did my DAT allowed me to boost my score. By the end, I had actually made a booklet for myself consisting of tests, with notes on the side, and strategies written out all over the spaces between questions. This allowed me to understand what I wanted to do on my actual exam day. I had envisioned every little detail of my actions and strategies so I would not get nervous. I would recommend to all students who are taking the DAT in November, to print out questions and practice on paper. All the available resources are online however if you have access to those online resources copy and paste the questions and do them on paper, it will help you build confidence, strategy and properly prepare for your DAT experience. On the actual day of my exam, I was calm and I kept repeating my strategy to myself. The pressure was high as I did not want to redo my exam in November. I managed to collect my nerves, and start with my strategy. As I was doing my test, I was shocked of how much harder it was, than the previous November DAT. I remember, I kept thinking of what would happen if I just walked off or did not write my name!! I could not give up though, and I remembered that these tests are percentile based so if I was struggling so was everyone else, therefore my score would be relative to my peers. This notion kept me going, and even motivated me to do better. I am happy with the results. I will be posting my calendar, and scheduling timeline on the blog. Reach out and share your questions, thoughts and experiences with us.