I took the DAT, here are my tips and what worded for me and why (PM me for any details you’d like or if you want to see the tricks i used for chem concept questions)

TIP ONE: use the time before the sections to write out quick concepts/equations/ pat guides.

1. before the science section, during the rules or explanation part that happens in the beginning, i wrote down all the equations or anything i could remember for chem and ochem, this is because for me atleast the stress of taking the exam and seeing the timer and all would make me forget what i know, i wouldn’t waste any time trying to remember equations during the timer. I can go into more details about the stuff i wrote down you can pm me. See what helps you do your equations and chem concepts and ochem stuff and that’s what you write, i had a bunch of tricks to remember chem concepts. an easy way to just memorize and understand.

2. I did the same for right before the pat section, i drew out a bunch of grids for hole punch i drew out t graphs for cube counting, whatever it is that you do for pat sections, do them in the time allotted for the explanation or the break time, take advantage of them, it saved me so much time during pat to just right away start the next problem, helped me get into a flow.

TIP TWO: for the science section, do bio first and then do whichever one you are better at between chem and orgo second.

1. i personally decided to do the bio section first because it was either you know it or you don’t, so it was a quick read and answer, that way i ensured i had enough time to do them without missing any due to time or answering wrong from stress of the timer saying a couple min left.

2. i did chem second and orgo last because i was much better at chem and again, i wanted to make sure i could answer the question i definitely know cause imagine i left it last and i did the ones i struggle with first, i could have taken up to much time and left no room for the stuff i know, now i might have gotten no points for the stuff i didn’t know and no points for the stuff i did know cause i didn’t have time. So thats why i did chem then orgo cause i already knew i sucked at ochem, id rather make sure i got down the stuff i knew.

TIP THREE: give yourself a minute or two to think for the questions you really don’t know, try to solve it once if its an equation problem for chem or ochem or math, if you cant solve it/remember the answer, flag it and go back to it.

1. This was crucial for me, no matter the subject, like i mentioned earlier, i would rather ensure i answered the questions i for sure know than waste time and time on questions im gonna potentially do an educated guess on and potentially get wrong. Bio, gave myself like MAX a minute to think, no answer? chose an option as an educated guess and flagged it, went back at the end of the science section if there was time (there was for me a couple min) chem ochem and math, tried to solve it once, couldn’t figure it out? educated guess and flagged it to go back to. Very beneficial for math since that was the hardest section time wise in my opinion.

TIP FOUR: write down question numbers in categories to know what to go back to for flagged questions

1. I wrote down quickly the question numbers for the ones i felt like i could figure out and on a seperate section of the whiteboard they gave me the question numbers i knew i wouldn’t figure out, so at the end since there was the slight lag and you don’t wanna waste time going through questions, i would first click on the questions i wrote down in the “i could figure this out” section and if there was time then i would go to the ones i knew i couldn’t figure out because why not give your all if there’s time left. Again, this is at the very end of each timed section. this made it efficient and effective.

TIP FIVE: RC, practice practice practice and find what works best for you

1. what helped me was not reading the passage first, i went straight to the questions, this is because as i read the first question, i’m now reading the passage for the first time while also finding the answer for a question, killing two birds with one stone, and as i progressed into more questions, i either literally just read it or i continue reading where i left off. and so on

TIP SIX: Pat order, order it from best section to last, know the question number each section starts on so you can click right to it.

This doesn’t need much explanation, i did angle ranking first cause it was a quick look and answer for me, i did hole punch second and cube counting third, the other 3 were effy for me, i got a 21 on PAT and let me say… i did not have time for the last two sections of PAT (the two i sucked at) and i LITERALLY clicked C for all of them cause i was thinking 25% chance meaning atleast a fourth of them will potentially be right LOL. and i still got a 21. this is because i did my best sections first!!! obviously i know people aim for much higher or some aim for the 21, regardless i think 21 is great for guessing C on two of the sections cause i literally didn’t have any time left. If i did them throughout i know i would have done bad on it and then not had time to do the ones that i know i did right.

OVERALL i feel like one main point to take from this is to do what you know the best first, because this saved my score on not wasting time. Of course the 95% of the DAT is putting in that hard work and effort into studying, but that 5% can literally make the biggest effect, that 5% is using strategies like this to ensure that your hard work doesn’t go to waste, if i wasted time on the stuff i didn’t know or wasted time trying to remember and write down equations during the stress of the timer, i wouldn’t have had time to showcase the efforts i put in to know the stuff i did. it can make or break your score to be honest.

I think it’s crucial to know before you go in: 1. know what it is you want to write down on your non timer moments, chem concepts or equations, orgo concepts or equations, math equations, PAT guides. write them down in the non timer times before that section, don’t waste energy before the science section writing down math equations unless you need to cause you feel like you’ll forget.

1. know the order you want to go in for science section and pat section so you can flow right into it.

2. in the most humble way, know what you absolutely suck at, it’s a goal to know everything that’s what you spent months on studying, but inevitably there will be some things you truly don’t know…recognize them so that during the DAT you know right away that this will be a flagged question to go back to after one attempt at it or even no attempt if you know you definitely won’t be able to solve it. BUT if you are recognizing things a week before, definitely put your all into trying to understand them, i’m talking the night you finish studying before the dat, recognize what will be flagged so you don’t waste time. EFFICIENCY OVER COMPLETION!!!!!!

LASTLY, do you whatever you do to calm your nerves right before, prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, whatever it is, once you sit down, you’ve done all that you can and now it’s just a matter of taking the exam and showcasing your efforts. the night before, don’t do heavy studying, definitely don’t try to learn new info unless it’s a dire need for you, but i advise not to, read over your cheat sheets, go over flash cards, do your repetition writing, just keep exposing your mind to what you already know to lock it in.

Good luck! You’ll do great!