DAT Breakdown: Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) Section!

This is Part 3 of a series of breakdown posts that will outline the Dental Admission Test. Be sure to check out the other breakdown posts on each section of the DAT too.

Today let’s dive into the Perceptual Ability Test a.k.a. the PAT section! The Perceptual Ability Test exams your spatial ability and reasoning (two important things for a dental career I’d imagine) with six different kinds of visual mind games. Love or hate it, the PAT section is the second section you’ll hit on your DAT day journey.

This section immediately follows the big Survey of Natural Sciences section and is before the scheduled break so your brain might be feeling a little drained. You will have 60minutes to answer 90questions (15 of each of the 6 kinds of PAT questions). Here are basic breakdowns of the instructions plus examples of the 6 types of Perceptual Ability Test questions below:

 

Apertures aka Keyholes, 15 questions

You are given a 3D object along with 5 openings and you have to determine which aperture the shape could pass through (in any orientation). Example:

DAT keyhole sample

Answer: A. These types of questions remind of that Japanese game show that’s like human tetris: hilarious example. Maybe that helps you visualize these types of questions better, maybe it doesn’t but either way fun to watch. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

View Recognition aka Top Front End, 15 questions

Here you will be presented with 2 of 3 views of an object: Top, Front, and/or End and your job is to pick the third view not given. Example:

DAT front top end sample

Answer: C. Similar to the Keyhole problems the main thing is to be able to visualize the 3D object. Here’s you’ll need to do it with only two sides.

 

Angle Discrimination aka Angle Ranking, 15 questions

You are given 4 angles to rank in order from smallest to largest. Example:

DAT angle rank sample

Answer: B. Seems pretty straight forward and this example isn’t too hard to see it but these questions can get tricky. There are quite a few different strategies out there to consider but it’s with practice that you’ll find a way that works best for you.

 

Paper Folding aka Hole Punching, 15 questions

A square piece of paper is folded one, two, or three times then one or more holes are punched through it. You then have to visual what the paper looks like now with the holes unfolded.

DAT hole punching sample

Answer: D. One suggestion I found online was to actually practice with a real piece of paper and hole puncher. This practice can make it easier to visualize it in your head once you really see it with real paper.

 

Cube Counting, 15 questions

You have various stacks of cubes stuck together then you have to imagine that the resulting shape is painted on all sides except for the bottom. You will be asked to determine how many cubes have how many of their sides painted. If that sounds a little confusing, that’s because it is. Example:

DAT cube counting sample

Answer: C. It’s a little hard to explain but you’ll really get the hang of this subtest with practice (I know that’s the whole theme here but it’s because it’s really true)!

 

3D Form Development aka Pattern Folding, 15 questions

You are given a flat pattern and you must pick the 3D object the flat pattern will make when folded.

DAT pattern folding sample

Answer: C. Pro Tip for practicing: Side counting and visualizing.

 

It’s pretty clear the best way to ace this section is with PRACTICE and lots of it. The great thing about DAT Cracker is that once you take the (free) diagnostic test and pin point which areas you need the most work in, you can hone in on the kind of PAT questions you want to work on. So if you’re bomb at Keyholes but Cube Counting is tough, you can focus on practicing just Cube Counting. With practice you can really ace this section. Remember like with every section, do your favorite/the easiest questions first. You are more likely to get the ones you’re more comfortable with right and it’s the number of correct responses the counts!

Happy Practicing.

DAT Breakdown: Survey of Natural Sciences Section!

This is Part 2 of a series of breakdown posts that will outline the Dental Admissions Test. The DAT is a marathon of an exam with 4 large sections and clocking in at nearly 5 hours so let’s take a closer look at each section, shall we?

On the menu today: The Survey of Natural Sciences, which is the longest section of the test, both in time and in number of questions!

 

Survey of Natural Sciences is the first section of the DAT, there are 100 questions, and you have 90 minutes. Within the section, there are 3 sciences tested: Biology (40 questions), General Chemistry aka Inorganic Chemistry (30 questions), and Organic Chemistry (30 questions). The content of these questions is limited to the things you learned in your entire first-year course in biology, general/inorganic chemistry course, and the organic chemistry class. Basically this means no upper level concepts beyond what you saw in those courses.

 

On your score report you will see scores for each subsection in addition to a total Survey of Natural Sciences section score. Remember: Your scores are based on the number of correct responses, which means you’re not penalized for guessing. That means don’t leave any question blank but make educated and smart guesses!

 

The ADA (maker of the DAT) gives a fairly detailed list of topics within the subsections so you can really hone in on certain areas when studying. Check out each subsection topic breakdown and a couple ADA-supplied sample questions below:

 

Biology, 40 questions

DAT biology topics

Sample Question:DAT biology sample

 

General/Inorganic Chemistry, 30 questions

DAT gen chem topics 1

DAT gen chem topics 2

Sample Question:DAT gen chem sample

 

Organic Chemistry, 30 questions

DAT org chem topics

Sample Question:DAT org chem sample

 

The Survey of Natural Sciences is first big hump in your DAT day adventure and it’s a doozy! The key is perfecting your time management to keep you calm so you can focus on the questions and not worry about running out of time. Practice and ace it with DAT Cracker, where you can take practice tests in each section with questions that look and feel like the real thing! Stay tuned for further breakdowns!

DAT Test Day Tips!

Your Dental Admission Test day may be coming up soon (or maybe not depending on when you scheduled yours but it will come) and it’s a big day! After scouring the Pre-Dental forums and pulling from first-hand experience, here is a carefully selected best of the best compilation of DAT day tips!

 

Set Yourself Up The Night Before

Have all you’re the stuff you need ready to go. This could be a thing like laying out your clothes, breakfast, ID cards, etc. Do as much for yourself the night before just in case something happens and you’re running late or something. Just follow the Boy Scout’s motto: be prepared.

 

Light Layers

Every single testing room I’ve ever heard of was cold. Dress accordingly. Who knows you could end up in the rare hot room so close-toed shoes and light layers seem the best way to go. Also someone suggested using your long sleeve as a better eraser for the dry-erase board because the one they got had seen better days.

 

Sleep Routine

Everyone says get a good night’s sleep, that’s a given. But if your test time is early in the morning you should really get into habit for waking up at the same time as test day. Prepare by setting your alarm for test day and using it at least 4 days prior to the real day. This can ease some of your concerns you may have about not waking up that morning or missing your alarm(s). Speaking of which, you should probably set two alarms and make them different devices if you can just to be extra safe.

-by-using-such-an-alarm-clock--the-user-will-wake-feeling-muc_16000846_800629762_0_0_4000876_500

 

No Cramming!

It’s too stressful. The morning of is no time for last minute learning/cram session but rather light reviewing to wake your brain up. Review some equations you may have trouble remembering and doing a few problems just to get you in the mood. Some students suggested even taking the day before off from studying too and just lightly review to clear your head.

 

The Tricky Tutorial Trick

FYI there’s a tutorial trick out there on the interweb that’s a bit controversial. As you know Prometric testing centers will provide you a small dry-erase board and marker to be used as scratch paper during the test. Some students have reported being able to use the tutorial time before the start of test for jotting down notes and/or equations for later use so you don’t have to worry about remembering them. Apparently it depends on the specific place you test, some might be very lenient or very strict on what you can and can’t do during the tutorial. Don’t just risk it. ASK a test proctor before you sit down and be sure it’s allowed. Realize you run the risk of being reported and not allowed to test before you even get past the tutorial!

 

Use Your Break

This is marathon exam and even if you think you’re feeling pretty good after the PAT section take the rest time. Even if it’s just to walk out of the room to ‘shake it out’, you should break up the monotonous screen time your eyes are getting and the seating position your body is in. Popular snack choices for break time seem to be a banana or a candy bar. Plus a quick bite to eat could give your brain a great jolt for the next half of the exam!

 

Bonus!

While in front of the mirror washing up on the big day, give yourself a boost of brilliant self-confidence. A smile and an affirmation or two that it’s time for all your hard work to shine. For inspiration see below:

 

Don’t be so nervous and please don’t stress too much. Trust in your training and relax. You got this. Keep these things in mind and check out the official ADA DAT checklist for explicit items you need (proper identification, etc.) here. GOOD LUCK, may the force be with you and practice practice practice! Nailing time management will definitely help come test day so practice! Stayed tuned because next week we’ll be back to the breakdown series!

DAT Breakdown: Introduction Guide to the Dental Admission Test!

This is Part 1 of a series of breakdown posts that will outline the Dental Admission Test. First off we’ll focus on the specifics of the DAT itself and then in upcoming posts we will discuss each of the four sections 1) Survey of Natural Sciences, 2) Perceptual Ability, 3) Reading Comprehension, and 4) Quantitative Reasoning. The Dental Admission Test is designed by the American Dental Association (ADA) to assess your readiness for dental school and is used by all U.S. dental schools in the application process as a factor in their decision. It’s a monstrous marathon of an exam with a wide scope of topics tested and clocks in at around 5 hours! The DAT has been around since 1950 and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Basically: Unavoidable & not to be underestimated. So let’s take a closer look shall we?

 

 DENTPIN

Before you can do anything, you need to get your DENTPIN. It’s your unique personal identifier for many things throughout the U.S. dental education system including the DAT, your ADEA AADSAS, the TMDSAS, etc. Get it here.

 

Applying to take the DAT

With your DENTPIN you can now apply to take the DAT here. Important: once you have been approved to take the exam you have a six month window to do it after which you’ll have to reapply. If you wish to retake the DAT you have to wait at least 90 days and if you feel the need to take it more than three times you have to gain special permission. Plus with each retake you’ll have to reapply to take it and pay the test fee again. Speaking of test fee…

 

$ Cost of taking the DAT $

Currently the test fee is $385 and that includes sending official score reports to all the schools you specify on your DAT application. If you want your official DAT scores sent to an additional school you didn’t list on the application it’s $33 each. The $385 fee is non-refundable and non-transferable so pick a date and stick to it! If you must reschedule, well more fees for you:

Rescheduling Fees

 

Scheduling a test date

Once your DAT application is approved you’ll receive email confirmation and only then can you schedule your test with Prometric. You can take the test year-round at Prometric Test Centers in your area. Prometric administers quite a few different computer-based tests like the DAT, GRE, MCAT, etc. and depending on the size of test centers, the day you wish to take the DAT can fill up so schedule ASAP.

 

What’s on the DAT?

As mentioned earlier, there are four sections to the Dental Admissions Test and we will discuss each in detail in upcoming breakdown posts. There are as followed:

1) Survey of Natural Sciences (100 Questions)

2) Perceptual Ability (90 Questions)

3) Reading Comprehension (50 Questions)

4) Quantitative Reasoning (40 Questions)

 

How long is the DAT?

Total test time is technically 4 hours and 15 minutes but there’s an optional 15-minute tutorial (to get you familiar with using the test interface), an optional 15-minute break, and an optional 15-minute survey after the test so could be 5 hours. Here’s the test schedule:

Test Lineup

If you really need an additional break the timer on your test will not stop so don’t! With proper practice and a goodnight’s sleep you can handle no extra breaks no problem!

 

Can I use scratch paper?

The test center will provide two note boards and two fine tip markers to use during the test. Scratch paper, pencils, or markers that have not been provided by the testing center are prohibited. The note boards cannot be used as measuring devices and cannot be folded, bent, distorted, or mutilated in any way and you can’t touch the monitor during testing with the boards (i.e. during the Perceptual Ability section). All items must be returned to the test administrator before leaving the test center.

 

DAT Scores

Your scores are based on the number of correct responses, which means you’re not penalized for guessing so that means don’t leave any question blank! You will get an unofficial score as soon as you finish the test and official scores are available about 3 weeks later. DAT scores on made on a scale from 1-30 so there’s no passing or failing. The average score is 17 and some schools require a specific score so be sure to check with them and aim high!

 

This breakdown to the DAT is really an outlined introduction the official ADA DAT Guide that you should definitely check out in full here. Remember the best way to prepare for this long and dense exam is with practice. With DAT Cracker you will get practice with the look and feel of the real thing plus you’ll get plenty of exercise with the timing of the sections.

Onward, practice, and conquer!

 

DAT Study Motivation!

Hey! How’s studying for the DAT going? Great? Just all right? Let’s take a minute to talk about motivation. The Dental Admissions Test is no easy feat and the many (necessary) hours preparing for it can be grueling. The feeling of burning out is a common occurrence for many and can really throw you off track of your path to DAT domination. The ole saying rings true: if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Plus Gandalf shall not let you pass! (In this case, he’s the czar of the DAT exams because why not?)

shall not pass

Here are a few tips for motivation and keeping yourself on track:

– Stop & Take a Practice Test: If you’re in the middle of a studying block and suddenly hit a brick wall: Take full timed practice test. Your score just might give you the kick in the rear to knock you back into focus. With DAT Cracker you’ll even pin point exact weak spots in your preparation thus far.

– Change it up: A swift change in the subject you’re studying or change in normal study location can revive your spirits and give you boost in motivation! But don’t change too often be sure you’re sticking to the 50/10 rule…

– Be strict with yourself: The 50/10 rule of studying really does work! That’s 50minutes of straight focus studying then a 10minute break to refresh your brain! Do it. Discipline. “There are no short cuts to any place worth going.”

– Turn off everything: Echoing the last tip, be hard on yourself and put all things you don’t need to study away, really. It may seem harmless to leave open Facebook open in a tab or have your phone lying there beside you but come test time these things won’t be there. You want to your studying environment to emulate that of the test day. So put away all distractions and save them for your breaks!

Now get out there and get to it! Study study study and practice practice practice (3Xs for emphasis). What are you waiting for? Gandalf will not be pleased! “Fly Study you fools!”