How to study for the canadian DAT with a full schedule? Book recommendations?

[ellemccormick]

So I am in a bit of a pickle here. I am entering my last year of my undergrad but I have not taken the DAT yet. I have a summer course coming up in a few days that is 4 times a week with a lab that is twice a week. I also have to meet with a tutor once or twice a week to teach me a course before the fall because if I do not learn it now, I am 100% positive that it would lower my gpa (calculus has never been my strength lol). In addition to that I have a part time job but I cut down my availability to 2-3 times a week because of school. I am planning to write the Canadian DAT this November so that I have a chance to redo it in February for a better score if things do not go well. I also have a full course load in the fall and winter and I'm high key stressing out because I do not know how to study for the DAT while working and getting an A- minimum for all my classes. 

Is there anyone who has been in a similar situation that has any advice? What was your study schedule like?

If anyone reading this has taken the Canadian DAT, what were the questions like and what were the best study resources you used? How did you find the best way to go about studying was?

I have heard a lot of praise about the DAT destroyer and DAT bootcamp but a majority of the people that recommended it were American and I heard the American DAT is different from the Canadian one.

So far I purchased Cliff's AP biology (5th edition), Kaplan blue book, and the MCAT general chem review book. I do not know anyone currently studying for this exam so I've pretty much been going off on what others have said online.

 

[Xbox Skully]

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[dentkid12]

Which schools are you applying to? Each school values different sections of the DAT differently. If you are applying to UofA, focus on the MDT and PAT, and less so on bio/chem. 

 

That being said, writing the DAT in 4th year should offer you an advantage for bio/chem as you have likely taken all your prereq's. PAT probably has the steepest learning curve, so I would focus on that this summer. Try giving 30-60 mins a day to practicing PAT over the summer, combined with occasional review of bio/chem topics that you are less confident with. Reading comp is reading comp, its tough to get better at. Try reading articles from scientific american, nature, etc. with your morning coffee to get more comfortable and quick reading technical pieces. 

As for study materials, I used DATdestroyer and DATbootcamp exclusively for the Canadian DAT and found it relevant. I've also heard good things about DATcrusher, but haven't used it myself.

Good luck and feel free to message me if you have any questions!

[Fakedoctor]

dentkid gave some solid advice, look at the schools your applying to and focus your studying to maximize your chances, for instance UWO doesn't even look at your PAT score and they put more emphasis on RC. 

in terms of studying I read a chapter of cliffs bio everyday as well as a chapter of ferallis notes (which I highly recommend since its a condensed version of cliffs), I memorized the hell out those notes and got a 26 on bio the first time I took the dat and a 23 the second time. For Chem their really isn't that many great resources most people like Chads videos but I found them to be to slow, I preferred the chem videos on Datbootcamp. I also read the kaplan MCAT chem textbook and the material was very similar to what you would see on the dat. I honestly think that the RC isn't something you can really study for, the only thing you really can do is try to improve your timing by practicing so you don't run out of time on the real thing. Lastly for PAT it's all practice and I recommend datbootcamp, its harder then the real thing which is a good thing, I never got above a 19 on bootcamp but got a 21 on the real thing.   

[Starburst]

I agree with dentkid12, PAT definitely took me the longest to learn. I would suggest start practicing early over the summer, preferably on paper rather than online generators since it makes a HUGE difference in terms of the skills you develop and the techniques you can use. If you wana practice PAT on paper, I think DATCrusher is the only resource that offers printable PAT generators and they were an amazing resource when I practiced for my DAT.

As for study materials, I used Chad's videos, Kaplan book and 3rd edition cliff's notes (you can get it free online) to learn the material for Biology and Chemistry.  As for practice tests, I used both crusher and bootcamp. If you're tight for money and time, I would go with Crusher over bootcamp because it was cheaper, had printable generators and I thought it was more representative of the DAT I saw in February. Regardless of what you use, the most important thing you need to do is work your butt off and then you'll get the score that you deserved. I studied for months and I ended up doing pretty well: Bio: 25 / Chem: 30 / PAT: 24 / RC: 23 / AA: 26. Inbox me if you have any questions.

[zoe]

Hello i was wondering if there is a specific text book that is recommended to study for the dat I've read a lot about using different sites such as datcrusher and bootcamp but i was not sure if these are enough. Does anyone have any recommendations on resources needed to get all the info for the test.