Dat Keyhole Question

[doc123]

For those that have written the DAT before, do answer choices get really close for the PAT section (Keyholes). I have attached an image and choices A & B are ridiculously close. Is there something I am missing? Thanks for you help in advance!

[sdj78we9jtf2o3mgfvj298j]

For A in order for the shape to get into that position you need to assume that the rectangular hole is open on the other side. B you don't need to make such an assumption.

 

EDIT: nevermind, what I said didn't make sense lol

[msuneong]

those pretty much look identical to me...

The only difference I can spot (and it might be my eyes fooling me) is that in B the sloped parts aren't exactly in the same plane, the top plane is slightly ahead of the bottom plane, whereas in A the planes are exactly in the same plane... again this might be me seeing things :S

 

I haven't taken the DAT, so I can't comment, but this is freaking hard and I hope not

[awalkingshadow]

The difference is that the slants are lined up in A, but not in B. Notice that in the shape, the top piece juts out a little bit further.

 

When I took the DAT, the differences usually weren't so subtle. But sometimes they could be. So, I still suggest you practice with difficult questions like these.

[BScDMD]

The difference is both that the slants aren't supposed to match up and also the lower "limb" is not as long as it is in A, but its length matches perfectly to B.

 

I found the DAT to be a mixed bag when I took it. Some I got in 5 seconds and others I struggled for a while. That's how they differentiate the 18s from the 28s when it comes to scores.

[Dr.Watson]

I have a general question about the scaling of the key and aperture for the DAT. In my IQ publications book it says that they are 'to scale' and that it's possible for the aperture to appear as though its too small or too large, but that they are 'to scale'

 Whereas in my Barron's (much more recent) PAT manual, they say the key and aperture are to 'the SAME scale' and that it is therefore possible for an aperture to look perfectly correct but still be too large or too small to fit the key. 

 

I much prefer that second description where you can rely more heavily on specific sizing between the object and the aperture. Is this the case for the DAT?

 

Thanks!

[BScDMD]

I can't really remember a particular example, but I think that the page laying out "the rules" for the keyhole questions said that the keyholes are perfectly to scale. So technically you could have the right shape but the incorrect size. Last time I took the DAT was November 2013 so I don't remember all that much haha

[Dr.Watson]

Than you for your input BscDMD. 

So then thats another way to rule out certain options on the test right?  If they wouldn't appear to fit through the aperture (like if you were able to superimpose the key object over the aperture, if would have to actually be able to fit if they are at the same scale), they you can rule them out as options. 

 

Anyone else able to weigh in on this?

THanks! 

[BScDMD]

That's right. The answers are drawn to scale, so the right answer should match the shape and the size of the object perfectly. Good luck this November!

I definitely don't miss writing the DAT haha

[StriveP]

That's so awfully close that it's almost impossible to tell them apart. I highly doubt that would show up on the real DAT.

I wrote the DAT a few times and from my experience I don't ever remember any questions being that close to each other.

[cleanup]

To be fair, these are the types of questions that distinguish an 85th percentile score from a 95-99th percentile score. I only looked at A&B since your post prompted them, but the difference is obvious to me. If you've narrowed it down to A & B, look at how those apertures differentiate each other. The continuity of the 'slants' in a single line in A is obvious, as is the discontinuity in B. Then look back at the shape and try to relate one to the other. Tilt your head 90 degrees. Look at how the corners line up across the rectangular cut-out. 

 

The fact that the apertures A&B are so similar does not make the question difficult; if anything it's a sign you should pay particular attention to A&B, since the apertures are designed as a 'trap' if they're so similar. If you think about the way the question is designed/written from a testwriter's perspective, the similarity of A&B is a telltale sign that the question wants you to look closer. They wouldn't make them so similar without a material reason. The people who get this question wrong are those who automatically select A after seeing it and thinking "close enough." Take your time.

 

These sorts of questions are as much about playing the psychology of the test and where you direct your attention as they are about actual spatial awareness/visual intelligence. It's the same reason people can do extremely well on multiple choice tests without actually knowing even a majority of the source material.

[awalkingshadow]

To be fair, these are the types of questions that distinguish an 85th percentile score from a 95-99th percentile score. I only looked at A&B since your post prompted them, but the difference is obvious to me. If you've narrowed it down to A & B, look at how those apertures differentiate each other. The continuity of the 'slants' in a single line in A is obvious, as is the discontinuity in B. Then look back at the shape and try to relate one to the other. Tilt your head 90 degrees. Look at how the corners line up across the rectangular cut-out. 

 

The fact that the apertures A&B are so similar does not make the question difficult; if anything it's a sign you should pay particular attention to A&B, since the apertures are designed as a 'trap' if they're so similar. If you think about the way the question is designed/written from a testwriter's perspective, the similarity of A&B is a telltale sign that the question wants you to look closer. They wouldn't make them so similar without a material reason. The people who get this question wrong are those who automatically select A after seeing it and thinking "close enough." Take your time.

 

These sorts of questions are as much about playing the psychology of the test and where you direct your attention as they are about actual spatial awareness/visual intelligence. It's the same reason people can do extremely well on multiple choice tests without actually knowing even a majority of the source material.

I agree with this advice. 

Anytime you see two answers that look very similar, look more closely at it. Try to find the difference between the two answers, because both of them cannot be correct.