Your troubleshooting guide to common DAT studying problems
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When studying for the Dental Admission Test (DAT), you may not always experience smooth sailing. From running out of time on practice tests to struggling with PAT questions to feeling overwhelmed by your studying to-do list, there are many possible roadblocks you might face on your DAT journey. We’re here to help you address these and other (very common!) problems and get you back on track and feeling confident. Read on for Crack the DAT’s troubleshooting guide to common DAT studying problems!
Problem: You don’t know where to begin your studying journey.
Solution: First, select the package that best fits your studying needs (whether you’re studying for 1, 3, or 6 months), which will give you access to all the resources you might possibly need when studying for the DAT — videos, flashcards, notes, practice tests, PAT generators, mini quizzes, and more. Then, it’s time to make a plan. You can make your own study plan by deciding what you want to study each week leading up to your DAT. In general, we recommend that you focus approximately half of your study time on learning content, and half of your time on taking realistic practice tests. Alternatively, if you prefer, use one of CrackDAT’s pre-made 4-, 8-, or 12-week study plans. These plans will help you determine exactly what to study each day leading up to your test. With a proper plan, you’ll feel much more in control and prepared to tackle this test.
Problem: You constantly run out of time on practice tests.
Solution: In general, the best way to improve your speed is to practice more. When you really understand a topic, or when you have a lot of practice tackling a certain type of test (like the Reading Comprehension test), your speed will naturally improve. Therefore, we suggest focusing on your understanding and accuracy first. If you find yourself running out of time on practice tests in the early stages of your studying, we recommend adjusting the allotted time to give yourself time to complete the test and at least attempt every question. Every time you take a test, you can allot yourself less time until you are able to complete your practice tests within the designated timeframe (or even faster).
Problem: You’re struggling with a particular PAT question type.
Solution: This is a very common problem. On first glance, PAT questions can appear nearly impossible to wrap your head around! Once again, though, the solution is practice — and we’ve got PLENTY of resources to support you through your PAT studying. First, you can improve your overall spatial/visual skills by playing the PAT Trainer Game. Second, one of the absolute best ways to improve your PAT accuracy is to do PAT Generators every day, as a regular part of your DAT studying. These generators offer a limitless supply of realistic PAT questions, plus instant feedback. Third, you can check out the PAT Breakdowns on the pre-dental blog — these offer a myriad of strategies and techniques for each of the six PAT question types. Finally, for even more PAT help, you can check out the PAT Strategy Guides (if you prefer reading) or PAT Video Crash Courses (if you prefer a video format) on the CrackDAT website. With all of these resources, PAT will start to make more sense every day.
Problem: You’re feeling overwhelmed by your studying to-do list.
Solution: For CrackDAT’s comprehensive guide on how to avoid burnout on your DAT journey, check out our pre-dental blog post here. We have a few additional tips if you’re feeling overwhelmed: In addition to making or using a DAT study plan (one that feels realistic for you — feel free to revise your study plan if it’s starting to feel unmanageable or no longer aligning with what you need to prioritize), make sure you schedule time for breaks and activities that recharge you. Additionally, if you’re feeling crunched for time, check out some of our tips for preparing for the DAT in less than one month here!
Problem: You feel that you’re not retaining the information you study.
Solution: If you find that you’re often forgetting information after you study it, you might be relying too much on passive rather than active learning. What’s the difference? Examples of passive learning include watching videos and reading notes. While passive learning certainly has a role in the studying process, particularly as you are first learning a topic, active learning — taking practice quizzes, assessing what you know — is the most important for retaining information. Be sure to incorporate practice quizzes in your studying and, importantly, review your mistakes to assess what you know and what you still need to work on.
We hope this helps you troubleshoot some of your DAT studying problems. Having problems with your studying journey that we didn’t address here? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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