PAT Strategies and Tips

Pre-Dental Society at UC Irvine - Week 3

Announcements

Boba Fundraiser 4/16 @11am (Ring Road)

Boys and Girls Club Newport 4/16 @4PM?
CDA Cares Solano 4/25-4/26 (Friday/Saturday)
UOP Pre-Dental Clinical Simulation Course 4/26-4/27 (Saturday/Sunday)
ADEA Pre-Dental Student Virtual Fair 4/29-4/30
Western U Presentation 4/29 @5PM
UCLA Core Build Up Day 5/3 @8:30AM-4PM
CDA Presents Anaheim 5/15-5/17
ADEA Official Guide 2014 Digital is HERE

Section

Questions

Optional Tutorial

Dental Admissions
Test (DAT)

Survey of Natural Sciences

15 Minutes
100

-Biology

40

-General Chemistry

30

-Organic Chemistry

30

Perceptual Ability Test

90

-Keyhole

15

-Top/Front/End Visualization

15

-Angle Ranking

15

-Hole Punches

15

-Cube Counting

15

-Pattern Folding

15

Optional Break
Reading Comprehension Test
Quantitative Reasoning Test
-Mathematics
-Applied Mathematics (Word

Time Limit
90 Minutes

60 Minutes

15 Minutes
50
40
30
10

60 Minutes
45 Minutes

Perceptual Ability Test

High scores shown to correlate with dental school
performance
IE ability to read radiographs

Key component of application

90 questions in 60 minutes (40 seconds per
question)

Consistently getting harder

http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_validity_study.pdf

Perceptual Ability Test

The Perceptual Ability Test includes various types of nonverbal visual
acuity items. There are six sections to the Perceptual Ability Test. One
section covers two-dimensional perception, while the other sections
cover three-dimensional perception. It is important that you read

and understand the instructions at the beginning of each

section. You must pace yourself so that you complete all six sections of the
Perceptual Ability Test within the given time frame. You are not permitted
to use measuring devices (i.e., pencils and fingers) while
taking the Perceptual Ability Test.
http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_test_sampleitems.pdf

Dental Admissions Test Formality

Simulation

Exact system used by the DAT

Go through all of the tutorial and instruction pages
Familiarize yourself with the testing environment and preread tutorial/instructions.
https://www.prometric.com/ClientFiles/ada/DAT/index.htm

Barons DAT Book (Limited Page

Views)

http://goo.gl/u4EijV

Keyhole (apertures) Rules

Prior to passing through the aperture, the irregular solid object may be turned in any
direction. It may be started through the aperture on a side not shown.

Once the object is started through the aperture, it may not be twisted or turned. It
must pass completely through the opening. The opening is always the exact shape of the
appropriate external outline of the object.
Both objects and apertures are drawn to the same scale. Thus it is possible for an opening to
be the correct shape but too small for the object. In all cases, however, differences are
large enough to judge by eye.
There are no irregularities in any hidden portion of the object. However, if the

figure has symmetric indentations, the hidden portion is symmetric with the
part shown.
For each object there is only one correct aperture.

Keyhole Method
Top/Front/End Method
3 answers and their mirror reflections

Process of Elimination
Focus on a section to compare size, direction, slope, etc.

Guided Keyhole Examples

Top Front End (view recognition)

Rules

The pictures that follow are top, front, and end views of various solid objects.
The views are without perspective. That is, the points in the viewed surface are
viewed along parallel lines of vision.
The projection looking DOWN on it is shown in the upper left-hand corner (TOP
VIEW). The projection looking at the object from the FRONT is shown in the lowerleft corner (FRONT VIEW). The projection looking at the object from the END is
shown in the lower-right-hand-corner (END VIEW).
These views are ALWAYS in the same position and are labeled accordingly.

Top Front End Methods

DO NOT USE Line Counting
Method
Visualize the object and use
process of elimination
Parallel Viewing Projections

Top Front End Guided Example

Top Front End Guided Example

Angle Ranking (angle discrimination)

Rules

You are to example the four INTERIOR angles and

rank each in terms of degrees from SMAL TO
LARGE. Choose the alternative that has the correct
ranking.

Angle Ranking Method

MacBook
Pacman
Hill
From a distance
Etc. There are a LOT
If you have problems, try another

HILL

Steeper/More Less
Dangerous
Steep/Safer

Acute Angle

Bigger

Smaller

Obtuse Angle

Smaller

Bigger

Angle Ranking Process of

Elimination
Go directly to answer choices
Determine largest and smallest angles
This results in two answers remaining (50/50)

Angle Ranking Examples

Hole Punching (paper folding) Rules

A flat square of paper is folded one or more times.
The broken lines indicate the original position of the paper. The solid lines
indicate the position of the folded paper.
The paper is never turned or twisted. The folded paper always remains
within the edges of the original square.
There may be from one to three folds in each item. After the last fold a hole is
punched in the paper.
Your task is to mentally unfold the paper and determine the position of the
holes on the original square. Chose the pattern of black circles that indicates the
position of the holes on the original square. There is only one correct pattern for each
item.

Hole Punching (paper folding)

Method
Modified Grid Method
aka Tick-Tak-To Method
(Line of Symmetry)
Fast, simple, accurate

Solves half holes &

invisible holes

4 Rules
1. Place X from last diagram onto grid
2. Locate axis of symmetry & reflect
shapes over axis
3. Xs already on axis are unchanged
4. Any Xs present on other side of axis
of symmetry are invisible. Cross out
or circle invisible Xs

Hole Punch Examples

Hole Punching: Invisible Hole(s)

Cube Counting Rules

Each figure has been made by

same size.

cementing together cubes of the

After being cemented each group was painted on all sides

THE BOTTOM ON WHICH IT IS RESTING.
The only

EXCEPT FOR

hidden cubes are those required to support other cubes.

Cube Counting Method

Multiple questions per diagram

Number 0,1,2,3,4,5 on an upside down T chart
Learn all options for each shape for quick tallying
Total tallies = Total cubes. If not, REDO
Create a counting direction rule and ALWAYS FOLLOW IT

0
1
2
3
4
5

I
IIII
IIII
IIIIII
III
II
19

Cube Counting Confusion

1 miscount results in:

3 Cube Changes
2 Questions Wrong*

Cube Counting Guided Example

In this figure, how many
cubes have two of their
exposed sides painted?

In this figure, how many

cubes have four of their
exposed sides painted?

A.

1 cube

A.

1 cube

B.

2 cubes

B.

2 cubes

C.

3 cubes

C.

3 cubes

D.

4 cubes

D.

4 cubes

E.

5 cubes

E.

5 cubes

Pattern Folding (3D form

development) Rules

A flat pattern will be presented. This patter is to be

folded into a three dimensional figure.
The correct figure is one of the four given at the right of the
pattern. There is only one correct figure in each set.
The outside of the pattern is what is seen at the

left.

Pattern Folding Method

Find distinguishing characteristics and the relationship

to sides
Shape matching method
Color matching method

Process of Elimination

Pattern Folding Guided Example

Pattern Folding Guided Example 2

Pattern Folding Examples

Recommended Resources
Kaplan (Medium) Brian, Stephanie V.
Gold Standard DAT (Avg) Kristine, Eli
Written Methods

Crack DAT PAT (Hard) Eli, Greg, Vina, Stephanie V.

5 or 10 test version
3D renders when reviewing mistakes

DAT Achiever (Harder) Nobody

Great challenging questions. Similar to difficult questions on DAT

DAT Bootcamp (Hardest) - Greg

Tutorials - https://www.youtube.com/user/DATBootcamp/videos

http://woodgears.ca/eyeball/