Timed Practice: How to Get Faster on the PAT and Organic Sections
Speed is everything on the DAT.
You can know every mechanism in organic chemistry and master every angle on the PAT—but if you can’t finish on time, it won’t matter. The pressure of the clock trips up even the most well-prepared students. That’s why at Dental School Declassified, we coach our students not just for accuracy—but for speed and strategy.
Here’s how to get faster and more confident on the two most time-sensitive sections of the DAT: Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) and Organic Chemistry.
⏱ Why Speed Matters on the DAT
Let’s break it down:
PAT: 90 questions in 60 minutes = ~40 seconds per question
Organic Chemistry: ~30–35% of the 100-question Natural Sciences section
You need both accuracy and efficiency to score in the top percentiles
Timed practice helps train your brain to:
Recognize patterns instantly
Eliminate incorrect choices faster
Avoid overthinking
Stay mentally sharp through long sections
🔹 How to Get Faster on the PAT Section
1. Practice in Mini-Timed Sets
Don’t jump straight into 90-question tests. Instead:
Practice 10–15 questions per PAT subsection with a timer
Focus on maintaining your pace while building muscle memory
Use these benchmarks:
Keyholes / TFE / Hole Punching: ~40 seconds each
Angle Ranking: ~30 seconds
Pattern Folding: ~45 seconds
Cube Counting: ~30–35 seconds
2. Use Process of Elimination Ruthlessly
Speed comes from knowing what to ignore.
Eliminate obviously wrong choices first
Train your eye to spot wrong angles, mismatched folds, or impossible views
This shrinks your choices and reduces mental load
3. Drill Visual Shortcuts
Mastering shortcuts like:
Elimination based on external shape in Keyholes
Symmetry matching in Hole Punching
Visual cues for face alignment in Pattern Folding
These visual hacks save precious seconds—and every second counts.
4. Track and Analyze Your Timing
After each timed session:
Review which types of questions slow you down
Focus future practice on those weak spots
Over time, your pace will naturally speed up as your confidence grows
🔬 How to Get Faster on the Organic Chemistry Section
1. Master the “Big 6” Reaction Types
You don’t need to memorize hundreds of reactions. Instead, know these core categories cold:
SN1 / SN2
E1 / E2
Electrophilic additions
Nucleophilic substitutions
Acid/base chemistry
Aromatic reactions
When you recognize a reaction pattern immediately, you don’t waste time decoding it.
2. Use Mnemonics to Trigger Recall
Quick recall = faster answers.
Try mnemonics like:
“SN2: backside, strong, small, straight shot”
“E1 = one step, weak base, carbocation rearrangement”
Or create your own based on your learning style
3. Set Up Timed Topic Drills
Break it down into topic-specific drills with time limits. For example:
10 SN1/SN2 questions in 12 minutes
5 mechanism questions in 7 minutes
8 isomer or stability questions in 10 minutes
Use a spreadsheet or app to log your average time per question and set improvement goals.
4. Practice with Answer Choices Covered
If you can predict the answer before looking at choices, your brain learns to work faster. Once you get your prediction, compare it to the multiple-choice answers for confirmation—this trains active recall and speed.
💡 Bonus: Full-Length Simulations
Doing a full 100-question Natural Sciences section with the organic questions mixed in is one of the best ways to build endurance. Time yourself, review your pacing, and flag any questions where you hesitated too long.
And for the PAT? Use tools like DAT Bootcamp’s full-length PAT exams, or our personalized PAT timing worksheets inside Dental School Declassified tutoring sessions to simulate the real test-day experience.
🧠 Final Tips for Speed Training
Time every practice session (no exceptions)
Use shortcuts only after mastering fundamentals
Focus on accuracy under pressure—not just finishing fast
Review your mistakes thoroughly—especially slow decisions
Speed improves gradually and with purpose. At Dental School Declassified, our expert DAT tutors help students build personalized timing strategies that make them faster, sharper, and more confident on test day.
🦷 Ready to Level Up?
If you're stuck hitting timing walls or falling behind on full-length tests, it’s time to train smarter.
🎯 Book a 1-on-1 strategy session with a Dental School Declassified tutor today and get personalized drills, pacing hacks, and real-time coaching to boost both your speed and your score.
👉 Visit www.dentalschooldeclassified.com to get started.
