Our PAT course Free resources DAT PAT info

DAT PAT Guide

Pattern Folding (PF) Questions

What is pattern folding?

Pattern folding problems are the last group of problems that appear on the perceptual ability test (PAT) of the dental admissions test (DAT) and comprise Items 76-90. In these problems, a flat pattern will be presented on the left, and four three dimensional figures will be presented on the right. Your task is to imagine folding the flat pattern, like you would a paper structure, and select the 3-dimensional structure that represents the folded pattern.

In some of these problems, the faces are blank (first example below); in others, the faces are shaded or have patterns that must end up in the proper orientation in the correct answer (second example below). The answers to the below problems are B and D, respectively.

Example of a pattern folding problem on the DAT perceptual ability test (PAT)

Example of a cube pattern folding problem on the DAT perceptual ability test (PAT)

Here are the rules:

The pattern is always folded along the solid lines shown in the unfolded version.

Each “section” in the unfolded version creates a different face in the folded version.

Some patterns only contain blank sections, whereas others contain sections with shading, dots, or other symbols or patterns. For these latter problems, you must pay attention to the orientation of the patterns in the unfolded and folded versions.

Note: Directions given on test day may be formatted differently, but objectives are the same.

Example problem

Here is a typical pattern folding problem you’d encounter on your DAT, along with an Erudition-style explanation to help you understand how to solve it.

Hard example pattern folding problem on the DAT PAT; this one shows a dove prism with shading

Folding overview:

The pattern shown folds into a dove prism, which consists of two trapezoids connected by rectangular sides. The graphic below shows the shaded patterns, colored; notice that one of the shaded triangles borders the the black trapezoid and one of them borders the shaded trapezoid.

c - PF L2 - dove prism - shaded triangles - Overview.svg

Correct answer analysis:

Choice B shows the shaded trapezoid bordering a shaded triangle on its right side, when the shaded trapezoid is in front. This matches what is shown on the map if you flip it.

Tricks for analyzing PAT pattern folding problems

Choice D also shows the diagonal oriented the correct way, such that the diagonal runs towards the top of the shaded trapezoid.

How to pick the right answer on DAT PAT pattern folding problems

You can often answer Keyhole problems by eliminating wrong answers, as well. Here is why these are wrong:

A: This choice shows a shaded pattern on the left side of the blank trapezoid; however, it incorrectly shows the shaded triangle bordering the blank trapezoid on this side.

Eliminating wrong answers on the perceptual ability test DAT pattern folding problems

C: This choice shows a shaded pattern to the left of the shaded trapezoid; however, the diagonal created by the shaded pattern is running in the wrong direction.

Eliminating wrong answers on PAT pattern folding problems

D: This choice shows a shaded pattern to the right of the blank trapezoid; however, the shaded triangle should border the trapezoid on this side.

Wrong answer elimination DAT PAT pattern folding

Access more problems and high quality explanations

Create your Free account to access video tutorials and Level 1 question banks with in-depth explanations for PAT problems. It’s easy to upgrade to access the full course.

PF tips & strategies!

Remember that every face on the unfolded “map” must match a face on the folded object. This means that you should account for the faces shown on the map - especially the obvious ones - and eliminate answer choices that don’t have these faces. A transparent version of the correct answer is shown here. (But you should practice visualizing bottom faces.)

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip: Look for the main faces first

Likewise, if you have multiple of the same shaped faces, make sure that you can account for all of them. For the object below, there are two large trapezoidal faces that end up at the top and bottom of Choice A. Notice that Choice A is fairly symmetrical and also has pairs of smaller trapezoidal faces (top and bottom) and triangle faces (front and back), which matches the map.

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip: Make sure you account for the right number of faces

Especially for questions where answer choices have a similar shape, look closely and the shapes and proportions of the specific faces and make sure they match. Sometimes, this entails looking only at the main face of the object, as shown in the bottom example below.

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip: Make sure the relative sizes of faces are correct

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip: Make sure the shapes of individuals faces are correct

Make sure that faces in your answer connect to the correct other faces and in the same positions. For instance, in this top example, the small roof structure connects to the middle of a rectangular face; in the bottom example, the faces with the “o”’s should sit opposite to each other, and one “o” should be visible next to the triangle.

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip: Make sure adjacent faces are oriented properly

DAT PAT Pattern folding tip for cubes: Make sure that cube faces are attached to the correct other faces

For objects with shading or symbols, make sure that things are oriented correctly. For example, in top example below; the shaded parts of the rectangles border the blank pentagon; in the bottom example, the triangle points to the blank square colored in green.