The Dental Admission Test, commonly referred to as the DAT, is a dental school admission test intended to provide dentistry programs with the means to determine the potential success of the candidates. It is conducted throughout the year by Prometric Test Centers in the United States, its colonies (including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), and Canada.
The test consists of multiple-choice questions outlined in the English language and is designed according to test specifications. The DAT exam is conducted to consider the abilities of students seeking entry to dental school. Dentistry schools use this information to determine decisions on admissions.
While all dental universities require candidates to partake in the DAT program, the results of the DAT are only one consideration included in determining the ability of the applicant for admission. Legitimacy studies have found test scores in tandem with academic results help forecast success in dental schools. Each dental school defines the importance of these factors in the admissions process.
The DAT comprises of 280 multiple-choice questions in four DAT sections: Survey of the Natural Sciences, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. The DAT is a computer-based test (CBT) lasting roughly five hours and 15 minutes, which includes an optional 15-minute break.
| Sections | Allotted Time | No. of Questions | Subsections |
| Optional Tutorial | 15 | — | — |
| Survey of Natural Sciences | 90 | 100 |
|
| Perceptual Ability Test | 60 | 90 |
|
| Scheduled Break (optional) | 30 | — | — |
| Reading Comprehension Test | 60 | 50 | — |
| Quantitative Reasoning Test | 45 | 40 |
|
| Optional Post Test Survey | 15 | — | — |
| Total | 5 hours and 15 minutes | 280 | — |
DAT scores are documented to be scale scores. Such scale scores are neither raw scores nor percentages. The conversion of raw scores to scale scores is obtained using psychometric equations. Through scale scores, it is easy to compare the results of one applicant with the performance of all applicants. The DAT score range from 1 to 30.
Several test questions are exploratory and are unscored. The data obtained on the unscored items will be used to assess whether the problem is suitable to be used in future test implementation. Unscored questions appear the same to the applicants as the questions rated.
Eight ratings will appear when you receive your official score report: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Reasoning, Total Science, and Academic Average. The Total Science Score is the amount of your primary, raw performance in Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry, which are then averaged and converted into a scale of 1–30 score, regardless of your individual scores in these areas.
To elaborate, Total Science is not the average of your weighted ratings in the Natural Sciences Survey. The Academic Sum is the average rating for all categories except PAT. The score report will also tell you about your percentile ranking in each segment. The percentile ranking represents the number of test participants scored around or below your level.
Payments shall be non-refundable and non-transferable. All of the payments are in US dollars. The following demonstrates the DAT testing fee:
| Type | Description | Amount |
| DAT Fee | Includes administration and official score reporting to all dental institutions chosen at the time of application; an official score report released at the testing center (no other report will be sent); and a score report to the pre-dental counselor of the applicant (if chosen on application). | $475 |
| Score Report Fee (optional) | Covers score report requests made after the time of application. There’s no extra charge for requests for score reports obtained at the time of application. | $45 per recipient |
| Score Audit Fee (optional) | For a duration of 30 days following a test appointment, the DAT Program can check the results of the DAT applicant. | $65 |
| Eligibility Extension Fee | Candidates can prolong their eligibility span for a fee. The extension is for a total of 45 days within the specified test window and is valid once for every application. | $125 |
The fee for the rescheduling of a test date shall be based on the amount of the notice issued. The rate for rescheduling is as follows:
| Number of Days Before Testing Appointment | Fee |
| 1 to 5 business days before the test date, and at least 24 hours before the start of the appointment. | $125 |
| 6 to 30 business days before the test date. | $125 |
| 31 or more business days before the test date. | $125 |
Note: Saturdays and Sundays are not business days.
The following are the detailed steps to register for DAT Test:
Below are the minimum eligibility requirements aspiring dental school students should meet to be qualified to take the Dental Admission Test:
For candidates who wish to take the DAT test again, they need to submit a new application and pay testing for every retest. They will have to wait for at least 90 days after their last attempt to take the exam again. It is important to note that there are no exemptions to the 90-day waiting time.
In the case that you have appeared in DAT three or more occasions, you must seek permission from ADA for the retest. In this context, you shall send a request in writing to datexam@ada.org along with one of the following documents:
How should I prepare for the DAT?
Which test should I take, the MCAT or DAT?
The DAT is essential for entry to dental schools, while the MCAT is specific to medical schools. If you’re pursuing a dentistry career, taking the DAT would be suitable for you. However, if you want to work in a broader range of medical disciplines, you can take the MCAT.
For dental school, what GPA do you need?
Admission to dental school is so challenging that a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) is the minimum you’ll need to have a chance of getting in. A 3.3 GPA or higher will set you apart, and you should strive for the same GPA in your science courses.
What’s a good score on the DAT?
The highest potential score on the DAT is 30, and the mean score is 20. The 18 is commonly considered to be the minimum score for admission to any dental school.
How much is a dental school going to cost?
For the most part, four-year dental school costs in the U.S. vary from $21,600 (in-state) to $64,800 (non-resident) in public school in Texas to almost $300,000 for high-priced private institutions.
It is doubtful that even someone who has a perfect understanding of all DAT science and mathematics will attain a high score without appropriate testing strategies. Knowing the format of the test questions and having a clear strategy for solving each problem can be as critical as knowledge of the material. Using DAT practice tests, DAT practice questions, and study guides will make a difference in DAT prep along with effective strategies.
By using strategies, you can make use of the test structure and find the right answers even without a thorough understanding of all the contents. The following are a few DAT test-taking strategies you can use to your advantage and apply throughout the DAT.
The very first move in endeavoring any question is to STOP: do not fully read the question or answer options, but instead triage: dissect the topic of the item, the length, and the difficulty of determining whether to deal with it immediately, afterwards or not at all. For most of the items, you may use this chance to describe the answer choices briefly. This step lets you make the most out of the limited period you have left.
After you have identified the question stem and answer options and decided to address the problem, the next move is actually to read the question — but don’t read the answer options yet. When reading, don’t just read it passively; rather, paraphrase it as you read it so that you can decide what the question really is. If you misinterpret what the question is asking you to do, you won’t be able to answer the question accurately, so don’t underestimate the significance of this phase. This step guarantees that you will not rush through the problem, possibly leading to the extra effort that is not needed.
Once you get a clear sense of what the problem is and have all the knowledge you need to answer it, your next move is to visualize what the right answer would look like. Good prediction should answer the question as soon as possible; but, if you’re not sure what to expect from cryptic answer choices, or if you don’t have good content knowledge for the topic being evaluated, a simpler prediction can be almost as useful and always better than no prediction at all. Making prediction saves you time and automatically eliminates the wrong choices that could distract you and lead you in the wrong direction.
After you’ve prepared a prediction, your last move is to choose the answer that matches your prediction. When matching, your objective is not to evaluate each choice of answer based on its validity, but rather to identify whether the choice conforms to the framework that you predicted
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