DAT 

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is a multiple-choice standardized exam taken by potential dental school students in the United States. The DAT is a computer based test that can be administered almost any day of the year. Tests are taken at Thomson Prometric testing centers throughout the United States after the preliminary application through the American Dental Association is completed. While all dental schools require examinees to participate in the Dental Admission Testing Program, test results are only one factor considered in evaluating the admission potential of an examinee. Validity studies conducted by the testing
program have shown that test scores in conjunction with college transcripts are useful in predicting performance. The relative importance of these predictors in the admission process is determined by the dental school.

Eligibility Requirements

Successful participation in the Dental Admission Testing Program requires completion of at least one year of collegiate education, which should include courses in biology, and general and organic chemistry. Advanced level biology and physics are not required. Applicants should note that test scores are developed in relationship to all examinees participating in the test and that most applicants complete two or more years of college before taking the test. Applicants to dental school should participate in the Dental Admission Testing Program well in advance of intended dental school enrolment. Examinees applying to Canadian dental schools should discuss the acceptance of the DAT by those schools prior to registering for the test. 

Test Sections

The DAT comprises four sections: survey of the natural sciences (90 minutes), perceptual ability (often called the PAT, 60 minutes), reading comprehension (60 minutes), and quantitative reasoning (45 minutes). The mathematics of the quantitative exam is similar to that of the SAT. The first section is divided into questions about biology (40 questions), general chemistry (30 questions), and organic chemistry (30 questions). The second section is divided into six different problems sets designed to test perceptual ability, specifically in the areas of three dimensional manipulation and spatial reasoning. The third section of the DAT is divided into three academic essays, each of which is followed by questions about the passage's content. The final section tests basic mathematics skills, with emphasis placed on algebra, critical thinking, fractions, roots, and trigonometric identities.

Scores

Immediately after completion of the test, eight standard scores on a scale of 1-30 are calculated and passed on to the test taker. The first six scores come directly from the test: perceptual ability, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning, biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. The remaining two scores reported are summaries of the previous six: the Academic Average is the average of five scores rounded to the nearest whole number: quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. The Total Science score is a standard score based on all 100 questions in the biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry tests. Dental schools frequently summarize their applicant's scores by listing the academic, science, and perceptual ability (PAT) scores they typically see in their matriculating classes. Schools tend to emphasize the importance of high perceptual ability and biology scores, though the competitive applicant earns high marks across all sections of the test.

The mean (average) score for any scored section is set at 17. Scores above and below this represent fractions of standard deviations from the mean. This probabilistic scoring system results in the maximum not occurring for the compiled section scores (natural sciences and academic average) in a given year. For example, in 2003 a 25 academic average was labelled as 100.0th percentile, such that less than 8 people received this score, and none higher (approximately 8,000 people take the DAT per year).

The mean academic average score for admissions is commonly 18. A score of 20-22 will likely lead to admission although it is getting progressively more difficult to gain admissions. There are varying perspectives on the relative importance of sections, wherein the PAT or reading comprehension can be viewed as the most important or conversely, ignored. The PAT in particular is most often viewed as a threshold score, and therefore is the only score not included in the academic average; the threshold varies between 16 and 18.

Test Centers

The DAT is administered by Prometric Test Centers only in the United States, its territories including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and Canada. Indian students are required to get a visitor visa and travel to the U.S. to appear for the test.