DAT Test

The DAT, or Dental Admissions Testing, is a standardized test used as an adjunct to admission to dental schools in the United States. The test is prepared and sanctioned by the American Dental Association (ADA). The DAT measures knowledge and skills deemed directly applicable to success in dental school. The earliest the DAT can be taken is after completion of one year of college, if the applicant has completed coursework in biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Typically, however, most applicants have completed at least two years of college.

While some people may be able to take the DAT test and succeed with minimal preparation, most test takers will benefit from allocating time to study beforehand and reading through a DAT Test Study Guide or practicing with a set of DAT Exam Flashcards . Regardless of your studying techniques, be sure that you plan ahead and leave yourself enough time in advance of the test day to become adequately prepared. Last minute studying is likely to be rushed and does not maximize your chances of being successful.

The DAT is a computerized test, administered at Thompson Prometric Centers throughout the United States, its territories, and Canada. There are four sections to the DAT, all consisting of multiple choice questions. The total test time is 4 hours 15 minutes, plus an optional 15 minute break. The first section of the testing is Survey of Natural Sciences, composed of questions about biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry (40, 30,and 30 questions respectively); it must be completed within 90 minutes. The examinee must be familiar with a range of concepts in these areas in order to be able to answer these questions.

The second part of the DAT, the Perceptual Ability section, is designed to measure the manual dexterity of the examinee. The ADA believes manual dexterity to be an essential requirement for dental school, and therefore includes this rather unique section. There are 75 scored and 15 unscored pretest questions to be completed in 60 minutes. Graphic representations are shown and you must answer questions that test your ability to perceive differences in angles, cubes, projections, and the like.

A Reading Comprehension section follows, where you are given three lengthy passages , each followed by questions about them. While no prior knowledge of the topics presented is required, the material is typical of the types of reading in dental and basics sciences that one would find in dental school. This part is designed to test your ability absorb new material in the sciences and to organize and analyze the material. This section is to be completed in 60 minutes.

The last portion evaluates your Quantitative Reasoning. There are 40 multiple choice questions to be finished in 45 minutes. These questions employ basic mathematical skills, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. There are also some word problems that use applied mathematics.

The raw scores on all sections, that is the number of correct answers, are converted to standard scores of 1 to 30 (average score about 17), and then converted to percentile rankings. Standard scores link data from different test dates and are calculated using common or equating questions that are included on different test forms. You can get your own score report immediately at the test site.

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The Dental Admissions Testing registration is $170. A candidate can register online by credit card to take the DAT at www.ada.org. One can also register by mail, but must pay by certified check or money order. Personal checks are only accepted from members of either the American Student Dental Association or the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service. Applications are processed weekly on Tuesdays. You are then contacted with an 800 number to schedule and confirm your test through the Thompson Prometric Centers, www.Prometric.com. At least 48 hours are required to schedule a test date. You can request official transcripts to be sent to up to 5 dental schools without additional payment. You, your pre-dental advisor and the dental schools should receive the official transcripts within 3 weeks of your test date.