Dental Admission Test (DAT)

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is required by dental schools across the country. There are four sections to the DAT: Survey of the Natural Sciences (including biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry), Perceptual Ability Test, Reading Comprehension Test, and Quantitative Reasoning Test. Although coursework in physics is required for admission to dental school, physics is not a subject covered by the DAT.

We recommend that students take the DAT immediately after completing the biology and chemistry requirements (organic and inorganic); for many students this coincides with the summer between the sophomore and junior year. Taking the DAT at this time will give you time to prepare to re-take the exam if you need to improve your score before applying to dental school. You do not need to complete physics coursework before taking the DAT, so if you wish you may delay the physics courses until after you complete the biology and chemistry requirements.

If you plan to go straight into dental school after you complete your senior year of college you should plan to take the DAT by the spring of your junior year at the latest so you will be ready to apply to dental school early in the summer between your junior and senior year.

A fundamental way to begin to prepare for the exam is to review the content of the exam (available on the website below). Review the concepts, ask yourself if you are familiar with them, and if you can apply them. You should prepare intensively through taking repeated practice DAT exams, available in book and CD form. Students should familiarize themselves in particular with the perceptual ability problems that are included on the DAT.

Examinees must submit an electronic application via the website below prior to scheduling a test date. After submitting the application you will be sent registration authorization information that will allow you to call a testing center and schedule the exam.

You may take the DAT up to three times (in order to take it more than three times applicants must apply for special permission). You must wait 90 days between exam dates.

For the entering class of 2006 at the Indiana University School of Dentistry the average DAT scores of the class were: Academic Average of 18.73; Perceptual Average of 18.00; and Total Science Average of 18.46. It is very likely that in the future the average DAT scores for admitted students will continue to rise. Freshman students should anticipate that by the time they apply to dental school they will need to meet higher admission standards than were in effect when they started college.

For more information on the DAT please this website.