How is the Dental Admission Test scored?
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Whether you’re just getting started preparing for the Dental Admission Test (DAT) or are fully immersed in the studying process, you might have questions about DAT scoring or wonder what scores you should be aiming for. In this article, we’ll go in-depth about DAT scoring, so read on!
Each section is scored out of 30.
The DAT is comprised of 4 sections: the Survey of Natural Sciences (which includes Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry), the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. You will receive a score for each subject, as well as a Total Science score based on your overall performance on the Survey of Natural Sciences and an Academic Average, which is the rounded average of all of your standard scores, not including your PAT score.
Scores are reported immediately.
As soon as you finish the final section of the DAT, you will have the option to complete a post-test survey. Then, your score report will be displayed immediately on-screen. As you leave the test center, you’ll receive a printout of your score report. It will look something like this:
This is your unofficial score report. Within approximately two weeks of taking your DAT, your scores will be verified, at which point they become official. These official, verified scores should be the same as those listed on your unofficial score report except in very rare cases. These scores will be sent to all the dental schools you apply to. If you selected every dental school when you registered for the DAT (learn more about registering for the test here), your scores will be sent automatically when you submit your ADEA AADSAS application.
DAT scores are standardized, or scaled.
Standard scores allow test-takers who took different versions of the DAT, which vary in difficulty, to be compared. This means that if you took a more difficult version of the DAT, you could potentially miss more questions than someone who took an easier version of the test and still receive the same standard score.
There isn’t a simple or constant conversion from raw score (total number of questions answered correctly) to standard score. It all depends on the section, the version of the DAT, and your performance compared to other test-takers. For example, based on the standard-score-to-raw-score conversion chart for the ADA’s 2007 DAT sample test, available here, a raw score of 27/30 corresponded to a 23 in Organic Chemistry. For General Chemistry, that same raw score (27/30) corresponded to a 21.
What is clear is that you should answer as many questions correctly as possible to receive a high DAT score. Even small differences in raw scores can translate to relatively large differences in standard scores. There is no penalty for incorrectly-answered questions on the DAT, so if you don’t know the answer, you should guess and return if you have time later.
The average DAT score is about 19.
According to the ADA’s Frequently Asked Questions About Scoring, a score of 19 represents the national average. Many test-takers aim to score at least at the average (ideally 20+) for each section to be as competitive as possible.
Many dental schools have DAT score cutoffs.
The majority of dental schools want to see scores of at least 17 in each section, but research the scoring requirements of the schools you plan to apply to, as these requirements can vary. Some schools have no cutoffs at all, while others will not consider applicants with scores below a certain threshold. Below are some examples of DAT score requirements for a few dental schools:
University of Maryland School of Dentistry: “Please keep in mind that our average GPA last year was 3.6 and our average DAT score was about 21. We do not consider applicants with DATs below 18.”
Columbia College of Dental Medicine: “There are no minimum GPA or DAT score requirements; however, we look for grade and DAT scores that are in line with those of our currently enrolled students.”
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry: “We generally advise students to retake the DAT if they score a 18 or below. A score of 18 is marginal and in recent years has generally not been sufficient for an interview.”
You can check the average DAT score of the enrolled students at each dental school.
Most dental schools publicize the average DAT score of their admitted or enrolled students. If your DAT scores are consistent with the average scores of the previous year’s incoming class, they should be competitive in the admissions process.
You can click here for a table listing the average DAT scores and GPAs of enrolled students at all the US dental schools, or check the website of each dental school you’re applying to.
Your ideal DAT score depends on the other aspects of your application.
The DAT is one aspect of the dental school application. Your shadowing/dental experience, extracurricular involvement, leadership, letters of recommendation, coursework, and GPA all factor into the process, too. Still, the DAT is very important: a good DAT score shows that you are ready to tackle the challenging curriculum in dental school. A good DAT score can also bolster the weaker parts of your application. For example, if your GPA is on the lower end, you might aim for a high DAT score to showcase your improvement and preparedness. Or, if didn’t do as well as you would have liked in one of your science courses (say, general chemistry), you might strive for a great score in this section of the DAT. When determining your score goal, take into account these other aspects of your application and the stats at the schools to which you plan to apply. There is no one “good enough” DAT score — every applicant is unique.
Best of luck!
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