The Dental Admission Test (DAT)

This test is conducted two times a year (October and April) and is sponsored by the Division of Educational Measurements, American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. Students planning to enter in the fall of the following year should take the examination in the preceding April or October. The choice between these two dates is dependent on your state of preparedness (since admission announcements are not made before December 1). If you plan to use the summer to study, the DAT should be taken in October; otherwise, it should be taken earlier and gotten out of the way (as well as ensure an opportunity to repeat it if necessary).

An application for the DAT can be obtained from the Division of Educational Measurements at the address above, or from the predental advisor. The application should include a recent photo and the $150 fee. This fee covers the cost of sending five official transcripts of scores to selected dental schools, as well as a copy for the applicant and the predental advisor, and DAT preparation materials. Additional official transcripts of scores can be sent if requested. The charge is $5 each if ordered at the time of applying or if requested later.

Testing centers for the Saturday administration are located in one or more cities in each state, as well as in the District of Columbia. Sunday (or Monday) administrations are provided in about 10 states and require a letter from a religious leader confirming the applicant's affiliation with a Sabbath-observing religious group. Foreign testing centers are set up as needed, but require special arrangements. The additional fee for a test administered in a foreign country is $25.

CANADIAN DAT

A Canadian Dental Aptitude Test has been developed by the Canadian Dental Association and the Association of Canadian Faculties. For information on this test contact the Canadian Dental Association (l' Association Dental Canadienne), 1815 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3Y6.