Apply to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT®)

Take the DAT exam in the spring of your junior year of undergrad study, or in the summer between your junior and senior years. Submit your application 60 to 90 days before you intend to take the exam.

Policies and Procedures Supporting Fairness

Fairness in testing is of vital importance, and is in fact fundamental to an examination’s validity. Fairness considerations are embedded throughout the DAT program, affecting every aspect of how this examination is constructed, administered, scored, and reported. The Fairness document provided below shares additional details of interest:

Policies and Procedures Supporting Fairness (PDF)


Prepare with DAT Practice Tests

The DAT program offers practice tests with questions written by actual DAT test constructors.

These practice tests feature the types of questions and question formats used in the actual test and will mirror the actual test specifications, although some modules/sections have fewer items than the actual test. The practice items are intended for the use of educators and students within the educational environment or for individual study and may not be reproduced in any format, whether paper or electronic, without expressed written permission of the ADA. This practice test should only be used as a personal resource when studying and preparing for an admissions test. The number of correct answers will be reported upon completion of each module. Scores will not be provided. Applicants may choose between the following testing options:

Individual modules, each available for $20.
A full practice test, for the discounted price of $100.

Practice tests

Individual Modules ($20 each)

Individual modules are $20 for each of the following topics:

Biology 101 (40 items) Organic Chemistry 101 (30 items) General Chemistry 101 (30 items) Reading Comprehension 101 (25 items) Perceptual Ability 101 (30 items)

Perceptual Ability 102 (30 items)

Perceptual Ability 103 (30 items)

Quantitative Reasoning 101 (40 items)

Once purchased, candidates will have 24 hours to access and complete the testing module. When the time expires, the test will end even if you are taking the test at that time.

The individual modules for DAT are identical to the modules included in the Full Practice Test, except that there are two additional modules provided for the Perceptual Ability Test that are not in the Full Practice Test.


DAT Full Practice Test
The DAT Full Practice Test includes six modules ($100 for all six): Biology 101 Organic Chemistry 101 General Chemistry 101

Reading Comprehension 101

Perceptual Ability 101

Quantitative Reasoning 101

This test has an allotted time of 3 hours and 5 minutes, divided into timed sections to simulate the time constraints of the actual test. The practice tests do not include a break. Once you click “Begin Test” you must take the test in the allotted time.

Review the list of DAT Reference Texts (PDF) to see which textbooks were used by the developers of the DAT.


Must know tips before you submit your application 

Before you apply, review the official DAT Candidate Guide (PDF) to learn about exam content, fees, scoring, waivers, and more. As part of the application, you must verify that you agree to the rules and regulations outlined in the Candidate Guide.

Start by obtaining a DENTPIN®. Your DENTPIN is the unique identifier for all your dental testing needs. If you have previously applied to take a dental exam, you must use your existing DENTPIN. Request a DENTPIN. Once you have your DENTPIN, use it to sign in and start or complete your DAT application.

Testing fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. There are no exceptions. Your credit or debit card will be charged when you submit your application. Make sure to use a consistent name. When inputting your name, use the name as it appears on your official government issued identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. When you arrive at the test center, the name on the IDs you present must match exactly the name on your application or you will be denied admission to test. If you are denied admission, you will need to submit a new application and you will forfeit your previous fee.

The DAT program provides reasonable and appropriate testing accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These accommodations occur for individuals with documented disabilities or medical conditions who demonstrate a need for accommodation, request an accommodation prior to testing, and who are approved.  All testing accommodation requests must be submitted electronically by signing in with your DENTPIN and password. Please refer to the DAT Candidate Guide (PDF) for more information about the procedure for submitting a request for testing accommodations, including acceptable forms of documentation.

Confirm your eligibility before scheduling your test. Before you can schedule your test, you must receive eligibility confirmation from the Department of Testing Services. This confirmation will arrive via email. Please check your spam folder before contacting the Department of Testing Services for assistance.

Additional DAT Resources

If you have applied to test (or taken a test), retrieve your existing DENTPIN. 
Review what you need to know and what to bring with you on test day.
See the texts subject matter experts referenced while writing the exam.
In this report learn how research informs  updates to the DAT biology  section. 
In this report learn how research is used to update the DAT general chemistry section.