DAT Exam Eligibility and Application: Who Can Take the Dental Admission Test

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is the gateway to dental school in the United States and Canada. Before you can sit for the exam, you need to understand exactly who's eligible, how the application process works, and what the ADA (American Dental Association) requires from candidates. Get this part wrong and you could waste an application fee or — worse — delay your dental school timeline by a year.

This guide covers everything about DAT eligibility and the application process: who can take it, when to apply, what to submit, and how to navigate the scheduling system.

What Is the DAT?

The Dental Admission Test is a standardized exam developed and administered by the American Dental Association. It's required for admission to virtually all CODA-accredited dental schools in the United States. Canadian applicants use the Canadian DAT (cDAT), a separate but similar exam administered by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada.

The DAT tests four major areas:

• Survey of Natural Sciences (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry)
• Perceptual Ability (3D spatial reasoning, pattern recognition)
• Reading Comprehension
• Quantitative Reasoning

Scores are reported on a 1–30 scale. The national average score is approximately 17, and competitive dental schools typically want applicants with Academic Average (AA) scores in the 19–22+ range. But before any of that matters, you have to be eligible to sit for the exam.

Who Is Eligible to Take the DAT?

The ADA's eligibility requirements for the DAT are more flexible than many applicants expect:

Academic Requirements

You must have completed or be currently enrolled in a minimum of 90 semester hours (or 135 quarter hours) of undergraduate coursework from an accredited institution. This typically means you need to be at or near junior year in college before you're eligible.

There's no requirement to have completed a specific degree — you don't need to have graduated. However, the practical reality is that most DAT applicants have completed the prerequisite science courses before sitting, because the exam tests that content directly.

Prerequisite Courses That Matter for DAT Content

The ADA doesn't require specific courses as a formal eligibility condition, but the DAT tests content from:

• Biology (1 year recommended)
• General Chemistry (1 year with lab)
• Organic Chemistry (1 year with lab)
• College-level math (calculus or statistics)

Most applicants complete these before sitting because taking the DAT without this background knowledge essentially guarantees a poor score.

Citizenship and Residency

The ADA administers the DAT for U.S. and international applicants. International students who plan to apply to U.S. dental schools can take the DAT. There's no citizenship requirement for exam eligibility — but individual dental schools may have their own requirements for international applicants regarding visa status, English language proficiency, and other factors.

Age

There's no minimum or maximum age requirement for the DAT. The 90-credit-hour minimum effectively sets a practical floor, but there's nothing in the rules that prevents a particularly advanced student from testing earlier.

Retake Limits and Attempt Rules

This is where many applicants trip up. The ADA has specific rules about how many times you can take the DAT:

• You may take the DAT a maximum of 3 times total
• You must wait at least 90 days between attempts
• After 3 attempts, you need a written exception from the ADA to test again (granted only in exceptional circumstances)

Every attempt is permanent record — dental schools can see all scores. Some schools average scores; some take the highest; some view multiple attempts unfavorably regardless of outcome. Know your target schools' policies before your first attempt. Don't treat the first sitting as a "practice run."

How to Apply for the DAT: Step by Step

DAT applications are submitted through the ADA's online testing program. Here's the full process:

Step 1: Create an ADA Account

Go to ada.org and create an account in the ADA's testing program portal. You'll use this account to submit your application, pay fees, and schedule your exam. Keep your login credentials secure — you'll need them throughout the process.

Step 2: Submit the DAT Application

Complete the online application, which includes:

• Personal and contact information
• Academic background verification (your school and credit hours)
• Agreement to the ADA's testing policies
• Payment of the application fee

Step 3: Pay the Application Fee

The DAT application fee is $475 as of the current ADA fee schedule. This covers the exam itself. There's no separate scheduling fee for the initial appointment. If you cancel and need to reschedule within certain windows, additional fees may apply — check the ADA's current rescheduling policy.

Step 4: Receive Your Authorization to Test (ATT)

After your application is processed and fee is paid, the ADA sends an Authorization to Test letter. This document is required to schedule your exam at a Prometric testing center. Hold onto it — you'll need the information in it when you book your appointment.

Step 5: Schedule at a Prometric Testing Center

The DAT is administered at Prometric testing centers nationwide. Use the ATT information to schedule your appointment at prometric.com or by phone. Testing center availability varies by location — popular centers in college towns fill up quickly during peak testing seasons (spring and early summer before dental school application deadlines).

Schedule your exam date with enough time to receive your official scores before your dental school application deadlines. Official DAT scores are typically available within 3–5 business days of testing, though you'll see unofficial scores at the testing center immediately after completing the exam.

When Should You Take the DAT?

Timing the DAT correctly relative to your dental school application is one of the most important strategic decisions in the pre-dental process.

Standard Application Timeline

Most dental school applications go through AADSAS (Associated American Dental Schools Application Service). AADSAS applications typically open in late May/early June and the cycle runs through February or March. Dental schools review applications on a rolling basis — submitting early matters.

Working backward from an ideal AADSAS submission of June/July:

• Take the DAT by May at the latest (to have scores before submitting)
• Ideal DAT timing: January–April of your application year
• Prerequisite courses should be complete or nearly complete before testing

Retake Timing

If you need to retake the DAT, the 90-day waiting period means a lot in your application timeline. A low score in March can be retaken in June and scores received in time for a July AADSAS submission — but that's tight. A low score in May leaves you either submitting without a stronger score or delaying your application by a full cycle. Plan early.

The "Apply Twice" Consideration

Some applicants intentionally plan for two application cycles: take the DAT junior year, apply in the first cycle, and if not accepted, improve scores and apply again senior year. This is a legitimate strategy, but it requires honest self-assessment about your score expectations and your backup timeline.

DAT Exam Format and Sections

Understanding the format helps you plan your prep timeline. The DAT is a computer-based exam with four sections:

Survey of Natural Sciences (100 questions, 90 minutes)

This is the largest section — 40 biology, 30 general chemistry, and 30 organic chemistry questions. It's heavily memorization-dependent on factual content (cell biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics) mixed with problem-solving (reaction mechanisms, stoichiometry).

Perceptual Ability Test (90 questions, 60 minutes)

Unique to the DAT — you won't see this section on most other admissions tests. It tests 3D spatial visualization through six question types: apertures, view recognition, angle discrimination, paper folding, cube counting, and 3D form development. Many candidates find this the most unfamiliar section. It's also highly learnable with dedicated practice.

Reading Comprehension (50 questions, 60 minutes)

Three scientific reading passages with questions testing recall, inference, and ability to apply information from the text. Speed matters here — 60 minutes for 50 questions across three passages requires efficient reading strategy.

Quantitative Reasoning (40 questions, 45 minutes)

Math: algebra, probability, statistics, geometry, trigonometry, and data analysis. The level is roughly comparable to strong high school or freshman college math. Calculator use is allowed for this section.

What Score Do You Need?

There's no universal "passing score" — dental schools set their own cutoffs, and they vary significantly. General benchmarks:

• 17–18 AA: Average. May limit you to less competitive schools.
• 19–20 AA: Competitive for most dental schools.
• 21+ AA: Competitive for top programs. Strongly competitive combined with strong GPA.
• 22+ AA: Top tier. Rarely needed unless applying to the most selective programs.

GPA matters as much as DAT scores. A 3.2 GPA with a 22 DAT gets evaluated differently than a 3.8 GPA with a 19 DAT. Know the DAT and GPA profiles of matriculants at your target schools — ADEA publishes this data annually through their Dental School Explorer tool.

Preparing for the DAT Application Process

Beyond the exam content itself, there are logistics to prepare:

Transcripts and Credit Verification

Before applying, verify that your credit hours will meet the 90-hour requirement. If you're close to the cutoff, check whether AP credits, dual enrollment, or transfer credits count toward the total at your institution — some do, some don't.

Testing Center Selection

Choose a testing center you've actually been to before — or at minimum, visited. Unfamiliar testing environments on exam day add unnecessary stress. If you can take an MCAT or GRE at the same Prometric center before your DAT date, that familiarity is genuinely useful.

Scheduling Lead Time

Popular testing windows (January–May) at Prometric centers near universities fill up fast. After you receive your ATT, don't wait to schedule. Book your preferred date as soon as possible. You can reschedule if needed, but availability shrinks quickly.

Testing Accommodations

If you have a documented disability and need testing accommodations, apply for accommodations through the ADA before submitting your regular application. Accommodation approvals take additional time — don't leave this until the last minute. The ADA's accommodations process follows ADA and Section 504 requirements.

After the DAT: What Comes Next

When you finish the exam, you'll receive unofficial scores before you leave the testing center. These are your actual scaled scores — the "unofficial" designation just means you haven't received the official documentation yet.

Official score reports are available through your ADA account within 3–5 business days. You can send official scores to dental schools through AADSAS, which requests your scores directly from the ADA.

If your scores aren't where you want them, remember the 90-day wait and 3-attempt limit before planning a retake strategy. Use that time to identify exactly which sections need improvement and address those specifically — not just general "more studying."