The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is administered by computer and is available for testing on just about any business day. Students must register by mail or online. Upon receiving confirmation that their registration fee and application have been received, the candidate will be instructed to call the Prometric Testing Center to set up a testing time.
The DAT is scored on a 1-30 basis and tests knowledge in biology, general and organic chemistry, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning, and perceptual ability. Students should consider taking this exam when they have completed basic course requirements in biology, general and organic chemistry, and math.
While we expect that competitive applicants will score at or above the national average of 18-19, students accepted to the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry usually score higher. Students should refer to the information supplied with their official score report to determine the average scores nationally.
If applicants do not achieve desired scores on their first test, they may take the DAT again after a 90-day waiting period. We will look at all sets of scores and we look for general improvement across all test areas. Official score reports sent to the school by the American Dental Association (ADA) will show up to four sets of scores.
Deadlines for DAT
For students entering fall 2022, the date of the oldest DAT for consideration for application is June 1, 2018. For students entering fall 2023, the date of the oldest DAT for consideration for application is June 1, 2019.
For students entering fall 2022, DAT scores must be received by the Office of Admissions and Diversity no later than February 3, 2022. If it becomes necessary to retake the DAT, new scores must be received by the Office of Admissions and Diversity no later than February 3, 2022. Applicants must keep in mind that they will not be allowed to register for a subsequent test date for 90 days after the last exam date. These deadlines also apply to those taking the Canadian DAT so please be aware of this when you sign up for a February or November examination.
Applicants to the University of Minnesota should not delay submitting their AADSAS application until they receive DAT results. This can jeopardize their chance for admission. Rather, applicants should submit the AADSAS application with a projected test date (before February 3) - or a projected retest date. Then, applicants should follow up to be sure that official score reports have been received after the exam has been taken.