The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is the standardized exam that all dental school applicants must complete to apply to dental schools in the U.S. The American Dental Association (ADA) has announced significant updates to the DAT scoring system and how it affects your application, effective March 1, 2025. These changes are designed to provide a more precise evaluation of your knowledge and skills.
Key Changes to the New DAT Scoring System in 2025
Transition to a Three-Digit Scoring Scale
The previous two-digit scoring scale, ranging from 1 to 30, will be replaced by a three-digit scale spanning 200 to 600. Scores will be reported in 10-point increments (e.g., 200, 210, 220, etc.), allowing for finer distinctions between different levels of achievement.
Elimination of Immediate Unofficial Score Reports
Starting March 1, 2025, you will no longer receive an unofficial score report immediately after completing the exam. The new scoring system will require about two weeks to generate your DAT score. In other words, you will no longer leave the DAT exam location knowing your score - you will have to wait about two weeks to find out your score.
No Changes to Exam Content
Importantly, the content and structure of the DAT will remain unchanged. The examination will continue to assess the same topic areas. Specifically, DAT examinees will still be tested on the 7 core subjects of the DAT: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning.
Implications of the New DAT for Applicants
Validity of Previous Scores
Dental schools will continue to accept applicants who apply with a two-digit score, even after March 2025. You can apply to dental schools with either a two-digit score or a three-digit score.
Score Interpretation
To assist in comparing two-digit and three-digit scores, the ADA will provide a chart to admissions committees at dental schools that correlates two-digit DAT scores to the new three-digit DAT scores. This chart will offer a rough sense of the general correspondence between the two scoring scales.
AADSAS Application Process
The application process through the ADEA AADSAS (American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) will accommodate both scoring systems. Dental school applicants will be able to self-report their scores, regardless of whether they are two-digit or three-digit scores. All official scores will be sent from the ADA to ADEA AADSAS, as has previously been done, even before the score change.
The upcoming changes to the DAT scoring system reflect the ADA's commitment to enhancing the precision and fairness of the dental school admissions process. By understanding these changes and preparing accordingly, you can navigate this transition confidently and continue your pre-dental journey!
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About the Author: Dr. Andrew Ghadimi, DDS
Dr. Andrew graduated from UCLA's School of Dentistry and served on the ADEA AADSAS Advisory Board, helping run the dental school application, AADSAS. He also served as the National Pre-Dental Liaison for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the same organization that runs the dental school application. While at UCLA's School of Dentistry, he also served on the Council of Students, Residents, and Fellows Board, as the Pre-Dental Chair for California. He has mentored and advised 450+ pre-dentals on their journey to dental school and helped pre-dentals receive over $1,000,000 in scholarships in addition to acceptances to some of the most competitive dental schools in the country, including Harvard, UPenn, Columbia, UF, UCLA, and many others.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to UCLA, UCLA School of Dentistry, ADEA, or any other organization.
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