The intent of the Natural Science (NS) section of the Dental Admission Test (DAT) is to assess the capacity and to test the student's logic, reasoning and time management skills. Too often, the Natural Science section is the pitfall or deathwish of many students taking the DAT. Many take this section for granted; and then they realize they've shot themselves in the foot when they receive all great scores and a very dismal (AA or TS) score. It is not uncommon to see students getting between 15's and 17's on the Quantitative Reasoning section which falls into the cut-offs of many schools. Let the Natural Sciences be the section to shine and help bolster your overall DAT score as it influences your Academic Average (AA) and Natural Science (NS) scores. Not to mention those individuals who have previously taken the MCAT or PCAT that are now seeking dental school as a second option, the Natural Sciences (NS) section can stand to be their biggest enemy or their Achilles' Heal.
Similar to other standardized exams, the DAT is used to compare students from different schools who might have gone through different curricula. With that being said, your DAT scores will play a role in which dental school interviews you land. As unfair as it sounds, there are some dental schools that can filter students out based upon a section score (i.e. Sciences, PAT, Reading or Math). On the flip side, a good score such as in the Natural Sciences will also boost your Academic Average (AA) score and Total Sciences (TS) on the Dental Admission Test; thereby, significantly bolstering your overall application and credentials greatly.
The Dental Admission Test is divided into modules. The four modules are Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry), Perceptual Ability Test, Reading Comprehension and Quantative Reasoning. The Quantitative Reasoning consists of 45 questions. Just like the test, Crack the Science will, by default, allow you 90 minutes to complete these 100 questions.
Schedule| 5 minutes | Reporting Time | . |
| 15 minutes | Tutorial | . |
| 90 Minutes | Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry) | 100 Questions |
| 60 minutes | Perceptual Ability Test | 90 Questions |
| 15 minutes | Lunch Break (Optional) | . |
| 60 Minutes | Reading Comprehension | 50 Questions |
| 45 Minutes | Quantative Reasoning Test | 40 Questions |
The fee for the computerized Dental Admission Test (DAT) is $205. You can register for the Dental Admission Test (DAT) by visiting American Dental Association (ADA). In order to retake examination or any subject(s), examinees must wait a minimum 90 day grace period from last sitting. Keep into consideration that one is entitled to only 3 computerized DAT exams annually. After receiving a letter that confirms eligibility, the examinee can make schedule arrangements for the DAT exam by calling the given 1-800 provided on the letter. The examinee is allotted a 12 month period to make arrangements to sit for the DAT exam. If the examinee fails to make arrangements within this time frame, the examinee will forfeit his money and will have to reapply. The examinee can expect results immediately thereupon completion of the DAT. The student can submit their dental school applications through AADSAS or TMDSAS even before he/she takes the DAT test.