To those who are taking dental medicine in the U.S., you’re probably aware of the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), right? If so, then this test is one of the many requirements to be taken to get admission in the United States. That’s why DAT takers should prepare themselves for their upcoming entrance test. One of the ways to do so is by analyzing DAT scores and knowing how to utilize a DAT score calculator.
What’s a DAT Score?
Your DAT score is the result that you get after taking up the Dental Admissions Test. Here, your score could range from 1 to 30. DAT scoring works by analyzing the test takers’ scores and categorizing them in 8 ranges between 1 to 30. The first 6 ranges of scores are taken from the test taker’s test results in the subjects:
- Biology
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Perceptual Ability
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Reasoning
The next two scores are the combination of your test results from the six subjects you’ve taken:
- Academic Average: This is your average score from the six subjects taken.
- Total Science Score: This is your average score taken from just 3 out of the 6 categories above, which includes biology, organic chemistry, and chemical chemistry.
Every answer you provide is equivalent to 1 raw score, then they’re converted into your scaled scores, which will fall from 1 to 30.
What’s Considered a Good DAT Score?
When taking the test, you should aim for 19 to 20 points to be in the competitive range. These are points that are included in the top 25% DAT score percentile according to Kaplan test prep experts. However, if you want to have a better mark, aim for 22 and above.
| ACADEMIC AVERAGE | 21+ |
|---|---|
| SURVEY OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES | 21+ |
| BIOLOGY | 21+ |
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 22+ |
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 22+ |
| QUANTITATIVE REASONING | 19+ |
| READING COMPREHENSION | 23+ |
| PERCEPTUAL ABILITY | 22+ |
Top 25% Score (75 Percentile Score)
| ACADEMIC AVERAGE | 19-20 |
|---|---|
| SURVEY OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES | 19-20 |
| BIOLOGY | 19-20 |
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 19-21 |
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 19-21 |
| QUANTITATIVE REASONING | 17-18 |
| READING COMPREHENSION | 21-22 |
| PERCEPTUAL ABILITY | 20-21 |
50 Percentile Score
| ACADEMIC AVERAGE | 18 |
|---|---|
| SURVEY OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES | 17-18 |
| BIOLOGY | 17-18 |
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 17-18 |
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 17-18 |
| QUANTITATIVE REASONING | 15-16 |
| READING COMPREHENSION | 19-20 |
| PERCEPTUAL ABILITY | 18-19 |
Why Use a DAT Score Calculator ?
It’s common for test takers to review for the Dental Admissions Test. However, DAT scoring is complex and would most likely be hard or impossible for a test taker to calculate. That’s why using a DAT score calculator is convenient.
If you’re a test taker, all you have to do is find a DAT score calculator online and run it. There are multiple DAT score calculators online, so make sure you find one that suits you. There are free options and paid ones. Just pick what’s most recommended and what you feel like using.
One option is from TPal, a platform that offers a free DAT score calculator. Here, they created a spreadsheet that calculates your scores for you automatically. They got their data from a report in 2021 by the American Dental Association wherein they based their DAT score calculator from.
Conclusion
Entering the U.S. and working in the dental field industry is not impossible, but certain requirements and admission processes should be done to make this happen, one of which is DAT. Luckily, it’s easier for test takers to review in advance because they have better guides and sources online to make everything smoother. Hopefully, the DAT score calculator is one of them, so make the most out of it. Good luck!
