Last Updated on October 16, 2025
FREE DAT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide PDF. You can download Dental Admission Test (DAT) Practice Test Questions and Answers in Printable PDF format. The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) offer different versions of the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT).
The version of the DAT you should take is determined by where you plan to attend dental school and whether or not you are a Canadian resident. This page will prepare you for either exam, but understanding the differences between the two tests will allow you to tailor your preparation to your specific needs.
The American DAT is a computer-based test (CBT) and includes the Survey of Natural Sciences (with Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry), Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. In contrast, the English Canadian DAT is paper-based and does not contain the Organic Chemistry subsection or Quantitative Reasoning section, but does include an optional Manual Dexterity Test (soap carving).
DAT Practice Test 2025
To effectively prepare for your upcoming exams, utilizing a DAT Practice Test can be beneficial in assessing your strengths and weaknesses.
Exam Outline
Survey of the Natural Sciences (100 Items)
The Survey of Natural Sciences test section consists of 100 items from Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry.
- Biology (40 items)
- General Chemistry (30 items)
- Organic Chemistry (30 items)
Perceptual Ability (90 Items)
| Time Limit | 60 Minutes |
| Time Per Question | 40 Seconds |
| Total Questions | 90 |
| Questions Format | Multiple Choice |
Survey of the Natural Sciences (100 Items)
| Time Limit | 90 Minutes |
| Time Per Question | 54 Seconds |
| Total Questions | 100 Multiple Choice |
| Topics | Biology (40 items), General Chemistry (30 items), and Organic Chemistry (30 items) |
Reading Comprehension (50 items)
The Reading Comprehension Test contains three reading passages on various scientific topics. Prior understanding of the science topics is not a prerequisite to answering the test items. The reading passages require the ability to read, comprehend, and thoroughly analyze basic scientific information.
| Time Limit | 60 Minutes |
| Time Per Passage | 20 Minutes |
| Total Questions | 50 Multiple Choice |
| Topics | Multiple Choice |
Quantitative Reasoning (40 items)
What it tests: Mathematical Problems: algebra (equations and expressions, inequalities, exponential notation, absolute value, ratios and proportions, and graphical analysis); Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Sufficiency; Quantitative Comparison; and Probability and Statistics. • Applied Mathematics (Word) Problem.
| Time Limit | 45 Minutes |
| Time Per Question | 67..5 Seconds |
| Total Questions | 40 Multiple Choice |
| Questions Format | Three passages with 16 to 17 questions |
All other sections of the tests are identical, except for Reading Comprehension, which still contains three passages but allows for 10 fewer minutes and asks 10 fewer questions. The CDA also offers a French Canadian DAT, which includes the duplicate content as the English Canadian DAT but in French and without the Reading Comprehension section.
In the past, most Canadian schools required the Canadian DAT and the Manual Dexterity Test. However, several Canadian schools now accept American DAT results from applicants who are not Canadian residents, and many do not require the Manual Dexterity Test from any applicants.
If you are a resident of Canada and anticipate applying to Canadian dental schools:
Plan to take the Canadian DAT, including the Manual Dexterity Test if any of your chosen schools require or encourage it. If you also plan to apply to U.S. dental schools, check the requirements at the schools that interest you. Many U.S. schools will accept your Canadian DAT results, but you may also want to take the American DAT to maximize your options. If you are unsure whether a school accepts Canadian DAT results, verify with that school in advance of applying.
If you are not a resident of Canada but plan to apply to Canadian dental schools:
Research the specific requirements of each school you would like to attend, paying close attention to residency and standardized test requirements. American DAT results will be sufficient for some English-language Canadian dental schools, but some require the Canadian DAT, and a few of those also require the Manual Dexterity Test.
Here’s exactly what’s written in the image:
What’s a Good Score?
What defines a good score can vary significantly based on personal situation. Much depends on the strength of the rest of your application (e.g., if your transcript is first-rate, then the pressure to do well on the DAT isn’t as intense) and on where you want to go to school (e.g., different schools have different score expectations).
For each administration, the average scaled scores are approximately 17 for each section, equating to the 50th percentile. To be considered competitive, you’ll likely want to score above the 50th percentile. Especially competitive schools may wish to have scores above the 70th percentile range. It’s essential to check the scores for each school. One commonality is that most schools consider scores evenly distributed across sections to be more favorable than a very high performance in one section offset by a very low performance in another. Performing consistently across the board is preferred.
Because all of your section scores factor into your cumulative score, maximizing your performance on every question is important. Just a few questions one way or the other can make a big difference in your scaled score. Make an extra effort to score well on a test section if you did poorly in a corresponding class; the best revenge for getting a C in chemistry class is acing the Chemistry section of the DAT!
Study Guide
To make studying as efficient as possible, block out short, frequent periods of study time throughout the week. From a learning perspective, studying one hour per day for six days a week is much more effective than studying six hours at once one day a week. Spacing out your preparation gives your brain time to consolidate new memories, and repeatedly seeing the material over an extended period makes recalling the information on Test Day easier and faster.