The Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) is a standardized test administered by the Canadian Dental Association. DAT scores are used by most Canadian dental schools as part of the selection criteria (see chart below). Unlike the American DAT, the Canadian DAT is only held twice per year: in November and February.
The DAT has five sections: Biology, Chemistry, Reading Comprehension (RC), Perceptual Ability (PAT) and Manual Dexterity (MDT). All sections except the MDT are tested by multiple choice questions, answered by a Scantron sheet. The “soap carving” MDT is the only optional section. Please note that the French version of the DAT (aka TAED) does not include a RC component and thus may not be admissible at schools which consider RC score.
A full score on any component of the DAT is 30. A “Total Science” (TS) score is calculated from the Biology and Chemistry sections. An “Academic Average” (AA) score is calculated from the Biology, Chemistry and RC sections.
For more information on the Canadian Dental Aptitude Test, please visit the official website here.
NOTE: The information in the chart was last updated in 2013. Dental school admissions criteria may change year after year. Please visit the individual schools’ web sites for complete and up-to-date admissions details.
Please click here to view the spreadsheet in another window.
Admission details for dentistry programs at Université Laval and Université de Montréal are missing from the chart because I cannot read French. Please contact me if you would like to contribute. Thanks!
Corrections? Suggestions? Please leave them in the comments below. Thanks.
Canadian DDS 