As a part of the requirements for dental schools in Canada and requirements for dental schools in the US, applicants are required to take the DAT.
Taking a DAT practice test can help to both give you an idea of the type and difficulty level of Dental Admission Test questions as well as test your knowledge of learned material after studying. Unfortunately, there are not many sample tests of DAT questions that can be found online, especially those that are free.
With the help of dental students and graduates, we’ve created completely free practice tests containing both answers and explanations for each question. New tests are constantly being made and will be added below when they become available. This includes both, reading comprehension, PAT, and quantitative reasoning sections.
We recommend that these tests are used as diagnostic exams to help you measure your progress as you begin your studies and preparation for the DAT. Take one before you begin your studies to see what topics you need to improve on and take the rest throughout your studying to measure the progress you’ve made to achieve the goals you’ve set for the DAT.
Please be aware of which version of the DAT you are taking, either the American DAT or Canadian DAT. You can use this link to determine which practice tests are right for you based on the specific test you are taking.
DAT Biology Practice Tests
The biology section of the DAT covers topics including cell and molecular biology, diversity of life, structure and function of systems, developmental biology, and evolution, ecology, and behaviour.
It comprises 40 questions within the survey of the natural sciences section of the DAT. Each practice question below includes 40 questions covering these topics, at a similar difficulty to what one can expect on the real exam. To view, only DAT Biology Practice Tests click here.
DAT General Chemistry Practice Tests
The general chemistry section of the DAT covers topics including stoichiometry, gases, liquids and solids, solutions, acids and bases, chemical equilibria, thermodynamics and thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, oxidation-reduction reactions, atomic and molecular structure, periodic properties, nuclear reactions, and laboratory techniques.
It comprises 30 questions within the survey of the natural sciences section of the DAT. Each practice question below includes 30 questions covering these topics, at a similar difficulty to what one can expect on the real exam. To view, only DAT General Chemistry Practice Tests click here.
DAT Organic Chemistry Practice Tests
The organic chemistry section of the DAT covers topics including mechanisms, chemical and physical properties of molecules, stereochemistry, nomenclature, individual reactions of the major functional groups and combinations of reactions to synthesize compounds, acid-base chemistry, and aromatics and bonding:
It comprises 30 questions within the survey of the natural sciences section of the DAT. Each practice question below includes 30 questions covering these topics, at a similar difficulty to what one can expect on the real exam. To view, only DAT Organic Chemistry Practice Tests click here.
DAT Quantitative Reasoning Practice Tests
The quantitative reasoning section of the DAT covers high school-level math, excluding calculus. You are allowed to use a basic four-function calculator. The list of topics included in this section are: Mathematical Problems including 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.
It comprises 40 questions completed in 45 minutes. Each practice question below includes 40 questions covering these topics, at a similar difficulty to what one can expect on the real exam.
DAT Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test #1
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DAT Quantitative Reasoning Practice Test #6
DAT PAT Generators
The Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) section of the DAT is a unique visualization test designed for predental students. It is comprised of 6 different subsets including apertures, view recognition, angle discrimination, paper folding, cube counting, and 3D form development.
Each subset contains 15 questions, which together makes the PAT section of the test 90 questions in length. For a full breakdown of the PAT click here.
Each link below leads to a problem generator that provides the instructions, solution, and explanations (if necessary) based on a specific pat subsection. Due to the difficulty in programming infinite generating questions, these problems may not be perfect indications of what one can expect one the real test, but still provide a great indication of these problems and good practice for the real thing.
DAT Manual Dexterity Tests
The manual dexterity section is an optional portion of the Canadian DAT. Students are required to carve a piece of soap to specific dimensions indicated by their test. Before practicing for the manual dexterity section please check the requirements for the Canadian dental school you wish to apply to and ensure that this a required portion of your application.
The following DAT examples have been provided by the Canadian Dental Association and give an excellent indication of what to expect on the actual test day. The grading rubric for each Manual Dexterity test can be found at this link.
Additional Practice Tests
Additionally, the American Dental Association has provided a complete online practice test for you to try. It can be found at this link. The ADA conducts the DAT so they are the best resource to use for free DAT preparatory materials. Unfortunately, their practice test is quite old and only available in a paper format, although it can still give you an idea of what to expect on the actual test.