How is the DAT Scored?

The DAT grades you on 6 different subjects:

Biology (BIO)
General Chemistry (GC)
Organic Chemistry (OC)
Perceptual Ability (PAT)
Reading Comprehension (RC)
Quantitative Reasoning (QR)

Each subject is scored on a standardized scale out of 600 points. The average test taker will score a 400 (50th percentile).

In addition to the 6 scores you’ll receive above, you’ll get an Academic Average (AA) score, which is the most important number. The AA is the average of your scores, without the Perceptual Ability score (ie, AA = (BIO + GC + OC + RC + QR) / 5), rounded to the nearest 10th.

What's a Good Score on the DAT?

The average score for acceptance is around 420-440 AA and should be most students' goal.

Scores of 470+ AA are exceptionally competitive (top 10th percentile). Some schools have higher average DAT scores, so if you want to go to a specific school, I recommend the ADEA Dental School Explorer to find their average DAT scores and set that as your goal.

Note: In March 2025, the DAT switched to a 3-digit scoring scale (200-600), replacing the previous 2-digit scale (1-30). Learn more about the DAT Scoring Change here.