Frequently Asked Questions
About the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT)

This page is not an exhaustive list of possible questions about the DAT. For more information, visit the DAT Information section of this website.

Basic Questions

What is the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT)?

The DAT is a test designed to help students assess their aptitude for a career in dentistry and to assist dental schools in selecting first-year students.

The DAT consists of 4 components for the English test and 3 components for the French test. Read a brief description of each test component.

The English test consists of a Survey of Natural Sciences, a Perceptual Ability Test, a Reading Comprehension Test and a Manual Dexterity Test.

The French test consists of a Survey of Natural Sciences, a Perceptual Ability Test and a Manual Dexterity Test. There is no Reading Comprehension Test on the French DAT.

Why do I need to take the DAT?

Each of the 10 Canadian dental schools requires DAT scores as part of their admission requirements. Canadian DAT scores are also accepted by most American dental schools.

When can I take the DAT?

The DAT is held twice a year, in November and February.

How many times can I write the DAT?

Applicants are allowed to participate in the DAT Program an unlimited number of times. However, only the results of the last attempt and the total number of attempts will be reported on the official DAT transcript. Applicants who want the results of a previous DAT sent to one or more faculties of dentistry must make such a request online.

How do I register for the DAT?

You can register online for the DAT on this website.

When do I register for the DAT?

You are advised to register as early as possible for your preferred test location and date and well in advance of the registration deadline. Seats fill up very quickly at certain test centres and CDA cannot guarantee that seats will still be available at the end of the registration period.

Where do I write the DAT?

There are DAT Test Centres across Canada at the 10 Canadian dental schools, as well as 13 additional locations.

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Test Questions

How many questions are on the DAT?

There is a total of 210 questions on the English DAT, plus the Manual Dexterity Test. There is a total of 160 questions on the French DAT (no reading comprehension test), plus the Manual Dexterity Test.

• The Survey of the Natural Sciences consists of 40 Biology and 30 General Chemistry questions.


• The Perceptual Ability Test consists of 90 questions.


• The Reading Comprehension Test (English only) consists of 50 questions.

What is the format of the DAT?

All the test questions on the DAT are multiple-choice, except for the Manual Dexterity Test.

Where can I purchase study material?

You can order DAT preparation materials on this website at any point during the year. Visit the Test Preparation page for information on DAT preparation materials and pricing.

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Registration Questions

How do I register for the DAT?

See Basic Test Questions.

What is my DAT ID number?

Your DAT ID number is your unique ID number that must be used in all communication with the DAT Office. A new ID number will be assigned to you each time you register for the DAT.

I completed an online registration, but have yet to receive a confirmation email. What should I do?

An email confirming your DAT registration is automatically sent to you from CDA immediately after your registration is processed. If you have not received your confirmation email by the end of the following day, check your spam filter to ensure the email was not blocked. Next, confirm with your credit card company that you were, in fact, billed for the test registration. If so, email the DAT Office at dat@cda-adc.ca to verify that your application has been processed.

I was billed twice for my online DAT registration. How do I get a refund?

CDA monitors online transactions and will provide a refund directly to the same credit card account.

What do I do if I have lost my DAT Letter of Confirmation and receipt?

If you have registered for the DAT, you can reprint your DAT Letter of Confirmation and receipt from the Student Access page.

If I choose not to take the DAT, can I get my registration fee refunded?

No. Registration fees are neither refundable nor transferable. You are required to complete a new registration and submit a fee for each exam.

My address has changed since I registered for the DAT. How can I update my address?

Send an email to dat@cda-adc.ca with your new address. Remember to refer to your DAT ID Number. No phone calls, please.

My name has changed (or needs correction) since I registered for the DAT. Can you correct it?

Send an email to dat@cda-adc.ca with your new or correct name. Remember to refer to your DAT ID Number. You must fax supporting documents, such as a marriage certificate or a court document, that indicate the name change, to the attention of the Dental Aptitude Test Program at 613-523-7963. No phone calls, please.

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Orders and Requests Questions

How do I order DAT preparation materials?

You can order DAT preparation materials on this website.

How long will it take for my order to arrive?

DAT orders are shipped via Canada Post. Canada Post lists shipping times of 10 to 12 business days after receiving the request for shipments in Canada. All information on delivery times on this website is based on shipping to Canadian addresses only. Applicants should allow for extra time for deliveries to the United States or outside of North America. We cannot guarantee delivery times for shipments outside of Canada.

What do I do if my order doesn’t arrive?

If you have allowed a reasonable amount of time and your order has not yet arrived (see above, “How long will it take for my order to arrive?”), email the DAT Office with your complete mailing address and your full name exactly as entered during your DAT Registration.

There is an administration fee of $10.00 to resend returned DAT preparation materials. This fee will be charged to your credit card. The payment information (credit card number and its expiry date) must be sent by FAX ONLY to the DAT Office before the materials will be reshipped.

What if I am not applying to dental school until 2 years or more from now? Will I still be able to order the 5 transcripts included with registration at a later date?

Yes, you can order transcripts later, but for an additional fee.

The DAT registration fee includes one personal copy and up to 5 official transcripts of your DAT scores sent to dental schools of your choice, if the schools are selected during registration. If during registration you do not know which schools you plan to apply to, or are deferring application to dental school until another year, you can send your official DAT scores to the dental schools of your choice at a later time. However, there is an administration fee for each copy you order.

There is no deadline to order additional transcripts and DAT scores are processed and shipped to dental schools on a regular basis. See the Transcript Fees section for more information.

For admission or transcripts requirements, please contact dental schools directly.

If during registration I choose not to send the 5 complementary transcripts, can I get a refund or discount?

Five transcripts are included with your registration fee. There is no refund or discount if you choose to not send a copy of your transcripts to any dental schools during registration.

If at any point I decide to cancel any or all of the selected schools I have chosen to receive a copy of my transcripts, can I get a refund?

No. All DAT fees are neither refundable nor transferable.

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Special Situations and Accommodations Questions

Does the DAT provide special accommodations for individuals with disabilities?

Yes. To be granted an accommodation, you are required to send documentation that supports your requirement for a special accommodation to the DAT Office at least 90 days before the exam date.

If there are circumstances beyond my control that prevent me from taking the DAT, can I get a refund of my registration fee or transfer to another exam date?

No. Registration fees are neither refundable nor transferable. Consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis to transferring the registration to the next exam date.

If I am unable to take the DAT on a Saturday for religious reasons, what can I do?

You can request an alternative date by providing a letter from your religious leader supporting your request and a copy of your DAT Letter of Confirmation and receipt no later than 30 days before the exam date. The DAT Office will then attempt to provide you with an alternative date and location.

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DAT Score and Transcript Questions

When do I get my DAT scores?

The DAT score transcripts are mailed 6 to 8 weeks after the DAT is written.

How do I send transcripts of my DAT scores to dental schools?

When you register for a DAT exam, up to 5 official transcripts of your DAT scores are included in the DAT registration fee (and one personal copy). Applicants are advised to carefully select the schools that are to receive their DAT scores at the time of registration. Applicants can choose to send official transcripts to any school of their choice.

How do I send additional DAT transcripts?

If you want to send more than 5 official transcripts to dental schools, you can order additional transcripts. Requests for additional transcripts are subject to an administration fee. See the Transcript Fees section for more information.

How can I check to see which schools I selected to receive my DAT scores?

When registering for the DAT, or placing a DAT transcript request, please print a copy of your confirmation page to ensure that you have a record of which schools you requested to receive a copy of your DAT scores.

If you misplaced your DAT Score confirmation page, you can request a new one. However, a fee will be charged for this service.

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Final Questions

Can you send me information about the DAT?

CDA no longer prints brochures about the DAT. All information about the DAT program is available on this website.

Who do I contact if I have a specific question about the DAT?

All information about the DAT program is available on this website. If you have searched our website and still do not find an answer to your question, you may contact the DAT Office by mail, fax or via email at dat@cda-adc.ca.

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