"What is a good DAT score?" used to have a lazy answer: something like 20 is average, 21 or 22 is competitive, and anything higher is great. That answer stopped being useful on March 1, 2025, when the American Dental Association moved the DAT from a 1 to 30 scale to a 200 to 600 scale. Scores you read on older blogs, school websites, and forum threads are now in a different unit from the score you will receive.
This post uses the ADA's own published data to answer the question properly. Every number below comes from ADA testing documents, with the year noted. Where a number does not exist publicly, we say so instead of guessing.
Key takeaways
- DAT scores now run from 200 to 600 in 10-point steps. You receive eight scores, and the Academic Average (AA) is the one most schools lead with.
- In the ADA's 2025 norm group (17,430 exams from March 1 to December 31, 2025), the mean Academic Average was about 408 with a standard deviation of about 52.
- On the ADA percentile table, an AA of 400 sits at the 54th percentile of all test takers, 450 at the 85th, and 500 at the 97th.
- Average among test takers is not the same as average among admitted students. The number that matters is the mean for enrollees at the schools you are targeting.
- Schools see your full testing history, not just your best attempt. Plan to take the DAT once, prepared.
How DAT scoring works on the 200 to 600 scale
According to the ADA's guide to the new score reporting scale, every DAT score is now a three-digit number from 200 to 600, reported in 10-point increments. Your raw number correct is not reported. Instead, the ADA uses a statistical model that accounts for how difficult and how discriminating each question is, then places your performance on the scale. That is why two people with the same number of correct answers can end up with slightly different scale scores, and why unofficial scores are no longer shown at the test center: the extra analysis happens after your session.
A few rules from the ADA's DAT Candidate Guide worth knowing:
- There is no penalty for guessing. Never leave a question blank.
- Some questions are experimental and do not count, and you cannot tell which ones they are.
- There is no official passing score. Each school decides what it considers acceptable.
- You cannot cancel or void scores once you have started the exam.
The eight scores on your report
| Score | What it covers | Part of Academic Average? |
|---|---|---|
| Biology (BIO) | 40 biology items within the Natural Sciences section | Yes |
| General Chemistry (GCH) | 30 general chemistry items | Yes |
| Organic Chemistry (OCH) | 30 organic chemistry items | Yes |
| Survey of the Natural Sciences (SNS) | All 100 science items together (often called Total Science) | No (its parts are) |
| Perceptual Ability (PAT) | 90 spatial reasoning items | No |
| Reading Comprehension (RCT) | 50 items on three passages | Yes |
| Quantitative Reasoning (QRT) | 40 math items | Yes |
| Academic Average (AA) | Summary score | (The average itself) |
The ADA's DAT User's Manual defines the Academic Average as the mean of five scores (Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Quantitative Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension), rounded to the nearest 10-point increment. Perceptual Ability is not included, which is why schools usually look at PAT as a separate number.
Hypothetical example: a candidate scores 420 BIO, 390 GCH, 410 OCH, 380 QRT, and 450 RCT. The five scores add to 2,050, and 2,050 divided by 5 is 410, so the AA is 410. Notice that one strong section (RCT here) can prop up the average while hiding a weak one. Admissions readers know this, which is why they look at the individual scores too.
What the national numbers say (2025 data)
The DAT User's Manual reports means and standard deviations for the first ten months on the new scale. The norm group was 17,430 examinations given from March 1 through December 31, 2025. That includes first-time and repeat test takers, so it describes everyone who sat the exam, not admitted students.
| Score | Mean (2025) | Standard deviation |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Average | 407.84 | 51.62 |
| Survey of the Natural Sciences | 402.08 | 60.80 |
| Biology | 405.32 | 67.67 |
| General Chemistry | 398.76 | 65.79 |
| Organic Chemistry | 402.09 | 66.54 |
| Perceptual Ability | 406.84 | 66.81 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 405.32 | 54.99 |
| Reading Comprehension | 427.69 | 57.98 |
Three things stand out. First, the scale is built so that a typical test taker lands around 400, which makes it easy to remember. Second, Reading Comprehension ran noticeably higher than the other sections in 2025, so a 430 in RCT is closer to average than a 430 in General Chemistry. Third, the manual reports that first-time examinees averaged higher than repeat examinees on every score (an AA mean of about 414 for first-timers vs. about 396 for repeaters). That does not mean retaking lowers your score. It reflects who tends to retake: people whose first attempt was below where they wanted it.
The manual also reports how well the DAT predicts dental school performance. Using 2022 to 2024 data, the ADA found a corrected correlation of about 0.60 between Academic Average and preclinical biomedical science grades, and about 0.59 with overall first-year GPA. In plain terms: schools use the DAT because it does predict how students handle the first-year science load, and that is exactly how they read it.
DAT percentiles: where a score puts you
A scale score becomes meaningful when you know how many people scored below it. The ADA's percentile table is based on a national sample of more than 30,000 DAT attempts over a recent two-year period. Here is the Academic Average column at selected points, with the Perceptual Ability column for comparison.
| Scale score | AA percentile | PAT percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 350 | 20th | 22nd |
| 380 | 39th | 39th |
| 400 | 54th | 52nd |
| 420 | 69th | 65th |
| 450 | 85th | 81st |
| 480 | 94th | 90th |
| 500 | 97th | 94th |
| 520 | 99th | 97th |
The curve is steep in the middle and flat at the top. Moving from 380 to 420 carries you past roughly 30 percent of test takers. Moving from 480 to 520 carries you past about 5 percent. That has a practical study implication: if you are in the 380s on practice tests, the next 40 points are both the most attainable and the most valuable. If you are already in the high 400s, additional points matter less than the rest of your application.
Converting old two-digit scores to the new scale
Many school websites, older admissions profiles, and almost every forum thread still quote scores on the old 1 to 30 scale. The ADA published a concordance table, built from more than 30,000 attempts, to translate between them. The ADA describes it as a rough guide to correspondence, not an exact conversion, and it also re-reports older scores to ADEA AADSAS in the three-digit format.
| Old AA (1 to 30) | Approximate new AA (200 to 600) |
|---|---|
| 17 | 370 |
| 18 | 390 |
| 19 | 410 |
| 20 | 420 |
| 21 | 440 |
| 22 | 460 |
| 23 | 470 |
| 24 | 490 |
| 25 | 510 |
Do not convert section scores with the AA column. The concordance differs by score. For example, the ADA's table maps an old PAT of 23 to 500 but an old AA of 23 to 470. If a school lists section-level averages on the old scale, use the matching column in the ADA's table rather than a single rule of thumb.
So what is a good DAT score?
"Good" has to mean good for a specific purpose. There are three honest ways to answer it.
Good compared with other test takers
An AA of 400 is roughly the middle of everyone who takes the test. Around 450 puts you in the top sixth or so, and 500 or above is top 3 percent. These are facts from the ADA table, but they compare you with all examinees, including people who never apply or are not admitted.
Good compared with admitted students
This is the comparison that matters, and it is higher than the all-examinee average, because admitted students are a selected group. Each school's enrollee averages are published in the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools and its online Dental School Explorer (ADEA sells a one-year subscription for $35), and many schools post class profiles on their own admissions pages. Because the scale changed in 2025, check whether a school's numbers are on the old or new scale before comparing them with yours.
Good enough for your list
The practical definition: a good score is one at or above the enrollee mean for most schools on your list, with no single section far below the rest. Build it like this:
- List your target schools, including in-state public programs, which often weigh residency heavily.
- Pull each school's most recent enrollee mean AA and PAT from ADEA or the school's site. Convert any old-scale numbers using the ADA concordance.
- Set your target at or slightly above the median of those means.
- Check for published minimums. Some schools state minimum section scores or say they rarely interview below a certain level. Those policies vary and change, so confirm each one directly.
- Compare your recent full-length practice scores to the target and give yourself a buffer, since test-day performance varies.
Hypothetical example: an applicant's eight target schools list enrollee mean AAs (converted to the new scale) ranging from 410 to 460, with a median of about 430. A sensible goal is 430 to 440 AA, with PAT and every section at or above 400. If practice tests are averaging 400, that points to more prep time before scheduling, not to hoping for a good day.
Which scores dental schools actually look at
Schools use the DAT differently, but most admissions committees look at the same handful of numbers.
- Academic Average is the headline and the easiest number to compare across applicants.
- Survey of the Natural Sciences (Total Science) is read as a predictor of how you will handle the biomedical sciences in the first two years, which matches the ADA validity data above.
- Perceptual Ability gets separate attention because it is not in the AA and relates to spatial skills used in preclinical lab work.
- Individual section scores are checked for outliers. A 480 AA with a 330 in organic chemistry raises a question the committee will want answered, either by coursework or by a retake.
The DAT is one part of a holistic review. GPA (especially science GPA and its trend), shadowing, letters, the personal statement, and the interview all carry weight. We cover those in what dental schools look for beyond your DAT score. A strong score will not rescue a weak application, and a slightly below-average score will not sink a strong one at most schools.
Retakes: how schools see multiple attempts
The Candidate Guide is explicit: if you have tested more than once, schools receive a history of all testing attempts. You cannot choose which attempt to send. Schools differ in how they treat multiple scores (some focus on the most recent, some consider the highest, some look at all of them), so ask the schools you care about.
| Retest rule (current ADA policy) | What it means for planning |
|---|---|
| Wait at least 60 days between attempts | A June test means the earliest retake is in August |
| Maximum of four attempts in any 12-month period | Rarely the binding constraint, but it exists |
| Three or more attempts: must apply for permission and show proof of a recent dental school application | A fourth attempt is not automatic |
| After a fifth attempt: one attempt per 12 months | Repeated retakes become very slow |
Whether a retake is worth it depends on how far below your target you are, which sections dragged you down, and what you would change in your prep. Our DAT retake guide walks through that decision.
When your score arrives and where it goes
Since the March 2025 change, there is no unofficial score at the testing center. The Candidate Guide says results are reported electronically to your selected schools within three to four weeks and posted to your DENTPIN account at the same time. If you designated any dental school on your DAT application, your scores also go to ADEA AADSAS. Additional score reports cost $55 each and are requested through your DENTPIN account. If you think a result is wrong, you can request a score audit within 30 days of the reporting date (the fee is $105, and it takes about four to six weeks).
Timing matters because many schools review applications on a rolling basis. If you plan to submit AADSAS early in the cycle, a test date in spring or early summer means your scores arrive while your application is fresh. Our application timeline shows how the DAT fits into the AADSAS calendar month by month.
Reading your score report
- Find your Academic Average and its percentile on the ADA table.
- Check PAT separately, since it is not part of the AA.
- Scan all five AA sections for any score far below the others.
- Compare your AA and PAT with the enrollee means at each school on your list, converting old-scale numbers first.
- Note any school-specific minimums or score age limits and confirm them with the school.
- If you are below target, decide on a retake using specific section weaknesses, not a general feeling.
Turning a target score into a study plan
Once you have a number, work backward. Take a full-length practice test under real conditions to get a baseline (our guide to taking practice tests the right way explains how to make that baseline honest). The gap between your baseline and your target tells you how much time you need, and the section breakdown tells you where to spend it. Then build the calendar with our DAT study schedule, and use the free ChairsideSource DAT practice questions for timed section drills along the way.
When the date gets close, read DAT Test Day: What to Expect so nothing about check-in or the break costs you points you earned in prep.
ChairsideSource is not affiliated with the American Dental Association or the Dental Admission Test. Scoring rules, percentiles, and fees come from ADA documents current as of 2026 and can change. Confirm current policies at ada.org and with each dental school.
Educational content only. It is not legal, financial, tax, or clinical advice. Prices and ranges are approximate and vary by region, condition, and year. Verify current rules with your state dental board and qualified professionals. ChairsideSource is not affiliated with any manufacturer, the ADA, or the DAT.