What is a good DAT score?
A good DAT Academic Average is about 420 to 440 on the current 200 to 600 scale, which is 20 to 21 on the old 1 to 30 scale. A 400 sits at the 54th percentile and a 440 at the 81st. Dental schools set their own cutoffs, and there is no official passing score.
In more detail
Since March 1, 2025, DAT scores run from 200 to 600 in steps of 10, replacing the old 1 to 30 scale. The Academic Average, the number most schools quote, averages your biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, reading and quantitative scores. Perceptual Ability is reported separately.
The percentiles come from the ADA and show the share of recent test takers at or below a score. A 400 is above about half of them, yet below what most admitted students post. That gap is why a score that is average for everyone who takes the test can still be a weak one for dental school.
Many articles and school pages still use the old scale. Convert with the ADA concordance: old 19 is 410, old 20 is 420, old 21 is 440, old 22 is 460 and old 23 is 470. No score guarantees admission or rules it out, because schools also weigh your GPA, your section scores, shadowing hours and interviews.
DAT Academic Average: new scale, old scale and percentile (ADA)
| New scale | Old scale | Percentile | How it reads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 390 | 18 | 47 | Below the middle of test takers |
| 400 | Between 18 and 19 | 54 | Around the middle of test takers |
| 410 | 19 | 62 | Above average, below most admitted students |
| 420 | 20 | 69 | Good, a common target |
| 440 | 21 | 81 | Strong, close to the typical incoming student |
| 460 | 22 | 88 | Competitive |
| 470 | 23 | 91 | Very competitive |
| 490 | 24 | 96 | Top of the pool |
Step by step
- 1
Find the Academic Average on your score report, not the Total Science score or a single section.
- 2
If you compare with older data, convert it with the ADA concordance table first.
- 3
Look up the percentile to see where you stand among test takers.
- 4
Check the averages that the schools on your list publish for their incoming classes, for example in the ADEA Dental School Explorer.
- 5
Look at Perceptual Ability and each science section on its own, because one weak section can stand out behind a good average.
- 6
If you are below the range of your schools, plan a retake around a dated study plan and read the ADA's retake rules first.
How StudyPDF helps
StudyPDF cannot train the Perceptual Ability Test, which needs dedicated shape drills. It can help with the science sections: upload your biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry notes or slides and it builds flashcards, quizzes and a timed practice exam in sections from them, and it tracks the concepts you keep missing. Set your test date in the Plan tab to get dated sessions.
See also
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More questions
Is there a passing DAT score?
No. The ADA reports scores and does not set a cutoff. Each dental school decides what it accepts, and many publish the average of their incoming class.
Is a 400 a good DAT score?
A 400 is the 54th percentile, about the middle of everyone who takes the test. Incoming dental students usually score higher, so a 400 is below the range most schools see.