Major Changes Coming to Dental Admission Test Scoring in 2025

The American Dental Association (ADA) has announced an overhaul to the scoring system for the Dental Admission Test (DAT), set to take effect on March 1, 2025. This change will impact thousands of aspiring dental students across the United States.

Key Changes

1. New Scoring Scale: The current 2-digit scoring scale (1 to 30) will be replaced by a 3-digit scale ranging from 200 to 600, in 10-point increments.
2. Immediate Results are Gone: test-takers will no longer receive unofficial scores at the testing site due to the more complex analysis required by the new scoring model.
3. New Scores Start March 1, 2025

What Remains the Same

Despite these significant scoring changes, the ADA emphasizes that the test content, structure, and examination policies will remain unchanged. This ensures continuity in the skills and knowledge being assessed.

The rationale for the Change

According to the ADA, the new scoring model aims to provide “greater precision and accuracy in estimating an examinee’s skills.” This change is expected to give both applicants and dental schools more insight into a candidate’s preparedness for dental education.

Timeline and Transition

• Tests taken through February 22, 2025, will continue to use the current 2-digit scale.
• The new 3-digit scale will be applied to all tests taken on or after March 1, 2025.
• Historical 2-digit scores will remain valid and will continue to be reported for tests taken before the transition date.

Impact on Applications

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) has confirmed that their application service, ADEA AADSAS, will accommodate both scoring systems. Applicants will be able to self-report both 2-digit and 3-digit scores, and official scores will continue to be sent directly from the ADA to ADEA AADSAS.

Advice for Prospective Applicants

The ADA advises students to take the DAT when they feel most prepared, regardless of the scoring system in place. To help compare scores across the two systems, the ADA plans to release an official Concordance Table prior to the March 2025 transition.

Looking Ahead

As the dental education community prepares for this transition, the ADA emphasizes that these changes are designed to enhance the admissions process. Prospective dental students are encouraged to stay informed about these updates and to reach out to the ADA or their prospective dental schools with any questions or concerns.

This significant change to the DAT scoring system underscores the dental education community’s commitment to continually improving their assessment and admissions processes, ensuring that the next generation of dentists is evaluated with the most accurate and insightful tools available.

References:

• https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Application_Prep/DAT/Updates-to-the-ADA-DAT-Scoring-and-Reporting/
• Concordance table: https://www.adea.org/uploadedFiles/ADEA/Content_Conversion_Final/dental_education_pathways/Sample-DAT-Concordance-Table.pdf