Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)
Important Note to Candidates Testing in Quebec
The Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) is used by 400+ advanced dental education programs to assess applicants’ potential for success. The test takes 4.5 hours to complete and is offered at test centers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
FAQ - Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)
Take the ADAT if you are a:
- Third- or fourth-year dental student interested in post-graduate training (e.g., in a dental specialty area)
- Practicing dentist interested in post-graduate training (e.g., in a dental specialty area)
- International dental student applying to advanced dental education programs or advanced standing in pre-doctoral programs
The ADAT consists of multiple-choice test questions presented in English, and includes a battery of three tests:
- Biomedical Sciences (80 items)
- Clinical Sciences (80 stand-alone and case-based items)
- Data, Research Interpretation, and Evidence-Based Dentistry (40 items)
Start by reading the official ADAT Guide, which explains:
- How the exam is constructed and scored
- How to prepare for the exam
- Eligibility requirements
- Fees and waivers
- How to schedule, reschedule, or cancel testing
- The ADAT Rules of Conduct
Once you have read the Guide, apply for the exam with your existing DENTPIN (the same DENTPIN you used to apply to dental school). You can also retrieve a lost DENTPIN.
After your application has been processed, you will receive an eligibility letter that permits you to schedule your testing appointment.
Visit the Pearson VUE website to find a testing site near you, see updated COVID-19 procedures, and schedule your test.
Fee waivers are now available. Application information is provided below.
In documented cases of severe financial hardship, a limited number of partial fee waivers are available to ADAT examinees each calendar year (January - December). The partial fee waiver covers 50% of the ADAT fee. The partial fee waiver does not apply to any charges associated with rescheduling/canceling a test date or score reporting after the time of initial application. Partial fee waivers are granted on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible examinees who have submitted the required documents. An examinee is eligible to request a partial fee waiver if each of the following criteria are met:
- First-time examinee
- Has not previously received a partial fee waiver
- U.S. citizen or resident alien
- Has demonstrated financial hardship
- Received financial aid from their school
To apply, download the 2023 financial information form (DOCX) complete and email it to adat@ada.org with a copy of the financial aid award letter you received from your school. (The financial aid award letter cannot be older than 18 months.) Alternatively, applicants who have not been enrolled in a college or university in the past 18 months can substitute a copy of their most recent tax return.
The ADAT Program will review all partial fee waiver requests and make the final approval/denial decision. After the partial fee waiver request is reviewed, you will receive an email notification of the decision and instructions for submitting an ADAT application online. Please allow up to 10 business days for review of all partial fee waiver requests.
All programs have electronic access to ADAT scores.
- History of the ADAT
- Evidence supporting the ADAT
- Score scales and frequency distributions
- 2022 Using the ADAT for Admission Purposes: A Guide for Advanced Dental Education Programs (PDF)
- 2021 Using the ADAT for Admission Purposes: A Guide for Advanced Dental Education Programs (PDF)
- 2020 Using the ADAT for Admission Purposes: A Guide for Advanced Dental Education Programs (PDF)
- 2019 Using the ADAT for Admission Purposes: A Guide for Advanced Dental Education Programs (PDF)
- 2018 Using the ADAT for Admission Purposes: A Guide for Advanced Dental Education Programs (PDF)
Yes. Fairness in testing is of vital importance, and is in fact fundamental to an examination’s validity. Fairness considerations are embedded throughout the ADAT program, affecting every aspect of how this examination is constructed, administered, scored, and reported. The Fairness document provided below shares additional details of interest:
- The Biometric Data Privacy Policy
- Personal information used and disclosed in connection with the ADAT
- Uses and Disclosures of Personal Information in Connection with the ADAT
- Privacy and Security
Review the provided guides, practice tests, and texts to prepare yourself for the ADAT. When you’re ready, apply for the exam and schedule your appointment.
Ready to begin? Make sure to review the prep materials before you submit your application. Remember to apply between March 1 and August 31. Typically, we recommend taking the ADAT the year before your program begins, but confirm deadlines with your desired program(s).
Additional ADAT information
ADAT Program Update, March 2019 (PDF): See updates about the ADAT program, as presented at the ADEA Annual Session on March 16, 2019. Topics include content specifications, a scoring breakdown, utilization, feedback from advanced dental education programs, reliability, and validity. ADAT Examinee Information Report (PDF): This report is for informational purposes and reflects data about ADAT examinees collected during the 2018 through 2022 ADAT examination years. Data includes:
- self-reported gender
- ethnicity
- whether examinees spoke English at home
- dental school attended, dental school year of graduation, dental school year (if current student)
- highest degree achieved, dental school grade point average (GPA)
- the number of times examinees took the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
- reported specialty area of interest
Important note concerning periodontics terminology
In 2017, the American Academy of Periodontology introduced new classifications. Periodontal items now incorporate the new classifications for this examination. During the transition period, it is recommended that individuals become knowledgeable with both sets of classifications, because individual researchers, practitioners, and existing textbooks can communicate information using either set of classifications. Periodontal educators recommend that individuals refer to the following aids:
Request your score report, learn how to interpret the results, or request an audit.
Lend your talents to future applicants. The Department of Testing Services needs volunteer subject matter experts to assist with test construction. Volunteers may also earn CE credit.