DAT is the Dental Admission Test.Taking the DAT is a very serious step in your pre-dental career and you must not ever take the test "just to see what it's like" as there are online tests in which you can do just that. Your answers to the previous questions should place you into one of the common categories of students who plan to take the DAT. No pre-dental is the same, and each path has seen students crush, destroy, or slay the DAT with marvelous scores.
You should consider fully completing two semesters of biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry (standard prerequisites for nearly every dental school) before you begin to study for this exam so that you understand your strengths and weaknesses in the courses as the DAT's "Survey of the Natural Sciences" section has questions specifically from these three fields. Additionally, the DAT questions are nowhere near as in depth as the material your university courses are going to expect you to know. Mastery of the basic concepts is key. If you feel confident that you know these classes well then maybe study all winter break and take the DAT shortly after.
**Note: You can take DAT 3 times without submitting a petition. Some schools take the average of all DAT score, while others only take the most recent one. You can submit your AADSAS application without having taken your DAT. Just make sure that it will be completed soon after as no school will review your application until it has been submitted.
You should register to take the test roughly 2-3 months before you plan on taking it in order to assure a good date. You can sign up through Prometric only after you acquire the Dentpin from the ADA. Before signing up please be sure to read the page on the ADA website about the DAT.
The registeration fee for DAT is Roughly $430 (as of 2017) which includes: Testing fee and sending scores out to schools. Note: you are given the option of where to send your scores. SELECT EVERY SCHOOL, ITS FREE. This is the only time when sending your scores to any amount of schools is free. After you take the exam, if you want to send your scores to any additional schools there is a fee and it will add up
Total: 280 Questions, and a 30 min break, an optional survey, roughly 4 Hours 30 Minutes