By Dr. Jim Romano and Nancy Steen — Creators of the DAT Destroyer and OAT Destroyer

Understanding how your DAT score is calculated is one of the most important parts of preparing for dental school. In 2025, the ADA updated the scoring system, replacing the old 1–30 scale with a more precise three-digit scale ranging from 200 to 600.

Your score report now includes:

• A scaled score (200–600) for each section

• A percentile rank

• Two composite scores: Academic Average (AA) and Total Science (TS)

If you want a quick overview of how the exam itself is structured, see our guide:
What Is the DAT Exam?

This guide explains exactly how the new scoring works and how your AA and TS are determined.

How the DAT Scaled Score (200–600) Is Calculated

Although the ADA does not publish the exact statistical formula, the general process is well understood.

Step 1 — You receive a raw score

This is simply the number of questions you answer correctly.
There is no penalty for guessing.

Step 2 — The ADA converts your raw score to a scaled score

Your raw score is mapped to a scaled score (200–600) using equating.
This ensures fairness across different test versions.

Step 3 — You receive a percentile rank

Percentiles compare your performance to other test-takers.

For help understanding how percentiles work, see:
DAT Percentiles – How to Interpret Your Score

How Academic Average (AA) Is Calculated

AA is the simple arithmetic average of these five scaled scores:

• Biology

• General Chemistry

• Organic Chemistry

• Reading Comprehension

• Quantitative Reasoning

PAT is not included.

Example:

Add the five scaled scores → divide by 5 → that number becomes your AA.

How Total Science (TS) Is Calculated

TS is derived from your total number of correct science questions across:

• Biology

• General Chemistry

• Organic Chemistry

That raw total is then converted into a single scaled score.
TS is not the average of the three science scaled scores.

What Is a “Good” DAT Score?

While every dental school evaluates applicants differently, here’s a general guideline for the new scale:

If you’re new to the DAT, you may want to start with our overview: What Is the DAT Exam?

• 450+ = Very competitive

• 425–445 = Strong

• 400 = National average

• 360–390 = Below average

• 350 and below = Weak for most programs

For a deeper explanation of how schools interpret these numbers, visit:
DAT Scores: What Do They Mean?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DAT Exam?

Is the DAT curved?

No. Scores are equated, not curved.

Do schools see my raw scores?

No. Only scaled scores and percentiles appear.

Can a strong DAT score help a lower GPA?

Yes — many applicants with weaker GPAs gain interviews because of strong AA and TS scores.

If you’re preparing for the DAT or OAT, the Math Destroyer and the full DAT/OAT Destroyer series are designed to strengthen your problem-solving skills with targeted, exam-focused practice.

Learn more about our resources here:
https://orgoman.com/products/math-destroyer
https://orgoman.com/products/dat-destroyer

For additional free help, join our DAT Destroyer Study Group on Facebook. Inside the group you’ll find:
• Dr. Romano’s Free Biology Review (in the Files section)
• Daily math questions posted by our team
• A supportive community of motivated students

We also offer DAT and OAT classes — available both online and in-person at Snug Harbor:
https://orgoman.com/pages/dat-classes