Exam Information

MCAT                         DAT                           GRE

MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, and writing skills in addition to the examinee's knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.

Scores are reported in each of the following areas:

• Verbal Reasoning

• Physical Sciences

• Biological Sciences

• Writing Sample

Medical college admission committees consider MCAT scores as part of their admission decision process.

DAT

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is conducted by the American Dental Association (ADA) and has been in operation on a national basis since 1950.

The Dental Admission Test is administered on computer on almost any day of the year.

The testing program is designed to measure:

• General academic ability

• Comprehension of scientific information

• Perceptual ability.

While all dental schools require candidates to participate in the Dental Admission Testing Program, test results are only one factor considered in evaluating the admission potential of a candidate. Validity studies conducted by the testing program have shown that test scores in conjunction with collegiate records are useful in predicting performance. The relative importance of these predictors in the admission process is determined by the dental school.

Successful participation in the Dental Admission Testing Program requires completion of at least one year of collegiate education, which should include courses in biology, and general and organic chemistry. Advanced level biology and physics are not required.

Applicants should note that test scores are developed in relationship to all candidates participating in the examination and that most applicants complete two or more years of college before taking the examination.

It is suggested that applicants to dental school participate in the Dental Admission Testing Program well in advance of intended dental school enrollment. It is suggested that applicants participate one year prior to entering dental school.

GRE

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) measures analytical writing, verbal, and quantitative skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.

The analytical writing section tests your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It assesses your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, analyze an argument, and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge.

The verbal section measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, to analyze relationships among component parts of sentences, to recognize relationships between words and concepts, and to reason with words in solving problems. There is a balance of passages across different subject matter areas: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

The quantitative section measures your basic mathematical skills, your understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and your ability to reason quantitatively and solve problems in a quantitative setting. There is a balance of questions requiring arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. These are content areas usually studied in high school.

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