Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 2

Dental AptitudeTest: New Computer-Based Format The Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) is the standardized test administered by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) to assist dental schools in selecting its first-year students. CDA is changing the way the written component of the DAT is being conducted. Beginning in March 2022, the DAT will now be entirely computer-based and be available all year round, instead of offered as a paper-based test just twice a year. comprehension test (English DAT only). These three tests are now entirely computer based. Traditionally, the DAT also includes the manual dexterity test (MDT), which involves applicants making a carving according to prescribed patterns and specifications. However, the MDT is currently paused due to COVID-19 restrictions and related logistical challenges. “COVID continues to make it very challenging to offer the manual dexterity test,” adds Valentine. “For 2022, the MDT won’t be available and we’re looking at various options on how we can safely reintroduce it in the future.” Computer-based format Although the administration of the DAT is changing, the content and structure of the test remains the same. “The scope of the questions, the structure of the test itself and the time you have to complete it will not change,” explains Geoff Valentine, head of programs and services at CDA. “The test itself doesn’t change, rather it’s the way it is being administered.” The written component of the DAT, available for candidates in either English or French, consists of three parts: the survey of natural sciences (general chemistry and biology), the perceptual ability test and the reading 13 Issue 2 | 2022 |