A DAT appointment is a long day, and the rules for it are strict. This article summarizes the administration schedule and test center procedures in the American Dental Association's DAT 2026 Candidate Guide (updated December 2025). It is about logistics. For the content of each section, see What to Expect on the DAT.
Arrival and the official schedule
The guide says candidates must report to the testing center at least 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment. A candidate who shows up more than 30 minutes after the scheduled start and is refused admission forfeits the full testing fee, and so does a no-show. The total administration time is five hours and 15 minutes, including the optional tutorial, break, and survey.
- Tutorial (optional): 15 minutes
- Survey of the Natural Sciences: 90 minutes
- Perceptual Ability Test: 60 minutes
- Scheduled break (optional): 30 minutes
- Reading Comprehension Test: 60 minutes
- Quantitative Reasoning Test: 45 minutes
- Post-test survey (optional): 15 minutes
Items appear one at a time on screen. The guide notes that you may see a lag while an item loads, and that the timer is designed to pause during loading, so that time does not count against you.
The break
The optional break after the first two sections is the only scheduled break. If you take it, testing resumes automatically after 30 minutes. Anything else counts as an unscheduled break, and the limits are firm. During an unscheduled break you may not:
- access your personal belongings or any prohibited item
- study or refer to notes or texts
- use a phone
- eat or drink anything from your locker
- leave the test center
The guide adds that test administrators cannot give permission to do any of these things, and that staff report the activity of candidates who take unscheduled breaks. The practical advice is to take the scheduled break, eat and drink then, and use the restroom then.
Identification
You need two original, current IDs: one primary and one secondary. The primary ID must be government-issued and show your photograph, name, and signature; the guide gives a driver's license, passport, or passport card as examples. The secondary ID must show your name and signature, and examples include a debit card, library card, or credit card. An expired ID will not be accepted, even with paperwork showing a new one has been requested. Only physical IDs are accepted, not digital or paper copies, and all IDs except passports must be written in English.
The details in your DENTPIN record and application, such as your name, must match your IDs exactly. If they do not, you will be denied admission and lose your testing and application fee.
Check-in and security
The test center vendor captures each candidate's identity biometrically before testing, for example by photograph, fingerprint, or palm vein scan, and you must consent to this to test. Staff visually inspect eyeglasses and hair accessories and may use an electronic detection wand. Jewelry other than wedding and engagement rings is prohibited. Staff observe candidates throughout, and sessions are video recorded.
No personal items are allowed in the secure testing area. Belongings go into an assigned locker, and storage is limited. The guide's list of prohibited items includes:
- books, notes, study materials, scratch paper, tissues, and markers
- phones and other electronic devices, and bags, wallets, and backpacks
- pens, pencils, erasers, highlighters, and dictionaries
- food, candy, gum, and beverages, unless approved as an accommodation
- coats, jackets, gloves, and head coverings (religious attire is allowed)
- watches of any kind, since an on-screen timer is provided
Note boards and the rest of the rules
The test center supplies two note boards without graph lines and two low-odor fine-tip markers, and staff will replace a used board on request. You may not write on the boards before the test begins or during scheduled breaks, and you may not fold or alter them. Notes are erased at the end of the day. You may not touch the monitor, talk with others during testing or an unscheduled break, or discuss the exam.
The guide also says partial testing is not permitted: you must take every section, and any section not taken receives the lowest possible scale score. Candidates must wait 60 days between attempts, with a maximum of four administrations in a 12-month period. Rescheduling fees depend on notice; the guide lists $50 for 30 or more business days, $70 for 5 to 29, and $150 for 1 to 4, and says fees are subject to change.
Because details can change, review the current guide on the ADA's DAT page before your appointment date.
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