Interpretation and use of the dental admission and aptitude tests.

Despite the fact that all dental school applicants in Canada are required to take the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and their counterparts in the United States take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), there is an apparent lack of understanding in the translation and application of the information provided by the test. A review of the literature might assist admissions committee members in interpreting DAT results and in making more sound decisions in selecting students, To put the information into perspective, a brief overview of the history of the DAT, its composition, underlying concepts, and the problems of validation and guidelines for its use are presented.