Preparing For The DAT, OAT And PCAT

By Madison White on May 21, 2016

The world of graduate studies can be tricky to comprehend and even harder to get into. With many professional, medical, and other fields, graduate and specialized schools require certain standardized tests to be admitted. That’s right, you were not done when you finished the ACT and SAT, there are lots more standardized tests to be had.

Especially in the medical professions and specialized professions, these tests can be quite specific to your field. However, despite these tests ranging in field of study, much of the testing material remains very similar.

These three tests — the DAT, OAT, and PCAT — are administered to future dentists, optometrists and pharmacists. Each test is slightly different, but many cover basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and calculations. This list will give an overview of each test and what to expect while taking it.

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DAT

What it is: The Dental Admission Test (or DAT) is given to students in the United States or Canada by the American Dental Association. Applicants can take this test up to three times and must get special permission before taking it again. Eight standard scores are given on a scale of 1-30. The average score on the DAT is a 17, with the 50th percentile at 19.

What to expect: The DAT comprises four sections: survey of the natural sciences (90 minutes), perceptual ability (often called the PAT, 60 minutes), reading comprehension (60 minutes), and quantitative reasoning (45 minutes). You can expect problems, specifically in the second section, to test three-dimensional manipulation, perceptual ability and spatial reasoning.

The third section is three academic essays. The last section asks a variety of mathematical questions from algebra to critical thinking. Forums on taking the test suggest to research traffic beforehand to avoid being late and discuss the offering of noise cancelling headphones (your choice to use them). Some forums say that calculators are allowed.

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OAT

What it is: The Optometry Admission Test (or OAT) is given to be admitted into optometry schools in the United States and Canada by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. The test takes a total of four hours and 40 minutes. It is divided into four sections: survey of the natural sciences, reading comprehension, physics and quantitative reasoning. The test is scored on a scale of 200-400 with 300 being the 50th percentile. Examinees are allowed to take the test as many times as they want.

What to expect: When taking the test, you won’t be able to take anything in the room with you. You’ll have your own cubicle and be offered noise-cancelling headphones. Don’t forget two forms of ID. Forums state that biology and general chemistry were random and generally basic questions. Organic chemistry was mostly reactions.

There seem to be lots of physics equations and trigonometry questions. Your scores will pop up right after taking the test. Most people seem to have difficulty with running out of time on the quantitative reasoning portion of the test. Many use the “destroyer” to study.

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PCAT

What it is: The Pharmacy College Admission Test (or PCAT) is a test administered to students pursuing pharmacology. The test takes approximately four hours to complete. The test is divided into four sections with each section being scored from 200-600. You can add and divide by four to find out your composite score. The sections are biological processes, chemical processes, critical reading and quantitative reasoning.

What to expect: The forums on the PCAT also suggest that running out of time is an issue while taking the PCAT so take as many practice, timed tests as possible. They suggest to know your organic chemistry mechanisms, trigonometry, and calculus identities. Practice your skills at word problems, especially if you’ve been out of high school for a while.

Many of the sections list the majority of questions under “general” but some under microbiology, organic chemistry, comprehension, algebra and calculus. Most questions may seem quite basic, but it’s best to refresh your knowledge using study guides and books. Test takers often use Dr. Collins, Gameplan, and Kaplan study materials to help prepare for the PCAT.

From the amount of time given to allowed calculators, this overview will help you decide what to generally study and how to prepare as best you can for these tests. Each test, of course, will have variables we cannot predict, like what exact questions and subjects will be tested; however, there are common responses and expectations found through previous test takers.

Ultimately, this guide will give you a glossy overview of each test, but more material can be found via the tests’ official websites and other educational websites, as well as your professors. Do not underestimate the importance of preparing for these exams. You can usually take them multiple times but the costs are very high and can add up quickly. The more you know, the better, as is with many standardized, national tests.

Here are the official websites:

DAT

OAT

PCAT

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