Value in dental aptitude testing for minority applicants

Dental Admission Test (DAT) content is designed to be relevant to the scientific material encountered in the dental school curriculum. Before use, all items are examined to ensure that they are equally familiar to all groups participating in the testing program. Moreover, performance on the DAT has been found to be the best nationally available predictor of success in dental school programs. While differential test performance has been observed for the various groups participating in the testing program, the validity of the test is comparable across these groups. Clearly, evidence supports the use of the Dental Admission Test in dental school admissions for all applicants.