Information about the American DAT test
On this page you will find useful information about the Dental education, links to all the Dental Schools in the U.S. and Canada, how to apply to a Dental college and the information about the DAT test.
This may include: how to study, how to get help, which product to buy, which service to use, the related web sites for the DAT test and more.
At the end you must make the final decision. Please take your time and read the following information about the above test with care so you might save a lot of time and money at the end.

Some of the information presented here are from the the DAT Examinee Guide published by the American Dental Association (ADA). If you need more detailed information about the above test please check the related web sites.

I have tried to explain different topics with a very simple language so everybody can understand and analyze the information without any confusion. I have also made a short video in case some students are interested to see a sample of the online tutorials for the above test. Finally I have included some general Q&A's on the FAQ web page in case some students are interested to read them.

The information provided on this page and the other pages of this web site are come from my own personal views and my own personal experiences working with different students over many years. They are not intended to give credit to or to discredit any individual, any company, any institution, any organization, any product or any service.

Questions

1-If a student is interested in the Dentistry profession, what she/he needs to do?

2-What is the DAT test and Who needs it?

3-Who administer the DAT test?

4-What is the content of the DAT test?

5-What is a passing or a good score for the DAT test?

6-How a student should study for the DAT test?

7-What is a good study guide for the DAT test?

8-Who runs the www.prepseminars.com and how this service can help students with the DAT test?

9-What are the tutorial notes for the DAT test?

10-Could students use the DAT test tutorial notes to study for the other tests such as the PCAT, the MCAT or the OAT?

11-What is the cost to buy the DAT test tutorial booklet?

12-Anything else do students need to know about the DAT test?

13-links to the U.S. Dental Schools

14-links to Canadian Dental Schools

15-Locations and dates for the DAT group tutorial sessions

16-How the Perceptual Ability tutorial sessions will be conducted?

Answers

1-If a student is interested in the Dentistry profession, what she/he needs to do?

A-For some common sense tips please click here.

B-Check the official web sites of the Dental Colleges yourself!!!

C-Talk to the admission office yourself, nobody can help you more than the people who they actually running a program and set the requirements for the admission to a Dental School!!!

D-Visit the Dental College of your choice yourself if it is possible!!!

E-Ask for the printed materials if they are not posted on their web sites!!!
You should ask for the past few years of statistics for the students that they have applied to that school or the students who they have been accepted to that school. These statistics and information could give you valuable information about the DAT test scores needed, GPA's of the applicants, their academic background and etc.

F-Don't trust or believe what other people say until you hear the facts yourself from the official people from the admission office of a Dental College!!!

G-Choose a Dental School
There are many Dental Colleges in the U.S. and Canada so you have many choices. I have made links to all of them at the end of this page.You need to narrow down your search to find a college that is the best for you. You need to look at many factors such as public or private college, location, tuition fees, loans and scholarships, length of the program, cost of living, college accreditation, admission requirements, etc.

H-Admission requirements
After you choose a Dental College to apply to, the next important thing is to look at the admission requirements for that college. Each Dental College has its own admission requirements so make sure you know exactly what they are. Here we are interested only in the DAT test requirement.

2-What is the DAT test and Who needs it?
DAT is stand for the Dental Admission Test.

All the Dental Schools in the U.S. and Canada require the DAT test as a part of their admission process. Please check the links to the Dental Colleges in the U.S. and Canada to see the specific admission requirements for the each college.

Please note that there are 2 different DAT tests:
A-The American DAT Test
B-The Canadian DAT Test
There are similar parts and there are different parts between the two tests.
For the Canadian DAT test information click here.
The rest of information on this page related to the American DAT test.

Some Dental Schools accept results from only a specific DAT (The American DAT test or The Canadian DAT test, you need to check with the Dental College of your choice for the details) and some Dental Schools accept both tests. You need to take the DAT test before applying to a Dental College and get the highest possible score on it.

3-Who administer the DAT test?
The American Dental Association (ADA) conducts the DAT test.
For the official web site and the latest information about the DAT test regarding registration, fees, dates, location of the test centers, how to write the test, scores, test content, time for the each section of the test, practice test and etc. please visit the web site: DAT test information

4-What is the content of the DAT test?
For the details about the test please look at the DAT Examinee Guide by going to the web site: DAT information.

The DAT test has 4 parts:
A-Survey of Natural Sciences
B-Perceptual Ability
C-Reading Comprehension
D-Quantitative Reasoning

A-Survey of Natural Sciences
This has 3 parts:
a-Biology
b-Chemistry
c-Organic Chemistry

a-Biology topics
The Biology part can be divided into a few topics as the following:
General Biology topics
Cell and Molecular Biology: origin of life, cell metabolism (including photosynthesis), enzymology, cellular processes, thermodynamics, organelle structure and function, mitosis and meiosis, cell structure, experimental cell biology

Diversity of Life topics
Biological Organization and Relationship of Major Taxa: (monera, plantae, animalia, protista, fungi, etc.) using the five-kingdom system

Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology topics
Structure and Function of Systems: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, immunological, digestive, respiratory, urinary, nervous, senses, endocrine and reproductive
Developmental Biology:
fertilization, descriptive embryology, developmental mechanics and experimental embryology
Genetics:
molecular genetics, human genetics, classical genetics, chromosomal genetics and genetic technology
Evaluation, Ecology and Behavior:
natural selection, population genetics/speciation, cladistics, population and community ecology, ecosystems, animal behavior (including social behavior).

b-General Chemistry topics
General Chemistry can be divided into a few sections as the following:
Stoichiometry and General Concepts
percent composition, empirical formulae, balancing equations, moles, molecular formulas, molecular weights, molar mass, density and calculations from balanced equations

Gases
kinetic molecular theory of gases, Dalton's, Boyle's, Charles', and ideal gas laws

Liquids and Solids
intermolecular forces, phase changes, vapor pressure, structures, polarity and properties

Solutions
polarity, properties (colligative and non-colligative), forces and concentration calculations

Acids and Bases
PH, strength, lewis acid and base, Bronsted-Lowry reactions and calculations

Chemical Equilibria
molecular, acid/base, precipitation, calculations and Le Chatelier's principle

Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry
heat transfer, 3 laws of thermodynamics, Hess's law, spontaneity, enthalpies and entropies

Chemical Kinetics
rate laws, activation energy and half-life

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
balancing equations, determination of oxidation numbers, electrochemical calculations, electrochemical concepts and terminology

Atomic and Molecular Structure
electron configuration, orbital types, Lewis-Dot diagrams, atomic theory, quantum theory, molecular geometry, bond types and sub-atomic particles

Periodic Properties
representative elements, transition elements, periodic trends and descriptive chemistry

Nuclear Reactions
balancing equations, binding energy, decay processes, particles and terminology

Laboratory
basic techniques, equipments, error analysis, safety and data analysis

B-Perceptual Ability
There are 6 parts to this section and each part has 15 questions.
i-Apertures or Orthographic projection
ii-Angle discrimination
iii-Cube counting
iv-3D form development
v-Paper folding
vi-View recognition
For more details please see #6 b below.

C-Reading Comprehension topics
Ability to read, organize, analyze and to remember new information about the basic and dental science. There are 3 different passages with scientific contents. Following each passage there will be a few questions about the contents of that passage.

D-Quantitative Reasoning topics
This can be divided into a few sections as the following:
Mathematical Problems
algebra, equations, expressions, inequalities, exponential notation, absolute value, ratios, proportions, graphical analysis

Numerical Calculations
fractions, decimals, percentages, approximations and scientific notation, conversions (temperature, time, weight and distance)

Probability and Statistics
Geometry
Trigonometry
Applied Mathematics
Word Problems

5-What is a passing or a good score for the DAT test?
This depends on the Dental School of your choice. You need to check with the each Dental School that you are interested in to see what is an acceptable score for them.

The DAT test score range is 1-30 and the 17 is the average. The higher your test score is the better chance for the admission to a Dental College.

Please note that the DAT test score is only one of the admission requirements and you need to pay attention to all the admission requirements to a Dental School.

6-How a student should study for the DAT test?
Please take the official DAT practice test that is on the DAT test information web site before you do anything else.

You will find out where you stand by looking at the result of the official practice test before you start to look for getting help for the DAT test (before buying a study guide or using a tutoring service).

You have already spent a few years at a university or a college and you have taken some Science, Math and English courses. You should have an idea where the problem is or if you need help or not.
If you are happy with your scores from the official practice test then you are OK.
If you think that you need help then you have to sit down and decide how to study for the DAT test.

You have a few options:
A-Study from your text books that you have used for the first 2 years of university and college for courses such as the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Math and English.

B-Buy a study guide for the DAT test from a bookstore or over the internet and study on your own.

C-Attend a tutorial class for the DAT test in person or use an online tutorial service.

D-Use a combination of the above

E-The Perceptual Ability (PAT) part of the DAT test is a unique test and I have explained it in details and how to study for it under separate headline (see b below).

The Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension and Quantitative Ability sections of the DAT test are in the form of multiple- choice questions.

Here are some tips for how to study for the each section:
a-For the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biology sections of the DAT test you will usually get 2 types of questions:

i-Theoretical and Concept questions
These questions do not involve any calculations and you need to remember the information from your memory. You must study the relevant topics for each section before the test and learn, understand and sometimes memorize them.

These topics and information will not pop into your head during the exam if you have not seen them and studying them before the test. I have explained some stuff about the memorization vs understanding on the FAQ web page in case some students are interested to read them.

ii-Calculation questions
To answer these type of questions you need to understand what the question is asking you. You need to remember the concepts, equations and formulas from your memory and then choose and set up the correct formulas for the calculations.

You need to have good math skills for the calculation part as you can not use calculators during the DAT test. Some equations and formulas might be given to you but don't count on it. You will get a periodic table of the elements.

To answer any question from the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biology sections of the DAT test you must recall the answers from your memory. There are no passages (unlike the MCAT test). All questions are independent and they can come from any topic that it is mentioned in the DAT Examinee Guide. I have included all the topics in my tutorial notes and I have listed them on this page.

Here I will go over 3 very simple questions for the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biology to explain how you need to study for these parts of the DAT test.

Question 1 (Biology)
An example of a structural polymer made entirely of unmodified glucose repeat units?
A-lignin
B-starch
C-chitin
D-cellulose
E-glycogen

The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about the 4 major macromolecules from the Biology.

b-You need to know some information about the polymers from the Biology.

c-Pay attention to the key words such as "structural", "entirely", "unmodified" and what they mean here.

d-You need to remember some information about the 5 choices given here from your understanding of the Biology or from your memory.

Question 2 (Chemistry)
The cation form of an element is compared to the uncharged form of the same element. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A-The cation has more electrons
B-The cation has more neutrons
C-The cation has less electrons
D-The cation has a different half-life
E-The cation has less protons

The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about cation and anion from the Chemistry.

b-You need to know some information about the sub-atomic particles from the Chemistry and how they can affect the charge of an element.

c-You need to know some information about the half-life and if it is related to the charge of a particle in the Chemistry or not.

d-Pay attention to key words "cation", 'uncharged" and "same element"

Question 3 (Organic Chemistry)
Whether a reaction will proceed via an Sn1 or an Sn2
process depends on:
A-the reaction conditions
B-the structure of the products
C-the structure of the reactants
D-all of the above
E-A and C

The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about the 4 major reactions Sn1, Sn2, E1 and E2

b-You need to know some information about the differences between the above reactions.

c-Pay attention to the key word"reaction conditions" and make sure you understand what it means here.

d-Conditions of a reaction could be related to:
i-the structure of the Alkyl Halides and Alcohols (primary, secondary and tertiary)
ii- Solvent (protic or aprotic)
iii-Tempreture (high or low)
iv-Nucleophile or Base (strong, weak, large or small)

Now you can see that if you haven't studied the above subjects before the DAT test or you have never seen or heard these names or terminology you will never be able to answer these type of questions. The answers will not pop into your head by staring at the questions for hours or days!!!!!!!!

Please note that these are the simplest questions that I have used here. You should expect to get more complex questions in the tutorial notes and also on the actual DAT test.

I will let you to answer these questions on your own as a practice, so go get your notes, text books, study guides, tutorial notes or whatever you are trying to study from for the DAT test and find the answers. Good luck.

b-Perceptual Ability Test (PAT)
This section of the DAT test comes down to one thing and one thing only and that is PRACTICE!! PRACTICE!! PRACTICE!!

There are no notes to read or to memorize, there are no formulas to use, no calculation and etc. You must have a good common sense, accurate perception and an eye for the visualization of the 2D or 3D world.

This is a very unique part of the DAT test and many students don't encounter such questions during their regular undergraduate studies in a college or a university (If you have taken an engineering design course or a computer graphic design course you might have seen some similar materials).

Almost all students study this section without using any knowledge of their undergraduate courses and again it all comes down to the ability of the individual student. Some students will get the concept easily and some need more practice to improve their skills. The good news is that every student can get a very good score on this section of the DAT test with a lot of practice.

The name of the test (perceptual) will tell the whole story, you need to visualize shapes and objects in a 2 or 3 dimensional (2D or 3D) world. You must look at a shape or a picture of an object on the paper then you need to rotate, flip, flop, compress or expand that object or the shape in the space as a 2D or 3D object or shape.
You must pay attention to the shadows, edges, lines, the dotted lines, crevices, holes, cuts, angeles, orifices, eminence, projection, nodosity, nodule and etc. that can be created or disappear by any changes to the position of a 2D or 3D objects or shapes.

When students are practicing for the PAT section of the DAT test or during the actual test, they must read the instructions for the each section of the PAT test carefully so they know what they need to do to answer the questions (there are 6 parts in total, with 15 questions for the each part).

Here I have included the PDF files of the actual instructions for the each part of the PAT test. These files are exactly the same as the information mentioned in the DAT Examinee Guide published by the American Dental Association (ADA).
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Here are some tips for how to study for the different sections of the PAT test:
i-Apertures or Orthographic projection
It is a method to show a 3D object in a 2D way.
Try to compress and flatten the object or the shape by pressing the palm of your hand on that object or shape from different points of view. After you picture the shape or the object flat try to pass it through the opening shapes that they have been given as a choice in the question. You will get the idea with practice.

ii-Angle discrimination
You can use a right angle as a reference point and then try to fit the angles one by one into the right angle to get an idea which one is the larger or the smaller.
Sometimes you can try to fit angles inside each other and then use the elimination process to eliminate some of the choices that they have been given in the question.

iii-Cube counting
Every cube has 6 sides (4 faces, one top and one bottom)
Also remember that:
8 cubes can share a corner
2 cubes can share one face
4 cubes can share an edge

iv-3D form development
These type of the questions can come in many forms.
You are trying to form a 3D shape from a 2D shape or a picture on the paper by folding the shape or the picture.
Pay attention to the edges, cuts, shadows, lines, black spot, sides and angles.

v-Paper folding
Pick up a piece of square paper and fold it a few times and then make one hole somewhere on the surface of the folded paper with your pen and pass through all the layers, then open the folded paper and see where you can see all the holes.
Try again with different number of folds and different locations for the holes and after enough practice will get the idea.

vi-View recognition
Make sure you know what is the top view, the end view and the front view of the shape or the object in the question.
Pay attention to what they are asking.
Pay attention to the shadows, the lines, the dotted lines, holes, empty spaces, eminence, projection, nodosity and the nodule.

c-To answer questions from the Reading, Comprehension section of the DAT test you need to be a fast reader.
You will get 3 scientific passages and then following each passage you have to answer a few questions about the contents of that passage.
You need to read the passage first, retain and analyze some of the information mentioned in that passage and then you must answer the questions based on the materials from the passage.
Sometimes you have to go back and forth between the passage and the questions a few times in order to get the correct answer so manage your time.
Here you don't need to study any materials before the test. The passages could be on any topics and you can not really study for them from any notes or any text books. The only thing that you can do is to practice to read faster but there is no short cut here.

The following are good ways to practice:
i-Read a few paragraphs from a scientific magazine, newspaper or book.
ii-Close your eyes and try to remember what you have read or try to understand and analyze what was the message of the paragraph.
iii-Ask somebody to ask you a few questions from the contents of the paragraphs to see if you can remember any information from them.
iv-If you remember some information then you will do fine with more practice (Please read the f below).

d-For the Quantitative Ability section of the DAT test you need a broad knowledge of the Math topics from simple addition and fractions to complex word problems.
Some must be learned before the test by studying the relevant topics and then you recall that information from your memory during the test.
Some materials must be analyze and process during the test and can not be studied before the test.

Here are a couple of very simple questions for you to practice on:
Question 1
Tom, Mary, Jill and Tony all are friends. One is a doctor, one is a lawyer, one is an accountant, and the other is a teacher. Use the statements below to answer the question that follows.
i-Jill and Tony go shopping with the doctor.
ii-Tom and Mary eat dinner with the accountant.
iii-Tom watches TV with the doctor and the accountant. Who is the doctor?
A-Tony
B-Jill
C-Tom
D-Mary
Here you need to know how to use the elimination process.

Question 2
If x + y = 5 and x - 2y = 2, then y equals which of the following?
A-8
B-5
C-1
D-3
Here you need to know about the algebra and how to solve equations with 2 unknown variables.

e-Please note that you can not use calculators during any section of the DAT test (the same for the other tests such as the PCAT, the OAT and the MCAT). You need to do all the calculations in your head and with your math skills. When you are studying for the DAT test make sure you are not using calculators in any way so you can get use to the idea.

f-Please be careful about the ads that they promise you to teach you how to write and how to read in a few days or in a few weeks.
You will learn the skills of how to read or how to write over many years especially if the English is not your first language.

There is no course or no book that can teach you how to write or how to read in a short period of time (a few days or a few weeks). In most of this kind of classes they will tell you exactly what you have learned in your first year university English courses.

You have already taken one or two English courses at the university or college and you have paid a lot of money for them so just use your notes from those classes to refresh your memory about the major reading and writing rules and then the rest is involve a lot of practicing.

7-What is a good study guide for the DAT test?
This requires some research on your part. There are many books and study guides out there in the market for the DAT test. You need to look at them and compare them to each other to see which one is the best for you.

Here are a few things to look for when you are choosing a study guide for the DAT test:
A-The study guide must follows the outline set in the DAT Examinee Guide for the different sections of the test.

B-The study guide must have both notes and practice tests with answers for the different sections of the test.

C-The study guide must have developed by the people who they know about the test and at least they have taken the test once or twice, so they know exactly what materials are covered for the DAT test.

D-The study guide must be updated when there are new changes to the DAT test.

E-Don't forget the famous phrase"don't judge a book by its cover". The contents of a study guide for the DAT test is far more important than the appearance of the book or how colorful is the book. You need the contents to do well on the DAT test not anything else.

8-Who runs the www.prepseminars.com and how this service can help students with the DAT test?
This tutoring service is offered by David Hunt.

There are a couple of options for the students at this time. I am offering tutorial sessions for different sections of the DAT test. The sessions are separated from each other to keep the cost down for the students. This way students don't need to attend all the sessions if they only have problem with a section of the DAT test.

A-I have divided the tutorial sessions to 4 parts and students have the option to attend all or just one or two. Please note that for the each location and the each session if I do not get enough interested students (30 or more), that session will be cancelled.

i-The Perceptual Ability tutorial sessions (Please see #15 below)
ii-The Chemistry and Organic Chemistry tutorial sessions (please see #15 below)
iii-The Biology tutorial sessions (Please see #15 below)
iv-The Quantitative Ability tutorial sessions (Please see #15 below)
v-I do not offer any tutorial sessions for the Reading Comprehension section of the test (please read #6 f above)

B-Online tutoring
I am working on this option right now and it is not ready yet. You can check the online tutoring page for the details.

9-What are the tutorial notes for the DAT test?
TBA

10-Could students use the DAT test tutorial notes to study for the other tests such as the PCAT, the MCAT or the OAT?
TBA

11-What is the cost to buy the DAT tutorial booklet?
TBA

12-Anything else do students need to know about the DAT test?
For general information about the Dentistry profession, Dental education, Dental Colleges, how to apply to a Dental College and for the latest information about the DAT test regarding fees, dates, location of the test centers, how to write the test, scores, test content, time for each section of the test, official practice test and etc. please visit the following web sites:
DAT
www.ada.org

13-The U.S. Dental Schools
Alabama (AL)
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry

Arizona (AZ)
Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health

California (CA)
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry
University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
University of Southern California School of Dentistry
University of the Pacific School of Dentistry

Colorado (CO)
University of Colorado School of Dentistry

Connecticut (CT)
University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine

District of Columbia (DC)
Howard University College of Dentistry

Florida (FL)
Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
University of Florida College of Dentistry

Georgia (GA)
Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry

Illinois (IL)
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry

Indiana (IN)
Indiana University School of Dentistry

Iowa (IA)
University of Iowa College of Dentistry

Kentucky (KY)
University of Kentucky College of Dentistry
University of Louisville School of Dentistry

Louisiana (LA)
Louisiana State University School of Dentistry

Maryland (MD)
University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery

Massachusetts (MA)
Boston University, Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Michigan (MI)
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Minnesota (MN)
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Mississippi (MS)
University of Mississippi School of Dentistry

Missouri (MO)
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry

Nebraska (NE)
Creighton University School of Dentistry
University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry

Nevada (NV)
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine

New Jersey (NJ)
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Dental School

New York (NY)
Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery
New York University College of Dentistry
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine

North Carolina (NC)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry

Ohio (OH)
Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry
Ohio State University College of Dentistry

Oklahoma (OK)
University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry

Oregon (OR)
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry

Pennsylvania (PA)
Temple University School of Dentistry
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Puerto Rico (PR)
University of Puerto Rico, School of Dentistry

South Carolina (SC)
Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine

Tennessee (TN)
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry

Texas (TX)
Baylor College of Dentistry, A Member of The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School

Virginia (VA)
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry

Washington (WA)
University of Washington School of Dentistry

West Virginia (WV)
West Virginia University School of Dentistry

Wisconsin (WI)
Marquette University School of Dentistry

14-Canadian Dental Schools
Alberta (AB)
University of Alberta

British Columbia (BC)
University of British Columbia

Manitoba (MB)
University of Manitoba

Nova Scotia (NS)
Dalhousie University

Ontario (ON)
University of Toronto
University of Western Ontario

Quebec (QC)
McGill University
Universite de Montreal
Universite Laval

Saskatchewan (SK)
University of Saskatchewan

15-Locations and dates for the DAT group tutorial sessions
The Biology tutorial sessions
Summer 2009 (May-August)

The Chemistry and Organic Chemistry tutorial sessions
Summer 2009 (May-August)

The Quantitative Ability tutorial sessions
Summer 2009 (May-August)

16-How the Perceptual Ability tutorial sessions will be conducted?
As I have mentioned it before this section of the DAT test has 6 parts:
i-Apertures or Orthographic projection
ii-Angle discrimination
iii-Cube counting
iv-3D form development
v-Paper folding
vi-View recognition

I have made 90 questions (15 questions for the each part). There are also 90 questions from the official practice tests for the Canadian DAT test and the American DAT test (they are the same). The students could bring any other questions that they might have for this section of the DAT test. They can also e-mail the questions to me before the tutorial sessions.

If they can not come to a Perceptual Ability tutorial session they could send their questions for the online tutoring or the webcam tutoring services. Please contact David for the details.

During the tutorial sessions I will spend more time on the 3 sections of the test (Orthographic projection, 3D form development and View recognition).

During the tutorial sessions I will give students a shape and then a few minutes to work on it. I will go over the correct answer by showing the shape on an overhead projection with the details.

From my own personal experiences conducting the tutorial sessions and also the feedbacks from the students after the tutorial sessions or after the actual DAT test:
i-There are 2 types of questions on this section of the test
ii-The easier questions for the students are the Angle discrimination, Cube counting and Paper folding.
iii-The more challenging questions are Apertures or Orthographic projection, 3D form development and View recognition

Angle discrimination, Cube counting and Paper folding
The majority of the students will do well on these types of questions. These questions only can be asked in a certain way because of the nature of the shapes.
If students do enough practice and follow a few rules (please see the rules in #6 above) they can answer any type of these questions on the actual test.
I have tried myself to make different questions for these sections (for the tutorial sessions) and I ended up with many repeating questions.
There are limited ways a question can be asked for the size of an angle, shape of a cube, how to fold paper or location of a hole through a few layers.
After a little practice every student can do these questions very fast.
I recommend that during the actual DAT test, students should start the Perceptual Ability section first with these questions. They can answer these questions faster and save time for the other sections.

Orthographic projection, 3D form development and View recognition
These questions are more challenging because of the nature of the shapes and the way the questions could be asked.
There are unlimited ways to make a shape and ask different questions. There are no set rules to follow and every shape could have its own rules to be rotated and flip-flaped. The only way to do well on these questions is to do a lot of practice before the actual test.

The Perceptual Ability tutorial sessions
Alberta
City: Calgary or Edmonton
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday September 20th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday September 15th/2008 (your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

British Columbia
City: Vancouver
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday September 6th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday September 1st/2008 (your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

Manitoba
City: Winnipeg
Where: TBA (U of M campus)
When: Saturday October 25th/2008
Time: 12:00 Noon-7:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday October 20th/2008
(your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

New Brunswick
City: Saint John
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday October 4th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday September 29th/2008
(your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

Nova Scotia
City: Halifax
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday October 25th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday October 20th/2008
(your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

Ontario
City: Toronto Area (GTA) or London or Ottawa
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday September 27th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday September 22nd/2008 (your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

Quebec
City: Montreal
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday October 11th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday October 6th/2008 (your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, the tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)

Saskatchewan
City: Saskatoon
Where: TBA (At a local university campus or close by)
When: Saturday September 13th/2008
Time: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (will be a few short breaks)
Registration Deadline: Monday September 8th/2008 (your cheque for the full payment must be in Winnipeg by this date)
Cost: $100 (including all fees and taxes)
Cancellation: If I don't get enough interested students for a location, tutorial session for that location will be cancelled and your full payment will be refunded (please see #11, #12 and #13 here)