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Is a 17-20 AA Good Enough on the DAT? Retake or Not
Short answer: a 20 AA is a workable, above-average score that opens real doors but rules out the most selective programs; a 17-19 AA is average-to-below-average and will limit your school list unless your GPA is carrying weight. Whether any number in that range is "good enough" depends entirely on which schools you're applying to. There's no universal cutoff, so the real move is comparing your score against your actual list, not a vague internet consensus.
We scored a 25 AA and a 27 AA on the old scale, and before we ever sat for the real exam we ran full-length practice tests to know, with numbers, whether more studying would move our score. That's the piece most retake advice skips. Let's walk through it properly.
What a 17, 18, 19, or 20 AA Actually Means
Academic Average (AA) is the average of five section scores: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. It does not include the Perceptual Ability Test, which is scored separately.
Before March 2025, the DAT used a 1-30 scale, where roughly: 17 AA sat around the historical national average; 18-19 AA was slightly above average; 20 AA was solidly above average; 22+ was a strong score; 25+ was roughly top 1-2%.
Since March 2025, the ADA reports scores on a 200-600 scale in 10-point increments, with roughly 400 as the average. A 17-20 AA on the old scale corresponds approximately to 380-410 on the new one — but that's a rough approximation. Use the ADA's official concordance table at ada.org for the real conversion.
Curious how the next tier compares? See our breakdowns of a 21-22 AA and a 23-25 AA.
Is 20 AA Good Enough for Dental School?
For a real slice of US programs, yes. A 20 AA paired with a solid GPA (3.5+), decent experience hours, and a school list that isn't stacked entirely with the most selective programs is a workable application, not a hopeless one.
What it isn't is a safety net. It won't carry a weak GPA, and it won't get a serious look from programs whose reported average sits well above it. Whether 20 is "good enough" depends on which school — check exact reported ranges in our DAT Score Requirements by Dental School list before building a list around a guess.
Is a 17 AA Good Enough for Dental School? (What the Reddit Threads Show)
Search "DAT 17 AA good enough for dental school reddit" and you'll find the same pattern every time: someone posts their score, panics, and gets replies boiling down to "it depends on your GPA and your list." That's not a cop-out — it's accurate.
A 17 AA sits around the historical average, meaning half of applicants score at or below it. On its own, that's below-competitive for most programs. But the pattern across forum threads is consistent: a 17 next to a strong GPA and a smartly targeted list (not ten reach schools) produces real acceptances. A 17 next to a mediocre GPA is a much harder combination.
Treat any single Reddit success story as one data point, not a rule — people posting "I got in with a 17" are self-selected survivors, not a representative sample.
DAT AA 18 Chances at Dental School
Same logic, one point higher. "DAT AA 18 chances dental school reddit" threads almost always resolve to two questions: what's your GPA, and how realistic is your list?
An 18 with a 3.6+ GPA and a list including less score-sensitive programs has genuinely reasonable odds. An 18 with a below-average GPA and a list top-loaded with the most competitive programs is fighting an uphill battle on two fronts, not one. Nobody, including us, can hand you a real percentage from an AA alone — committees weigh GPA trend, science GPA, PAT, experience, letters, and interview together. An AA is one input, not a verdict.
| AA (old scale) | General positioning | What usually decides your real odds |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Around national average | GPA strength, list selectivity, rest of the app |
| 18-19 | Slightly above average | Same factors, a bit more margin for a strong GPA |
| 20 | Solidly above average | Opens a wider list; still capped for top programs |
| 21-22 | Competitive for many programs | See our 21-22 AA breakdown |
The Lowest DAT Score Dental Schools Accept
There's no single published national floor, and any source stating one specific number as fact is guessing. Individual schools publish their own average and range for accepted students, and those numbers shift year to year.
- Some programs have historically taken applicants with AAs in the high teens when GPA and other factors were strong.
- Others rarely go below the low-to-mid 20s in practice, even without a published cutoff.
- "Lowest score accepted" numbers you find online are frequently outdated or anecdotal.
The reliable move is checking each target school's own reported ranges, confirming through your ADEA AADSAS cycle, and building your list around real numbers. Our DAT Score Requirements by Dental School guide compiles what's publicly reported.
Should I Retake the DAT With a 19 AA? A Real Decision Framework
This deserves more than "yes if you want a higher score." Here's the framework we'd use sitting across from you.
1. What did a real, timed diagnostic actually show?
Not your gut feeling on test day — a full-length, timed practice test scored honestly. If your practice scores already cluster around 19 under timing pressure, retaking without changing your method is likely to reproduce it.
2. Is the gap timing, careless errors, or a real content gap?
- Timing issues (you knew the material but ran out of clock) are highly fixable — often worth 1-2 AA points.
- Careless errors are fixable but need a deliberate practice change, not just "being more careful."
- Broad content gaps across sections take real time to close, and the improvement is less predictable.
3. What's the actual timeline cost?
Confirm current fees, wait periods, and attempt limits at ada.org, since these change and we won't guess. Beyond the fee, factor in weeks or months of extra studying, a possible cycle delay, and opportunity cost. A retake that gains 1 point and costs you four months is a bad trade. One that gains 3 points and fits your current cycle is usually a good one.
4. How much GPA cushion do you have?
A strong GPA (3.6+, especially in science coursework) buys room a weak one doesn't. Strong GPA: a 17-19 AA is more survivable, and a retake is more optional. Weaker GPA: the DAT carries more weight, and a retake is more worth the cost.
5. Do you have concrete evidence you can move the number?
Most students skip this, and it should drive the decision. "I feel like I could do better" isn't evidence. A diagnostic score, a clear list of what you missed and why, and a realistic plan to close those specific gaps is.
Know your real number before you commit months to a retake
The only honest way to answer "should I retake the DAT" is a diagnostic that mirrors the real exam's format, timing, and difficulty — not a guess based on how test day felt. DATPractice gives you 40 full-length practice tests, an 11,000+ question bank with hand-written explanations, and an AI tutor that pinpoints exactly which concepts are costing you points, so you know before you register whether a retake will actually move your score.
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How to Know If a Retake Will Actually Move Your Number
The DAT is a standardized test: same content, same format, same timing pressure every administration. That means your practice scores under real conditions are a genuinely reliable predictor of your real score, if you're practicing correctly.
"Correctly" means full-length sections under real timing, not untimed sets or passive video review. If timed practice tests consistently land 2-3 points above your last real attempt, that's real evidence a retake has room to work. If practice keeps landing where your real score did, more studying with the same materials likely won't change the outcome — adjust your approach, or put your energy into the rest of your application instead.
We built our approach around treating the DAT this way — a number you can measure and move deliberately, using the same 60-day system we used ourselves. If your timeline is tight, our DAT Study Plan for the Average Student lays out how to structure the weeks before a retake so they count. And if your score is already competitive for the schools you actually want, check DAT Score Needed for Top 10 Dental Schools & NYU before you retake just to chase a bigger number.
FAQ: Is a 17-20 AA Good Enough on the DAT
Is 20 AA good enough for dental school?
A 20 AA on the old 1-30 scale is a workable, above-average score that gets you looked at by a real range of US dental schools, especially with a solid GPA and a normal-looking application. It is not competitive for the most selective programs, so whether it is enough depends entirely on which schools are on your list. Check each school's own reported averages, since a 20 AA can be plenty for one program and thin for another.
Should I retake the DAT with a 19 AA?
Retake if a diagnostic under real testing conditions shows you missing points to timing, careless errors, or one or two fixable content gaps rather than a broad lack of foundational knowledge. Don't retake just because 19 feels low; retake because you have concrete evidence you can move the number in the time you actually have. If your practice scores under timed conditions already sit at 19, assume your real retake will land near there too without a changed approach.
What's the lowest DAT score dental schools accept?
There is no single published floor; it varies by school and changes year to year, so there is no factual minimum we can state here. Some programs have historically considered applicants with AAs in the high teens when the rest of the application (GPA, experience, interview) is strong, while others rarely look below the low-to-mid 20s. Always check each school's own reported score ranges and confirm current data through the ADEA AADSAS application cycle rather than relying on old forum numbers.
Is a 17 AA good enough for dental school (like people ask on Reddit)?
A 17 AA sits right around the historical national average on the old scale, so on its own it is a below-competitive number for most programs, though it is not disqualifying everywhere. The "is 17 AA good enough" threads you'll find tend to agree on one thing: a 17 paired with a strong GPA and a smart, targeted school list has real options, while a 17 paired with a weak GPA is a much harder sell. Treat any single Reddit thread as one data point, not a verdict.
What are my chances at dental school with an 18 AA (per Reddit threads)?
Threads asking about 18 AA chances almost always come back to the same two questions: what is your GPA, and how selective is your school list. An 18 AA with a 3.6+ GPA and a list weighted toward less score-sensitive programs has a real shot; an 18 AA with a below-average GPA and a list of top-20 reach schools does not. Nobody on a forum can give you a real percentage, and neither can we, so weigh the full application rather than the AA in isolation.
How many points can I realistically improve on a DAT retake?
Most students who retake after identifying and fixing a specific, fixable weakness (timing, a content gap, test anxiety) move somewhere in the range of 1 to 3 AA points on the old scale; bigger jumps happen but are the exception, not the rule. Students who retake without changing their approach or study material tend to land within a point of their original score. Get an honest baseline from a full-length, timed practice test before you decide how much room for improvement actually exists.