DAT Perceptual Ability

Master the visual and spatial reasoning skills necessary for the Dental Admission Test Perceptual Ability section.

Study Strategies

Elimination and Pattern Recognition

Outsmart Tricky Questions

Many DAT questions are designed to trick you with similar-looking answers. Use elimination and pattern recognition:

  • Cross out obviously wrong choices to narrow options.
  • Look for recurring shapes or angles in the answer choices.
  • Trust your pattern recognition skills—sometimes your brain spots the answer before you realize how.

These techniques help you maximize accuracy even under pressure.

Examples

  • Eliminating answer choices in a keyhole problem that have too small an opening.

  • Spotting repeated patterns in angle discrimination questions to answer faster.