Many graduate health programs use standardized entrance exams as one component of their admissions decision process. These exams are designed to assess the foundational knowledge, academic skills, and critical thinking abilities needed for success at the graduate level. Depending on the profession, you may be required to complete a profession-specific exam, submit a more general graduate admissions test, or, in some cases, no standardized test at all.
This page provides an overview of the entrance exam requirements for each health profession, including the purpose of each exam, the content areas covered, scoring information, and additional resources to help you learn more. Because testing requirements continue to evolve, always review the admissions requirements for each program you plan to apply to before deciding whether an entrance exam is necessary.
MCAT (Medical College Application Test)
The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is administered by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and is required by U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The exam is around seven and a half hours (including breaks) and is offered multiple times throughout the year at testing centers around the world. The MCAT assesses foundational knowledge and skills that are essential for medical school programs, including biological and biochemical foundations, chemical and physical foundations, psychological and social foundations of behavior, and critical analysis and reasoning skills.
Sections
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Focuses on how living systems function at the molecular, cellular, and organ-system levels. Content includes biology and biochemistry concepts, including enzymes, metabolism, genetics, and physiology, with an emphasis on applying scientific principles to biological scenarios rather than memorized facts.
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Assesses how chemical and physical principles apply to biological systems and medical contexts. Content draws from general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and introductory biochemistry, and emphasizes problem-solving, data interpretation, and the application of scientific concepts to real-world biological situations.
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Examines how psychological, social, and biological factors influence behavior and health outcomes. Topics include psychology, sociology, and social determinants of health, with a focus on understanding behavior, culture, and society as they relate to patient care and population health.
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
- CARS evaluates your ability to read complex passages, analyze arguments, and draw reasoned conclusions using information presented in the text. Unlike the other sections, CARS does not wholly rely on prior scientific knowledge and instead emphasizes reading comprehension, critical thinking, and reasoning skills across humanities and social science passages.
Scoring
MCAT scores are reported as section scores and a total score. The four sections are scored on a scale from 118 to 132, and then combined for a total score ranging from 472 to 528. In addition to numeric scores, score reports include percentile rankings, which show individual test performance compared to other recent test takers. While average scores vary by school and applicant pool, national data published by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) show that the current average MCAT score for medical school matriculants is 512.
Resources
DAT (Dental Admission Test)
The DAT (Dental Admission Test) is an entrance exam administered by the American Dental Association and required by all U.S. dental schools and some dental programs in Canada. The exam is approximately five hours long (including breaks) and is offered year-round at Prometric testing centers across the United States, U.S. territories, and select locations in Canada. The DAT assesses several core skill areas relevant to dental training, including the natural sciences (biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry), perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.
Sections
- Survey of Natural Sciences
- Assesses foundational knowledge in biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Questions emphasize applying core scientific principles to scenarios and problems rather than memorized, isolated facts, reflecting the scientific preparation needed for dental education.
- Perceptual Ability
- Evaluates spatial reasoning and visual perception skills. You’ll be asked to mentally manipulate shapes and objects, interpret angles, and analyze patterns, skills that are particularly relevant to the hands-on and technical aspects of dentistry.
- Reading Comprehension
- Measures your capacity to read, understand, and analyze complex scientific passages. You’re evaluated on your ability to identify main ideas, interpret information, and draw conclusions based on written material, rather than on prior content knowledge.
- Quantitative Reasoning
- The Quantitative Reasoning section assesses your mathematical problem-solving skills. Content includes algebra, word problems, data analysis, and basic quantitative concepts, with an emphasis on applying math skills efficiently and accurately.
Scoring
DAT scores range from 200 - 600, which replaced the former 1–30 scale. Each DAT section receives its own score on this 200–600 scale and then two composite scores are also calculated:
- TS Score (Total Science): reflects performance across the Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry sections
- Academic Average Score (AA): represents an average of the academic sections of the exam (all sections except the Perceptual Ability section.
Score reports also include percentile rankings, which show performance compared to other recent DAT test takers. Dental schools review DAT scores as part of a holistic application process, alongside coursework, experiences, letters of evaluation, and written materials. The current average DAT score for dental school matriculants is 470.
Resources
OAT (Optometry Admission Test)
The OAT (Optometry Admission Test) is an entrance exam required by most U.S. optometry schools and is administered by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. The exam is approximately four and a half hours long (including breaks) and is offered year-round at Prometric testing centers across the United States, U.S. territories, and select international locations. The OAT assesses core academic skills and knowledge relevant to optometric education, including biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.
Sections
- Survey of the Natural Sciences
- Assesses foundational knowledge in biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Questions emphasize understanding scientific concepts and applying them to problem-solving scenarios rather than memorized isolated facts, reflecting the type of scientific reasoning used in optometric education.
- Physics
- Evaluates understanding of core physics principles as they relate to real-world and biological applications. Topics commonly include mechanics, electricity, optics, and energy, with an emphasis on applying formulas and concepts to analyze physical systems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Measures capacity to read, interpret, and analyze complex passages drawn from scientific and health-related topics. Evaluated on ability to identify main ideas, understand detail, and draw logical conclusions based on written information.
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Assesses mathematical problem-solving skills, including algebra, basic statistics, data interpretation, and word problems. The focus is on applying quantitative concepts efficiently and accurately in timed conditions.
Scoring
OAT scores range from 200 - 400 for each section and includes scaled and averaged scores:
- TS Total Science (TS) score: summarizes performance across the Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics sections using a complex composite scale score, ensuring scores are comparable across different test versions
- Academic Average (AA) score: an average of all six section scaled scores: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning
Score reports also include percentile rankings, showing performance compared to other recent OAT test takers. Optometry programs review OAT scores as part of a holistic admissions process, alongside coursework, experiences, letters of evaluation, and written application materials. National data reported by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry indicate that the current average OAT score for dental school matriculants is 335.
Resources
PA (Physician Assistant) programs do not require a single universal entrance exam. Instead, exam requirements vary by program. The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is the most commonly accepted exam and is required or accepted by many PA programs, though an increasing number of programs are moving toward test-optional policies. A smaller subset of programs may accept or require the PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admission Test), a newer exam designed specifically for PA applicants. In rare cases, some PA programs may accept the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) in place of the GRE, particularly for applicants also considering medical school. Always verify individual program policies, as exam requirements can vary widely.
GRE Sections
- Verbal Reasoning
- Assesses your ability to analyze and evaluate written material, understand relationships between words and concepts, and draw conclusions from written passages. Questions focus on reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence.
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Evaluates mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Content includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis, with an emphasis on interpreting information and applying quantitative concepts to solve problems.
PA-CAT Topics
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Focuses on the structure and function of the human body and the interactions among organ systems. Content includes cellular physiology, homeostasis, and major body systems, with an emphasis on applying anatomical and physiological principles to health-related scenarios.
- Biology
- Assesses foundational biological concepts, including cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, evolution, ecology, and microbiology. Questions emphasize understanding biological processes and applying scientific principles to living systems.
- Chemistry
- Evaluates knowledge of general and organic chemistry, including atomic structure, chemical reactions, bonding, solutions, acids and bases, and thermodynamics. Questions focus on applying chemical concepts to biological and healthcare-related contexts.
- Biochemistry
- Examines the chemical processes that occur within living organisms. Content includes proteins, enzymes, metabolism, nucleic acids, and cellular respiration, with an emphasis on understanding molecular mechanisms that support human health.
- Behavioral Sciences
- Assesses psychological, social, and behavioral factors that influence human health and behavior. Topics include learning, cognition, development, social interaction, and social determinants of health, with a focus on understanding factors that affect patient outcomes.
Scoring
GRE scores are reported separately for each section:
- Verbal Reasoning: 130–170
- Quantitative Reasoning: 130–170
- Analytical Writing: 0–6
Score reports also include percentile rankings that compare your performance to other recent GRE test takers. Because PA program requirements vary significantly, competitive GRE scores are also varied, but are generally between 300 - 310.
PA-CAT scores range from 200–800 and are accompanied by percentile rankings that compare your performance to other applicants. Competitive PA-CAT scores are 525 or higher.
Resources
Most veterinary programs do not require a standardized entrance exam. Historically, many veterinary programs required the GRE, but all U.S. veterinary schools have eliminated standardized testing requirements in recent years and currently, there are only two schools that mention the GRE as optional. However, be sure to review VMSAR, the admissions requirements for each veterinary school, as policies vary by institution.
Resources
Most pharmacy programs do not require a standardized entrance exam. Historically, pharmacy programs required the PCAT, Pharmacy College Admission Test, but the exam was retired in January 2024. However, be sure to review the PharmD Directory for specific program admission requirements, as policies vary by institution.
Resources
Most nursing programs do not require a standardized entrance exam, but some may recommend or accept the GRE. However, be sure to review the Nursing Program Directory for specific program admission requirements, as policies vary by institution.
