Graduate Entrance Exams

Graduate and Professional School Exams

In order to be accepted into graduate or professional programs, students are often required to take a graduate or professional exam. A table of common exams is listed below. Please discuss test preparation and timing with your faculty and academic advisors. Click here for information about test anxiety.

 

DAT The Dental Admission Test (DAT) consists of 280 multiple-choice items distributed across a battery of four tests: the Survey of the Natural Sciences, Perceptual Ability Test, Reading Comprehension Test, and Quantitative Reasoning Test. DAT exams are administered year-round.
GMAT The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized assessment-delivered in English-that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs. The GMAT is made up of three components: Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Section, and a Verbal Section. GMAT exams are administered year-round.
GRE The GRE's are required by many graduate programs. There are two types of Graduate Record Examinations (GRE's): The General Test and the Subject Tests. The General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. The GRE General Test is administered year-round. The GRE Subjects Tests are administered three times a year in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology and measure accumulated knowledge in these specific areas.
LSAT The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test required for admission to LSAC-member law schools, most Canadian law schools, and many non-ABA-approved law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants. The test is administered four times a year at hundreds of locations around the world.
MCAT The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee's problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scores are reported in the following sections: Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample, and Biological Sciences. In 2009, the MCAT Test will be administered 28 times.
OAT The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is a standardized examination designed to measure general academic ability and comprehension of scientific information. The OAT consists of four tests: Survey of the Natural Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry), Reading Comprehension, Physics and Quantitative Reasoning. All schools and colleges of optometry in the United States, and the University of Waterloo, Canada require the OAT. OAT exams are administered year-round.
PCAT The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) is a specialized test that helps identify qualified applicants to pharmacy colleges. It measures general academic ability and scientific knowledge necessary for the commencement of pharmaceutical education. The PCAT is offered 4 times a year.

 



Page last modified October 15, 2018