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Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH)

American Dental Association, Department of Testing Services

Format

Computer-based multiple choice; 240 items; 290 minutes total including tutorial, two optional 15-minute breaks and survey

Fee

$150

Passing standard

No pass mark; scale scores 200 to 500 in 10-point increments; each program sets its own standard

Retakes

60 days between attempts; after three attempts, permission required and one attempt per 12 months

Given by

Prometric

Sections

• Reading Comprehension: 40 questions, 50 minutes
• Language Usage: 40 questions, 30 minutes
• Quantitative Reasoning: 40 questions, 45 minutes
• Perceptual Ability: 60 questions, 45 minutes
• Biology: 30 questions, 30 minutes
• General Chemistry: 30 questions, 30 minutes

What it covers

• Reading Comprehension · 40 items
  • Scientific reading passages
• Language Usage · 40 items
• Quantitative Reasoning · 40 items
  • Algebra
  • Probability
  • Statistics
  • Interpretation of quantitative data
• Perceptual Ability · 60 items
• Biology · 30 items
  • Cell and Molecular Biology
• General Chemistry · 30 items

Notes

2026 guide updated 08/04/2026. ADA program list (June 2026): 17 programs require it, 17 accept it, 149 neither. Subtopic lists under Biology and Chemistry were not fully transcribed.

Sources

• https://www.ada.org/atdh
• https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/education/atdh_candidate_guide.pdf
• https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/education/atdh_program_locations.pdf
• https://pueblocc.edu/programs/deh/application-info

Checked 2026-10-03.