https://www.ada.org/en/oat/apply-to-take-the-oat
Be sure to follow the steps exactly as specified on the ADA’s website when you register for OAT. Read all of the guides and checklists provided so that you don’t run into any trouble on test day. Apply early (to take the OAT test) so that you can get your first choice of when and where you want to take the OAT.
OAT test dates are offered year-round through the Prometric test centers, but I recommend registering early – seats tend to fill up quickly and it’s common for the next available seat to be up to 2 months away!
The majority of students study for the OAT while enrolled in classes, in the summer between junior and senior year. They start studying around April and take the test in the summer, around June through August. It’s challenging, but it isn’t anything harder than what you’re going to do in optometry school; consider it a test run!
I’d recommend taking an easier course load during the semester if possible, and starting studying around late March, planning for a July OAT test date. That way you start studying while in school, then finish up finals, and can dedicate some time just to the OAT towards the end during the schedule. You can also reschedule the test to later in August if needed. It’s more important to take the OAT when you’re ready rather than early.
Lastly, the OAT exam is the same difficulty throughout the year; there is no advantage if your OAT test dates are during the summer or winter.
The OAT consists of 4 sections: Survey of Natural Sciences, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. The test will take you just about 5 hours to complete, not including transportation to and from the test site, checking in, etc.
| OAT Administration Schedule | |
|---|---|
| Optional Tutorial | 15 minutes |
| Survey of Natural Sciences | 90 minutes |
| Reading Comprehension Test | 60 minutes |
| Scheduled Break (optional) | 30 minutes |
| Physics Test | 50 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning Test | 45 minutes |
| Optional Post Test Survey | 15 minutes |
| Total Time | 5 hours 5 minutes |
The average AA for acceptance across all optometry schools is approximately a 320. This is just an average though – you can certainly get accepted with lower OAT scores depending on the strength of the rest of your application and where you apply.
Many schools also have cutoff minimum OAT scores. Each school has a different cutoff, and some have no cutoff.
It is generally favorable to show consistency across all OAT subjects (demonstrating that you are well-rounded) rather than a very high OAT score in one OAT subject offset by a very low OAT score in another.
| Performance | OAT Score |
| Poor | Below 280 |
| Acceptable | 280-290 |
| Average | 300-320 |
| Very Good | 330-340 |
| Excellent | 340+ |
The OAT (Optometry Admissions Test) grades you on 6 different subjects:
Biology (BIO)
General Chemistry (GC)
Organic Chemistry (OC)
Physics (P)
Reading Comprehension (RC)
Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
Each subject is scored on a standardized scale out of 400 points. A score of 300 equates to the 50th percentile in that section. There are no deductions for incorrect answers. Thus, you should always fill out every answer option – it doesn’t hurt you to guess!
In addition to the 6 individual scores you’ll receive above, you’ll get an Academic Average (AA) score, which is the most important number. The AA is the mean of your scores (i.e. AA = (BIO + GC + OC + RC + P + QR) / 6), rounded to the nearest integer.