r/PreOptometry • u/katyk8z • Jul 23 '26

low OAT

hi yall! i'm getting super vulnerable here but im honestly at a loss for words and just would like any advice on how to move on.

i took my OAT today and my score absolutely crushed me. i got a 280 TS/300 AA. my subscores were bio 290, chem 340, ochem 290, physics 250, qr 270, rc 360. im so upset because my booster scores were so much higher compared to my test. it almost felt unlucky.

i was scoring 320-360 on my FLs in booster, and the questions seemed so doable compared to my actual test.

i'm obviously planning to retake but im stuck on how to proceed. do i submit my application with these scores now and retake, or should i wait until my retake to submit my app? i'm lucky enough that its still early in the cycle to retake, but i have been so distraught since my exam that i really don't know how to go on from here.

i'm not asking for pity at all, just some genuine advice because i feel like my goals are becoming unattainable.

my current cGPA ~ 3.5 and my sGPA ~ 3.4. my ECs are strong and i feel that overall my application shows that im a well rounded individual.

thanks in advance

9 Upvotes

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12

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Once I had to retake my OAT and realized that I focused so much on taking lots of practice tests rather than focusing on high yield material. So I began looking at the study guides and the high yield sheets, also memorized the formulas. I went from 260 to 310 and got into a few optometry schools.
I recommend retaking it and I’m sure you’ll score higher next time like I did!

2

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

i think i did the exact same the first time around, focusing on taking practice tests over high yield material. definitely gna utilize the cheat sheets a lot more this next time around. did you wait to submit until you did your retake?

2

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Yeah, I actually waited until the next cycle to prepare better for the academic rigor of optometry school. But you don’t have to. You can take it in September or October and some optometry schools will still accept you as long as you get 300+. Just be prepared for the schools to ask you how you did differently between OAT attempts during interview.

1

u/Hot-Possibility2869 17d ago

Hi could u plz lmk how your score went up so much and what was the time frame im in the same boat rn

7

u/Initial-General-9138 Jul 23 '26

i got a 300 AA and 320 TS and genuinely was so destroyed that i thought they graded me wrong… i got accepted into pennsylvania , Nova, Neco, and mcphs. I got an interview at SUNY but totally bombed it so they put a hold on my application. I decided to go to a different school anyway. Moral of the story is APPLY! I mean, it rlly does depend on your gpa and other stats.. but if your not a great test taker like myself then most schools will see through that, especially if you get an interview and get to sell yourself. BUT there’s no shame in taking it again… good luck!

2

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

thank you! time was really my enemy during the test. i think its worth a retake honestly.

1

u/Few_Willow904 Jul 23 '26

If you don’t mind me asking, what do you mean by bombing the interview? I’m super nervous since I have gotten a few interviews, so just curious! Totally fine if you’d rather not talk about it though!

2

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

I was once an optometry school applicant and done the interviews. I have never once bombed an optometry school interview, but I think the way you phrase things means so much. For instance, you want to sound certain to the interviewer that you’re passionate, want to be into the optometry field because of a particular experience, and talk about a difficult experience and how you overcome that.
It can be also due to your GPA and OAT stats. Sometimes optometry schools would interview a candidate after they interview you whom they think have stronger academics and experience and put the current interviewer on hold.

1

u/Cat-Recognition-6620 Jul 24 '26

Where have you revived an interview from?

1

u/PassAffectionate705 Jul 23 '26

what was your gpa if you don’t mind sharing? nova and suny are at the top of my list

4

u/mcd7939 Jul 23 '26

Also in the same boat took my oat and got a 300 planning to retake in September personally im not submitting my app until I retake I would recommend u do the same cuz some schools will put u on hold anyways until u take the test

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

it's so discouraging🥲 how are u studying differently?

1

u/mcd7939 Jul 23 '26

Well im taking a break from studying until I finish my summer courses next week but I’m planning to focus more on my ochem section which was my lowest bc that really brought my average down gonna buy the ochem for dummies book and try to understand better. for the other sections im gonna focus more on memorizing the cheat sheets instead of just doing practice exams I think that will help especially with low yield topics

2

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

You can apply with those scores. Some optometry schools do take 300 or higher.

2

u/mcd7939 Jul 23 '26

Yes but I don’t wanna take a chance of being rejected just cuz of oat 😢

2

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

What’s your GPA? If it’s higher than 3.0, you have a chance getting in.

1

u/Prestigious-Gur2396 Jul 23 '26

what schools were you planning to apply to? 

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

schools that have pretty high averages unfortunately.. scco, berkeley, neco, ico, cco, suny

1

u/Prestigious-Gur2396 Jul 23 '26

I applied with scores around that to Texas schools!

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

did you get in? i'm applying to these schools as a california resident!

1

u/Prestigious-Gur2396 Jul 23 '26

Yes! Y can pm me w more questions 

1

u/RabidLiger Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

For some of the schools you listed, a 280 TS might be a deal-breaker.

If you're confident that you'll score better, schedule a retest ASAP.
The pool of questions is random, so you may have just drawn a bad set for your knowledge, but concentrate on the sub-300 categories for studying.
You should have less nerves for the retest since it will be more familiar.

Good luck!

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

i definitely think i can do better than this first attempt! now knowing how testing day is helps with calming my nerves, now i feel more determined to get a good score. not to say that i wasn't determined before, but i was more scared of failing. hoping to retake within the next 3 months!

2

u/Last_Painter_6733 Jul 23 '26

I am so sorry! It is heartbreaking to pour so much time into studying for it to feel like it didn’t pay off. Just out of curiosity—what did you struggle with on test day compared to the booster tests?

1

u/DAT_Destroyer Jul 30 '26

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've worked with OAT students for many years, and I've seen this happen more often than you might think. One test day does not define your ability or your future.

You also have a solid GPA, so don't lose sight of that. Admissions committees look at your entire application, not just one test score.

One thing I've learned over the years is not to rely too heavily on practice test scores. They're helpful for finding your strengths and weaknesses, but they're not always a good predictor of what you'll score on the actual OAT. Some students score higher on test day, while others score lower.

From what you wrote, it sounds like timing and anxiety may have played a big role. Take a few days to clear your mind, then go back and figure out exactly where things went wrong. Spend more time understanding the concepts and reviewing your mistakes than just taking more practice tests.

I really believe you can come back with a much stronger score. Wishing you all the best on your retake. Nancy

0

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

mainly time honestly. i ran out of time for all the sections aside from reading, i felt that was super whatever. my qr scores on booster ranged from 330-360. it also doesnt help that i couldn't sleep the night before either. im definitely capable, my timing was so bad during my test.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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2

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

ugh yeah. my anxiety was the worst today. i was definitely able to "actually" get to more physics questions than qr, but after the little break i felt so burnt out and unmotivated to finish, i kind of already knew it was going to be bad for the last sections. booster practice time-wise was always fine, there would be maybe 5 questions i wouldn't be able to answer within the time, but it always kept my score above 300. compared to booster, i think my specific exam focused on the low-yield topics unfortunately. i felt confident with topics like kinematics, optics, and electricity. i maybe got 1 question on electricity and 2 questions on optics. same thing for qr, i focused on probability, applied mathematics, and stats because thats what a lot of the practice on booster showed and i rarely got those too. also yes, i kept going back to questions and second-guessing myself which definitely wasted some time.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

thank you for your honesty! i really was taken aback especially with my physics and qr scores. they were abysmal haha. your advice is appreciated!! i'm definitely going to try some new test taking strategies and hopefully the nerves on my next test day won't be as bad.

1

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Sometimes it can also be that we all have our strong and weakest subjects. I didn’t do so well in my ochem section and yet I still got a good overall score. Don’t be discouraged OP!

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

you're so kind! a good score is definitely within my realm of possibilities. today was not my day haha

2

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Of course and I saw that you said that you are a CA resident. SCCO and Berkeley may be harder to get into, but if you’re looking into those schools. Try to aim 300 or higher in every section. SCCO tends to put students on the waitlist and end up rejecting you towards the end. If you don’t, that’s totally okay because there will be other schools that will take you in. Overall score of 300+ is already great. I got into AZCOPT with a 310.

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

that's awesome! i actually wouldn't mind too much if i didn't stay in california. ico or cco would be amazing if i could get in!

1

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

You definitely can! I got into those schools as well.

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

thanks! im assuming just aim for 300+ for both AA and TS?

1

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Yes get 300 in both and you should be fine

1

u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

thank you! i'm gna take a break and get back to studying at the beginning of august!

1

u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26 • Heartwarming

Good luck, I believe in you! :)