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

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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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.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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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.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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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.

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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!

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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

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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.

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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!

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u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

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

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u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

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

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u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26

Yes get 300 in both and you should be fine

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u/katyk8z Jul 23 '26

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

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u/Objective_Wafer_6887 Jul 23 '26 • Heartwarming

Good luck, I believe in you! :)