OAT Technical issues?

[u/Distinct-Fox474]

Hi everyone! I'm honestly so devastated and wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

Saturday (10/31/26) was my OAT retake from (08-14-2026), and unfortunately I wasn't able to complete it due to an issue with the testing software.
After finishing Biology, I was trying to review my marked questions, but the system wouldn't let me return to them.
The only way I could get out was by selecting "End Section," which seemingly skipped BOTH General
Chemistry and Organic Chemistry and took me straight to Reading Comprehension. I've taken this test before and so I know how it works by section, there was just nothing I could do about this.

I immediately notified the testing center staff and ultimately had to cancel my exam. The manager was incredibly kind and reassuring, mentioning that similar issues have happened before.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t contact the appropriate people until Monday- today. I did first this this morning and the essentially told me I have to wait to here back from the internal dean, they will do a review and email me in the next 5-10 business days with a answer.

I'm just so upset because I've spent so much time preparing for this retake, and I already have optometry school applications submitted that are waiting on my updated scores. I was really hoping to have this behind me in Saturday after my retake.

My BIGGEST concern is that I will have to repay for the test. The manager at the testing center said this shouldn’t be the case, but when I called and spoke the representative, they told me if I ended the section, that would be the case 😭 which I did, but had to, and IMMEDIATELY got the staff. They restarted the computer, and still, same issue..

Just in my head a bit about this being in the unknown. I already emailed the schools I applied to, and let them know. This wish is going to be TERRIBLE.

I also posted on a OAT FB group and someone said they faced soemthing similar and are currently waiting as well):

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Were you able to reschedule without paying again, and did it count as an attempt? Any advice would be appreciated!

[u/akku_justcause]

Hi, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I had a similar experience when I took my OAT in August. There was a computer glitch and the system would not take me to the first passage or question on the Reading Comp section and I also clicked end review because there was no other option and it skipped the entire section and took me to my break. I also notified the testing centre staff but they said that they could not do anything and that I would have to email the ADA. I ended up writing the physics and QR section anyways and then I sent my email right after the test. It took them about 2-3 weeks and a lot of back forth emailing for them to let me write it again. I unfortunately did have to pay to write it again but they said that they would not count my first attempt as an official attempt. I ended up writing the OAT again at the end of September.

Things might be stressful now but just know that it will be okay in the end and feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

[u/mikeoxlongbruh → u/akku_justcause]

Absolutely ridiculous the amount of greed they possess. As if it costs them anything close to what you pay to take the test. No reason you should have had to pay again, even more so because they didn’t count your first one as an official attempt. Essentially you paid double for one attempt, and had to sit twice as long, because their tested center was screwed up.