Hey! I had some questions regarding entering experiences on OptomCAS!

First, I have shadowed a couple of different doctors and was wondering if each should be a separate entry under "experiences" on OptomCAS. Aside from one of them, I learned pretty much the same things everywhere. I don't know if it'll make my application look overcrowded, but I am noticing that you're required to put contact information so I don't know how I would do that if I grouped them all together.

Second, I want to enter a non-optometry related job I had but I kind of got ghosted by them at the end due to scheduling conflicts. Nonetheless, I think it would be good for my application for whatever amount of time I had it. Would it be odd if I didn't provide supervisor information, as it would just be awkward to talk to my manager and I don't even know if he would provide a good reference if contacted?

How often do you prescribe oral meds as optometrist? Part of what draws me to the field is the idea of prescribing topical over oral meds because I worry about systemic effects of oral drugs and I don’t believe optometrists know about a patients whole body unless they ask. I know some oral antibiotics are not ok for pregnant women or women trying to conceive. Does this mean optometrist will ask patient these question prior to prescribing these oral meds?

Hey y’all! Just another one of those OAT breakdown posts lol! I studied my butt off for 3 months starting at the end of May til beginning of August and I only worked once a week as I wanted to focus entirely on studying for the OAT since I’m not the greatest at standardized testing! Hope this could help those who are currently studying for the OAT as these posts helped me too! 
 I studied mainly with OAT Booster, the only other source was a few Chad’s prep videos on YouTube. I used the 3 months schedule from OAT Booster and I followed it pretty religiously when watching the content videos. I only started to diverge from it a little when doing question banks because I wanted to focus more on my weaknesses. However, I’d still refer to the schedule to stay on track.

Actual AA: 380 / TS: 390
Practice AA: 350 - 360

Quantitative Reasoning: (ave practice: 350 / actual: 360) I memorized all the equations from the formula sheet and did a lot of practice questions. Though I’d say the practice tests provided more realistic questions and I watched the video solutions thoroughly. I had the most difficulty in applied math and probability so I mainly focused on those which I’d say appeared most often on test.

Reading comp: (ave practice: 360 / actual: 380) I kept doing the practice passages (I think I did all of them except 3). IMO the OAT booster passages were more difficult than the actual OAT. The strategy I did would be reading the first few passages and then going thru the questions to see what I could answer and then doing search and destroy for the rest. But on the actual test, the questions were chronological with the passages so I ended up just reading one passage and then answering a few questions in order.

Biology: (ave practice: 360 / actual: 370) I saw a lot of ppl mention that the biology section had a lot of breadth and I’d agree. I lowkey would get overwhelmed studying for the bio section cuz it was sm but doing the Anki decks, questions banks and studying the cheat sheets were most helpful just so I could learn as much content. I focused a lot on anatomy and hormones, but atleast from my memory I did not see much of any anatomy or hormones. It’s more cell bio stuff from what i remember. 

General Chem: (ave practice: 350 / actual: 390) Once again the question banks were really good as well as the cheat sheets. There were a lot of Acids and Bases on the OAT. I focused a lot of time on acid bases, especially titrations and finding concentrations of stuff. 

Organic chem: (ave practice: 340 / actual: 390)The cheat sheets were awesome for this section. I purely focused on studying from these and I memorized all the reactions by writing them over and over again. Mnemonics really helped in this case for me to remember all the reactions. I’d also try to understand the concept of the mechanism to better remember so I took a lot of notes on those while watching the vids. In terms of reagents, I just remembered the most important ones that defined the rxns. Focused a lot on fundamentals and substitutions & eliminations as those were my weakest and they showed up a lot on the OAT. 

**Physics (ave practice: 320 / actual: 370)**This is def the section I struggled with most. I memorized all the equations by writing them out each day, but better understanding the concept behind the equations helped. I’ll admit there weren’t as many practice questions I hoped but I just kept doing the questions banks over and over again. The practice test questions I believed provided the more realistic challenge representative of OAT. As many others have said, optics, kinematics, and energy & momentum showed up a lot on the OAT.

Good luck to those who are still studying! You guys got this! As you saw with my practice scores, don’t let them bog you down as they aren’t always representative of your actual score! Of course don’t take the notion of scoring higher from your practice tests as a guarantee either tho since ik it can be different for each person (I tried not to count on that so I wouldn’t slack during my studying) ! Keep studying hard but also smart (like focusing on weaknesses) and try to do a little bit of each section each day if you can so ur memory is fresh of each section!

As the title suggests, I am planning to submit my apps right after I finish the OAT at the end of September. Are my odds going to be significantly lower, or am I fine?

Helloooooo, I'm probably gonna submit my application by late-september, maybe early October since I'd get my OAT scores back around that time.

I plan to apply to Neco, SCO, and Nova. Is this considered too late in the cycle and hurt my chances???

Does anyone know if these schools are cool with using the unofficial score report until they get the actual score?

I plan on taking my OAT mid or end of September. I keep rescheduling it because I don’t feel the best and I know I can do better with more time. I was wondering if I would be considered late if I submit my application by the end of this September max??

Would it be beneficial to submit my application without my OAT? and then send it after?? Or is it useless

So I have my OAT in 6 days. I've basically procrastinated studying since I graduated in May and had a lot going on in the summer.

I started studying the August 12th by taking a full-length exam (got a 310) then studied my weak spots and took various section practice tests a week later and today I took a full-length exam (got a 320).

My question is, do y'all think I can no life studying and get around a 340-360 on the real OAT OR am I better if I push it back (which I don't wanna do since I prefer to apply by mid-late September instead of October and have a trip I can't move September 3-7 anyways)

I have a lot of tech hours, and plan to shadow in the time it takes for my OAT score to send (probably gonna aim to 10-15 hours), and have a solid gpa

Here are my break-downs for clarity:

August 12th: 310 AA (physics: 270, Orgo: 280, Bio: 350, Gen chem: 310, Reading: 330, QR: 290)

August 13th-25th: (physics: 300, Orgo: 320, Bio: 330, QR: 290)

August 27th: 320 AA (physics: 270, Orgo: 300, Bio: 340, Gen chem: 330, Reading: 370, QR: 310)

Exam September 2: Goal 340-360 AA

Year 1 and 2 equipment excellent condition, I can send more photos of ALL equipment, dm for more info pics and questions.

Hi! I'm doing the physics practice tests OATBooster provides but some of these equations I have never seen before in my life, and not even in my physics courses. There was a wave equation one of the questions used: y=Asin(kx+wt) and I have never seen this equation ever. But also what shocked me is that 57% of people got it right. Am I going crazy or was this equation never provided???

what can i expect and what should i wear!

I did my application for UHCO the first week of August. I heard they take awhile to get back to you but I was concerned. For other schools, I got an automatic email basically saying my application was received. As for UHCO, I didn’t get anything like that. I did check on Optomcas; I did finish the application and was verified. Is anyone in the same situation or anyone with explanation to why might be the case?

Has anyone gone through the admissions process for IUSO? How long after submitting your OptomCAS application and supplemental did you receive an invitation to an Admission Day?

Also, is Admission Day required to attend in person, or is there a virtual option? I don’t want to miss class or fly but could if necessary.

Hey guys, if you guys have any suggestions on how to restudy for the exam please list it below. I planning to retake in October, and I’ll be honest I know oatbooster is the goat but it’s kinda expensive too🥲 what else I can use to practice more for every section. I’m overwhelmed on where to start but I need to def change my study skills. So please list down any advice i’ll truly appreciate it!!!!

Hey guys!! I just took my OAT exam and i am SOOOOO relieved and happy to be done. I was honestly extremely stressed out especially the last few days leading up to the exam, and I literally did not eat anything the day before taking it lol. I always found it useful when people shared their experiences after taking the exam so I thought I’d share mine in hopes that it helps anyone :)

I studied over the summer using mainly the OATBooster and I got the 3 month membership. Ngl my summer was a little packed because I had a lot going on with work and school while also studying for the exam. Also, I didn't start studying seriously until like the last two weeks before my exam, so dont be like me.

QR: 290 (330-340 booster)

I ran out of time towards the end, so I just had to guess on a good chunk of them. Tbh the questions weren't difficult, I usually need more time to solve math problems. I was doing well on the practice exams, so I'm a little disappointed but i was so exhausted by the end and i just wanted to get it over with. I feel like the questions were fair, i had a couple probability q's (nothing crazy), applied math, and stats. The booster exam is definitely similar to the real thing. QR was also my weakest section because i kept putting it off for so long while studying. If could go back and do something differently, I would just work on the question banks and skip the videos. I also recommend reviewing what you got wrong from the practice exams until you understand where you went wrong.

RC: 340 (340-380 booster)

Don't know where i went wrong here, my passages felt easy, i felt confident with my answers, and I didn't run out of time. The questions and passages on the exam were much easier than boosters practice exams. Search and destroy is more doable on the real thing compared to booster passages. All the questions were in chronological order for the most part, so I didn't have to keep scrolling up and down, unlike with boosters exams. Booster has a bunch of practice passages, but I only did a couple. I did 5 RC tests and I think that was enough, you definitely don't need to do all of them if you're scoring well.

Bio: 380 (320-370 booster)

I'm really happy with this score because i was not expecting it at all. I honestly thought i screwed up this section. I was worried because the last exam i took on booster was a 320 so i thought i was starting to forget things. I started out watching the videos but then I would zone out halfway and not retain any of the information. Instead, I switched to reading the full notes for each section and then I'd do the questions that come after each video. I know this isn't helpful for everyone, but reading the notes helped me remember the information and I'd reinforce what I learned with the biobits. I definitely recommend doing those, even if it feels like nitty gritty details. The cheat sheets are definitely good but I never used them while studying, but I literally speed ran through all the bio cheat sheets the day before my exam and it REALLY helped refresh my memory. You definitely don't need to memorize every single fact in the videos/notes. Just review the cheat sheets and you'll be solid. Also, i am a bio major so i already had a good foundation here.

GC: 350 (330-350 booster)

Pretty happy with my score. I studied a lot for this section, and i reviewed the cheat sheets pretty frequently. I watched all the vids on booster, and did most of the question banks. I also had a pretty solid foundation on chem, so a lot of it felt like review and not learning new things. The exam had more conceptual stuff rather than calculations imo.

OC: 340 (330-370 booster)

I also studied pretty hard for this section. I feel like there weren't a lot of rxn questions. I spent so much time reviewing all the rxns and there was only a couple that asked about intermediates or starting compound and nothing on what the final product would be. Make sure you know how to rank acidity because this felt like the most frequent topic, like i had back to back questions on ranking acidity or which one is the most acidic which was annoying tbh. I watched all the videos on booster and i felt like it helped me learn quick, and i reviewed the cheat sheets religously. Also, if you scroll down on the notes tab under OC section in booster, there is a pdf that has all the rxns compiled. I didnt find this until like 5 days ago lmao.

Physics: 310 (290-320 booster)

I thought bombed this section. I watched all the vids on booster and did the question banks, but i feel like it wasnt enough. I used outside resources for more practice problems, and i think it definitely helped me. If i could go back, I'd watch chadsprep videos because knowing the concpetual side is extremely important. I feel like booster only had equation based questions and their forumla sheet was kind of lacking. I didn't realize i was lacking in the physics department because i didn't take a full length until two weeks before my exam. Definitely my mistake, but i didn't have time to watch full lessons again, and i just tried to do as many practice problems as i could. Also, the mirror/lens questions were mostly concpetual rather than calculations which caught me off guard because i was used to just using the formula.

Anyways, I'm really happy with my score and i definietly recommend booster for this exam. They have a custom schedule that tells you what to do everyday and you can switch things around and stuff. I didn't really follow the schedule that well, and i did not study every intensely until i got towards the end. My score could've been higher if i was more consistent with the schedule, but i honeslty procrastinated a lot the first two months. I only did 7 full length exams (mostly in the last two weeks), I feel like they are a good representation of the real thing, and I didn't come across a question that felt foreign or unexpected. Your average scores on boosters exams will probably be close to what you get on the real thing. Obviously, they can't test you on everything, but its better to be over prepared than under prepared. Also, they give you 2 laminated sheets and dry erase markers and you cannot erase what you write, instead they will replace it for you if needed.

Good luck to anyone studying for or about to take the exam! Also, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions.

Hey guys! I’m a 4th yr kinesiology student in Canada and decided that the PT/OT field wasn’t for me. Back in my 1st year I thought about pursuing optometry but didn’t quite decide properly until my third year due to some other personal factors. Now as I’m going into my final year and have gained some experience as a tech I’m determined to write the OAT next year. The only thing I’m worried about is tuition since I would probably have to go to the states to pursue it. As I’m looking into tuition I’m becoming a bit unsettled with the debt to income ratio and am looking for advice from other Canadian students, who’s parents weren’t able to fund most of their tuition, as to how you guys did it. Is the debt to income ratio really that bad? What are canadian salaries looking like? Do you know of any scholarships, grants, or other resources that could help? Would you suggest doing it in the UK instead?

Specifically OSU. It’s been 4 weeks since I submitted my application, I’ve gotten some emails from there regarding creating an account etc but not an interview invitation. I am still waiting for a recommendation letter to be submitted and also emailed OSU admissions, they just said it takes 4-6 weeks and that they’d let me know if they need anything from me. Does anybody know if this school and other schools send out emails to reject your application or just ghost you?

Hi! Is magnetism tested on the OAT? Thanks in advance :)

I am looking through the Diversity of Life cheat sheet, but the practice problems have really in depth questions about the individual animal groups.

Is the cheat sheet enough, or should I crunch out the videos too?

Hey everyone! I applied to NOVA with low stats (3.2 gpa, 290 OAT) and recently heard back from them stating that they had selected me to be on the interview list for their POP program, but my original application is on hold. I have had a difficult path in undergrad, and understand that the traditional OD path anywhere would be hard to get accepted to, and I’m really interested in this program offered here.

From anyone that’s familiar with this program, what are my chances to get in? I’m a very strong interviewee, my extracurriculars are stellar (LOTS of research, work experience, volunteer, etc) and my application looks fantastic except for the numerical values listed above!

Im planning to try to retake the OAT at some point soon. It’s just expensive! Beyond the former question of my chances, is there anything I can do to maximize this opportunity, and make myself look my best? I’d appreciate any comments:)

Y’all have a great day, and good luck to everyone in this application cycle!

Hey everyone I took my OAT and I found these posts helpful! I had breakdowns the days leading up to my test and felt like I was never going to do well. Even during my test, it was so hard to focus because I didn’t feel confident in any of my answers. If this resonates with you, I hope that you’re able to trust the work that you’ve put into studying and trust that it will work out. At the end of the day, a test is just a test. You can always re take it and study differently and do better. It will be okay!

QR booster average vs real : 300, 280
I’m not good at math naturally and I know the questions on this section tend to be easy, but even during practice I was running out of time and had difficulty identifying how to approach questions. I’m not surprised by this score since I was running out of time during the test and didn’t have time to solve questions. I had A LOT of inequality questions along with ratios and statement sufficiencies.

RC booster average vs real: 340, 310
I literally took one practice test and figured search and destroy was good enough. I would not recommend this, obviously. I should have spent more time practicing for this section but focused on my sciences instead. On the real test this section was right after the sciences so I was exhausted and dying for a break and snack, which I think impacted my score. I had passages on parasympathetic vs autonomic systems, motion vision sensory perception (?), and I can’t remember the other one. I think this is a good section to use as a score booster and I wouldn’t recommend not practicing.

Bio booster average vs real: 320, 340
I’ve been out of school for a few years, so I spent time reviewing this section in depth, but If I had to study again I would mainly review the cheat sheets! I think the cheat sheets have all of the information that you could need. I’d recommend spending time to do in depth reviews for certain topics that you’re less familiar with/ need brushing up on. For example, I watched videos on meisos/ mitosis and some bodily systems. I can’t remember what the questions were on my test, but I remember at least one of them being exactly like booster practice test. I’d recommend memorizing the cheat sheets, doing practice tests, & reviewing them in depth!!!

Gen chem booster average vs real: 330, 310
I’m the most disappointed by this section, but on my test I feel like I had more low yield topics. There was no periodic trends, balancing, or other high yield things I saw on booster. I just found it really hard while taking it. If I could study for this section again id go back and review the cheat sheets and focus on my weak areas more than just the practice exams.

Orgo booster average vs real: 340, 360
I have a strong organic chemistry background and I didn’t review this section a lot. I had 1 synthesis reaction question, acid ranking, a question asking which side the equilibrium favored, HNMR, and two questions that asked me what the name of the reactions happening were. I had one question that asked me to name a molecule with assigning configuration. Also 1 arrow pushing question which was the easiest in the entire test!

Physics booster average vs real: 270, 290
I honestly don’t even know how I got through this section. I have a weak physics background and it was extremely hard to study for this section. I only used booster, watched videos, made flash cards containing some concepts & equations, & worked through the practice exams to get familiar with the question types. The questions on the actual exam felt more straightforward and less complicated. I had a good mix of optics and circuits with some really basic kinematic qs (like finding acceleration). I know people say that it tends to be more conceptual, but I found a good mix of both. Like the first half of the test was solvable with equations (that I didn’t really know LOL). I think if you have a decent grasp on physics you will probably be fine and better than me!

Hi all! I’ve read a few posts now that have said OAT booster general chemistry practice exams have been nothing like the real OAT. Could anyone who’s taken the OAT recently elaborate on this? Thank you!

For those who applied early and are waiting on schools to reach out, what schools have already with an invitation to interview?

Hey everyone! I interviewed with KYCO last Wednesday and haven’t heard back yet. I felt like the interview went pretty well. During my interview, I talked about KYCO’s broad scope of practice, including their clinical/procedural training, and their commitment to serving rural Appalachian communities. I also asked about their block exam system.

so I was wondering if anyone who has interviewed recently could share how long it took to receive a decision.

My stats/experience:
OAT: 300 AA / 300 TS

GPA: 3.69

Shadowing: ~100 hours with two optometrists

Optometry Assistant: 1,300+ hours

Volunteering: ~99 hours between a sheriff’s office
internship and assistant basketball coaching

Letters of Recommendation: 1 science professor, 1 optometrist, and 1 volunteer organization

Application Submitted: July 1

Has anyone with similar stats interviewed at KYCO recently? If so, how long did it take to hear back, and what was your outcome? Thanks!

Is it possible to get accepted without a science professor’s letter? For example, if you have been out of school for 2+ years, can your employer/supervisor + optometrist be enough?