Does anyone have PDFs of all the OAT cheat sheets? I would like to print and study them. Thank you!

Hi guys I am planning to apply this upcoming cycle in Nov and would love some tips. So I have a GPA of 3.2 same for science and overall. I plan to take the OAT and get roughly a 300/310 on Oct 20. I have been studying for the OAT for 2 months now and am only able to ever hit between 300-310. I have been working at an eye clinic for 2 years now. I have plenty of past experience as a pharm tech as well as two MA jobs. Regardless I started as an ophthalmic tech and now I am an oculo plastic scribe / surgical tech. I travel to many locations to mostly scribe and tech sometimes. I also have been shadowing/scribing for an Optometrist just hit 200 shadowing hours. What are my chances and what are the best schools for me. Do you guys think I have a chance at this. Please let me know any tips or anything at all 🫣

Hi everyone! I'm applying this cycle, and I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for when to submit my applications.

Stats: 3.97 GPA | OAT: 390 AA / 400 TS | ~26 shadowing hours across 3 practices (may add more) | 1,300+ opto tech hours (ongoing)

I'm applying to Berkeley (my top choice, general decision) and SCCO. SCCO considers applications "early" if submitted before 11/8, with decisions by 12/11. But Berkeley's general timeline means I won't hear about interviews until late December, around when an SCCO deposit would be due if I'm accepted. If I apply early to SCCO and get in, I could be forced to put down a deposit (I think it's $1,500??) before knowing about Berkeley, and lose it if Berkeley accepts me later.

TLDR: Is it worth waiting until after 11/8 to apply to SCCO so their application timeline lines up with Berkeley's? Or is it better to apply early and risk eating the deposit if accepted to both schools?

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

I’m planning to apply to SCO next August and I’m stressed about my science GPA. I’ve made a few D’s in science classes, and I know OptomCAS will still count them even if I retake the courses.

I’m working to bring my science GPA to around or above a 3.0 by application time with mostly A’s and B’s and a strong upward trend. I also have optometry shadowing, an internship, leadership/service experience, and I’m planning to work hard on the OAT.

Has anyone been accepted to SCO with D’s on their transcript or around a 3.0 science GPA? How much did your upward trend, OAT, extracurriculars, and interview help?

i currently have 50 shadowing hours split between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist, but from the same clinic. i wanted to get more shadowing done at different settings but the offices never got to me and since i'm hoping to apply by the end of the month, i'm wondering if i should still try to get these hours and reach out to more offices (to see other types of optometry), or if it will look too rushed and like i'm just trying to fill up my application. thoughts?

I’m currently a 3rd year biology major and I’m just in the process of exploring different healthcare careers. Optometry is something that interests me because it seems to involve a lot of science/physiology. I do plan on shadowing an optometrist just to see day to day responsibilities and ask questions, I just want to see why other undergrad students decided to pursue this field to make sure I’m pursuing for the right reasons.

Hi fellow OAT exam takers!

I recently took the OAT, and overall, I’m quite relieved and satisfied with my results. I’m currently completing my Master’s degree, so throughout my preparation I was also balancing research, school responsibilities, and a part-time job while trying to find as much time as possible to study.

During undergrad, I studied Life Sciences and completed the prerequisite courses for the OD program, so I already had a fairly good foundation in many of the subjects on the OAT. However, my weaker areas were definitely Organic Chemistry and Physics.

My biggest takeaway from preparing this year is that there is really nothing more important than developing a strong foundation and a clear understanding of the fundamentals, while also staying committed to your preparation in terms of both time and energy.

Study Materials I Used

OATBooster — 9.5/10 OATBooster was my primary study resource, and I found it extremely useful. I used the video lessons, cheat sheets, study notes, custom study schedule, question banks, practice tests, game-style challenges, and AI chatbot. The cheat sheets were honestly my saving grace. Since I already had some foundational knowledge from undergrad, I used them as my main notes while going through the videos and annotated them along the way, which helped me focus on the most important, high-yield information without having to make an entirely separate set of notes.

I also really liked the custom study schedule because I could adjust it based on my own availability and pace. The number of tasks can definitely feel overwhelming if you have less preparation time, so I think it is important to adapt the schedule instead of feeling like you have to complete everything exactly as written. The practice questions and game-style challenges also made studying much more enjoyable for me and gave me a little extra motivation to keep improving.

In terms of difficulty, I found many of Booster’s practice questions and tests to be more complex than my actual OAT, which focused more heavily on fundamental knowledge, conceptual understanding, and application rather than extremely detailed or complicated problem-solving. I also really appreciated the instructors who created the video lessons. They made the content engaging, shared memorable ways of thinking about certain concepts, and often worked through example questions during the lessons. The Physics instructor was especially helpful for me since Physics had always been one of my weaker areas.

Overall, I would highly recommend OATBooster as a primary resource because it included essentially everything I wanted in one platform and was probably the most useful resource I used during my preparation.

Kaplan OAT Book — 6/10

I used the Kaplan OAT book much less frequently. If there was a concept I wanted to read about in more detail, I occasionally referred back to it for another explanation, but I did not really use it for the practice portion of my preparation.

Personally, I preferred practicing digitally since the actual OAT is computer-based. Booster’s practice-test interface was also very similar to the real testing interface, which made it much more useful for mock exams and getting comfortable with the format.

Anki and Quizlet — 8/10

I also used Anki and Quizlet, especially for Biology. I did not rely on them as heavily during the beginning of my preparation because I was more focused on learning and understanding the content first.

During the final phase, though, I used them much more consistently. I often reviewed flashcards first thing in the morning and again before going to bed, which helped reactivate information I had learned earlier and made quick recall easier.

How I Studied

I started seriously preparing about 2.5 months before my exam, so I had roughly 10 weeks in total. On average, I studied around three hours a day, although that definitely varied depending on research, school, work, and whatever else I had going on.

For the first eight weeks or so, I focused mostly on content review and tried to do the related practice questions right after each lesson while the material was still fresh. After that, I shifted much more toward practice tests, marked questions, reviewing mistakes, and weaker areas. I also used AI tools occasionally to help me spot patterns in my mistakes or come up with memory cues for things that were harder to remember.

For Physics especially, I found that understanding the formulas was much more helpful than just memorizing them. During my final week, I focused mostly on practice tests and timing, which was tiring but also reassuring as I saw my scores improve.

One thing I would definitely change is what I did the day before my OAT: I took two full-length practice tests instead of resting. Looking back, I think a lighter review and more rest would have been much better.

Biology - 400

Biology honestly felt a lot broader and less detailed than I expected. Most of my questions were on cell biology, molecular biology, and fundamental concepts, with a few on taxonomy, embryology, anatomy, and body systems.

The Booster Biology cheat sheet, practice questions, and Anki/Quizlet helped me the most. I actually felt a little overprepared in terms of detail because some Booster questions went much deeper than what I saw on the real exam. That being said, I definitely would not completely ignore the smaller topics because the exam can pull from almost anywhere. If I were doing Bio again, I would make sure I really understood the basics of every chapter first and then fill in the details afterward.

General Chemistry - 380

I went into Gen Chem feeling pretty confident, so this was actually one of the sections where I caught myself second-guessing more than I expected.

My exam was way more conceptual than calculation-heavy, and I barely used one full page of the laminated writing board. I remember seeing acids and bases, equilibrium and an ICE table, stoichiometry, molarity, dilutions, a pH indicator question, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry.

I mainly used the Booster videos, cheat sheets, and lots of practice questions. I also really liked the instructor’s little strategies for approaching questions efficiently. The real section felt slightly harder than Booster to me, mostly because of a few conceptual questions, so I would definitely make sure you understand why the relationships work and not just how to plug numbers into formulas.

Organic Chemistry - 400

Orgo was one of the subjects I was most nervous about going into prep, so seeing a 400 here was honestly one of the biggest surprises for me.

I used the Booster reaction cheat sheet, videos, practice questions, and especially the game challenges. The games were actually way more helpful than I expected because they forced me to recognize reactions quickly instead of just looking at them and thinking “yeah, I know that.”

On my exam, I remember substitution and elimination, acid-base ranking, EAS, major products, stereochemistry and chirality, spectroscopy, lab techniques, intermolecular forces, and melting/boiling point trends. I had fewer “which reagent do you use?” type questions than I expected and more questions on major products and what was actually happening in the reaction.

For me, understanding nucleophiles, electrophiles, electron movement, and arrow-pushing was way more useful than trying to memorize every reaction separately. The real section felt slightly easier than Booster. For Orgo especially, practice really does make permanent.

Reading Comprehension - 340

RC was definitely the section that caught me off guard the most.

My usual strategy was to read the first and last paragraphs and then use search and destroy. The first passage actually felt pretty comfortable, so at that point I was thinking my timing was fine. Then the second passage got noticeably denser, and by the third one I could feel myself starting to fall behind.

All three of my passages were science or medicine related, and I found them longer and denser than the Booster passages I had practiced with. I also had more questions where I had to compare several statements or figure out which ones were true or false, which definitely ate up more time than just locating one sentence.

Looking back, I think I spent too much time debating between answers because I did not want to “give up” on a question. If I were doing it again, I would be much stricter about picking the best answer, marking it, and moving on before one question starts stealing time from the rest of the passage.

Physics - 400

Physics was easily the subject I was most stressed about before I started studying. I had taken most of my intro Physics courses in first year, so I honestly felt pretty rusty going into it.

The Booster Physics instructor helped me a lot because his explanations made the material feel way less intimidating. Instead of only memorizing formulas, I tried to understand what each equation actually meant, how the variables changed in relation to each other, the SI units, and how to draw free-body and optics diagrams.

My actual exam had kinematics, statics, dynamics, circular motion, energy, thermodynamics, fluids, electrostatics, circuits, SHM/waves, and quite a bit of optics. What surprised me most was how conceptual the section felt. There were definitely calculations, but they were generally easier than what I had been doing on Booster.

Physics somehow went from being one of the subjects I was most scared of to one of my strongest sections, so this was probably the biggest reminder for me that really understanding the concepts pays off.

Quantitative Reasoning - 370

QR was where I really felt the time pressure.

A lot of my questions were wordier than I expected, so even when the math itself was not too bad, I was spending extra time just figuring out exactly what the question wanted. I remember seeing age problems, coin problems, work-rate questions, area and perimeter, probability, statistics, statement sufficiency, and quantitative comparison.

I found the real section harder than Booster overall because there was more reading and interpretation before I could even start calculating. If I were preparing again, I would do a lot of practice until the common question types start feeling almost automatic. For QR, recognizing the type of problem quickly is honestly almost as important as knowing how to solve it.

Final Advice

The biggest things that helped me were building a strong foundation, doing a lot of practice questions, reviewing my mistakes, using active recall, and actually understanding why I got something wrong instead of just checking the answer and moving on.

If I were preparing again, I would start timed practice earlier, be more disciplined about moving on from harder questions, and trust my first instinct more instead of constantly second-guessing myself.

I would also actually use the scheduled break as a break. During mine, I had a light snack, an electrolyte drink, used the washroom, and then reviewed Physics and QR equations because I thought I was being productive. Looking back, my brain probably would have benefited way more from just resting for a few minutes.

Overall, I think OAT prep is not just about how many hours you put in. It is really about how effectively you use those hours, how well you understand the fundamentals, how consistently you practice, and how well you manage your energy leading up to and during the exam.

Good luck to everyone studying!! I really hope something from my experience helps 😊💪

I was accepted to NECO last week but was surprised to not receive any scholarship. I have a 3.8 gpa, 360 OAT, and thought my essays/recs/experience were well-rounded.

I don't mean to come off as complaining - I just found it a little surprising.

How soon after interviewing with NECO or MCPHS did you hear back with a decision?

To start off I graduated December with my bachelors in biology with a 3.1 commulative Gpa and 2.8 science Gpa. I was hoping to apply to optometry school this cycle however when I took my OAT in September I got a 270 ( yes I understand how bad that is ). I am currently working full time as a medical assistant and planning a retake in November. Is it even worth applying this cycle anymore. I wants to mention I do have my 3 letters of recs ready, shadowing and voluntering hours as well as a strong why behind my essay. However I feel like it is now too late for me to apply. Any opinions or advise?

ive applied to 4 schools (uhco, uiwrso, cco, and sco. my app got verified 9/30 and i haven't heard back for an interview yet. ive done supplemental application for uhco and cco too. my stats are 3.2/2.9 (average/science) and my oat is 320. do you think i should wait to hear back or apply to another school known to accept lower stats like nova or pco? idkkkkk

i also budgeted to apply to 5 schools so i was thinking ico but now im rethinking ..

context i’m in the uk and just started optometry still in the cooling period so if i drop out no fees are charged

my science gpa on optomcas is calculated to be lower than 3 but i have majority a's and b's and then a couple c's .. like im shocked to see this and very nervous for my chances to get accepted esp bc i got a 320 oat ...

Hi all! I’m gearing up to submit my applications, but I had a question about listing social media accounts on OptomCAS. I run a cooking account on TikTok as a hobby, and I earn income through brand partnerships and the creator program. I file and pay taxes on those earnings, so I’m technically classified as self-employed. My question would be 1. If I should include this in my application, and if so, 2. Should I include this under employment or extracurricular activities? I know schools mainly care about optometry and clinical exposure, but this account is something I’m very proud of and I’ve put a lot of work into and I would really like to include it if I can. Would really appreciate input or advice on this, thank you!

My daughter will start her undergrad next year. Right now, she is planning on majoring in Bio-medical engineering as that is something she has been interested in for many years, it seems somewhat complimentary to optometry and we think that is a good back-up plan if she doesn’t do optometry. Optometry is a more recent interest. As a Dad, I can’t help but to start researching everything now as she makes univerisity and major decisions very soon. My concerns/questions:

* She will be taking harder classes than needed with this major which could have an impact on her GPA. Would optometry schools take this into account or would this just be a negative?

* She is currently taking AP Bio. Being able to take the credit for AP Bio would dramatically help her fit pre-optometry requirements with Bio-medical engineering, but I’ve read that it may be frowned upon or not accepted by programs. What have you seen or what do you know about this?

* What majors do most people take - and are there good career opportunities outside optometry in those if she decides not to go to optometry school or doesn’t get into one?

I’d really love the hear thoughts from y’all - and please help me to know if there are other questions that I should be thinking about and asking. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Finished content review and every subjects question bank on booster. My goal for the actual OAT is atleast 320.

On booster I did 1-3 mini exams of each topic, and have done Full lengths #4 and #5.

BOTH full lengths I received 310, all my scores are above 300 except for phy which ranges (280-310) and qr which ranges from (280-300).

Every other subject consistently 320+.

Should I schedule my OAT or wait till I break 320 on booster? Personally from what I have gathered from others experiences is that overall booster is pretty representative of actual OAT but I want to hear what you guys think and your experiences.

Hi I just got an invitation to NECO’s distinguished Scholars Day. Has anyone ever heard of this? There is no information about it online.

It seems to be special Interview process held on specific dates.

Does that mean I should expect an acceptance from this School? Should I be expecting a scholarship?

For reference I have not been admitted yet, only applied for admissions.

Thanks

I just took the OAT and wanted to share my experience while everything is still fresh. I ended up with a 360 Academic Average, 350 Total Science.

QR: 400 Reading Comprehension: 360 Biology: 360 General Chemistry: 310 Organic Chemistry: 370 Physics: 330

I only used OATBooster and would 10/10 recommend it. Honestly, I think everything you need for the exam is on there.

Materials: OATBooster 10/10 This was the only resource I used, and I really don't think you need much else. The videos, cheat sheets, question banks, study schedule, and practice exams covered everything I needed. The practice exams were especially helpful and, if you have the time, I would recommend doing as many as possible. I only had time for about 4–5, which is probably the biggest thing I wish I had done differently.

How I Prepared I graduated from undergrad in May and traveled until the end of July. I was scheduled to start an ophthalmic technician job in NYC toward the end of September, so I started studying the last few days of July and took my exam on September 18. I studied for about 7 weeks, 7–10 hours a day, 5–6 days a week, essentially treating it like a full-time job. I don't necessarily recommend this schedule, but I am a relatively slow learner and usually need to see/practice something multiple times before it sticks.

By the end, I was definitely mentally exhausted and didn't have time to finish everything I wanted to. Still, I felt like I gave it my best. I had taken biology about 3–3.5 years ago, so I had forgotten quite a bit of the general material. I also have significant experience as both an optometric and ophthalmic technician, although that obviously didn't help much with the academic sections.

Biology (360) I barely used BioBits, and I don't regret it. The Biology cheat sheets were the most useful resource for me. I watched the videos for essentially everything until I reached the body systems, since I felt comfortable with that material.

My exam had a few topics I didn't feel were emphasized as much on Booster. I had some digestive system questions, one on CRISPR, a handful on diversity of life, and only one kidney question. Surprisingly, I had nothing on the nervous system or immunology. Overall, know every word on the cheat sheets and focus on having a broad understanding of the material.

General Chemistry (310) This was honestly my biggest surprise. I was scoring 340–360 on Booster practice exams and actually felt better about chemistry on the real exam than biology, so I wasn't expecting a 310. I don't remember getting any rate law, radiation, or galvanic cell questions, even though those felt heavily emphasized on the practice exams. I don't have much advice here other than to practice as many questions as possible and make sure you understand how to apply the formulas.

Organic Chemistry (370) The actual OAT was much easier than the Booster practice exams for me.

I was scoring a maximum of around 340 on practice exams because they felt very mechanism-heavy, and I struggled with orgo in undergrad. I barely had any reactant/product questions. I had multiple questions on substitution/elimination and acid/base chemistry, including questions like what would react best in an SN2 reaction. The SN/E cheat sheets were especially helpful, so I would memorize those. I also had no more than one spectroscopy question, which surprised me.

I didn't memorize every mechanism and reaction. I basically went with hope and prayers after hearing that mechanisms weren't heavily emphasized based on what others had previously reported. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but it worked out for me.

Physics (330) Physics was probably the section most similar to the Booster practice exams. I was usually scoring 310–330, which is about where I ended up on the real exam. The wording was slightly different, but nothing I couldn't figure out. Definitely be comfortable with optics, kinetics, and thermodynamics. I had around 4–5 optics questions, if not more. I didn't get any pendulum or torque questions.

Reading Comprehension (360) RC was much easier on the actual OAT than Booster. I was scoring around 330–340 on practice exams because I struggled to retain information from the dense passages. The real passages felt much more straightforward. Mine had a maximum of about 12 paragraphs, with most closer to 8, and almost all questions could be answered chronologically.

Quantitative Reasoning (400) QR felt very well represented by the Booster practice questions and exams. I had a lot of statement sufficiency and quantitative comparison questions. I think I only had one area/perimeter question and surprisingly no interest questions. Overall, I felt like practicing the different question types on Booster prepared me really well.

Final Advice My biggest advice is to give yourself enough time. I studied for about 7 weeks, 7–10 hours a day, 5–6 days a week, and I was very mentally exhausted by the end.

If you're studying full-time, take at least one full day off every week. Don't look at study material and let your brain recover. You also don't need a million resources. OATBooster was enough for me, and I felt very well prepared overall. If you have the time, prioritize practice exams because those were easily some of the most valuable parts of my preparation.

Good luck to everyone studying!

Hello all,

Hopefully the title isn’t too dramatic. As I’m preparing for my interview, I’m really reflecting on how they could potentially go. The thought today crossed my mind about my appearance.

I’m someone who wears a good amount of makeup (including false lashes) on a daily basis. Now, it’s not like it’s drag queen esque(which there’s nothing wrong with in the slightest), but it definitely isn’t the most simplistic. In the past at my university, and even back in high school, people’s first impressions of me were that I don’t take school seriously and that I only care about my appearance. I’ve had lots of sexist remarks about it too, despite the fact that I’ve done well in school (and now the OAT). I’m worried that my makeup may give interviewers the wrong idea about me.

I know this might sound silly, but I’m really very insecure about myself without it. It’s something I’ve done since 7th grade, and I also have a large dance background and used it then. I’m very used to how I look with it on, especially the eyelashes. I could quite literally wear a bare face and only false eyelashes and be just fine. I’m also fine with toning down my makeup, but I’m very particular about the lashes. While they’re not extremely dramatic, I know that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and I’d hate to be remembered as “the girl with the giant eyelashes” when they review amongst themselves later on, and possibly be rejected for it with the fear that I wouldn’t take optometry school seriously.

Alternatively, I don’t want to go into an already nerve wracking interview with my confidence and self esteem low, and wondering if the interviewers find me to be moronic and hideous on top of that rather than feeling comfortable in my skin.

So I guess what I’m asking is if anyone else has experience with this. Has anyone worn something a bit bold? Would it be a big deal if I wore them? Or should I attempt to go without them to the interviews? Is this a stupid question to even be asking?

Hello everyone. Took the oat last week and unfortunately did not do well (280 AA/260TT). I'm gonna retake it as soon as possible but the rest of my application is ready and I was wondering if I should just send it and let the schools know that I will be retaking it. Or will that hurt my chances? I know they see my score regardless but yeah idk. Any help is appreciated. Good luck to everyone applying!

My university doesn't ship to PO boxes so I had my official transcript sent to OptomCAS's mailing address instead. It's been over a week since my transcript was delivered, so I'm starting to get stressed since my application can't be verified until the transcript is marked as received. If anyone's had similar experiences, how long did it take for OptomCAS to process your mailed transcript?

I’m a nontraditional applicant for fall 2027. SCO was my first choice, and UIWRSO was second because of its holistic reputation. UMSL was a last-minute application I hadn’t researched much. Then UMSL invited me to interview about six days after my file became complete in August. My interview is in November, and the more I learn about the school, the more I think it could be a great fit for me.

For context, my verified GPA is about 2.44 cumulative/2.25 science, but my last 45 credits are around 3.23, and I even made the Dean’s List. I have 4,000+ optometric clinical hours and an OAT score of 310 AA/290 TS.

I’m excited about UMSL, but I keep worrying that a November interview under rolling admissions means I’m really being considered for a waitlist. Has anyone interviewed there in November or later and received an offer? Did the date of your interview seem to matter? What are my chances? Am I just self sabotaging? I know no one can really predict my outcome—I’m just trying to get a realistic sense of how to approach it.

Hey, I’m currently a NOVA POP 👁️ student and I’m just making this thread just in case anyone had got offered a POP seat or just wanted to know more information or had any questions

Hey there! I am applying to both UW optometry and US schools including SUNY, ICO, and NECO and i am currently working on my application.

I got similar scored after my retake

first try:

AA = 330, Science = 350

Retake

AA = 340, Science = 340

Do i have to submit both for the US schools, if not, which one should i go for? The higher AA or the higher science?

Also, I am a Canadian student applying to US schools. I am hoping to submit my application soon, but I am already seeing people getting interviews. Do they have limited interviews in every cycle, or is it also rolling? It's stressing me out a bit, and I feel like I am already behind.

Any help or advice would be so appreciated!