What is the OAT 2026 Exam?

How long is the OAT exam?

Getting Started With the OAT Exam

The OAT test requires roughly five hours to finish, including the optional tutorial, break, and post-test survey. Try our MCAT practice test.

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What is on the OAT exam?

The OAT consists of four sections with 230 multiple-choice test questions presented in the English language. The test shall be developed following the developed test requirements. The OAT comprises a series of four timed exams: the Survey of Natural Sciences (including Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry), Physics, Quantitative Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. Try our DAT practice test.

OAT Exam Format

OAT Scoring System

The OAT is measured on a scale of 200 to 400. For each portion of the exam, the number of multiple-choice questions you correctly answered per portion is your raw score. All multiple-choice questions are worth one raw point, and there is no penalty for wrong answers.

In your official score report, you and the schools you are applying for won’t receive raw scores but a scaled score. Converting your raw score into a scaled score ranges allows each exam to be optimized for group performance and complexity using matching procedures.

The OAT is measured on a scale of 200 to 400. For each portion of the exam, the number of multiple-choice questions you correctly answered per portion is your raw score. All multiple-choice questions are worth one raw point, and there is no penalty for wrong answers.

In the score scale, the average mean score is 300 points with a 10-point interval value and a standard deviation of about 40 points. It allows scores of different tests to be equally compared to each other by optometry colleges. Once you receive your score report, you will see eight scores:

• Biology
• General Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physics
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Reading Comprehension
• Total Science
• Academic Average

The Total Science rating is the total amount of your initial, raw performance in Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics, which is then normalized and converted into a scaled score of 200 to 400. The Academic Average is the mean score for all OAT exam sections:

• Biology
• General Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physics
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Reading Comprehension

Furthermore, your score report will also tell you and the optometry schools your percentile ranking that corresponds with your scaled score for each section. Percentile ranks are used to express the standing of a candidate to other people who have taken the admission test. His/her percentile rank does not decide the candidate's admission to optometry schools.

How much does the OAT test cost?

The OAT exam cost are in US dollars and are non-refundable and non-transferable. The following table indicates the optometry exam cost:

Rescheduling Fees

The fee for the rescheduling of a test appointment shall be based on the amount of the notice given. The fee for rescheduling is as follows:

Note: Saturdays and Sundays are not business days.

OAT Exam Schedule

All applications are due by 9 PM Eastern Time (ET) of the application or late application deadline date.

OAT Test Prep and Test-Taking Strategies

Even someone with sufficient knowledge of all science and math at the OAT is unlikely to meet the highest score without appropriate testing strategies. Learning the formats of the test questions and having a solid strategy on how to deal with each question when completing each section on time can be as critical as the knowledge of the material.

The OAT exam has only one type of question, which is multiple choice. You're not going to find any fill-in-the-blank, matching type, quick answer, or true/false test questions. Instead, each question will give you the option of choosing one out of four or five responses. This means that your concentration, when studying and answering questions, must be more on identifying relationships and patterns than on memorization.

To help you to develop a surefire approach for your upcoming OAT test, below the are a few of the most effective strategies:

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1. Know what the OAT tests. Don't forget the purpose of the OAT: to measure your logical reasoning powers. You have to know the content since each segment has its specific language, but the fundamental purpose of the OAT is constant throughout the examination.
2. Build up your endurance. Prepare your brain for the Testing Day by taking practice tests and training in three-hour blocks while ensuring to take breaks every hour and one day off each week.
3. Skip questions and answer questions you can correctly answer. Strike each of the sections confidently. You're in charge of that. Since each item is worth the same point, first work out your best areas to maximize your chance for OAT points. Do not be a victim of the test structure, and don't let a single question bring you down.
4. Master the art of predicting. Cautiously decide what the question is really asking, then predict the answers before you read the choices. It helps to protect you from compelling, difficult, and time-consuming wrong choices.

Question #1

OAT Sample Test Questions

All of the following are components of the Cell Theory EXCEPT the idea that

• all living things are composed of cells.
• all living things contain mitochondria.
• cooperation among cells allows for complex functioning in living things.
• all cells arise from preexisting cells.
• cells carry genetic information in the form of DNA.

Question #2

A scientist is setting up an experiment with 20 samples, each consisting of 0.5 g of a solid. He will pipet 2 mL of liquid into each sample, allow them to stand for 1 hour and then remove 1 mL for analysis. Which of the following is the best glassware to use?

• Erlenmeyer flasks
• Beakers
• Volumetric flasks
• Round-bottom flasks
• Test tubes

Question #3

Which of the following are always considered terminal functional groups?

• Aldehydes
• Ketones
• Carboxylic acids
• Alkenes
• Both A and C

Question #4

The average of 3, 15, 18, and 8 is

• 5
• 9
• 11
• 15
• 18

Question #5

The average of 3, 15, 18, and 8 is

• 5
• 9
• 11
• 15
• 18