Hi everyone! I just took the OAT recently and wanted to share my experience because breakdowns like these were super helpful while I was studying. I definitely didn’t get a perfect score or anything and I would consider myself a below average student, but I definitely learned through a lot of trial and error, so hopefully this helps anyone who’s still early in the process.
Scores
Reading Comprehension: 400
Quantitative Reasoning: 400
Biology: 370
General Chemistry: 310
Organic Chemistry: 330
Physics: 320
AA: 360
TS: 340
Study Materials I Used:
Kaplan Prep Plus Book
I used an older Kaplan book for about a month at the beginning of my studying, and it felt super overwhelming. I spent a lot of time passively reading without really knowing what was high-yield, which slowed me down a lot early on.
OATBooster
I switched to booster for about 2 months, and that made a huge difference. The structure and practice tests were way more aligned with how the OAT actually tests you. One thing I really want to emphasize is to do full-length practice tests, not just individual subject tests. On the real exam, I was surprisingly tight on time during the Natural Sciences section (Bio, Gen Chem, Orgo). Even though I moved quickly through biology, I still had to go back to marked questions in Gen Chem and Orgo, which added pressure. Practicing stamina and timing across multiple sections back to back is super important.
Section Breakdown
Biology (370)
This was my strongest science section. The questions felt really broad but fair, and I even had a few questions that were word for word what I saw on practice tests. Having a solid foundation and recognizing patterns helped more than memorizing tiny details. The cheat sheets on booster were also super helpful for understanding the bigger picture for everything.
General Chemistry (310)
Genchem is usually one of my stronger subjects, but this section came down heavily to time management. There were a lot of calculation based questions, and spending even a little too long on a few of them adds up quickly. My biggest advice is to practice setting up problems efficiently and to move on if a question is taking too long, then come back if time allows.
Organic Chemistry (330)
A mix of reactions and conceptual questions. Knowing trends and reaction outcomes was more important than any super niche mechanisms. Time management was also a factor here since this section comes at the end of the Natural Sciences block.
Physics (320)
Physics is typically my weakest subject, but the exam itself felt fair. The questions were familiar and aligned well with the material I had practiced, with no major surprises.
Reading Comprehension (400)
I used a mapping strategy I saw on booster, where every few paragraphs I briefly jotted down what that chunk of the passage was about. This made a huge difference for me because I didn’t have to keep scrolling back through long passages during questions trying to find where information was located.
Quantitative Reasoning (400)
QR was always a stronger section for me, but I attended a QR crash course a few days before the exam and it helped a lot. My practice test scores before were around the 360 range, but the crash course gave me so many shortcuts and more efficient ways to approach common question types. The real exam felt very manageable after that, and it significantly boosted my confidence going in.
Final Thoughts
The OAT is as much about strategy and timing as it is about content. Switching to a resource that worked better for me and focusing on full length exams made a huge difference. Good luck to everyone studying!
Scores
Reading Comprehension: 400
Quantitative Reasoning: 400
Biology: 370
General Chemistry: 310
Organic Chemistry: 330
Physics: 320
AA: 360
TS: 340
Study Materials I Used:
Kaplan Prep Plus Book
I used an older Kaplan book for about a month at the beginning of my studying, and it felt super overwhelming. I spent a lot of time passively reading without really knowing what was high-yield, which slowed me down a lot early on.
OATBooster
I switched to booster for about 2 months, and that made a huge difference. The structure and practice tests were way more aligned with how the OAT actually tests you. One thing I really want to emphasize is to do full-length practice tests, not just individual subject tests. On the real exam, I was surprisingly tight on time during the Natural Sciences section (Bio, Gen Chem, Orgo). Even though I moved quickly through biology, I still had to go back to marked questions in Gen Chem and Orgo, which added pressure. Practicing stamina and timing across multiple sections back to back is super important.
Section Breakdown
Biology (370)
This was my strongest science section. The questions felt really broad but fair, and I even had a few questions that were word for word what I saw on practice tests. Having a solid foundation and recognizing patterns helped more than memorizing tiny details. The cheat sheets on booster were also super helpful for understanding the bigger picture for everything.
General Chemistry (310)
Genchem is usually one of my stronger subjects, but this section came down heavily to time management. There were a lot of calculation based questions, and spending even a little too long on a few of them adds up quickly. My biggest advice is to practice setting up problems efficiently and to move on if a question is taking too long, then come back if time allows.
Organic Chemistry (330)
A mix of reactions and conceptual questions. Knowing trends and reaction outcomes was more important than any super niche mechanisms. Time management was also a factor here since this section comes at the end of the Natural Sciences block.
Physics (320)
Physics is typically my weakest subject, but the exam itself felt fair. The questions were familiar and aligned well with the material I had practiced, with no major surprises.
Reading Comprehension (400)
I used a mapping strategy I saw on booster, where every few paragraphs I briefly jotted down what that chunk of the passage was about. This made a huge difference for me because I didn’t have to keep scrolling back through long passages during questions trying to find where information was located.
Quantitative Reasoning (400)
QR was always a stronger section for me, but I attended a QR crash course a few days before the exam and it helped a lot. My practice test scores before were around the 360 range, but the crash course gave me so many shortcuts and more efficient ways to approach common question types. The real exam felt very manageable after that, and it significantly boosted my confidence going in.
Final Thoughts
The OAT is as much about strategy and timing as it is about content. Switching to a resource that worked better for me and focusing on full length exams made a huge difference. Good luck to everyone studying!
