How long should I study for the OAT?

[sugarhype10]

I scheduled my OAT exam for June 17, and my last day of classes is May 8. I thought that about a month of studying would be adequate, but now I am having second thoughts.

Do you think I should push back the exam date until August, so that I have all of summer to prepare?

Also, how do you recommend I study for the exam? I have the 2009-2010 Kaplan OAT book right now but several posts have said that its questions are a lot harder than the actual exam. I have also heard several good things about the OAT destroyer!

Thanks so much for your help.

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[OpticalBlackOut]

It obviously depends on your studying habits. If you're persistent and work hard everyday, a month is enough. HOWEVER, the bottom line is that, what will you be doing with the extra time? Assuming that you're applying for schools near the end of summer, rolling apps don't start until August. (Applying early is really important though)
Might as well spend the extra time giving yourself a more relaxed schedule to prepare for the OATs.

 

[bobbio]

I think everyone is different so you can't exactly get an answer from this forum - only you will know for sure yourself. For myself I thought the same about studying for a couple of months but when it came down to it I found that I was able to cover a lot in a day. That being said, I ended up only studying 5 days for the OAT, although I took most of my prereq's within the past 2 years so things were still fresh in my mind.

I used OAT destroyer, Kaplan and some MCAT books - all were helpful.

 

[Slapshot13]

It does depend on your study habits. However, to perform extremely well (in the 380-400) range, you may require that extra time. The nature of the OAT does not require extensive studying, but there are many questions that you would likely be unprepared for if you only studied a week to two weeks. I think a month to two months is certainly more than enough time to do extremely well, if you are studying 4-6 hours a day.

Hope this helps,

 

[zyg0te]

I would keep it that time, and really plan on taking the OAT during that time.

Be realistic. Week of 5/11 you are probably just going to relax from the semester.

This gives you 5/18, 5/25, 6/1, 6/8, 6/15 to study for it. I think 4 weeks is plenty of time. Studying 4-6 hours a day should get you 350.

This gives you the rest of summer to work on personal statements and stuff.

If during the week of 6/15 you do not feel ready (and to be honest, most people don't when they take the test) you still have the option of postponing.

 

[sugarhype10]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I really appreciate it.

I am the type to spend several hours a day studying, but I'm going to go ahead and push the date back to August. I will have more than enough (probably too much) time to prepare myself for the OAT, but I don't want to have to take it again so I'm just going to study as much as possible.

This summer is just going to be about the OAT. I'm not applying to optometry schools until after I graduate, so the summer of 2010 will be devoted to the application process.

 

[CCTX87]

I took the OAT last August and I really wish that I would have taken it in July. If you can have your OAT, LORs, transcripts, and application in at the beginning of August rather than putting your application behind people who apply really early it will save you a lot of waiting stress. I took my OAT August 30th and had my application completed in the middle of September and it took me until the beginning of December to hear back from UHCO. I know they are a lot slower than some other schools but my best friend took her OAT in July and had her application in the beginning of August and was accepted in October. I think that the waiting stress is almost as equal to the stress of taking the OAT. I gave myself too much time to study and I almost stressed out over nothing. I would recommend to take it in the end of July, but to each his own.

 

[sugarhype10]

Alright, I just rescheduled my exam date - it cost me $25!!! - for July 7th! This is it... I hope I'll be prepared enough to do really well this first (and hopefully only) time around.

I did this because everybody was making a lot of sense. About 2 months of studying should be good enough, especially since I've already taken all the general science courses plus biochemistry and animal physiology.

I'll use the rest of my summer break to work on my application packages... I've decided to just apply this summer since I'm pretty confident I'm ready.

 

[Noemimi]

I have different dilemma. I am planning on working part-time during the summer (3-4 8hr days) at the optometry office I work at. This will be from the beginning of June until the beginning of August (I plan on taking the OATs in early to mid-August). Also, I will begin applying mid-July when apps open up (Maybe it will be slightly easier since I will be applying once because of the new centralized applications). I am not the type to spend HOURS studying in one day. The most I would probably do is 3-4 hours the days I wouldnt work and 1-2 hours the days I do work. Is studying on the weekends and 1-2 weekdays a week for 2 months too little time to study for the OATs?

I know that it is different from person to person, but for those that have taken it, does this seem reasonable enough to do well? Should I work 3 or 4 days a week?

 

[chocol8]

Would you be able to start working 4 days a week, and change your mind and work 3 instead if you are finding you need more time? I'd try that out and see what happens (if you can).

I have a similar situation as well. I'll be working 5 days a week for the entire summer, and I still can't decide when I should schedule my OAT. I've taken courses like chem, organic chem, physics, etc about 3-4 years ago, so I'll definitely need time for a refresher. I can't work for less time however because I need the money. Obviously everyone's studying habits are different, but does scheduling the OAT at the end of august or early September sound reasonable?

 

[thanotoriousfob]

Alright, I just rescheduled my exam date - it cost me $25!!! - for July 7th! This is it... I hope I'll be prepared enough to do really well this first (and hopefully only) time around.

I did this because everybody was making a lot of sense. About 2 months of studying should be good enough, especially since I've already taken all the general science courses plus biochemistry and animal physiology.

I'll use the rest of my summer break to work on my application packages... I've decided to just apply this summer since I'm pretty confident I'm ready.

I think it is wise that you postponed it a little bit. I'd rather be safe than sorry. If you can start prepping the other parts of your application now, it will save you A LOT of time.

I personally studied for 3 months but in the 2nd month, I hardly studied (maybe just a week total) for personal reasons. I think 2 months with about 3 -6 hrs of studying a day will get you solid scores as long as you are consistent and being efficient.