Long Term Plan for Studying the OAT

[Trombone777]

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I am currently a junior studying Psychology and I am planning on taking the OAT in mid-June/early July. However, since my science GPA isn't as high as I want it to be (3.08, due to receiving C's in Bio I and II, Chem II, and Orgo I), I'm starting earlier so I can get a better grasp of concepts and prepare myself better for the exam. I am aiming for 350-380. Does anyone have any suggestions on a long-term study plan for a current student with 17 credit hours? Should I study the OAT thrice a week or daily?

 

[mathcod]

Your schoolwork should come first. You can study for the OAT as you go, even if just on weekends, but I would go back and re-read your bio, chem, and orgo books. The OAT isn't that intense but you would do your education a favor by re-reviewing your coursework you obtained C's in, and the best way to do that is looking at your college coursework on those subjects and not specifically OAT prep material on those subjects.

Probably no more than 75-100 hours of study are really needed to do well.

 

[love2beOD]

i recommend using chad's videos to review topics you aren't strong in...his videos are helpful! and much cheaper than kaplan. I would try to go through his videos and quizzes daily....make notes..then set aside a month or 2-3 weeks to review all the notes you've taken from him. That was how I studied...i didnt do too bad 300 AA and 300 TS on my first attempt. I struggled with ochem in undergrad...and amazingly scored 320 in ochem.
Good luck!

 

[roush137]

Will you be taking summer classes? If not, I would say don't worry too much about the OAT until about April. Then study hard April, May, and June. I did about 3 months of studying and I wasn't taking classes but I was working full time. I used the Kaplan review book. Here's a link to the most recent version: Amazon product ASIN 161865781XI used an older version and it worked just fine and it was only around $20. So I guess it depends on how much you have to spend. I tried to do 1-2 chapters per night. I read through and highlighted, then took notes in the margins, and then read through the chapter out loud. For concepts I really didn't understand I used Khan Academy. I've never used Chad's videos so I can't compare them, but Khan Academy is free. I got as many practice tests/questions as I could find. I worked through one chapter by chapter, then I would do one after I finished each section (Bio, Chem, etc.) then I started taking full practice tests a few weeks before the test to work on weak spots. I didn't do the reading out loud for ochem or physics and they were my worst scores, so I think that really worked well for me. I also let myself get behind so I didn't put as much time into those.

I would suggest scheduling your test right now! Having a deadline is huge, and rescheduling is expensive. I believe you can schedule about 6 months ahead, so don't wait!

My science GPA was slightly lower than yours so I was definitely trying to prove myself on the OAT. I ended up with a 340 TS and AA and was accepted everywhere I interviewed. If you have any questions feel free to message me!

 

[Trombone777]

Thanks for the responses so far. I'm going to start studying this weekend (hopefully) and start light. In that, I mean maybe covering a chapter each of the sciences for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I currently have the Kaplan OAT practice test book, OAT flashcards, Kaplan OAT Lesson Book, OAT Destroyer (for every subject except Reading Comprehension), and Cracking the OAT. Would this be enough for studying?