My OAT Experience

[melotae]

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Hi guys, I just took my OAT yesterday and wanted to share what worked for me, since I got a lot of help from this site to prepare for it.

Practice scores

ADA/Ach1/Ach2/Ach3/ Actual​

QR 380/360/330/350/350
RC 400/300/310/260/400
Bio 400/330/330/340/370
GChem 370/380/340/320/390
OChem 370/370/350/370/380
Physics 340/320/330/300/380
TS 360/360/350/340/390
AA 370/340/330/320/380

Test Day
-Bring a jacket! it was freezing in my test room
- wear something where you can roll up your sleeves and pant legs cause they will be checking you with a metal detector
-get there early, they let me start as soon as I got there and checked in which let me out almost an hour early.

What I studied
-PCAT books, AP Physics and GChem books, practice MCAT tests, Chad's videos, OAT Achiever. 2 months total with a full load of college courses, 1-3 hrs a day for the first month and 2-4 hrs a day the last month.
-HIGHLY recommend Chad's videos and OAT achiever. Chad's videos are a good way to learn by listening to keep you focused, OAT Achiever makes you feel like you don't know anything so that test day you will be so relaxed since the questions are much easier.
- If you know you struggle with a particular subject start studying it earlier and more frequently, I had to force myself to do it with physics since I struggled with it in college classes
- Make sure you revisit the subjects you missed on practice exams within 1-2 days of taking it, it'll stick better in your brain that way.

Good luck to anyone taking the exam soon!!

 

[catsomgcats]

Congrats on your scores!! Where will you be applying?

My test is next Friday. I've been using the OAT Achiever too. Can you tell me how comparable each of the topics on the Achiever is to the actual exam? ... Especially the RC and Physics section since those 2 are ridiculously difficult on the Achiever lol

 

[catsomgcats]

Also do you think we need to know about galvanometers?

 

[melotae]

Congrats on your scores!! Where will you be applying?

My test is next Friday. I've been using the OAT Achiever too. Can you tell me how comparable each of the topics on the Achiever is to the actual exam? ... Especially the RC and Physics section since those 2 are ridiculously difficult on the Achiever lol

Thank you 🙂 I'm applying to most of the schools on the west side of the US.
I would say Bio, QR are the same on the real OAT as on achiever. Gen chem and Ochem on achiever are a little harder than the real exam (more in depth). Based on my experience, the RC and Physics were WAY harder on Achiever than on the real test so don't be discouraged if you are feeling bad about those.
As for galvanometers, I think it's fair game. There were more conceptual problems on the real OAT than Achiever so if you are low on time then I would say at least know about them on a conceptual level.

 

[catsomgcats]

Thanks! 🙂 do you know the best place/link to study about galvanometers? I never heard them in Chad's videos or seen them in the Kaplan book or even in the 2 physics classes I've taken... so I'm not sure what exactly to look for. First time I have heard of them was on the OAT Achiever

 

[melotae]

It was covered in my physics class in college so I dont know , sorry !

 

[ohopenyoureyes]

just curious but are you also taking the PCAT?

 

[melotae]

I'm not but I took a practice pcat with Kaplan from more sciences practice

 

[eyesonme19]

Do you have an tips for Ochem and physics sections in regards to reactions and equations? I am struggling the most with those two sections.

 

[ohopenyoureyes]

how did you study for the Bio section of the OAT? (content wise)