I know there's limited information and suggestions out there about how to study for the OAT so I figured I'd post my method in hopes of easing some of your minds.
First off, let's start with everyone's different. Doing poorly on this exam doesn't make you dumb. You really do need to be a good test taker. I unfortunately don't know what to suggest for that. I've luckily always been good with taking tests and I do have a good memory as well. I think the best thing to practice would be time - because despite my confidence walking in, I know I could have scored a lot higher with an additional ten min on each section.
Anyways, my study method:
I graduated in May, gave myself Memorial Day weekend to relax and got to work. I registered for Dr. Romano's DAT/OAT Bootcamp. He is the creator of the Destroyer books. So I don't know how else to emphasize this - BUT IF YOU LIVE IN THE NYC AREA (OR CLOSE BY) I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS COURSE. It's expensive, but for a little more than you'd spend on a crappy Kaplan course - you get to learn from someone who actually cares if you succeed or not. Dr. Romano basically provided review books for each subject and taught them in class twice a week.
I gave myself two and a half months to prepare for this exam. Twice a week I had class. The other days were spent in the library reviewing and mastering what was taught in class. I would give myself one day off a week to relax. I found this pretty important in maintaining my sanity.
After I learned all the material, I used to the OAT destroyer. I did this book three times over. You'll find many saying this book is overkill. And you know what- they're right. But if you can do this book, the actual test questions that come up are a lot easier. For physics, the destroyer is wayyy too hard. So I used AP physics exams which were very close to the actual test questions- more conceptual than mathematical. During the last three weeks of my studying, I was doing 7 days a week. 8 hour week days and 4-5 hours on sat/Sunday. It took a lot of discipline but when you see the finish line is close, you just have to keep your goals in mind.
Soooo my results:
QR: 360
RC: 340
BIO: 390
CHEM: 370
ORGO: 340
PHY: 330
TS: 360
AA: 360
The one thing I struggled with was time. On practice tests I found myself with thirty+ min left over in the sciences to review. However, that wasn't the case on the real test hence the low orgo score which I was scoring ~380 on in practice exams. So focus on that!
If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help. Good luck!
First off, let's start with everyone's different. Doing poorly on this exam doesn't make you dumb. You really do need to be a good test taker. I unfortunately don't know what to suggest for that. I've luckily always been good with taking tests and I do have a good memory as well. I think the best thing to practice would be time - because despite my confidence walking in, I know I could have scored a lot higher with an additional ten min on each section.
Anyways, my study method:
I graduated in May, gave myself Memorial Day weekend to relax and got to work. I registered for Dr. Romano's DAT/OAT Bootcamp. He is the creator of the Destroyer books. So I don't know how else to emphasize this - BUT IF YOU LIVE IN THE NYC AREA (OR CLOSE BY) I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS COURSE. It's expensive, but for a little more than you'd spend on a crappy Kaplan course - you get to learn from someone who actually cares if you succeed or not. Dr. Romano basically provided review books for each subject and taught them in class twice a week.
I gave myself two and a half months to prepare for this exam. Twice a week I had class. The other days were spent in the library reviewing and mastering what was taught in class. I would give myself one day off a week to relax. I found this pretty important in maintaining my sanity.
After I learned all the material, I used to the OAT destroyer. I did this book three times over. You'll find many saying this book is overkill. And you know what- they're right. But if you can do this book, the actual test questions that come up are a lot easier. For physics, the destroyer is wayyy too hard. So I used AP physics exams which were very close to the actual test questions- more conceptual than mathematical. During the last three weeks of my studying, I was doing 7 days a week. 8 hour week days and 4-5 hours on sat/Sunday. It took a lot of discipline but when you see the finish line is close, you just have to keep your goals in mind.
Soooo my results:
QR: 360
RC: 340
BIO: 390
CHEM: 370
ORGO: 340
PHY: 330
TS: 360
AA: 360
The one thing I struggled with was time. On practice tests I found myself with thirty+ min left over in the sciences to review. However, that wasn't the case on the real test hence the low orgo score which I was scoring ~380 on in practice exams. So focus on that!
If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help. Good luck!