Hello everyone, I just took my OAT (March 2023) and I was pleasantly surprised by my scores. I was lucky enough to have a very solid foundation in the content covered on the OAT so my studying experience was definitely different than most. Here is how my experience was:
Studying and Studying Materials
About a year before needing to take my OAT, I decided that I would begin studying during the Summer before (Summer 2022), study more during the following Winter break (December 2022), grind the week of Spring break (March 2023), and try my best to study when I could during the school year to take my OAT sometime during Spring break or shortly after. At the beginning of the Summer, I purchased OATBooster for three months, which also provides a three-month study plan for its users. I tried my best to follow the schedule offered but soon fell behind and found myself getting frustrated that I could not/did not have the motivation to keep up with it. I think this may have been because I knew my test was around nine months away and I was worried I would forget details mentioned in the videos. This resulted in me taking way more time watching the OATBooster's videos and taking notes on my iPad than I think is expected. By the end of my three-month subscription, I more or less gave up on trying to follow the schedule and simply did practice problems to determine what topics I was unfamiliar with and used that information to go back to the videos to learn and take notes. At the end of the Summer, I did not feel very accomplished in my studying but, before my subscription ended, I downloaded OATBooster's Chapter Notes and cheat sheets for each of the sections to study during the school year.
My 2022 Fall semester was extremely busy and I did not have time to study for the OAT, however, I thought it would be okay considering I would still have about three months to study for my OAT (December-March). I also purchased The Princeton Review OAT book and OAT Destroyer (physics, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative reasoning) during this time and planned to study during those three months. During Winter break, I scheduled my OAT exam and I continued to do as many practice problems as I could (it wasn't very much) using those resources. When school started up again in January, I thought I would have plenty of time to study considering I purposefully took a slightly lighter course load compared to previous semesters to study. However, I quickly realized this wasn't the case. I still found time to study for an hour or two some days but I realized that classes took higher priority than anything else, including studying for the OAT. Nonetheless, I tried my best to formulate a solid study plan for the remaining few weeks and decided to go through the OATBooster study notes that I had downloaded, especially general chemistry and physics because I felt like I had very little knowledge in those topics. By the time Spring break rolled around, I had gone through and taken notes on about half of the physics notes and a few of the general chemistry notes. I did not feel prepared at all. I seriously considered pushing back my OAT date, which was set for the Saturday before the end of Spring break. However, my parents told me I would be okay if I just studied hard and tried my best (I didn't really believe them).
I spent my entire Spring break studying for my exam. Generally speaking, I would sit in front of my laptop from 12 PM-1 AM most days but that doesn't mean I studied the entire time. I definitely took many breaks by watching movies/tv shows, taking naps, and talking to my friends. Personally, I don't think anyone can or should study for like 8 hours straight because I think it's just torture and not worth it. So, when I took breaks and took a steady pace to studying, I found myself enjoying it. My schedule for Spring break was: Day 1-5-content review (two days on physics, two days on general chemistry, one day reviewing everything); Day 6-practice test/review practice test; Day 7-general review; Day 8-practice test/review practice test; Day 9-general review/relax; Day 10-take the OAT. My content review was solely based on OATBooster study notes and my notes from school. I used the practice tests that came in the Princeton Review OAT book and averaged around 360/370.
As for my opinion on the resources I used:
OATBooster Notes for General Chemistry and Physics: 10/10--loved how straight to the point they were, seriously gave you all the information you need to know and were not dense at all
OAT Booster Notes for Biology: 8/10--on the denser side and slightly overwhelming considering a few of the notes were 40+ pages but the cheat sheets were very helpful
OAT Booster videos: 7/10--personally, I'm not an auditory learner so I am not a fan of watching lecture videos in general but there were definitely a few topics that I learned from the videos
OAT Destroyer: 4/10--I had heard that OAT Destroyer purposefully makes very hard questions so that it definitely prepares you for the OAT, however, when there was a reaction I wasn't familiar with in an organic chemistry question and I brought it to my organic chemistry professor, he told me that the reaction was insanely arbitrary and that the OAT Destroyer is only going to confuse me with miscellaneous details that I just didn't need to know; thus, I didn't use this resource very much
Princeton Review OAT Practice Tests: 8/10--when taking them, I thought the practice tests were on the easier side but I really enjoyed the fact that there were thorough explanations for each of the answers and appreciated that I got to sit through a practice run of a full exam before having to take my actual OAT
Score Breakdown and Approach to Studying Each Section
Biology (400)
Since I am a biology major, I hoped that the biology section wouldn't be too difficult. However, I was worried because I took AP Biology in my sophomore year of high school and did not remember some of the more arbitrary topics that I hadn't seen in college (taxonomy, plant anatomy, development). Thus, during my general review day (Day 5 of Spring break), I looked through my notes from AP Biology to refresh those topics and cover anything I forgot about. On the exam, there wasn't a single question where I didn't recognize the topic but I definitely had to guess between two or three answers on a few of them. I think the practice problems on OATBooster were more detailed than those on the actual exam and this was even more the case for OAT Destroyer.
General Chemistry (400)
I took AP Chemistry in high school and had an amazing teacher who gave me a decent foundation. While I had forgotten a lot of the details and topics, reading through OATBooster's General Chemistry Notes (Day 3-4) helped a lot to brush up on my general chemistry and prepare me for the OAT. The practice tests also helped to identify and clear up any confusions I had. As for the actual OAT, there weren't any surprises, and, considering I did not know much general chemistry before going through OATBooster, those notes helped A LOT.
Organic Chemistry (400)
I took organic chemistry I & II in my freshman year of college and did well. I also got involved with organic chemistry research at my school and currently work as an organic chemistry supplemental instruction leader. Therefore, I didn't really feel like I needed to study for the organic chemistry section at all. I think the OATBooster practice problems were a bit harder than those on the actual exam.
Reading Comprehension (390)
Reading has never been a strong section for me. From reading/writing classes to the reading section of the SAT, it was always my weaker class/section. And, unfortunately, there's not much you can do to prepare for this section other than practice. Honestly, I just hoped for the best for this section because I didn't have many practice resources for it and I was pleasantly surprised by my score. During the test, I ran out of time toward the end because the program the testing centers use is not the best for toggling between questions. Thus, there was always about a second lag when trying to switch between questions and I think I lost a few valuable minutes when struggling with that. So, my best suggestion is to just keep that in mind and plan for your approach to the section accordingly. The questions were very similar to those on the OATBooster practice problems.
Physics (400)
I took AP Physics I in high school and Physics II the Fall semester before my OAT, however, I did not learn much in that class. Thus, I heavily relied on OATBooster's Physics Notes (Day 1-2). I soon realized that the section is very equation-based and knew I had to memorize the equations to do well. I ended up creating a list of equations I had to know (about 85 equations) and practice actively recalling them to ensure I had them down. Additionally, this section is right after the break, during which you are allowed access to your phones and study material, so I used that time to review the equations as well. The OATBooster practice problems were definitely harder than those on the actual exam.
Quantitative Reasoning (400)
I was not worried about this section at all because I have always enjoyed math. I took AP Calculus AB and BC in high school and worked as a Calculus I supplemental instruction leader during my second and third semesters in college. The exam is very much algebra-based and I saw some questions I had not seen in years (like solving and graphing inequalities) but they were what you would expect in an algebra class. There were more probability questions than I expected but they were very reasonable.
Overall, the studying process and the actual OAT were not nearly as bad as I thought they would be. I think it is about figuring out what works for you and prioritizing what you don't know and focusing on that. My foundation in most of these topics definitely helped me a lot and I was able to use the resources I had access to cover anything I was missing content- and practice-wise. As with all exams, I think confidence is half the battle and I hope my experience shows you that achieving a good score is very much possible. Thank you for taking the time to read my breakdown/experience and best of luck!!
Studying and Studying Materials
About a year before needing to take my OAT, I decided that I would begin studying during the Summer before (Summer 2022), study more during the following Winter break (December 2022), grind the week of Spring break (March 2023), and try my best to study when I could during the school year to take my OAT sometime during Spring break or shortly after. At the beginning of the Summer, I purchased OATBooster for three months, which also provides a three-month study plan for its users. I tried my best to follow the schedule offered but soon fell behind and found myself getting frustrated that I could not/did not have the motivation to keep up with it. I think this may have been because I knew my test was around nine months away and I was worried I would forget details mentioned in the videos. This resulted in me taking way more time watching the OATBooster's videos and taking notes on my iPad than I think is expected. By the end of my three-month subscription, I more or less gave up on trying to follow the schedule and simply did practice problems to determine what topics I was unfamiliar with and used that information to go back to the videos to learn and take notes. At the end of the Summer, I did not feel very accomplished in my studying but, before my subscription ended, I downloaded OATBooster's Chapter Notes and cheat sheets for each of the sections to study during the school year.
My 2022 Fall semester was extremely busy and I did not have time to study for the OAT, however, I thought it would be okay considering I would still have about three months to study for my OAT (December-March). I also purchased The Princeton Review OAT book and OAT Destroyer (physics, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative reasoning) during this time and planned to study during those three months. During Winter break, I scheduled my OAT exam and I continued to do as many practice problems as I could (it wasn't very much) using those resources. When school started up again in January, I thought I would have plenty of time to study considering I purposefully took a slightly lighter course load compared to previous semesters to study. However, I quickly realized this wasn't the case. I still found time to study for an hour or two some days but I realized that classes took higher priority than anything else, including studying for the OAT. Nonetheless, I tried my best to formulate a solid study plan for the remaining few weeks and decided to go through the OATBooster study notes that I had downloaded, especially general chemistry and physics because I felt like I had very little knowledge in those topics. By the time Spring break rolled around, I had gone through and taken notes on about half of the physics notes and a few of the general chemistry notes. I did not feel prepared at all. I seriously considered pushing back my OAT date, which was set for the Saturday before the end of Spring break. However, my parents told me I would be okay if I just studied hard and tried my best (I didn't really believe them).
I spent my entire Spring break studying for my exam. Generally speaking, I would sit in front of my laptop from 12 PM-1 AM most days but that doesn't mean I studied the entire time. I definitely took many breaks by watching movies/tv shows, taking naps, and talking to my friends. Personally, I don't think anyone can or should study for like 8 hours straight because I think it's just torture and not worth it. So, when I took breaks and took a steady pace to studying, I found myself enjoying it. My schedule for Spring break was: Day 1-5-content review (two days on physics, two days on general chemistry, one day reviewing everything); Day 6-practice test/review practice test; Day 7-general review; Day 8-practice test/review practice test; Day 9-general review/relax; Day 10-take the OAT. My content review was solely based on OATBooster study notes and my notes from school. I used the practice tests that came in the Princeton Review OAT book and averaged around 360/370.
As for my opinion on the resources I used:
OATBooster Notes for General Chemistry and Physics: 10/10--loved how straight to the point they were, seriously gave you all the information you need to know and were not dense at all
OAT Booster Notes for Biology: 8/10--on the denser side and slightly overwhelming considering a few of the notes were 40+ pages but the cheat sheets were very helpful
OAT Booster videos: 7/10--personally, I'm not an auditory learner so I am not a fan of watching lecture videos in general but there were definitely a few topics that I learned from the videos
OAT Destroyer: 4/10--I had heard that OAT Destroyer purposefully makes very hard questions so that it definitely prepares you for the OAT, however, when there was a reaction I wasn't familiar with in an organic chemistry question and I brought it to my organic chemistry professor, he told me that the reaction was insanely arbitrary and that the OAT Destroyer is only going to confuse me with miscellaneous details that I just didn't need to know; thus, I didn't use this resource very much
Princeton Review OAT Practice Tests: 8/10--when taking them, I thought the practice tests were on the easier side but I really enjoyed the fact that there were thorough explanations for each of the answers and appreciated that I got to sit through a practice run of a full exam before having to take my actual OAT
Score Breakdown and Approach to Studying Each Section
Biology (400)
Since I am a biology major, I hoped that the biology section wouldn't be too difficult. However, I was worried because I took AP Biology in my sophomore year of high school and did not remember some of the more arbitrary topics that I hadn't seen in college (taxonomy, plant anatomy, development). Thus, during my general review day (Day 5 of Spring break), I looked through my notes from AP Biology to refresh those topics and cover anything I forgot about. On the exam, there wasn't a single question where I didn't recognize the topic but I definitely had to guess between two or three answers on a few of them. I think the practice problems on OATBooster were more detailed than those on the actual exam and this was even more the case for OAT Destroyer.
General Chemistry (400)
I took AP Chemistry in high school and had an amazing teacher who gave me a decent foundation. While I had forgotten a lot of the details and topics, reading through OATBooster's General Chemistry Notes (Day 3-4) helped a lot to brush up on my general chemistry and prepare me for the OAT. The practice tests also helped to identify and clear up any confusions I had. As for the actual OAT, there weren't any surprises, and, considering I did not know much general chemistry before going through OATBooster, those notes helped A LOT.
Organic Chemistry (400)
I took organic chemistry I & II in my freshman year of college and did well. I also got involved with organic chemistry research at my school and currently work as an organic chemistry supplemental instruction leader. Therefore, I didn't really feel like I needed to study for the organic chemistry section at all. I think the OATBooster practice problems were a bit harder than those on the actual exam.
Reading Comprehension (390)
Reading has never been a strong section for me. From reading/writing classes to the reading section of the SAT, it was always my weaker class/section. And, unfortunately, there's not much you can do to prepare for this section other than practice. Honestly, I just hoped for the best for this section because I didn't have many practice resources for it and I was pleasantly surprised by my score. During the test, I ran out of time toward the end because the program the testing centers use is not the best for toggling between questions. Thus, there was always about a second lag when trying to switch between questions and I think I lost a few valuable minutes when struggling with that. So, my best suggestion is to just keep that in mind and plan for your approach to the section accordingly. The questions were very similar to those on the OATBooster practice problems.
Physics (400)
I took AP Physics I in high school and Physics II the Fall semester before my OAT, however, I did not learn much in that class. Thus, I heavily relied on OATBooster's Physics Notes (Day 1-2). I soon realized that the section is very equation-based and knew I had to memorize the equations to do well. I ended up creating a list of equations I had to know (about 85 equations) and practice actively recalling them to ensure I had them down. Additionally, this section is right after the break, during which you are allowed access to your phones and study material, so I used that time to review the equations as well. The OATBooster practice problems were definitely harder than those on the actual exam.
Quantitative Reasoning (400)
I was not worried about this section at all because I have always enjoyed math. I took AP Calculus AB and BC in high school and worked as a Calculus I supplemental instruction leader during my second and third semesters in college. The exam is very much algebra-based and I saw some questions I had not seen in years (like solving and graphing inequalities) but they were what you would expect in an algebra class. There were more probability questions than I expected but they were very reasonable.
Overall, the studying process and the actual OAT were not nearly as bad as I thought they would be. I think it is about figuring out what works for you and prioritizing what you don't know and focusing on that. My foundation in most of these topics definitely helped me a lot and I was able to use the resources I had access to cover anything I was missing content- and practice-wise. As with all exams, I think confidence is half the battle and I hope my experience shows you that achieving a good score is very much possible. Thank you for taking the time to read my breakdown/experience and best of luck!!
