Hey I'm an undergraduate studying to prepare for optometry school. For the OAT, which Test prep courses are the best? Does the kaplan program prepare you? Is exam crackers better? Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
I think it's well worth taking the Kaplan course - that's what I did. I studied some from just books first, but the major benefit of the prep course is the online materials. The practice tests on the computer are what taught me to pace myself well and to navigate the interface I'd see on test day (it was pretty much exactly the same as what I had with the Kaplan online system). The class itself was kind of worthless. I got some good tips for the reading section and a few of the science concepts or tips/tricks were explained and that was helpful. That may depend on the teacher you have, but more likely it's the fact that there is so much information that any class can only skim it until you go several times a week for months (which would not be financial viable for either the students or Kaplan!). So while the class itself wasn't super helpful, I used all of the course books and online materials a TON. I read the large lecture notes book that comes with the course cover to cover, and many chapters several times. There are a lot of really great quizzes and section tests in the online resources in addition to the full-length timed tests. My score went up about 100 points (I was also taking some of the prereq classes during that time, which were certainly a part of that rise in score!). I strongly credit the Kaplan materials....especially the online stuff. And you can't get access to the online stuff unless you take the course. For example, the reading and math parts are quite a different experience when you have them on the computer instead of having the text or figures on a paper in front of you where you can write on it or see everything at once. It's only worth it if you are willing to put the time and effort in - I spent multiple hours every day studying for the last month, and some time each week studying for a few months up to that point. I supplemented a tiny bit in the organic chem section, but I'm not sure that really made a difference for me. Everything else I used came straight from the Kaplan materials. And I got a 380 AA / 390 TS...so I would say Kaplan's stuff is high quality =P.
Also, it is a chunk of change. But I think it's worth the money. That's not a lot of money in the long run of optometry school, and a high score might even get you that much money in scholarships that you wouldn't have had before.
Again - I can't stress enough that it is only worth it if you have the time to put into studying. You can not just skim over the materials for a week and expect good results - that will not happen and will waste your money. Also, if you decide to do it, take to the Kaplan rep about extending your online resource access before you make the purchase. That way you have some leverage for them to get that sale. Usually the resources expire a little while after the course is done and the course only lasts about a month - that is not enough time to get what you need out of the materials. I took the Kaplan course in February last year, and then didn't take the OAT until the end of August so that I could have all summer to prep for it.
That's another thing - schedule your exam toward the end of summer. Do not sign up for it in the middle of the semester or right after finals in December. You will need to cram up to the last minute no matter what and that can't happen when you are preoccupied with other classes and homework. Good luck, however you choose to prep!
