5 tips to ace your Optometry Admission Test (OAT)

The OAT can seem like a beast of a test. Let's go through 5 tips to help you ace it.

Tip #1: Fancy prep packages are overpriced and unnecessary

I'm going to let you in on a huge secret. None of the information tested on the OAT is new to science, and it's all stuff you can find online for free. Prep companies are selling you the convenience of having everything organized and in one place, but you can score a 400 whether you get the most decked out, comprehensive review package, or the most simple OAT prep textbook. They all cover the same information.

If you are money conscious, instead of defaulting to the fanciest review package thinking that it'll be the most likely to get you a good score (ahem, OATBooster), be strategic about your purchases. Think about what subjects you are the strongest and weakest in. What can you teach yourself? Where might you need some help? Allocate your funds accordingly.

Tip #2: Do LOTS of practice tests and problem sets

It's tempting to only do practice tests when you feel "ready" for the real thing. I get it, and I felt the same way. But forcing myself to do practice tests before I felt ready shattered illusions of competence I had about the material by showing me exactly where I was lacking.

So I scheduled practice tests and problem sets into my studying - every other Saturday, I planned for a practice test to see where I was at, and where I needed to improve.

Tip #3: Treat studying like a job

Studying for the OAT takes a while, and we want to make sure that you don't burn out. I found treating studying like a job was the most helpful to differentiate work time from play time, and to keep my efforts sustainable. I studied from 9 am - 3 pm, Monday through Friday for two months. Outside of these times, I was free to enjoy my summer.

Tip #4: Take scheduled breaks

Studying can be exhausting, and we all need to take breaks to recharge. The issue, I find, is that breaks are often associated with guilt - we feel as though the time should have been spent studying instead of scrolling through Instagram.

To get around this, I scheduled breaks into my calendar, and planned out activities that I actually enjoyed to do during these times. Between Pomodoro sessions, I might play my guitar for a few minutes. Or I might schedule an afternoon off every couple weeks to go out with friends. Being intentional about these breaks allowed me to enjoy them and avoid feeling guilty about taking the time off.

Tip #5: Find a study buddy

For all the self-discipline in the world, it's still difficult to wake up every morning to go to the library and get studying done. To this end, I found that having a study buddy was enormously helpful. He kept me accountable to showing up and putting in the effort every single day. Plus, taking a break from studying now and again to chat was also a great way to recharge.

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