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Information about the OAT test
On this page you will find useful information about the Optometry education, links to all the Optometry schools in the U.S. and Canada, how to apply to an Optometry School and information about the OAT test.
This may include: how to study, how to get help, which product to buy, which service to use, the related web sites for the OAT test and more.
At the end you must make the final decision. Please take your time and read the following information about the above test with care so you might save a lot of time and money at the end.
Some of the information presented here are from the OAT Examinee Guide published by the The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). If you need more detailed information about the above test please check the related web sites.
I have tried to explain different topics with a very simple language so everybody can understand and analyze the information without any confusion. I have also made a short video in case some students are interested to see a sample of the online tutorials for the above test. Finally I have included some general Q&A's on the FAQ web page in case some students are interested to read them.
The information provided on this page and the other pages of this web site are come from my own personal views and my own personal experiences working with different students over many years. They are not intended to give credit to or to discredit any individual, any company, any institution, any organization, any product or any service.
Questions
1-If a student is interested in the Optometry profession, what she/he needs to do?
2-What is the OAT test and Who needs it?
3-Who administer the OAT test?
4-What is the content of the OAT test?
5-What is a passing or a good score for the OAT test?
6-How a student should study for the OAT test?
7-What is a good study guide for the OAT test?
8-Who runs the www.prepseminarsusa.com and how this service can help students with the OAT test?
9-What are the tutorial notes for the OAT test?
10-Could students use the OAT test tutorial notes to study for the other tests such as the PCAT, the MCAT or the DAT?
11-What is the cost to buy the OAT test tutorial booklet?
12-Anything else do students need to know about the OAT test?
13-links to the U.S. Optometry Schools
14-links to Canadian Optometry Schools
15-
Locations and dates for the OAT group tutorial sessions
Answers
1-If a student is interested in the Optometry profession, what she/he needs to do?
A-For some common sense tips please click here.
B-Check the official web sites of the Optometry Schools or Colleges yourself!!!
C-Talk to the admission office yourself, nobody can help you more than the people who they actually running a program and set the requirements for the admission to an Optometry School!!!
D-Visit the Optometry School of your choice yourself if it is possible!!!
E-Ask for the printed materials if they are not posted on their web sites!!!
You should ask for the past few years of statistics for the students that they have applied to that school or the students who they have been accepted to that school. These statistics and information could give you valuable information about the OAT test scores needed, GPA's of the applicants, their academic background and etc.
F-Don't trust or believe what other people say until you hear the facts yourself from the official people from the admission office of an Optometry School!!!
G-Choose an Optometry School
There are many Optometry Schools in the U.S. and Canada so you have many choices. I have made links to all of them at the end of this page.You need to narrow down your search to find a college that is the best for you. You need to look at many factors such as public or private college, location, tuition fees, loans and scholarships, length of the program, cost of living, college accreditation, admission requirements and etc.
H-Admission requirements
After you choose an Optometry School to apply to, the next important thing is to look at the admission requirements for that college. Each Optometry School has its own admission requirements so make sure you know exactly what they are. Here we are interested only in the OAT test requirement.
2-What is the OAT test and Who needs it?
OAT is stand for the Optometry Admission Test.
All the Optometry Schools in the U.S. and Canada require the OAT test as a part of their admission process. Please check the links to the Optometry Colleges in the U.S. and Canada to see the specific admission requirements for the each college.
You need to take the OAT test before applying to an Optometry college and get the highest possible score on it.
3-Who administer the OAT test?
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) conducts the OAT test.
For the official web site and the latest information about the test regarding registration, fees, dates, location of test centers, how to write the test, scores, test content, time for each section of the test, practice test, etc. please visit the web site: OAT test Information
4-What is the content of the OAT test?
For the details about the test please look at the OAT Examinee Guide by going to the web site: OAT test Information.
The OAT test has 4 parts:
A-
Survey of Natural Sciences
B-
Reading Comprehension
C-
Physics
D-
Quantitative Reasoning
A-Survey of Natural Sciences
This has 3 parts:
a-Biology,
b-Chemistry
c-Organic Chemistry
a-Biology topics
The Biology part can be divided into a few topics as the following:
General Biology topics
Cell and Molecular Biology: origin of life, cell metabolism (including photosynthesis), enzymology, cellular processes, thermodynamics, organelle structure and function, mitosis and meiosis, cell structure, experimental cell biology
Diversity of Life topics
Biological Organization and Relationship of Major Taxa: (monera, plantae, animalia, protista, fungi, etc.) using the five-kingdom system
Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology topics
Structure and Function of Systems: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, immunological, digestive, respiratory, urinary, nervous, senses, endocrine and reproductive
Developmental Biology:
fertilization,
descriptive embryology, developmental mechanics and experimental embryology
Genetics:
molecular genetics, human genetics, classical genetics, chromosomal genetics and genetic technology
Evaluation, Ecology
and Behavior:
natural selection, population genetics/speciation, cladistics, population and community ecology, ecosystems, animal behavior (including social behavior).
b-General Chemistry topics
General Chemistry can be divided into a few sections as the following:
Stoichiometry and General Concepts
percent composition, empirical formulae, balancing equations, moles, molecular formulas, molecular weights, molar mass, density and calculations from balanced equations
Gases
kinetic molecular theory of gases, Dalton's, Boyle's, Charles', and ideal gas laws
Liquids and Solids
intermolecular forces, phase changes, vapor pressure, structures, polarity and properties
Solutions
polarity, properties (colligative and non-colligative), forces and concentration calculations
Acids and Bases
PH, strength, lewis acid and base, Bronsted-Lowry reactions and calculations
Chemical Equilibria
molecular, acid/base, precipitation, calculations and Le Chatelier's principle
Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry
heat transfer, 3 laws of thermodynamics, Hess's law, spontaneity, enthalpies and entropies
Chemical Kinetics
rate laws, activation energy and half-life
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
balancing equations, determination of oxidation numbers, electrochemical calculations, electrochemical concepts and terminology
Atomic and Molecular
Structure
electron configuration, orbital types, Lewis-Dot diagrams, atomic theory, quantum theory, molecular geometry, bond types and sub-atomic particles
Periodic Properties
representative elements, transition elements, periodic trends and descriptive chemistry
Nuclear Reactions
balancing equations, binding energy, decay processes, particles and terminology
Laboratory
basic techniques, equipments, error analysis, safety and data analysis
c-Organic Chemistry topics
Organic Chemistry can be divided into a few sections as the following:
Mechanism
substitution, elimination, addition, free radical reactions, mechanisms, Sn1, Sn2, E1 and E2 (Energetics, Structures and Stability of Intermediates)
Chemical and Physical Properties of Molecules and Organic Analysis
inter-molecular forces, intra-molecular forces, separation, introductory infrared spectroscopy, hydrogen NMR spectroscopy, carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy, chemical identification, stability, solubility and polarity
Stereochemistry
conformational analysis, optical activity, chirality, chiral centers, planes of symmetry, enantiomers, diastereomers and meso compounds
Nomenclature
IUPAC rules and functional groups in the molecules
Acid-Base Chemistry
resonance effects, inductive results, prediction of the products and equilibria
Aromatics and Bonding
concept of aromaticity, resonance, atomic orbitals, molecular orbitals, hybridization, bond angles and bond lengths
Individual Reactions of the Major Functional Groups and Combinations of Reactions to Synthesize Compounds
alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, acids, esters, amines and etc.
B-Reading Comprehension topics
Ability to read, organize, analyze and to remember new scientific information. There are 3 different passages with scientific contents. Following each passage there will be a few questions about the contents of that passage.
C-Physics topics
units, vectors, linear kinematics, statics, dynamics, rotational motion, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, waves, fluid statics, thermal energy, thermodynamics, electrostatics, D.C. circuits, magnetism, optics and modern physics
D-Quantitative Reasoning topics
This can be divided into a few sections as the following:
Mathematical Problems
algebra, equations, expressions, inequalities, exponential notation, logarithms, absolute value, ratios, proportions, graphical analysis
Numerical Calculations
fractions, decimals, percentages, approximations and scientific notation
Probability and Statistics
Geometry
Trigonometry
Applied Mathematics
Word Problems
5-What is a passing or a good score for the OAT test?
This depends on the Optometry School of your choice. You need to check with each Optometry School that you are interested in to see what is an acceptable score for them.
The OAT test score range is 200-400. The higher your test score is the better chance for the admission to an Optometry College.
Please note that the OAT test score is only one of the admission requirements and you need to pay attention to all the admission requirements to an Optometry School.
6-How a student should study for the OAT test?
Please take the official OAT practice test that is on the OAT information web site before you do anything else.
You will find out where you stand by looking at the result of the official practice test before you start to look for getting help for the test (before buying a study guide or using a tutoring service).
You have already spent a few years at a university or a college and you have taken some Science, Math and English courses. You should have an idea where the problem is or if you need help or not.
If you are happy with your scores from the official practice test then you are OK.
If you think that you need help then you have to sit down and decide how to study for the OAT test.
You have a few options:
A-Study from your text books that you have used for the first 2 years of university and college courses for Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math and English.
B-Buy a study guide for the OAT test from a bookstore or over the internet and study on your own.
C-Attend a tutorial class for the OAT test in person or use an online tutorial service.
D-Use a combination of the above
The Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Reading Comprehension and Quantitative Ability sections of the OAT test are in the form of multiple- choice questions.
Here are some tips for how to study for the each section:
A-For Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Biology sections of the test you will usually get 2 types of questions:
a-Theoretical and Concept questions
These questions do not involve any calculations and you need to remember the information from your memory.
You must study the relevant topics for the each section before the test and learn, understand and sometimes memorize them.
These topics and information will not pop into your head during the exam if you have not seen them and studying them before the test.
I have explained some stuff about the memorization vs understanding on the FAQ web page in case you are interested to read them.
b-Calculation questions
To answer these type of questions you need to understand what the question is asking you.
You need to remember the concepts, equations and formulas from your memory and then choose and set up the correct formulas for the calculations.
You need good math skills for the calculation part as you can not use calculators during the OAT test.
Some equations and formulas might be given to you but don't count on it. You will get a periodic table of the elements.
To answer any question from the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Biology sections of the OAT test you must recall the answers from your memory. There are no passages (unlike the MCAT test). All questions are independent and they can come from any topic that it is mentioned in the OAT Examinee Guide. I have included all the topics in my tutorial notes and I have listed them on this page.
Here I will go over 4 very simple questions for the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Biology to explain how you need to study for these parts of the OAT test.
Question 1 (Biology)
An example of a structural polymer made entirely of unmodified glucose repeat units?
A-lignin
B-starch
C-chitin
D-cellulose
E-glycogen
The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about the 4 major macromolecules from the Biology.
b-You need to know some information about the polymers from the Biology.
c-Pay attention to the key words such as "structural", "entirely", "unmodified" and what they mean here.
d-You need to remember some information about the 5 choices given here from your understanding of the Biology or from your memory.
Question 2 (Chemistry)
The cation form of an element is compared to the uncharged form of the same element. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A-The cation has more electrons
B-The cation has more neutrons
C-The cation has less electrons
D-The cation has a different half-life
E-The cation has less protons
The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about cation and anion from the Chemistry.
b-You need to know some information about the sub-atomic particles from the Chemistry and how they can affect the charge of an element.
c-You need to know some information about the half-life and if it is related to the charge of a particle in the Chemistry or not.
d-Pay attention to key words "cation", 'uncharged" and "same element"
Question 3 (Organic Chemistry)
Whether a reaction will proceed via an Sn1 or an Sn2
process depends on:
A-the reaction conditions
B-the structure of the products
C-the structure of the reactants
D-all of the above
E-A and C
The information that you need to answer this question:
a-You need to know some information about the 4 major reactions Sn1, Sn2, E1 and E2
b-You need to know some information about the differences between the above reactions.
c-Pay attention to the key word"reaction conditions" and make sure you understand what it means here.
d-Conditions of a reaction could be related to:
i-the structure of the Alkyl Halides and Alcohols (primary, secondary and tertiary)
ii- Solvent (protic or aprotic)
iii-Tempreture (high or low)
iv-Nucleophile or Base (strong, weak, large or small)
Question 4 (Physics)
A swimmer jumps off of a diving board into a swimming pool. As she falls toward the water:
A-her velocity increases, but her acceleration remains constant.
B-her velocity increases because her acceleration increases.
C-her velocity remains constant because her acceleration is zero.
D-her velocity remains constant because her acceleration is constant.
Here you need the basic knowledge about the velocity, acceleration, free fall and gravity to answer this question.
Now you can see that if you haven't studied the above subjects before the OAT test or you have never seen or heard these names or terminology you will never be able to answer these type of questions. The answers will not pop into your head by staring at the questions for hours or days!!!!!!!!
Please note that these are the simplest questions that I have used here. You should expect to get more complex questions in the tutorial notes and also on the actual OAT test.
I will let you to answer these questions on your own as a practice, so go get your notes, text books, study guides, tutorial notes or whatever you are trying to study from for the OAT test and find the answers. Good luck.
B-To answer questions from the Reading Comprehension section of the OAT test you need to be a fast reader.
You will get 3 scientific passages and then following each passage you have to answer a few questions about the contents of that passage. You need to read the passage first, retain and analyze some of the information mentioned in that passage and then you must answer the questions based on the materials from the passage. Sometimes you have to go back and forth between the passage and the questions a few times in order to get the correct answer so manage your time.
Here you don't need to study any materials before the test. The passages could be on any topics and you can not really study for them from any notes or any text books. The only thing that you can do is to practice to read faster but there is no short cut here.
The following are good ways to practice:
a-Read a few paragraphs from a scientific magazine, newspaper or book.
b-Close your eyes and try to remember what you have read or try to understand and analyze what was the message of the paragraph.
c-Ask somebody to ask you a few questions from the contents of the paragraphs to see if you can remember any information from them.
d-If you remember some information then you will do fine with more practice (Please read E).
C-For the Quantitative Ability section of the OAT test you need a broad knowledge of the Math topics from simple addition and fractions to complex word problems.
Some must be learned before the test by studying the relevant topics and then you recall that information from your memory during the test.
Some materials must be analyze and process during the test and can not be studied before the test.
Here are a couple of very simple questions for you to practice on:
Question 1
Tom, Mary, Jill and Tony all are friends. One is a doctor, one is a lawyer, one is an accountant, and the other is a teacher. Use the statements below to answer the question that follows.
i-Jill and Tony go shopping with the doctor.
ii-Tom and Mary eat dinner with the accountant.
iii-Tom watches TV with the doctor and the accountant. Who is the doctor?
A-Tony
B-Jill
C-Tom
D-Mary
Here you need to know how to use the elimination process.
Question 2
If x + y = 5 and x - 2y = 2, then y equals which of the following?
A-8
B-5
C-1
D-3
Here you need to know about the algebra and how to solve equations with 2 unknown variables.
D-Please note that you can not use calculators during any section of the OAT test (the same for the other tests such as the PCAT, the DAT and the MCAT). You need to do all the calculations in your head and with your math skills. When you are studying for the OAT test make sure you are not using calculators in any way so you can get use to the idea.
E-Please be careful about the ads that they promise you to teach you how to write and how to read in a few days or in a few weeks.
You will learn the skills of how to read or how to write over many years especially if the English is not your first language.
There is no course or no book that can teach you how to write or how to read in a short period of time (a few days or a few weeks). In most of this kind of classes they will tell you exactly what you have learned in your first year university English courses.
You have already taken one or two English courses at the university or college and you have paid a lot of money for them so just use your notes from those classes to refresh your memory about the major reading and writing rules and then the rest is involve a lot of practicing.
7-What is a good study guide for the OAT test?
This requires some research on your part. There are many books and study guides out there in the market for the OAT test.
You need to look at them and compare them to each other to see which one is the best for you.
Here are a few things to look for when you are choosing a study guide for the OAT test:
A-The study guide must follows the outline set in the OAT Examinee Guide for the different sections of the test.
B-The study guide must have both notes and practice tests with answers for the different sections of the test.
C-The study guide must have developed by the people who they know about the OAT test and at least they have taken the test once or twice, so they know exactly what materials are covered for the test.
D-The study guide must be updated when there are new changes to the test.
E-Don't forget the famous phrase"don't judge a book by its cover".
The contents of a study guide for a test is far more important than the appearance of the book or how colorful is the book. You need the contents to do well on the OAT test not anything else.
8-Who runs the www.prepseminarsusa.com and how this service can help students with the OAT test?
This tutoring service is offered by David Hunt.
You have a few options at this time:
A-Get help in person and one on one
This is only possible if you are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area (North Texas). This option can get expensive if you need a lot of tutoring hours. For the cost of tutoring click here.
B-Attend a group tutorial session
This is cheaper over all than one on one tutoring but this is only possible if I have 20 or more interested students for one location.
i-The group tutorial sessions could run 3-4 days and 5-7 hours a day.
ii-You will get all the tutorial notes as part of the group tutorial sessions.
iii-Most of the lecturing will be spend on the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Math sections of the OAT.
iv-I can not do a lot for the English section other than going over some practice questions.
v-The total cost for a group tutorial session is $500-$700/per student depends on the location of the group tutorial sessions.
vi-If you are a member of a Pre-Optometry club at a college or a university and if you like to arrange a group tutorial session for your members, you can contact David by the phone or by the e-mail.
vii-I can travel to any location in the U.S. and Canada. viii-The cost per student can decrease if you can provide a classroom for the group tutorial sessions.
ix-For the dates and the locations of the tutorial sessions please see #15 below.
C-Buy a tutorial booklet and study on your own
The study booklet has all the notes and all the practice tests for all sections of the OAT test.
All questions have detailed answers if they were needed. The cost is $250. I will explain the details about the tutorial booklet below under separate headline.
D-Online tutoring
I am working on this option right now and it is not ready yet. You can check the online tutoring page for the details.
9-What are the tutorial notes for the OAT test?
I have put the tutorial notes in 3 booklets. The booklets have notes and practice questions with the answers for the different sections of the OAT test (Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math and English).
Some answers are in details as they needed explanations and some answers are short and self- explanatory.
Here is the breakdown of the tutorial notes for the different sections of the OAT test:
A-Chemistry and Organic Chemistry
There are 700 pages of the notes and 1500 practice questions for the Chemistry and Organic Chemistry sections of the test. (There are 2 or 3 different sets of the notes from different instructors who they were teaching the in- class tutorial sessions over the years. I thought it is a good idea to look at the same topics from different points of view and also use different teaching styles)
B-Biology
There are 800 pages of the notes and 775 practice questions for the Biology section of the test. (There are 2 or 3 different sets of the notes from different instructors who they were teaching the in-class tutorial sessions over the years. I thought it is a good idea to look at the same topics from different points of view and also use different teaching styles)
C-Quantitative Ability
There are 300 pages and 500 practice questions for the Quantitative Ability section of the test.
D-Reading Comprehension
There are 130 pages and 200 practice questions for the
Reading Comprehension section of the test.
E-Physics
There are 600 pages of the notes and 680 practice questions for the Physics section of the test.
F-Every effort has been made to make sure these notes are free of any typo, spell or copying mistakes but as it goes with any book or printed material these notes may contains some unintentional mistakes (typo, spells, missing words and letters and copying problems).
If you do find such problems with the notes please bring it to David's attention in person, by the e-mail or by the phone and the mistake will be corrected at no expense to you.
10-Could students use the OAT test tutorial notes to study for the other tests such as the PCAT, the MCAT or the DAT?
First make sure you know what are the contents of the each test. Please check the other pages on this web site for the information about the PCAT, the DAT and the MCAT tests.
Here are the rules:
A-The Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, English and Math sections for the OAT, the DAT and the PCAT tests are very close to each other and they follow similar outlines. You can use the same notes for the above tests.
B-You need the Verbal Ability section extra if you are taking the PCAT test. Please check the PCAT page on this web site for more details.
C-You need the Perceptual Ability (PAT) notes extra if you are taking the DAT test (there are 2 different DAT tests, the American DAT test and the Canadian DAT test , Please check the DAT page on this web site for the details about the tests).
D-To do well on the MCAT test you need in depth knowledge of the different topics and it is better to use the tutorial notes that they are developed for the MCAT test (You can still use some of the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Biology notes from the OAT test tutorial notes if you study for the MCAT test but you need more details in some areas).
E-Please note that the format of the MCAT test is different than the DAT, the OAT and the PCAT tests.
The majority of the MCAT test questions are based on the passages that they will be provided to you during the test and you just need to extract the answers from those passages (You still need to recall important rules and equations from your memory to answer some of the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physics questions on the MCAT test).
Also there are some independent questions on the MCAT test that you need to relay on your memory to answer them and they are not related to any passage. Please check the MCAT page on this web site for more details.
11-What is the cost to buy the OAT tutorial booklet?
The cost is $250 for the whole tutorial notes.
I prefer for the students to look at the tutorial notes in person before they make a purchase.
I have explained the reason on the FAQ web page in details.
I have also posted some pictures of the tutorial notes on the photo web page so you can get an idea about these tutorial notes.
12-Anything else do students need to know about the OAT test?
For general information about the Optometry profession, Optometry education, Optometry Colleges, how to apply to a Optometry College and for the latest information about the OAT test regarding fees, dates, location of the test centers, how to write the test, scores, test content, time for each section of the test, official practice test and etc. please visit the following web sites:
Information about
OAT test
Association
of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
American
Optometric Association
13-The U.S. Optometry Schools
Alabama
University
of Alabama at Birmingham
California
Southern California College of
Optometry
University of California,
Berkeley
Florida
Nova southeastern University
Illinois
Illinois College of Optometry
Indiana
Indiana University
Massachusetts
New England College of
Optometry
Michigan
Michigan College of Optometry
at Ferris State University
Missouri
University
of Missouri-St. Louis
New York
University of New York
Ohio
The Ohio State
University
Oklahoma
Northeastern
State University
Oregon
Pacific
University
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Puerto Rico
Inter American University
of Puerto Rico
Tennessee
Southern College of Optometry
Texas
University of Houston
14-Canadian Optometry Schools
Ontario (ON)
University
of Waterloo
Quebec (QC)
University
of Montreal
15-Locations and dates for the OAT group tutorial sessions
I have divided the tutorial sessions to 4 parts and students have the option to attend all or just one or two. Please note that for the each location and the each session if I do not get enough interested students (30 or more), that session will be cancelled.
i-The Chemistry and Organic Chemistry tutorial sessions
ii-The Biology tutorial sessions
iii-The Physics tutorial sessions
iv-The Quantitative Ability tutorial sessions
v-I do not offer any tutorial sessions for the Reading Comprehension section of the test.
The Chemistry and Organic Chemistry tutorial sessions
Summer of 2009 (May-August)
The Biology tutorial sessions
Summer of 2009 (May-August)
The Physics tutorial sessions
Summer of 2009 (May-August)
The Quantitative Ability tutorial sessions
Summer of 2009 (May-August)
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