MY OAT FAILURES! PLEASE PROVIDE ADVICE!

[UpcomingOD2014]

Hello Everyone,

*I did not post this to hear negative comments from anyone. If you have something positive to say please do so, if not, please STOP here from reading my story. Thanks.*

I have taken the OAT 3 times and cannot seem to score at least a 300AA. I’ll try to make this short, so please bare with me:
1st Attempt – 2012
An OD student told me to use OAT destroyer/Math destroyer/Physics destroyer and the big Kaplan review notes book. He mentioned that as long as I know the big Kaplan review notes book in detail, I would be prepared for the OAT. I followed his advice, studied for 8 weeks, went into the exam room and felt anxiety/nervousness and ended up doing horrible. Probably one of the worst scores you have ever heard about:

QR – 300
RC – 290
Bio – 200
GC – 230
OC – 270
Physics – 240
TS – 230
AA – 260

I wasn’t disappointed in my results. I knew that something was missing as far as study resources. I then heard about the Kaplan Course and Chad’s videos. I purchased the Kaplan course and Chad’s videos. Attended the lectures in person and completed all of the subject tests/quizzes/practice exams that they provide you with when you purchase the course.

After the Kaplan course was complete, I didn’t feel prepared and so I asked Kaplan for a retake of the course. So I repeated the Kaplan course and used Chad’s Videos and felt that I was learning much better compared to 1st attempt.

I did attempt the destroyer this round of the exam and I did NOT complete it as it was seriously throwing off my confidence and each time I used that book! I felt like frustrated as the intensity of the questions are over-kill! Once again, entered exam room with anxiety/nervousness. My results:
2nd Attempt – 2013
QR – 270 (Dropped because I didn’t do practice questions compared to 1st attempt)
RC – 270 (Dropped probably because of stamina/confidence after NS section)
Bio – 250 (Hey! At least I improved!)
GC – 270 (Increased!)
OC – 280 (Increased!)
Physics – 260 (Increased)
TS – 260
AA – 270

Overall, I studied for the 2nd attempt for about 6 months total, about 8-10 hours daily at home. The fact that I improved in Bio/GC/OC/Physics gave me hope that I can do this! I felt that I just needed more practice questions and practice exams. I knew in my heart that if I modify my study habits and study at a quiet zone in a library for a longer period of time, I would rock this exam.

I found out that Chad had lived in my state and I was fortunate enough in meeting him. I took his advice.
The DAT exam and the OAT exam are exactly the same exams except we have Physics and they have PAT! So preparation wise, we all go through the same thing!

So, I looked into DAT materials.
QR – Math Destroyer
RC – DatBootCamp
Bio – Cliff’s AP Biology 3rd Edition/Ferralis Notes/Bio Destroyer/DatQVault Bio (400 practice questions)
GC – Chad’s Videos/Quizzes
OC – Chad’s Videos/Quizzes/ACS O-Chem Book
Physics – Chad’s Videos/Quizzes/Physics Destroyer
Practice exams - DatBootcamp/OAT ADA/2 DAT ADA

I felt this plan was super strong and I felt this is it because this plan/schedule will get me to know what exactly will be on the exam!

Here was my daily routine in preparation for the exam:
Purchased a laptop. Drove to the university library. Parked/walked 10 minutes away from campus (didn’t want to pay parking costs), studied in a quiet zone, brought my own cooked healthy meals with me to campus, trained (1.5 hr – 2 hrs) 6x a week at the gym AFTER my studies were done for the day, slept 8-10 hours daily, prayed, and overall remained a great individual to people!

I STUDIED 7 MONTHS FOR THIS EXAM, 8-10 HOURS DAILY! I WAS NOT WORKING. MY FAMILY KNEW THAT I WOULD PASS THIS TIME AND I FELT COMPLETELY CONFIDENT AND HAPPY BECAUSE I SCORED A 320AA ON THE PRACTICE ADA OAT EXAM!

I did attempt the free practice exam given by DatBC.
I was scoring so well on DatQVault Biology!
I was scoring so well on Chad’s Quizzes.
I was using a dry erase board every-day and would run out of a marker every single day!!! I made a billion of flashcards! I would review every single thing that I had learned previously everyday BEFORE I attempted new topics!

I gave it my all! It was purely me studying, working out, eating clean, sleeping well, staying positive and asking God for strength/destiny!

I was so prepared and so confident for this exam. I wanted to get this over with so that I can enjoy my summer. Even Chad told me that I would improve this time around because I have been studying smarter. I was fortunate enough that Chad would even tutor me whenever possible! The day of the exam, I walked in SO confident! No more anxiety/nervousness at all! I was calm! After the NS/RC sections I felt so happy and knew I rocked those sections. Once when the results appeared on the screen, I was like no way, these cannot be my scores, the computer must have miscalculated someone else’s with mine!
3rd Attempt – 2014
QR – 300 (I didn’t even study for it and scored at least a 300!)
RC – 240 (What!? How? I didn’t even run out of time!)
Bio – 230 (On ADA practice test I scored a 330! On DatQVault Bio I would score great!)
GC – 270 (No improvement! How come? I put in 7 months! ADA exam I scored 290)
OC – 280 ((No improvement! How come? I put in 7 months! I knew every single reagent! ADA exam I scored 330)
Physics – 240
TS – 250
AA – 260

Overall, I CANNOT believe that I scored LESS compared to 2nd attempt when I had everything in my life! I didn’t work. I studied at a great environment. I had the best resources and I’m sitting here and reading threads by others who have studied for this exam 2-3 months while working and have rocked each section!
Everyone is telling me to retake it in another 90 days but I don’t know what I would do differently while studying? I feel if I were to open the books/software all over again, I would know every single question as I have mastered them!

Now the policy is that IF you decide to retake it for a 4th time you need special approval. After the 4th attempt, you must wait 1 year!!! So pretty much this would be my last shot, I’m not going to wait another year!!

IF I do attempt it again for a 4th time, seriously, what else can I do differently while studying? I feel if I were to open the books/software I have, I would know every single question as I already have mastered it. At this point, I am so disgusted by the exam and the whole nine yards of it's preparation!

2012 – 2014, 3 years wasted! That’s how badly I want to become an OD! However, maybe God has something better out there for me.

Those of you who have succeeded, what would you recommend me to do?

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[optopto2727]

Hello UpcomingOD2014,
I'm on the same boat as you. Everything you have said I have done the exact same. I feel frustrated as well. I also spent 3 years. Took it 3 times, kept scoring below 300. It's very frustrating because we know the material it's when it comes to the actual exam we tend to score really low.
I'm now taking it the fourth time.. however they never told me to wait a year I think the person I spoke with accidentally made a mistake.
I feel disgusted too, I understand 200%!!
Honestly now I'm just taking practice tests over and over and I don't know if thats enough. I have reviewed my old notes but I am losing motivation and its very hard to gain it after several attempts of taking this exam, and studying over and over!

When you took the the 3rd time what month was it? Because if you took around July-August, you can call them and tell try to appeal it, and in this case you can take it sooner... There one year policy thing is really not fair, lets say you took it July 2, most schools already have their students/class so they no longer are accept students.. so that means you would be waiting 2 years.. do you see what I mean?
I called them about this issue and they told me if you don't score well this time, I would have to write a letter to them explaining my situation and they would let me take it sooner..

Hope this helps.. if you need anything feel free to message me.

Take care!

 

[rustybathtub]

I don't really have anything to say except I'm sorry you're going through this. For the Bio section, I actually used my high school AP Bio cliffsnote book- that helped soooo much. I also used my collegeboard AP Physics as well- I used that the night before the exam and believe me, I was regretting not opening it sooner. RC- i just learned to take notes efficiently and systematically and learned to read my own shorthand. I would say to develop a note taking style, know it frontward and backward. I practiced only with the OAT Destroyer and I do not recommend it at all. It was complete and utter overkill- especially the ochem and gen-chem sections. I didn't feel like anything new that I learned was really relevant. Luckily, I graduated with a chem degree so I think it was my general chemistry intuition that carried me through.

If I had to do it over again, I would scrap the Destroyer and completely go old school with the high school prep books. There are TONS of MC questions at the end to test your knowledge since you've probably exhausted all the OAT/DAT prep books by now. Also, they're geared toward hs students so I think they're extra clear and simple in presentation.
Keep us updated!

Edit: One more thing (looks like I have lots to say after all)- I don't recommend studying THAT long for the test. I think 7 months is 5 months too long. You'll tire yourself out, you'll forget things, etc. I say create an aggressive study schedule that lasts 2 months- stick to it and take it at the end of the two months.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

I don't recommend studying THAT long for the test. I think 7 months is 5 months too long. You'll tire yourself out, you'll forget things, etc. I say create an aggressive study schedule that lasts 2 months- stick to it and take it at the end of the two months.

I think this is good advice. Chad's videos are the only resource I found to be general enough for the OAT. Everything else I looked at was too specific. I studied one month with Chad plus my class notes, and that worked for me. I know this won't work for everyone, but I do recommend a shorter study schedule.

 

[yuersroftes]

same to me,I know this won't work for everyone, but I do recommend a shorter study schedule.thanks

 

[ehara1]

What seems to the be the problem? Sounds like you have all the best resources for studying. Do you get test anxiety?

My best advice would be to just take as many practice exams as you can, and each time you take them try to treat it exactly like a real test. Just try to get as comfortable as possible, so when you take the real thing, it'll feel as if you've been there and done it before! Just be extremely confident in yourself and what you know. If you miss a question, don't even think twice about it and move onto the next one.

Good luck!

 

[Jcrab17]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you!
On your 3rd attempt it sounds like you did what i did. I took the test 4 times and they didn't give me any trouble about retaking the test. I studied every single day after work for 6 months. I made a calender for myself and would go through specific subjects during specific weeks. My sessions got longer and longer because I would not only take notes on Chad's new lectures but go over my old notes and retake quizzes I struggled on. I ONLY did Chad's videos and memorized everything I could. I did NOT study the week before the test. I wanted to be an OD so bad that even when they told me NOT to retake the test again and just cross my fingers that I would get in...i took the test anyways. Now the person that told me this has now become my Advisor and companion at the optometry school I was accepted in. They told me at my interview that my determination was a key aspect to their consideration(Lord knows it was not my GPA of 3.1) Being accepted will be worth it...and you will get there.
My advice: Re-do Chad's videos, every single one of them. Take notes, good notes. The days you don't feel focused, go back and watch those lectures again. After you learn new material, go back and take old quizzes to test yourself. The areas you struggle in you need to focus on more. Do NOT memorize formulas but know HOW to do everything Chad talks about. On the reading (which seems to be a weaker area) my suggestion is to skim through (find words that stand out ie dates, times, colors etc) and then read the questions. This was always my method with the reading and I scored a 400 at one point. You know your weaknesses and YOU control the outcome. Take a deep breath, take the test a 4th time and have confidence.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help and GOOD LUCK!

 

[optopto2727]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you!
On your 3rd attempt it sounds like you did what i did. I took the test 4 times and they didn't give me any trouble about retaking the test. I studied every single day after work for 6 months. I made a calender for myself and would go through specific subjects during specific weeks. My sessions got longer and longer because I would not only take notes on Chad's new lectures but go over my old notes and retake quizzes I struggled on. I ONLY did Chad's videos and memorized everything I could. I did NOT study the week before the test. I wanted to be an OD so bad that even when they told me NOT to retake the test again and just cross my fingers that I would get in...i took the test anyways. Now the person that told me this has now become my Advisor and companion at the optometry school I was accepted in. They told me at my interview that my determination was a key aspect to their consideration(Lord knows it was not my GPA of 3.1) Being accepted will be worth it...and you will get there.
My advice: Re-do Chad's videos, every single one of them. Take notes, good notes. The days you don't feel focused, go back and watch those lectures again. After you learn new material, go back and take old quizzes to test yourself. The areas you struggle in you need to focus on more. Do NOT memorize formulas but know HOW to do everything Chad talks about. On the reading (which seems to be a weaker area) my suggestion is to skim through (find words that stand out ie dates, times, colors etc) and then read the questions. This was always my method with the reading and I scored a 400 at one point. You know your weaknesses and YOU control the outcome. Take a deep breath, take the test a 4th time and have confidence.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help and GOOD LUCK!

I'm taking the test the 4th time.. What school did you get into?

 

[rachmind]

You must be super frustrated but your dedication to this is impressive. I think you're studying for way too long. You probably burn out and although you're studying, you're not retaining information. I would honestly suggest going through all topics for about a month or two. Cliffs AP Bio 3rd edition is great for bio. It's a little much but focus on the overall jist of large topics. If you'd like, I have a 500 flash card pack up on Quizlet. Just search "OAT Romano Bio". Those flashcards cover almost everything. For orgo and chem learn the reactions. I did this by writing out road maps and photo copying them. And filling them in like a million times lol. Physics is rough... It was my worst section. The best I could suggest is watch videos and focus more on concepts than math. Once you've learned everytjing spend 3 weeks to a month just drilling problems. This is the time that I spent doing the destroyer over and over again. Don't get frustrated if something is way too complex - just focus on the easier things because those come up and are guaranteed freebie points. For reading I didn't do much. For math I used to do about 20 problems a day from the destroyer. They're very accurate.

If you need anything, feel free to email me [email protected].

 

[optogirlkp]

You must be super frustrated but your dedication to this is impressive. I think you're studying for way too long. You probably burn out and although you're studying, you're not retaining information. I would honestly suggest going through all topics for about a month or two. Cliffs AP Bio 3rd edition is great for bio. It's a little much but focus on the overall jist of large topics. If you'd like, I have a 500 flash card pack up on Quizlet. Just search "OAT Romano Bio". Those flashcards cover almost everything. For orgo and chem learn the reactions. I did this by writing out road maps and photo copying them. And filling them in like a million times lol. Physics is rough... It was my worst section. The best I could suggest is watch videos and focus more on concepts than math. Once you've learned everytjing spend 3 weeks to a month just drilling problems. This is the time that I spent doing the destroyer over and over again. Don't get frustrated if something is way too complex - just focus on the easier things because those come up and are guaranteed freebie points. For reading I didn't do much. For math I used to do about 20 problems a day from the destroyer. They're very accurate.

If you need anything, feel free to email me [email protected].

Hi rachmind, thank you so much for sharing your experience! I was just wondering, for orgo, did you use the destroyer's road maps to study?

 

[UpcomingOD2014]

Thank you all for supporting me on my path towards becoming an OD! Thanks for the positive feedback!

Special thanks to Mark2K8, Salmon, rachmind, whatwhowherewhywhen, rustybathtub, dordy, jcrab17, optoopto2727, IndenturedDent and eyesontheprize1 for taking their time in providing me with advice!

I have made my decision to retake the exam. I’m not going to give up on my dreams. I’ve spent years working on getting here and I don’t want to regret not trying one more time. I am eligible to retake the exam in 90 days. This is my last shot, as to retake for another try would require a 12 month period.

I met with Chad, and I’ve come to a final conclusion on what resources I will be using this time around.

Biology – Last time I read up on Cliff’s AP Biology. However, I didn’t attempt in doing the multiple choice questions found at the end of each chapter! Those are such good practice! It helps reinforce the material. I will start with those this time around. Afterwards, I will destroy the Biology questions found in Destroyer. Approximately 400 questions in Destroyer. If I then feel the urge of learning or reading from another source, then I might try Barrons Biology. I will NOT use the Kaplan Review Notes Book as Cliff’s AP Biology SUBSTITUTES for it. Best to learn from 1 resource then to half learn from multiple resources. In addition, last time I did attempt DatQVault Biology. My software expires in October, so I will go through those questions one more time (400 biology questions).

GC/OC – I will NOT use destroyer. 1 – It is not completely organized by topic. 2 – Complete overkill. – Yes, I am aware that when you prepare with an advance resource you will be prepared for exam day. I disagree because the information in that book is not relevant to the actual exam. The book has been published to make students think at a Masters level. Instead, I am going to incorporate ACS (American Chemical Society) books for GC/OC. These books are highly organized by topic. They have been used at University level and given to students to use when preparing for their standardized Chemistry finals!!! Many success stories with the ACS books in which students substituted it for destroyer. I’m going to work on the problems daily and if necessary brush up on the topics with Chad’s Videos. No more attempting his quizzes as I have already attempted them numerous times. Will re-do his quizzes as I get close to exam day.

RC – TopScore Pro. Dat BootCamp.

Physics – Chad’s Videos followed by Princeton’s Cracking the OAT. I’ve heard great things about this book specifically for Physics. Physics is NOT hard on the exam. It is 50% calculations and 50% conceptual. The calculations are basic. Princeton will do a great job on drilling those concepts for me. NO physics destroyer. Only using Destroyer for Biology and QR.

QR – Destroyer/Math Destroyer.

I have created a strict study schedule. I will daily do 2 hours of Bio/GC/OC/Physics for the first month of PRACTICE questions. 2nd month will be working on RC/QR and reviewing 1st months work. 3rd month will be practice exams: TopScore Pro (3), DatBC (5), 1 ADA OAT, 2 ADA DAT, MAYBE 5 Crack the OAT. Practice exams are going to be vital towards my success!

I will take the exam within 90 days of studying. Anything more than that will be burn out and I will forget everything.

That’s it you guys. NO excuses. If I’m not giving up, nobody else should!

 

[rachmind]

Hi rachmind, thank you so much for sharing your experience! I was just wondering, for orgo, did you use the destroyer's road maps to study?

Yes! I had those road maps memorized and then some (he gave us A LOT of rxns in class as well)... I won't lie and say they all came in handy. They didn't. But I would focus especially on the alkenes (they trick you with anti markovnikov/ anti or syn additions) as well as benzene rxns - the test is filled with those. Also, know aldol rxns. I got one of those and they're tricky. Good luck! If you need anything feel free to email me (my email is in the last post)! I don't mind offering suggestions or even sending over pictures of my self made review sheets! Good luck!

 

[whatwhowherewhywhen]

good luck!! keep us updated.

 

[ODS15]

Hey just following up and wanted to ask if you took the Oat

 

[UpcomingOD2014]

ODS15, I'm working on it and plan on taking it next month, January 2015. One thing I realized is that you should always schedule your OAT exam before hand as it will motivate you to push yourself on a daily basis.

 

[fifa518]

Your hard work and persistence is very inspiring ! I think we are similar learners, I've noticed when using chads videos I really learned a lot. I did watch his videos 2-3 times in total so that everything sunk in. I scored a 300/310 but I bombed reading comp and QR.

Since you did use Kaplan,destroyer, and chad.. Can I suggest a personal tutor? It may be pricey, but you might be studying material without fully grasping it. You can also try tons of practice tests, have you tried the OAT achiever or Topscore? Constant repetition helps in these exams.. And for biology the Kaplan and chad resources aren't great. I just used some notes from undergrad. In my Kaplan course people said the AP BIOLOGY books were excellent help.

Best of luck and stay strong

 

[UpcomingOD2014]

fifa518, I agree! I am using the AP Biology books and will be using Top-Score pro as well as other resources for the full length practice exams.

Indeed, repetition is key towards learning. Thanks for the support!

 

[fifa518]

fifa518, I agree! I am using the AP Biology books and will be using Top-Score pro as well as other resources for the full length practice exams.

Indeed, repetition is key towards learning. Thanks for the support!

No problem! Best of luck

 

[PandaVol]

Hi UpcomingOD2014! Any update on your newest scores?