Studying for the OAT (HELP!!!)

[kooldude]

Hey everyone!
Since the eligibility period to write the OAT is 7 months from when you apply, I only have till July to study. I was planning on taking the test in August but my studying period has shortened by 1 month. Since my semester ends at the end of April, I will have ~10 weeks to study. Is this a good amount of time or should i extend my eligibility? I believe it costs money to extend which sucks.

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[ineedauniqueusername]

Is it 7 months for the USA?

 

[mshang0331]

Hey everyone!
Since the eligibility period to write the OAT is 7 months from when you apply, I only have till July to study. I was planning on taking the test in August but my studying period has shortened by 1 month. Since my semester ends at the end of April, I will have ~10 weeks to study. Is this a good amount of time or should i extend my eligibility? I believe it costs money to extend which sucks.

I don't think you should worry too much. I took my OATs August 16, 2021 and didn't officially start the studying process until early June because I also took a summer course after my spring semester. I made sure to create a studying routine and schedule, which I followed strictly until the day of my exam. Also, create a routine that works best for you. I personally suck at chemistry and had only taken Physics I in college so I focused my studying on those two subjects. I read about 3-4 chapters of the Kaplan book each day and did around 50 practice problems in those subjects. I always stopped studying around 6 PM to enjoy some time for myself. On days where I felt more motivated to do more work, I did extra practice problems on other subjects as well.

It is more important to focus on the subjects you struggle on earlier so you feel confident and motivated when doing the easier subjects in later weeks. Also, create study sheets for yourself highlighting key information from each chapter/subject to look over (i.e. I literally brought stacks of flashcards to my dentist appointment). I'd use the time wisely since there is a lot of information to prepare for. However, you still have plenty of time, so if you are truly worried about taking it in July, then always cancel and reschedule for a later exam.

I ended up getting AA330/TS310 on my OATs and submitted my applications a few weeks ago. I did everything a bit later than most would recommend, and I just got my first acceptance today. Good luck on your application and hopefully, you do great on the OATs!

 

[kooldude]

I don't think you should worry too much. I took my OATs August 16, 2021 and didn't officially start the studying process until early June because I also took a summer course after my spring semester. I made sure to create a studying routine and schedule, which I followed strictly until the day of my exam. Also, create a routine that works best for you. I personally suck at chemistry and had only taken Physics I in college so I focused my studying on those two subjects. I read about 3-4 chapters of the Kaplan book each day and did around 50 practice problems in those subjects. I always stopped studying around 6 PM to enjoy some time for myself. On days where I felt more motivated to do more work, I did extra practice problems on other subjects as well.

It is more important to focus on the subjects you struggle on earlier so you feel confident and motivated when doing the easier subjects in later weeks. Also, create study sheets for yourself highlighting key information from each chapter/subject to look over (i.e. I literally brought stacks of flashcards to my dentist appointment). I'd use the time wisely since there is a lot of information to prepare for. However, you still have plenty of time, so if you are truly worried about taking it in July, then always cancel and reschedule for a later exam.

I ended up getting AA330/TS310 on my OATs and submitted my applications a few weeks ago. I did everything a bit later than most would recommend, and I just got my first acceptance today. Good luck on your application and hopefully, you do great on the OATs!

Congratulations on your acceptance!!!! And thanks, that makes me feel a lot better! Were the practice questions you did from oat destroyer or the kaplan quiz bank?

 

[mshang0331]

Congratulations on your acceptance!!!! And thanks, that makes me feel a lot better! Were the practice questions you did from oat destroyer or the kaplan quiz bank?

I did both, but I found the OAT destroyer to be incredibly helpful. There's more questions and the answer keys are super thorough. The destroyer is also way harder than the actual exam so if you can get those questions, you'll be prepared for the actual test.

 

[smartypants99]

I did Kaplan and watched youtube videos. Check out “The Chemistry Kid” on youtube… you can ask him about certain topics and he will make a video on that topic… I am literally his only subscriber right now though lol. Or there are other youtube people like “Professor Dave”

 

[RyuTatum]

10-weeks is more than enough. Just follow the OATBooster study schedule and you'll be fine