OAT Practice Test

Free OAT Practice Test (updated 2026)

If you are considering a future in the optometry field, then the Optometry Admission Test is something to consider when applying to optometry school. This test is widely used along with other admission tools to help schools assess your eligibility for courses and programs.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free OAT practice test, and check out our premium-quality OAT test prep resources by clicking the links below!

OAT Practice Tests by Subject

If you need some extra practice in a specific subject, click one of the subjects below to get started on a subject-specific OAT practice test.

Exam Eligibility

There are no strict eligibility requirements for this exam. However, it is strongly suggested that you finish at least one year of college, and most OAT test-takers have completed at least two years. Your college courses should include chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology.

OAT Test Outline

The OAT contains 230 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 4 hours and 5 minutes.

The test is split into four sections.

1. Survey of the Natural Sciences (100 questions)

The questions in this section are split into three main topics:

2. Reading Comprehension (50 questions)

The questions in this section are centered around three reading passages that cover various scientific topics. You will not be expected to know or understand the topics before taking the test.

3. Physics (40 questions)

The questions in this section cover the following topics:

• Units and vectors
• Linear kinematics
• Statics
• Dynamics
• Rotational motion
• Energy and momentum
• Simple harmonic motion
• Waves
• Fluid statics
• Thermal energy and thermodynamics
• Electrostatics
• DC circuits
• Optics

4. Quantitative Reasoning (40 questions)

The questions in this section cover the following topics:

• Equations and expressions
• Inequalities
• Exponential notation
• Absolute value
• Ratio and proportions
• Graphical analysis
• Data analysis, interpretation, and sufficiency
• Quantitative comparison
• Probability and statistics
• Applied mathematics

Registration

To register for the OAT exam, you must first obtain an OAT Personal Identification Number (PIN), which will allow you to submit an application on their website. Your application must include the $535 testing fee, which is non-refundable.

Once your application has been approved, you will be sent further information on scheduling an examination appointment with Prometric.

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Test Day

You should arrive about 30 minutes early to the testing center on exam day, which will leave time for the check-in process to take place.

You’ll be asked to show two current, original physical IDs. The primary ID must be government-issued and include your photograph, name, and signature. The secondary ID must include your name and signature. The names on both IDs must exactly match your OAT application.

Once you are checked in, you will be asked to place all personal or prohibited items in a secure locker outside the testing area, and you will be given two note boards and two fine-tip markers to take notes with during the exam.

Once you are ready, the proctor will lead you to the testing station and provide a brief introduction to the testing system before the exam begins.

How the Test is Scored

Your OAT score is established using a scaled scoring system, which takes the number of questions you answered correctly (your raw score) and converts it to a numerical score from 200 to 400. You will receive an unofficial score report before you leave the testing center, and an official score report will be sent to the school of your choice.

The OAT has no official passing score. Each optometry program determines what scores it considers acceptable for admission.

Retaking the Test

If you wish to retake the test, you must wait until 60 days have passed since your original test date. After 60 days, you may submit a new application and pay the full examination fee.

Note that you're not able to retake specific portions of the test—you must retake the entire test.

You can take the test up to four times in any 12-month period, and you'll need to obtain permission after three attempts. After the fifth attempt, retesting is limited to once per 12 months.

Study Tips

Start with an OAT Practice Test

Before creating your study schedule, take an OAT practice test to establish a starting point. You don't need to wait until you have reviewed every biological process, chemical reaction, physics formula, or mathematical concept. At this stage, the goal is to identify where your preparation time will have the greatest effect.

Review your results across the six tested areas:

• Biology: Can you explain cellular processes, genetics, evolution, ecology, and how major body systems function and interact?
• General Chemistry: Can you apply stoichiometry, gas laws, equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics, kinetics, redox reactions, and atomic structure?
• Organic Chemistry: Can you follow mechanisms, predict products, plan syntheses, compare acidity and basicity, and evaluate molecular structure and properties?
• Reading Comprehension: Can you identify the main idea, locate supporting information, follow an argument, and draw conclusions from scientific passages?
• Physics: Can you apply relationships involving motion, forces, energy, momentum, fluids, waves, thermodynamics, circuits, and optics?
• Quantitative Reasoning: Can you solve algebra, probability, statistics, data interpretation, quantitative comparison, and applied word problems efficiently?

Identifying those specific weaknesses will show you where to devote more attention during your study time.

Review Difficult Questions

After each practice session, review every question you answered incorrectly AND every question you guessed on or answered with low confidence.

For each difficult question, determine which of the following caused the problem:

• You memorized a science fact but didn't understand the relationship behind it.
• You knew the correct formula but didn't recognize when to use it.
• You made an algebra, unit-conversion, or calculation error.
• You understood a chemical reaction but couldn't predict the product or mechanism.
• You confused two similar biological processes or structures.
• You overlooked information in a graph, table, diagram, or passage.
• You relied on outside knowledge instead of the information provided in a reading passage.
• You spent too much time on one difficult calculation or science question.

Then, outline a specific plan for improvement based on what you discovered. In other words, don't just say, “I need to study physics.” Note that you need to practice distinguishing when to use conservation of energy instead of a kinematics equation.

Similarly, replace “study organic chemistry” with something specific, such as predicting products from curved-arrow mechanisms or comparing acidity using resonance and inductive effects.

Utilize Answer Explanations

Answer explanations are an underutilized studying resource. To take full advantage of them, read the explanation for every question you found difficult, including questions you answered correctly.

For each one, make sure you can confidently explain:

1. Why the correct answer is correct
2. Why each incorrect answer is less appropriate
3. What concept or relationship is being tested
4. Which information in the question controls the answer
5. What steps are required to reach the answer
6. How the same concept could appear in a different problem

For calculation questions, don't stop after reaching the correct numerical answer. Determine why the equation applies, what each variable represents, whether the units are correct, and whether the result is reasonable.

For biology and chemistry questions, identify the relationship behind the answer. Ask what changes, why it changes, and what effect that change has on the larger system or reaction.

Study Science as Relationships, Not Isolated Facts

The OAT covers a large amount of science, which makes memorizing disconnected facts an inefficient study strategy. Whenever possible, connect a concept to what causes it, what changes it, and what happens as a result.

For example, don't simply memorize the stages of cellular respiration. Know what enters and leaves each stage, where each stage occurs, how energy is transferred, and what changes when oxygen is unavailable.

For chemistry, connect molecular structure to properties and reactions. Instead of memorizing that one compound is more acidic than another, determine how charge, electronegativity, resonance, inductive effects, and hybridization affect stability.

Use the same approach in physics:

Situation → Principle → Equation → Units → Result

Before plugging numbers into a formula, identify what is happening physically and which relationship actually describes it.

Practice Reading for Evidence

The Reading Comprehension section uses scientific passages, but prior knowledge of the science topics is not required. Your job is to understand and analyze the information in the passage.

When reviewing a reading question, identify exactly where the answer is supported. Distinguish between what the passage states, what can reasonably be inferred, and what may be scientifically true but is not supported by the text.

For each passage, practice identifying:

• The main idea and purpose
• How each paragraph contributes to the passage
• Evidence supporting a claim or conclusion
• Relationships between ideas
• The author's conclusions and the information used to support them

Don't let familiarity with a scientific topic cause you to answer from memory when the question is asking what the passage actually says.

Practice OAT Pacing

Each OAT section has its own time limit, so practice pacing within individual sections instead of treating the exam as one continuous block of testing time.

The current testing schedule allows 90 minutes for the Survey of the Natural Sciences, 60 minutes for Reading Comprehension, 50 minutes for Physics, and 45 minutes for Quantitative Reasoning. There is also an optional 30-minute scheduled break after Reading Comprehension.

Build up from untimed practice to timed sets and eventually complete each section under its actual time limit.

Pay particular attention to questions that consume too much time. A difficult physics calculation, organic chemistry mechanism, or quantitative reasoning problem may deserve more time than a straightforward question, but it shouldn't prevent you from reaching questions you could answer quickly.

FAQs

By Peter Rench

Peter Rench joined Mometrix in 2009 and serves as Vice President of Product Development, responsible for overseeing all new product development and quality improvements. Mr. Rench, a National Merit Scholar, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&M University.

Edited by Aaron Lanni

Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix’s quality and accessibility standards.

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