The OAT is offered to all individuals seeking entry to optometry education programs in the U.S. and Canada. Candidates take the exam at Prometric Test Centers in the U.S., its territories and Canada, with testing appointments available year-round.

The OAT consists of multiple-choice questions presented in English, and includes a battery of four tests:

• The Survey of the Natural Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry)
• Reading Comprehension
• Physics
• Quantitative Reasoning Tests

Start by reading the official OAT Guide, which explains:

• How the exam is constructed and scored
• How to prepare for the exam
• Eligibility requirements
• Fees and waivers
• How to schedule, reschedule or cancel testing

Once you have read the guide, you will apply for the exam with a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN). After your application has been processed, you will receive an eligibility letter that permits you to schedule your testing appointment.

The OAT is offered year-round at Prometric Test Centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Once you have received your eligibility letter confirming that your test application has been accepted, you must contact Prometric to secure an appointment. We recommend doing this at least 60 to 90 days before your desired test date, since schedules fill up. Visit the Prometric website to see the testing location closest to you, view relevant COVID-19 procedures and schedule your test.

If you must reschedule or cancel a test appointment, contact Prometric at 800.688.5804 or leave a message via the Prometric website. You must contact Prometric more than 24 business hours before your test appointment. Do not contact the local test center, as they cannot reschedule or cancel your appointment.

If you experience an emergency on the day of your scheduled test, you must send a written request for relief to the Department of Testing Services within 5 days of the original test date. Examples of emergencies include, but are not limited to:

• Sudden illness on test day. Provide a doctor’s note or hospital records confirming that you were treated on the day of the examination.
• Death in the family on test day. Provide a copy of an obituary, prayer card, funeral service program or death certificate confirming that the relative passed away or services were held on the day of the examination.

All available fee waivers have been granted for the current year. The application for 2023 fee waivers will be posted in early 2023. Here is an outline of how the waiver program works, offered as background for candidates who may wish to apply for a future waiver.

In documented cases of severe financial hardship, a limited number of partial fee waivers are available to OAT examinees each calendar year. The partial waiver covers 50% of the OAT fee. The waiver does not apply to any charges associated with rescheduling or canceling a test date or score reporting after the time of initial application. Partial fee waivers are granted on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible examinees who have submitted the required documents.

Examinees can request a partial fee waiver if they:

• Are taking the test for the first time
• Have not previously received a partial fee waiver
• Are a U.S. citizen or resident alien
• Have demonstrated financial hardship
• Have received financial aid from their school

When fee waivers are available, there is a form to submit with a copy of the financial aid award letter you received from your school. (The financial aid award letter cannot be older than 18 months.) Alternatively, applicants who have not been enrolled in a college or university in the past 18 months can substitute a copy of their most recent tax return.

The OAT Program will review all fee waiver requests and make the final approval/denial decision. After the request is reviewed, examinees will receive an email notification of the decision and instructions for submitting an OAT application online. Please allow up to 10 business days for review of all partial fee waiver requests.

Yes. Each OAT examinee will need a unique personal identification number (PIN). If you have already applied for the test, a PIN has been assigned to you. You will use this PIN to schedule your test date, request your test scores and perform all other steps related to OAT.

The Department of Testing Services (DTS) takes extensive steps to protect the privacy and security of all information you provide as an OAT examinee.

Yes. Fairness in testing is of vital importance, and is in fact fundamental to an examination’s validity. Fairness considerations are embedded throughout the OAT program, affecting every aspect of how this examination is constructed, administered, scored, and reported.

The OAT is a battery consisting of the following four individual tests: the Survey of the Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension Test, Physics Test, and Quantitative Reasoning Test. Detailed information can be found in the User Guide below.

Register Now For OAT User Guide

The OAT Examinee Information Report provides general demographic information on examinees who have applied to take the OAT. Trend tables are included to identify changes taking place among examinees. This information may be of use to optometry schools as they review their admission procedures.

The OAT Validity Study reports the relationship among OAT scores, pre-optometry grade point averages (GPAs) and the academic and clinical achievements of a sample of students during their first and second years in United States optometry schools. Correlation coefficients are used to understand the relationship between admission selection criteria (such as GPAs and OAT scores) and pre-optometry success in students’ first two years of optometry education.

The OAT Biology Readiness Survey Report was conducted in 2018 to update and establish the content domain and test specifications for the biology section of the OAT. This report documents results of three surveys developed to identify core knowledge in biology that students must know in order to be prepared for optometry school training.