How Is the OAT Scored?

If you are considering optometry as a profession, the optometry admission test (OAT) is an important standardized exam you will have to take prior to applying to graduate school programs. The OAT is a 5-hour test required by most optometry schools for admission. It plays an important role in optometry schools’ admission decisions and adequate preparation should be completed to increase your chances of being accepted. It’s a good idea to get comfortable with how the exam works and know what score you should be aiming for. In this article, we will cover how the OAT is scored, what the average OAT score is, and what defines a good OAT score range for admission to optometry school.

I. Test Structure of the Optometry Admission Test (OAT)

The optometry admission test is made up of 4 general sections: natural sciences, physics, quantitative reasoning, and reading comprehension. The natural sciences portion is made up of 3 subsections: biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Each section is allocated a certain number of multiple-choice questions that must be completed in a specific amount of time before moving onto the next section. The number of questions and time allocated for each section are shown in the table below:

II. Interpreting OAT Score Metrics

Understanding your OAT score is important to your overall readiness for optometry school applications. While the scoring system may be daunting to interpret, we have broken it down into its core components to give you a clear picture on how you are assessed as an applicant. 

• Raw Score: You will be given a raw score for each section of the OAT. Your raw score is simply the number of questions you got right in each section out of the total number of questions. Each multiple-choice question is worth 1 point, and there is no penalty for answering questions incorrectly.. For example, if you answer 30 questions correctly out of the total 40 questions in the Biology section, your raw Biology score will be 75%.
• Standard Score: After the raw scores are calculated, they are converted to scaled or standard scores. The standard scores range from 200 to 400 and are reported in 10-point intervals. These are the scores that appear on your official report and are later sent to optometry schools as part of your application. One benefit is that the OAT is not scored on a curve. These standardized scores allow optometry schools to fairly compare applicants who take the test at different times.
  • Total Science (TS) score: On your official results, you will see a Total Science score. This is the total number of science questions (from the Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physics subsections) answered correctly, converted to a standard score.
  • Academic average (AA) score: On your official results, you will also see an Academic Average score. This is the average of the scaled scores from all 6 sections.
• Percentile Ranking: The score report also displays percentile rankings per section of the OAT. This ranking tells you how your performance compares to other test-takers. For example, if you're in the 90th percentile for the Biology section, it means you scored as well as or better than 90% of other test-takers, and only 10% scored higher. However, the percentile rank is not a standardized value and it can change depending on the number of test-takers each year and how well you performed in comparison.

III. Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Conversion Table: 

Understanding how raw scores translate into standard scores is also key to interpreting your performance. The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) conversion table outlines how many questions you need to answer correctly in order to achieve a given scaled score.The table below provides an example of how raw scores on the OAT are converted into standard scores. However, the exact conversion may vary depending on the version of the exam you receive. For example, 37 questions answered correctly out of 40 on the Biology section may result in a standard score of 400. However, note that there are different versions of the OAT and the conversion chart can vary slightly. This depends on the version’s level of difficulty deemed by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).

That being said, with your performance on the OAT in mind, you must be thinking: What is the mean OAT score and how can I perform better than the average score?

IV. What Is the Average OAT Score?

According to the ASCO, the mean standard score for the OAT is 300, with a standard deviation of 40. This score corresponds with the 50th percentile, meaning 50% of other test-takers perform just as well or worse than you, while 50% perform better than you. As shown in the chart below, the mean standard AA and TS scores of the entering class profiles of US optometry schools have stayed relatively consistent, around a score of 320 from 2010 to 2020. Any fluctuations from the ideal mean are closely monitored by the ASCO and if a significant drift occurs, the test will be recalibrated to set the mean back to 300.

Source: Profiles of the Mean OAT scores for the 2014-2024 Optometry Entering Classes, data retrieved online from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry 

However, note that the average OAT score is not always 300. Because the OAT is a large-scale test held across North America, there will always be variations due to different factors. Furthermore, the OAT exam score range you should aim for depends on the schools you’re applying to. You can find each school’s incoming class’ OAT score ranges year-by-year on the ASCO website—here’s the link for the 2024 class. As a general overview, to learn more information about exactly what is considered a good score on the OAT, check out our article.

V. Conclusion

Although optometry school applications encompass more than just a test score, the OAT is an important metric for admission. Overall, it is best to look into the schools you want to apply to and check their average score for admitted students. You want to have an idea of what you are getting into and what is considered a good OAT test score range. This way, you can allocate enough time to find the right resources and properly prepare to excel on the OAT. Good luck!