The optometry admission test (OAT) is a 5-hour standardized exam that is required by most Optometry schools in the United States and Canada. It plays an important role in optometry schools’ admission decisions and adequate preparation should be made to increase your chances of being accepted. To learn more about how the OAT is scored, feel free to check out our article here. In this particular article, we will review the average OAT statistics for each optometry school.

📈 What Are the Admission Statistics for Optometry Schools?

Multiple factors play a role in determining whether your OAT score is good enough for optometry school. One factor is the level of competition – your percentile ranking and score depend on your performance compared to other test-takers. Even though admission decisions are not based solely on percentile rankings, they still provide a metric for applicant comparison. Since a score of 300 corresponds to the 50th percentile, it would be best to aim for over 300. For more competitive schools, you should aim for a score of over 350.

Even more, optometry schools vary in both the number of seats and expectations for their applicants. Schools with fewer seats will likely be more competitive and hold higher expectations for their entering classes. The table below shows Optometry school statistics, including the mean AA and TS scores of applicants admitted in 2020 for North American optometry schools. As you can see, the mean acceptance score varies between schools. This means a good score for one school does not equate to a good score for another. Some schools also have minimum requirements, where you must score above a certain value on all sections to be considered. Therefore, it would be best to look into the schools that you are interested in. Checking the class profiles of previous admitted years will provide insight into the scores different schools seek.

At the same time, you should be aiming to score consistently well across all 6 sections of the OAT. This will show the admissions committees that you are well-prepared to handle the course load and material in optometry school. This will also result in a relatively high AA and TS score, which accounts for all sections of the OAT.

Source: Profile of the 2020 Optometry Entering Class, published online by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry  

👉 Conclusion

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