Official OAT Scores

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Overview

The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is a standardized examination designed to measure general academic ability and comprehension of scientific information. Official OAT scores are submitted electronically to OptomCAS directly from ADA. Paper copies are not accepted.

OptomCAS programs may require applicants to take the OAT or some may accept another official standardized test, such as the GRE. OptomCAS recommends that you contact your programs directly to determine their requirements. Schools and colleges of optometry will only consider scores from OAT exams taken after June 29, 2020.

When you select at least one US optometry school to receive your official OAT scores, you grant the Department of Testing Services permission to release your scores to all optometry programs to which you have applied through OptomCAS, even if you did not originally select those schools to view your scores. If your OAT application has no optometry schools selected, then you have not granted permission to the Department of Testing Services to release your official scores and your official scores will not be forwarded to OptomCAS. Only the schools you apply to through OptomCAS will receive your OAT scores once your OptomCAS application is submitted.

Official OAT scores from ADA can be received by OptomCAS at any point during the application cycle, even after your application is submitted; however, some programs may have a deadline by which they want your scores posted. Once your official OAT scores are attached to your application, they cannot be removed. Your OAT scores will also remain attached to your application if you re-apply.

Submitting Your Official OAT Scores to OptomCAS

Self-report your OAT scores in the Standardized Tests section of the application and include your OAT PIN. Additionally, enter your first and last names and date of birth in the Personal Information section. These must be listed for your official scores to be matched to your application.
Go to ADA and request your scores be released to OptomCAS. Check with ADA about their turnaround and processing times.
After ADA processing, scores are sent to OptomCAS in batches and then posted to applications every weekday. You can view scores attached to your application in the Standardized Tests section of the Check Status tab.

Missing Test Scores

It is your responsibility to follow up on any missing OAT scores in a timely manner. Before contacting OptomCAS customer service, first confirm if and when ADA sent your scores to OptomCAS.

If you confirmed that ADA sent your scores to OptomCAS and your scores are not posted at least three weeks after your test date, contact customer service and provide them with the following details:

First and last names
Date of birth
CAS ID
PIN
Test date
Date scores were sent by ADA

We will use this information to determine if we have received the batch and to locate your scores, if possible. If your scores aren't found, we will contact ADA to troubleshoot.

Note: if your name or date of birth appears differently on your OAT than it does on your OptomCAS application, your scores will not automatically post to your account. This often happens with applicants with hyphens, apostrophes, etc., in their names. Wait until ADA processes the scores, then contact customer service so they can manually connect the scores to your application.