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Finally passed OAR after failing twice — here's what actually worked

by Megan P. 15 views3 replies
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Megan P.OP
May 27, 2026

So I've been lurking here for months and figured it's time to give back since this community honestly saved me. Quick background: I'm prior Army, trying to cross into Navy OCS, and the OAR kicked my butt the first two times. Math reasoning especially — I graduated ten years ago and honestly forgot more than I thought.

What changed on attempt three was ditching the random YouTube videos and actually committing to a structured OAR study guide with timed sections. I spent about 3 weeks, 90 minutes a day, focusing hard on the math and reading comprehension portions. Took an OAR practice test every Sunday to track progress. Went from a 48 to a 58, which finally got me competitive for my desired community.

Happy to answer questions about specific sections. The mechanical comprehension stuff isn't on the OAR (people confuse it with the ASTB), which tripped me up early. Anyone else currently prepping or have exam tips that helped them? Would love to hear what's working for others right now.

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Brian Y.
May 27, 2026
The Sunday practice test routine is exactly what my recruiter told me too. I'd been cramming every day but never actually simulating test conditions. Once I started doing full timed runs on weekends my score jumped pretty fast. Also — the reading comp section moves faster than you expect. Don't spend more than 90 seconds per question or you'll run out of time before the end.
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Carlos B.
May 28, 2026
Correct — OAR is Math/Reading/Mechanical Comprehension... wait, no. OP is right, it's Math Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mechanical Comprehension IS actually included. Double-check the current test format with your OSO because it changed a few years back. Congrats on the 58 though, that's a solid score!
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Sarah M.
May 28, 2026
Wait, mechanical comprehension isn't on the OAR? I've been drilling that stuff for two weeks because I saw it mentioned in a bunch of posts. So that's only the ASTB-E battery? I'm applying for Surface Warfare so I just need the OAR portion right? My recruiter wasn't totally clear on that and now I'm second-guessing my whole study plan.

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