OAT physics section — worth the time or just survive and move on

Optometry schools report average OAT scores by section and many review sub-scores individually. A significantly below-average physics score gets noticed especially if your application otherwise signals strong science foundation. I wouldn't "just survive" — I'd allocate real time to optics specifically, since that's the section that overlaps most with actual optometry coursework.

The optics questions on the OAT are disproportionately important given the profession. Schools know this. Lenses, refraction, reflection, image formation — that content is both testable AND directly previews your first-year curriculum. Weak optics on the OAT is a flag in a way that weak thermodynamics isn't.

B- in two semesters of physics doesn't mean the content is unlearnable. It often means intro physics had too much content covered too fast. OAT prep on physics specifically, without the time pressure of a semester, can move people significantly if they put in six to eight weeks of focused work.

340+ overall with a physics drag is achievable if your other sections — natural sciences, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning — are strong. But build the plan assuming you improve physics rather than planning around a weakness.

I was in a similar spot when I was prepping for the OAT while working 30 hours a week at an optometry office. Honestly, I didn't have the luxury of marathon study sessions, so I'd do 45 minutes of physics before my shift and maybe an hour at night when I could manage it. The thing that actually helped me was being really targeted — I stopped trying to master everything and focused on the high-yield topics like optics, waves, and basic kinematics. The exam prep materials I used made it easier to figure out what was actually worth my time versus what I could skim.

And yeah, physics isn't going to be your strongest section, but it's also not going to tank you if you're solid everywhere else. I'd say don't just survive it — give it real attention, but don't let it eat your whole schedule. Two or three focused weeks on the weak spots made a bigger difference for me than grinding it for months. You've got this.

I actually failed my first attempt partly because of physics dragging everything down, so I feel this thread in my soul. What changed the second time was I stopped trying to deeply understand the concepts and just learned the formulas cold. OAT physics isn't testing whether you get it, it's testing whether you can pattern-match a question to an equation fast. I drilled maybe 30 core formulas until I could write them in my sleep, then did Chad's videos at 1.5x speed just to see the question types. That was basically it.

Honestly the section is short enough that if you can nail optics and mechanics you're mostly fine. Don't try to become a physics person six weeks before your test date. You're not going to. Just get really fast at identifying what formula applies and move on. Second attempt my physics score went from embarrassing to solidly average and that was enough to let my bio and chem carry the total score where I needed it.