[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-292679-105":59,"doc-detail-292679-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","optometry-admission-test-oat-summary-of-validity-evidence","Optometry Admission Test (OAT) - Summary of Validity Evidence","","The document summarizes validity and reliability evidence supporting the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) for use in optometry school admission decisions. It explains validity as the alignment between theory, test evidence, and score interpretation for intended purposes, highlighting content relevance, content representativeness, and score-outcome relationships. Reliability is presented as a prerequisite for validity, with internal consistency reliability (KR-20) reported across OAT scales and confidence in psychometric quality reinforced by validity study findings.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/optometry-admission-test-oat-summary-of-validity-evidence/292679/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/optometry-admission-test-oat-summary-of-validity-evidence/292679.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Ezra","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-17",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",16,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What does validity mean for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) program?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"Validity reflects how well theory and evidence support interpreting and using OAT scores for the test’s intended purpose: informing optometry school admissions decisions.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How is reliability assessed for OAT scores in this summary?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Reliability is assessed as freedom from random measurement error, using internal consistency reliability (KR-20) for each scale, except the Academic Average, for which a composite reliability estimate is used.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How well do OAT scores predict performance in optometry school?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"The most recent validity study using meta-analytic data from 2022–2024 shows OAT scores are highly predictive of first- and second-year optometry school GPA, with relationships reported in Table 2.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},292679,1789653979,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":39,"preview_page_count":4},1099514068035,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Optometry Admission Test (OAT)  \nSummary of Validity Evidence  \n©2026 Optometry Testing Program. All rights [reserved. | 800.232.1694 | OAT.ADA.org](reserved. | 800.232.1694 | OAT.ADA.org)  \nThe Optometry Admission Test: Summary of Validity Evidence  \nFor the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Program, the primary indicator of test quality is validity. Validity involves the degree to which theory and evidence support the interpretation and use of test scores, with respect to the intended purpose of the test (i.e. , informing optometry school admission decisions) . There are several aspects of validity. The OAT Program is primarily concerned with content relevance, content representativeness, and relationships between OAT scores and important outcomes. The OAT program is also concerned with reliability, due to the fact that reliability is a prerequisite of validity ( i.e. , scores must be reliable in order to provide valid measurement) .  \nReliability refers to the extent to which test scores are free from random sources of measurement error, providing consistent, stable, and precise measurement (e.g. , yielding the same results from one test administration to another) . Reliability can be assessed using a variety of methods, each of which addresses different sources of error. For purposes of the OAT Program, a measure of internal consistency reliability, KR-20, is calculated for each scale (with the exception of the Academic Average for which a composite reliability estimate is determined) . Reliability coefficients between 0.70 and 0.89 often considered to be acceptable, and reliability coefficients of 0.90 and higher are typically considered to be excellent. Reliability coefficient estimates for OAT scores are provided in Table 1.  \nTable 1  \nHow reliable are OAT scores?  \nReliability estimates for OAT scores: 2025  \n\n| Score | Reliabilitya |\n| --- | --- |\n| Academic Average | .94- .96 |\n| Total Science | .93- .95 |\n| Biology | .79- .88 |\n| General Chemistry | .77- .83 |\n| Organic Chemistry | .77- .86 |\n| Physics | .74- .89 |\n| Quantitative Reasoning | .79- .86 |\n| Reading Comprehension | .73- .81 |\n\na The table provides the range of reliability estimates,  \ncalculated across examination forms. Estimates are based  \non data from examinees attempting the OAT for the first time.  \nContent relevance refers to the extent to which test content reasonably reflects the content domains that support the successful acquisition of the knowledge and problem-solving skills taught in optometry school curriculum. Typically, subject matter experts who construct tests based on approved content specifications maintain this aspect of validity. These subject matter experts monitor the reasonableness of test specifications, so that the OAT continues to assess important information. Content relevance and representativeness are also supported through content validity surveys periodically administered to pre-optometry faculty, optometry faculty, and optometry students. The content validity surveys provide test constructors and OAT  \nSubcommittee members with information they can use to gauge the relevance and representativeness of OAT content, and recommend adjustments as needed.  \nWith respect to relationships between OAT scores and important outcomes, evidence is acquired through validity studies examining the relationship between OAT scores and academic performance in optometry school. The most recent OAT validity study, involving meta-analytic data from 2022 through 2024 , demonstrates that OAT scores are highly predictive of student GPA in the first and second years of optometry school (see Table 2) . These results are consistent with earlier studies conducted for the OAT Program. Details concerning the mostrecent validity study are provided in a 2026 report entitled OAT Validity Study: 2022-2024 Data.  \nTable 2  \nHow well do OAT scores predict performance in optometry school?  \nRelationship between OAT scores and first-and second-year optometry s","cbCaiawmhzF4dEOP","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiawmhzF4dEOP","pdf",225568,"English","# Validity framework for the OAT program\n## Reliability as a prerequisite for validity\n## Internal consistency reliability (KR-20) and score ranges\n# Evidence for content relevance and representativeness\n# Relationships between OAT scores and optometry school outcomes\n## Predictive validity via GPA meta-analysis (2022-2024)","[{\"question\":\"What does validity mean for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) program?\",\"answer\":\"Validity reflects how well theory and evidence support interpreting and using OAT scores for the test’s intended purpose: informing optometry school admissions decisions.\"},{\"question\":\"How is reliability assessed for OAT scores in this summary?\",\"answer\":\"Reliability is assessed as freedom from random measurement error, using internal consistency reliability (KR-20) for each scale, except the Academic Average, for which a composite reliability estimate is used.\"},{\"question\":\"How well do OAT scores predict performance in optometry school?\",\"answer\":\"The most recent validity study using meta-analytic data from 2022–2024 shows OAT scores are highly predictive of first- and second-year optometry school GPA, with relationships reported in Table 2.\"}]","Optometry Admission Test (OAT) - Summary of Validity Evidence | PDF"]