OAT exam cost and fees

What does the OAT exam cost?

Both files the OAT site labels 2026 Candidate Guide, including the one updated August 6, 2026, still show $520 for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, and say the fee changes from July 1, 2026 without giving the new amount. ASCO’s table, headed 2025‑2026 Optometry School Application Costs, shows $535. Check the amount on the application before you pay.

The exam fee covers the test, an unofficial score report at the test center, and score reports to every school you pick when you apply and to your advisor if you choose. All fees are in US dollars.

Can you get an OAT fee waiver?

Partial fee waivers are given first come, first served. A waiver covers half the exam fee, including score reports you request when you apply, but not rescheduling or later score reports. In October 2026, the OAT site said every partial fee waiver for 2026 had been granted. The Candidate Guide says waivers are granted each calendar year from January 1, so the next ones are given from January 1, 2027, while the limited number lasts.

You may qualify if you meet every one of these:

• You can show financial hardship.
• You’re taking the OAT for the first time.
• You haven’t had a partial fee waiver before.
• You’re a US citizen, or a foreign national who meets the green card or substantial presence test in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 519.
• You received financial aid at your school.

To ask, create your OAT personal identification number (PIN), sign in, choose Submit Request, then Waiver Request, and select OAT. A decision takes up to 10 business days, and it comes with instructions for applying.