OAT Natural Sciences study plan

OAT Natural Sciences · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Biology

Map the Biology domain into its major subareas and rate your confidence in each on a 1-5 scale
Review cell structure, organelle function, and membrane transport, then self-quiz without notes
Build a one-page reference sheet for the cell cycle, mitosis, and meiosis stages
Complete 40 Biology practice questions and log every miss with a one-line reason

A dated confidence audit table covering every Biology subarea plus an error log of at least 40 tagged misses

Week 2

Trace the major metabolic pathways (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation) and state ATP yields at each stage
Explain photosynthesis light and dark reactions and compare them to respiration
Diagram DNA replication, transcription, and translation with the enzymes involved
Solve 15 genetics problems covering Mendelian ratios, sex linkage, and probability

A hand-drawn pathway map for respiration, photosynthesis, and protein synthesis, checked against a textbook for errors

Week 3

Compare the organ systems (circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous, endocrine) by function and key structures
Describe homeostasis and feedback loops with two worked examples
Outline taxonomy, evolution mechanisms, and ecological relationships
Complete a 45-question timed Biology set and review every explanation

A timed Biology section score recorded with a per-subarea accuracy breakdown

Week 4

Review atomic structure, electron configuration, periodic trends, and nomenclature of ionic and covalent compounds
Solve stoichiometry problems including limiting reagents and percent yield
Apply gas laws and solution concentration calculations to mixed problems
Identify your three weakest General Chemistry topics from a 30-question diagnostic

A 30-question General Chemistry diagnostic scored with a ranked list of your three weakest topics

Week 5

Balance redox equations and work acid-base, pH, and buffer problems
Apply thermodynamics (enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs free energy) and kinetics (rate laws, activation energy)
Predict equilibrium shifts using Le Chatelier's principle and compute equilibrium constants
Complete 40 General Chemistry questions under timed conditions

A formula and concept sheet for thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, and acid-base, with one worked example per formula

Week 6

Identify functional groups and apply IUPAC naming to alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and aromatic rings
Analyze stereochemistry including chirality, R/S assignment, and E/Z designation
Predict products of substitution and elimination reactions and distinguish SN1, SN2, E1, and E2
Complete 35 Organic Chemistry questions and annotate each missed mechanism

A reaction-mechanism notebook with at least 10 fully drawn mechanisms and their conditions

Week 7

Work through alcohol, ether, carbonyl, and carboxylic acid derivative reactions
Explain addition, oxidation-reduction, and condensation reactions in organic synthesis sequences
Revisit the two weakest General Chemistry topics flagged in week 4 with targeted drills
Complete 40 mixed Organic and General Chemistry questions under timed conditions

A multi-step synthesis worksheet with three sequences solved and justified step by step

Week 8

Take two full-length Natural Sciences practice tests under exam timing and record scaled scores
Re-drill every item missed across weeks 1-7 using spaced repetition
Condense all reference sheets into a single final review packet
Simulate exam-day pacing and confirm your timing strategy per section

Two full-length practice scores with a final one-page review packet and a verified timing plan

Week 2: Score at least 70% on a 20-question Biology quiz spanning cell biology, metabolism, and genetics

Week 4: Complete the Biology confidence audit with every subarea rated 3 or higher, and log a timed Biology section score

Week 5: Resolve all three weakest General Chemistry topics from the week 4 diagnostic with at least 80% accuracy on targeted drills

Week 7: Draw all 10 required mechanisms from memory with correct intermediates and conditions

Week 8: Achieve a full-length Natural Sciences practice score at or above your target and complete the final review packet