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The AAMC PREview exam is a standardized situational judgment test (SJT) for prospective medical school students. The exam requires examinees to read different scenarios and then rate the effectiveness of several responses to each scenario.
Although you may not always need to take this test, more and more medical schools are requiring or recommending it. Check out the admissions process requirements of your dream medical college to find out if you have to take it.
Even if you aren’t required to take it, taking the PREview test can benefit you in multiple ways. Keep reading to learn more about this exam, plus some free tips on how to prepare for it.
Prepping for virtual assessments? We put together a free guidebook on everything you need to know before taking the ones required by your preferred medical program.
What Is AAMC PREview?
Formerly the AAMC Situational Judgment Test, the AAMC PREview professional readiness exam is a standardized test for premed students applying to medical colleges. The AAMC stands for the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The PREview exam offers a series of scenarios that a student may encounter in med school, then asks examinees to rate the effectiveness of multiple behavioral responses to each scenario. It measures a student’s ability to respond and adapt to real-life scenarios a med student may encounter.
About 6-7 weeks after completing the test, the AAMC automatically releases your PREview score report to the AMCAS application system, not the AACOMAS or TMDSAS systems. Schools that use AACOMAS or TMDSAS must upload scores reported to them through the PREview Score Reporting System.
Some schools require you to take this exam. Others recommend it, while some examine applicant scores purely for research purposes.
The PREview exam is graded on a scaled scoring key. Below are the scaled scores, along with the percentile ranks of each score:
- Scaled score of 1: 6th percentile
- Scaled score of 2: 12th percentile
- Scaled score of 3: 23rd percentile
- Scaled score of 4: 38th percentile
- Scaled score of 5: 56th percentile
- Scaled score of 6: 76th percentile
- Scaled score of 7: 92nd percentile
- Scaled score of 8: 98th percentile
- Scaled score of 9: 100th percentile
Schools That Require PREview
A growing number of medical schools require the PREview professional readiness exam for a more holistic application evaluation, while some schools just recommend it. Others require a “Situational Judgment Test” (SJT), but a PREview score would satisfy that requirement (as would the Casper exam).
| Schools That Require PREview | Schools That Recommend PREview | Schools That Require a Situational Judgement Test — The PREview Will Suffice |
| Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine | Cooper Medical School of Rowan University | Michigan State University College of Human Medicine |
| Mercer University School of Medicine | Des Moines University Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program* | Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School |
| Saint Louis University School of Medicine | Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine* |
| Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah | George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences | |
| Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University | Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans | |
| University of California, Davis, School of Medicine | Morehouse School of Medicine | |
| University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine | Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine | |
| University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine* | |
| University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine | Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine* | |
| Southern Illinois University School of Medicine | ||
| Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine | ||
| University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine | ||
| University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine | ||
| University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health |
Also, some institutions use PREview scores for research but not for evaluating applications. This means that if you take the PREview, your application will not be impacted when reviewed by these schools, but that the programs will retroactively see how the test may have impacted their admissions decisions. For 2024/25, research-only schools include:
- Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
- Central Michigan University College of Medicine
- Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
- Florida State University College of Medicine
- Howard University College of Medicine
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
- Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
- Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
- McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
- Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
- Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine
- Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
- Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
- University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- University of Florida College of Medicine
- University of Illinois College of Medicine
- University of Kansas School of Medicine
- University of Louisville School of Medicine
- University of Michigan Medical School
- University of New Mexico School of Medicine
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
- University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
- University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
How to Prepare for PREview
Preparing for the PREview exam is vital to your success. For many schools, your PREview score is a crucial component of your overall medical school application. But since it’s not an informational test like the MCAT, you’ll need to prepare differently than just studying facts.
Here’s how to prepare for the PREview exam:
- Review the format. The AAMC PREview exam has a scenario-response format. The test will offer you a scenario that you may encounter in medical school, and you have to rate the effectiveness of multiple responses to that scenario. Do not compare and rank responses; rate them independently.
- Familiarize yourself with the 9 pre-professional competencies. This exam tests a student’s professional competencies in the following areas: Commitment to Learning & Growth, Cultural Awareness, Cultural Humility, Empathy & Compassion, Ethical Responsibility to Self & Others, Interpersonal Skills, Reliability & Dependability, Resilience & Adaptability, and Teamwork & Collaboration. Medical schools expect students to excel in these areas to show their readiness for a medical career.
- Practice using sample PREview questions or tests. The AAMC PREview exam is multiple choice, so it’s easier to study for than the Casper test. The AAMC provides tutorials and practice exams so you can better understand the structure of the test — called the AAMC PREview Essentials Guide.
- Ensure your workspace is conducive to test-taking. Keep your workspace clean and organized. If your home doesn’t have adequate Internet, computer technology, and organized workspace, consider taking this online exam at the library.
If you have any questions, you can email the AAMC: askPREview@aamc.org
AAMC PREview Exam Dates
As with any standardized test for your medical school application, we recommend not waiting until the last moment. If possible, take the PREview no later than the August date so you can submit your score early enough in the application cycle so as to not disadvantage your application.
| Test Dates | Registration Closes | Score Release Date |
| April 17 & 18 | April 3 | May 21 |
| June 5 & 6 | May 22 | July 9 |
| June 20 & 21 | June 5 | July 23 |
| July 24 & 25 | July 9 | Aug. 22 |
| Aug. 14 & 15 | July 31 | Sept. 17 |
| Sept. 12 & 13 | Aug. 29 | Oct. 15 |
You have to register for the AAMC’s PREview exam about 2 weeks before exam day.
Make sure you have an AAMC account, log in to your AAMC PREview Portal, navigate to the “Products” tab where you can select “AAMC Professional Readiness Exam (PREview) 2024”, and schedule your test day through AAMC’s scheduling system called Meazure. You will pay for your exam when you schedule it.
Read Next: How to Successfully Reapply to Medical School and Get a “Yes!”
PREview Costs and Fees
Taking the PREview exam is almost never free. Below are the costs and fees, including if you’re in the AAMC Fee Assistance Program:
- Scheduling a PREview exam costs $100. If you’ve been approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, it costs $0 for your first registration, and you get a 50% discount for subsequent registrations.
- Rescheduling a PREview exam costs an additional $25. If you’ve been approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, you get a 50% discount on the rescheduling fee.
- Canceling your PREview exam more than 24 hours in advance means you’ll get a 50% refund.
- If you’re a no-show for your PREview exam, there is no refund. If you’re in the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, you will no longer receive free registration on future scheduled exams.
FAQs
The AAMC PREview exam takes 75 minutes. The entire session, including the exam, check-in, and check-out, may take as long as 2 hours.
The AAMC estimates it takes 10-20 minutes before the exam for check-in and signing the examinee agreement. They also estimate 10-20 minutes after the exam for choosing to void or score your exam, selecting your schools that don’t use the AMCAS system, and check-out.
You can take the PREview exam 2 times per testing year and no more than 4 times in your lifetime.
A PREview exam score of 5 out of 9 puts you above the 50th percentile of test-takers. A 7 out of 9 score puts you above the 90th percentile and can be considered a very good score.
AAMC does not automatically upload PREview scores to the AACOMAS application system for osteopathic applicants. Instead, osteopathic schools must download PREview scores released to them through the PREview Score Reporting System.
AAMC does automatically release your PREview scores to the AMCAS application system for admissions officers at participating medical schools to view.
Yes, the AAMC’s PREview exam is different from the MCAT. Where the MCAT tests your medical education and healthcare knowledge, the PREview exam tests your ability to use sound judgment in real-life situations you may face as a medical student or physician.
No, they are not the same. Casper and PREview are similar lengths and require similar prep, but the test formats differ. Casper requires you to answer questions in a live video submission and complete a typed portion. PREview is a multiple-choice exam.
Read Next: Casper, Duet, and Snapshot Guide
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