AAMC PREview
- Multiple-choice: you rate response effectiveness
- Reported on a 1 to 9 scaled score
- Built and scored by the AAMC
AAMC PREview guide
What is the AAMC PREview exam?
The AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam is a situational judgment test for medical school applicants. It does not test science. It gives you realistic situations from school and clinical settings and asks you to judge how effective different responses would be, measuring the professional skills schools weigh alongside your MCAT and GPA.
186 responses to rate
~75 min to complete
1-9 total score schools see
1-4 effectiveness rating per response
9 professional competencies measured
Online remotely proctored
The basics
A judgment test, not a science test
Most pre-med exams reward what you know. The PREview rewards how you reason about people and professional duties. Each item gives you a short scenario, usually a tension between students, patients, supervisors, or teammates, then several possible responses. Your job is to rate how effective each response would be. You are not picking one right answer, and you are not saying what you personally would do.
That framing is what trips up applicants who prep for it like the MCAT. There is rarely one obviously correct action. The hard part is calibration: telling a merely acceptable response apart from the strongest one, over and over, without drifting.
What it measures
The nine professional competencies
Every scenario is built around the professional skills medical schools expect entering students to show. The 2025-26 PREview measures these nine.
- Commitment to Learning & Growth
- Cultural Awareness
- Cultural Humility
- Empathy & Compassion
- Ethical Responsibility to Self & Others
- Interpersonal Skills
- Reliability & Dependability
- Resilience & Adaptability
- Teamwork & Collaboration
Read what each competency means and the common rating mistakes
Format
How a PREview question works
You work through a series of scenarios with 186 responses to rate in total, in about 75 minutes, taken online with live remote proctoring. For each scenario you read several possible responses and rate each one on a four-point effectiveness scale.
Notice what the exam never asks: what would you do. It only asks how effective each response is. Keeping that distinction straight is half the battle.
Rate each response
1 Very ineffective
2 Ineffective
3 Effective
4 Very effective
Scoring
How the 1 to 9 score is built
Your individual 1 to 4 ratings are compared against how an expert panel rated the same responses, then combined and scaled into a single total score from 1 to 9. That number, plus a percentile, is what medical schools receive. There is no pass or fail, and there is no science subscore.
Because the score really measures consistent judgment, raising it works differently from content-based exams. For what each range means and what to do about it, see the PREview score guide.
Registration
Cost, scheduling, and when to take it
You register for the PREview through the AAMC and choose a date from the testing windows offered each year, generally spring through early fall. There is a registration fee, and the AAMC Fee Assistance Program reduces it for students who qualify. Fees and dates change every year, so confirm the current numbers on the AAMC PREview registration page before you book.
Most applicants take it the same cycle they apply, generally around when they submit their AMCAS primary, so scores arrive while schools are reviewing. You may test up to twice in an administration year, with a lifetime limit of four attempts, though many applicants take it just once.
Who requires it
Which schools require the PREview
A growing number of MD and DO programs require or recommend the PREview, and the list changes every application cycle. Some schools require it, some only recommend it, and many do not use it at all. Do not assume: check each school on your list, and the AAMC's current participating-schools list, before you decide whether and when to sit for it.
PREview vs Casper
How it differs from Casper
Both assess professional judgment, but they are different exams on different scales, and they are not interchangeable.
Casper
- Open-ended typed and spoken responses
- Reported as a quartile against your applicant pool
- Run by Acuity Insights
How to prepare
Prep it for judgment, not memorization
Because there is no content to cram, good PREview prep is short and targeted. Learn the professional competencies, practice rating responses against one consistent standard, and review your misses by the judgment error behind them, not just the letter you got wrong. Keep it in proportion with your MCAT, Casper, secondaries, and interviews.
That is exactly what Premier PREview prep is built around.
FAQ
AAMC PREview, quick answers
How long is the AAMC PREview exam?
The exam takes about 75 minutes to complete, plus some time for check-in and instructions. You rate 186 responses across a series of scenarios, and it is taken online with live remote proctoring.
How is the PREview scored?
You rate each response on a 1 to 4 effectiveness scale, and those ratings are combined into a single scaled score from 1 to 9 that schools see, along with a percentile. There is no pass or fail.
When should I take the PREview?
Most applicants take it the same cycle they apply, generally around when they submit their AMCAS primary, so scores reach schools while applications are being reviewed.
How much does the PREview cost and how do I register?
You register through the AAMC, and there is a registration fee that the AAMC Fee Assistance Program reduces for eligible students. Fees and testing dates change each cycle, so confirm the current details on the AAMC's PREview page.
Do all medical schools require the PREview?
No. A growing number of MD and DO programs require or recommend it, but the list changes every application cycle. Check each school's admissions requirements and the AAMC's current list before you register.
Can I take the PREview more than once?
Yes. You can test up to twice in a single administration year, with a lifetime limit of four attempts. Many applicants still take it just once, so plan your test date carefully, since schools will see your scores.
Is the PREview the same as Casper?
No. Both look at professional judgment, but the PREview is multiple-choice (you rate how effective each response is) and reports a 1 to 9 score, while Casper uses typed and spoken open responses and reports a quartile. Some schools want one, some want both.
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