PREview is the AAMC’s professional readiness exam: a 75-minute online situational judgment test in which you rate how effective each response to a scenario is. For the 2027 medical school application year, 15 programs require it (14 medical schools and one vet school), 16 recommend it, and 3 accept it to meet a situational judgment test requirement. Here is the format, scoring, dates, fees, and the school list, all from the AAMC.
From the AAMC’s own PREview pages2027 application yearChecked October 28, 2026
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PREview format
“The PREview exam is a standardized situational judgment test that presents hypothetical scenarios and asks examinees to evaluate the effectiveness of a series of behavior responses to each scenario.”AAMC
| Feature | What the AAMC says |
|---|---|
| Length | “There are 186 questions on the test,” in one section of text-based scenarios (AAMC). Exam time is 75 minutes with no break, and the whole session runs 95 to 115 minutes (AAMC). |
| How you answer | You rate each listed behavior “using a 4-point scale: 1 = very ineffective, 2 = ineffective, 3 = effective, and 4 = very effective” (AAMC). |
| Experience needed | None in health care. The scenarios are “similar to what you may encounter in medical school or health professions training, though they do not require any previous experience in a health care setting” (AAMC). |
| Where | Online with a remote proctor, through the Guardian Secure Browser, with your camera, microphone, and screen shared (AAMC PREview Essentials). |
| Unscored items | Some scenarios are “field-test” questions that don’t count, and they “will not be identified on the test” (AAMC). |
The AAMC’s preparation page makes a point worth knowing before you start: “the exam is not presenting a scenario and asking what you should or would do.” Instead, “The exam asks you to determine if the action (or response) will make the situation better or worse” (AAMC). That is the main difference from Casper, where you write or record your own answer.
What PREview measures
The AAMC groups the exam into two skill areas (AAMC):
- Personal accountability: “reliability, resilience, adaptability, ethical responsibility, and continuous self-improvement.”
- Relational skills: “the ability to work effectively on teams, build relationships, and engage compassionately with others.”
How PREview is scored
- Matched to medical educators. “Full credit is awarded for an item if your rating matches a consensus of medical educators’ ratings.” You get half credit if you are one step away on the same side of the scale, for example “Very Effective” when the key is “Effective.” A rating on the other side of the scale gets no credit (AAMC).
- A 1 to 9 scale. Your score report includes “A total score ranging from 1 to 9,” a percentile rank, and a confidence band (AAMC). Raw scores are converted to scaled scores so that “a score of 6, for example, has the same meaning regardless of when you take the exam” (AAMC).
- Score or void. At the end of the exam you choose to score or void it, and you have 10 minutes to decide. If you don’t choose, the exam is scored. A voided exam “will count as an attempt” (AAMC PREview Essentials, AAMC).
- Scores go to AMCAS automatically. If you apply through AMCAS, scored exams upload to your application on the release date. AMCAS schools that don’t participate in PREview “do not have access to scores until all admissions decisions are complete” (AAMC).
Which schools require PREview
The AAMC’s list for the 2026 testing year (the 2027 medical school application year) has 73 programs, updated June 12, 2026. Each one participates at one of four levels (AAMC):
| Level | Schools |
|---|---|
| Requiring PREview (15) | George Washington, Hackensack Meridian, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson, Nova Southeastern (Patel, MD), Saint Louis University, University of Utah, UAB, UC Davis, UCLA Geffen, University of Hawaii, UMass Chan, University of Minnesota, University of Nevada, Reno, Washington University in St. Louis, and Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine |
| Recommending PREview (16) | Alice L. Walton, Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin, Cooper Medical School of Rowan, Des Moines University (DO), Geisinger Commonwealth, Howard, LSU New Orleans, Marshall, Mayo Clinic Alix, Morehouse, Oakland University William Beaumont, Rowan-Virtua (DO), SUNY Downstate, Frist College of Medicine at Belmont, Uniformed Services University, and University of Oklahoma |
| Requiring a situational judgment test, PREview satisfies it (3) | Michigan State College of Human Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, and UT San Antonio Long School of Medicine |
| Exploring PREview for future use (39) | Including Johns Hopkins, Icahn Mount Sinai, Northwestern Feinberg, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Brown, Virginia, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego. These schools “will not use PREview scores to evaluate applications for this year.” |
What the levels mean, in the AAMC’s words: at a requiring school, “schools may not consider your application complete until they have received a PREview score.” At a recommending school, “You may submit your application with or without a PREview score” (AAMC). The exam is open to applicants to MD, DO, podiatric, and dental programs, and to “Any other health-related programs that accept PREview scores to satisfy a situational judgment test requirement” (AAMC).
Dates, fees, and retakes
In 2026 the AAMC offered PREview in eight two-day windows from April 15 to October 15, with scores “released approximately 30 days following each testing window.” The last 2026 window was October 14 and 15, with scores released November 13 (AAMC). As of October 28, 2026, the registration page still shows the 2026 calendar, so check it for 2027 dates.
- Fee: $105 to register and $25 to reschedule. Fee Assistance Program recipients pay $0 for the first registration (AAMC).
- Retakes: “no more than two times in the same testing year and no more than 4 times in their lifetime” (AAMC).
- Score life: The AAMC says “your score is valid for multiple years,” so a reapplicant can send an earlier score (AAMC), and it will “retain your PREview score report indefinitely” (AAMC PREview Essentials).
- Doesn’t replace the MCAT: “The PREview exam does not replace the MCAT exam, rather it complements academic metrics such as the MCAT exam and GPA” (AAMC).
How to prepare for PREview
The AAMC offers three full-length practice exams: two free PDF exams with “scoring keys and rationales,” and a $20 Scored Practice Exam that gives “a scaled score and percentile rank” (AAMC). Its suggested order: Practice Exam 1 under timed conditions, review the key and rationales, then Practice Exam 2, then the scored exam.
- Learn the rating scale first. Half credit for being one step off means the side of the scale matters most. Decide effective or ineffective, then how strongly.
- Rate the action, not the person. You are judging whether a listed response makes the situation better or worse, not what you personally would do.
- Read the rationales. The free practice exams explain why each response is keyed the way it is. That is where you learn the consensus.
- Pace yourself. 186 ratings in 75 minutes is about 24 seconds each, with no break.
- Check your setup early. Install the Guardian Secure Browser and test your camera, microphone, and ID before test day.
PREview checks professional judgment on a screen. Your interview checks it in person. See our medical school interview guide, and reread your medical school personal statement before interview season. Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor, also edits secondary essays.
Next comes the interview. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock medical school interviews on Zoom: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video formats. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It’s $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AAMC PREview exam?
A 75-minute online situational judgment test from the AAMC. You read text-based scenarios and rate how effective each listed response is on a 4-point scale, from very ineffective to very effective.
Which medical schools require PREview?
For the 2027 application year, the AAMC lists 15 programs requiring it, including UCLA, UC Davis, Washington University in St. Louis, George Washington, and the University of Minnesota. Sixteen more recommend it, and three accept it to meet a situational judgment test requirement.
How is PREview scored?
You get full credit when your rating matches medical educators’ consensus and half credit when you are one step away on the same side of the scale. Scores are reported on a 1 to 9 scale with a percentile rank and a confidence band.
How much does PREview cost?
The 2026 fee was $105 to register and $25 to reschedule. Fee Assistance Program recipients pay nothing for their first registration.
How many times can I take PREview?
Twice in a testing year and four times in your lifetime, counting from the 2024 testing year. A voided exam counts as an attempt.
Is PREview the same as Casper?
No. PREview asks you to rate given responses on a 4-point scale and is fully multiple choice. Casper, from Acuity Insights, asks you to write and record your own answers. Three medical schools accept PREview to meet a situational judgment test requirement.
How do I prepare for PREview?
Use the AAMC’s two free practice exams, which include scoring keys and rationales, then its $20 scored practice exam. Learn the rating scale and pace yourself: 186 ratings in 75 minutes.
Every format detail, date, fee, and quotation on this page comes from the AAMC, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.