What is the PREview exam and should I take it?
Moderator
🚨Hey everyone! Just when you thought you had your testing schedule figured out with the MCAT, you might have noticed another acronym popping up: the AAMC PREview® exam. 🤔 If you’re scratching your head, wondering if you actually need to worry about this, here is the rundown.
The PREview® exam is a professional readiness test taken via a secure online platform. It consists of 186 questions centered on text-based scenarios. These are hypothetical dilemmas similar to what you might face in medical school. Don't panic! 😅 You don't need any prior medical or clinical knowledge to answer these. Instead, you are asked to read a scenario and rate the effectiveness of a specific behavioral response on a 4-point scale. It’s designed to assess the nine core competencies that medical schools look for.
For the 2025-2026 cycle, over 70 MD and DO schools utilized the PREview®, and we expect similar or higher participation for the 2026-2027 season. Check the requirements for every single school on your list. If even one of your target schools "recommends" it, it is usually worth taking to keep your application competitive.
Schools generally fall into four categories regarding the exam:
- ❗Required: You have to take it.
- ✅Recommended: You don't have to, but it helps your application.
- 📊Research: The school sees your score for data collection, but may not use it to decide on your admission yet.
- ❌Not required: The school does not utilize PREview® results.
Also, don't fall into the trap of thinking that because there’s no science involved, you can just wing it. You really need to understand the underlying framework and logic to answer these effectively. To get a feel for the format, the AAMC offers practice exams. However, if you want to go beyond the basics and really lock in your score, Kaplan offers comprehensive prep materials—including realistic practice tests and strategy breakdowns—which you can find here.
Good luck, everyone! 🩺