The PREview exam measures professional competencies you have developed over time through activities like coursework, working or playing on teams, volunteer or work experience.
Preparation will help you go into the exam with more confidence. Our resources provide an understanding of the competencies measured by the exam and explain what the exam will ask you to do. Here are some tips to get you started.
Learn about the PREview exam
Become familiar with the competencies measured by the PREview exam. Pay special attention to the key traits associated with each competency.
Use the Examinee Preparation Guide to learn what the exam measures and what the exam is asking you to do. For example, it is important to know that the exam is not presenting a scenario and asking what you should or would do. It is instead presenting statements that are actions that could be taken.
- The exam asks you to determine if the action (or response) will make the situation better or worse.
- You will be asked to rate the response as effective, ineffective, very effective, or very ineffective.
- The guide includes definitions of the effectiveness ratings to help you understand the different levels.
- Review the AAMC Preview sample scenarios and instructions to familiarize yourself with the questions and answer choices.
Take Practice Exams
The AAMC offers two free full-length practice exams to help you prepare for test day. Each PDF practice exam includes a scoring key and scoring key rationales to help you become familiar with the exam format, items and scenarios, and the process for evaluating and rating items.
How to use the Practice Exams:
- Take Practice Exam 1 under timed conditions.
- Compare your answers to the answer scoring key.
- Focus on understanding the rationales and how they align with the key traits associated with the professional competencies.
- The purpose of the rationales is to help familiarize you with the process for evaluating the effectiveness of responses, including how to apply the effectiveness rating scale.
- Take Practice Exam 2 under timed conditions.
- Be sure to apply what you learn from the first practice exam to complete Practice Exam 2.
- Repeat process of comparing responses to the score key and rationales provided.
Prepare for Test Day
Preparing for the PREview exam also means making sure you understand how to navigate the exam platform and are familiar with the online testing experience. See More About AAMC PREview Test Day for all the information you need to ensure a smooth test day experience.