AAMC PREview Questions: 5 Sample Scenarios + Answers

What are AAMC Preview Questions and How Do you Answer Them?

AAMC PREview questions are situational judgment test (SJT) scenarios that assess how you evaluate professional situations in medical training. Each question presents a scenario followed by several possible responses, and your task is to rate the effectiveness of each response.

Unlike traditional exams, you are not selecting one correct answer. Instead, you evaluate each option independently using a four-point scale ranging from very ineffective to very effective.

Each response is evaluated independently using the following scale:

If you're wondering how AAMC PREview is scored, it's based on how close your rating was to that of a medical educator. You get full credit for selecting a rating that is identical to the medical educator’s rating and partial credit if your rating is close.

Now that you understand how individual responses are evaluated, let’s look at how AAMC PREview formats its questions:

• 186 responses to rate
• Multiple responses per scenario
• 4-point effectiveness rating scale
• 75-minute test duration
• Scoring based on alignment with expert judgment

These questions are designed to assess a candidate on eight core competencies:

1. Service orientation
2. Social skills
3. Teamwork
4. Cultural competence
5. Reliability and dependability
6. Ethical responsibility to self and others
7.  Resilience and adaptability
8. Capacity for improvement

Therefore, much like the CASPer test, AAMC PREview is an assessment of your non-cognitive skills. To answer AAMC PREview questions effectively, you must evaluate each response based on how well it addresses the situation while demonstrating the above competencies.

A growing number of medical schools in the US have adopted the AAMC PREview exam into their admission process to assess professional competencies. This means that performing well on PREview questions can impact your chances of acceptance.

Want to learn how to prepare for your AAMC PREview? Watch this video:

How to Answer AAMC PREview Questions: Strategy & Tips

To succeed on AAMC PREview questions, you need a structured method for evaluating each scenario and response. Rather than relying on instinct, high-scoring candidates use a consistent framework to identify what matters most in each situation.

A structured approach tends to involve a three-step method of evaluation for every PREview question:

Step 1: Identify the Core Competency

Before reviewing the responses, determine which of the AAMC core competencies is being tested by paying attention to the specific wording of the scenario.

To do this effectively, you must familiarize yourself with all eight competencies. We recommend that you review these competencies on a regular basis so that you can internalize them and quickly recognize them under timed conditions.

Example:

If a scenario involves receiving critical feedback from a peer, the primary competency being tested is likely capacity for improvement, as the focus is on how you respond to and learn from feedback.

Ask yourself:

• What behavior is being evaluated?
• What would a professional, ethical response look like in this situation?

These questions ensure that your evaluation is aligned with what the test intends to measure.

Step 2: Define the Pressing Issue

Next, identify the most pressing issues. Pressing issues are problems that must be resolved within a scenario to achieve a desired outcome.

Example:

If a scenario describes a group member who is consistently misses their deadlines, the pressing issue is not their poor performance. Rather, it would be ensuring that your group can complete your assignment successfully while addressing the lack of accountability of your group member.

Strong responses will:

• Directly resolve the primary issues
• Lead to a constructive outcome
• Avoid creating new problems

If a response ignores the pressing issues like the above example, it is unlikely to be effective.

Step 3: Consider All Parties Involved

Once you’ve identified the pressing issues, evaluate how each response impacts everyone in the scenario.

Example:

In a scenario involving a struggling team member, the affected parties may include the individual, the rest of the team, and the instructor evaluating the group’s performance.

Ask yourself:

• Who is affected by this decision?
• Does this response benefit or harm any party?
• Does it demonstrate professionalism and accountability?

High-scoring responses are ones that balance outcomes across all stakeholders.

Apply Your Evaluation

Once you’ve completed the above steps, rate each response independently using the four-point scale as though you were a medical student, using only the information given.

Keep in mind:

• You are not ranking responses against each other
•  Multiple responses can receive the same rating
•  Focus on effectiveness rather than intention or intuition

 Use the following criteria to guide your ratings:

Next, let’s evaluate AAMC PREview questions and apply this approach to real examples.

Example AAMC PREview Questions and Rated Answers with Explanations

The best way to improve your performance on AAMC PREview questions is through guided practice.

Below are actual AAMC PREview scenarios with rated responses and detailed explanations. As you review each question, try to apply the BeMo evaluation framework:

• Step 1: Identify the core competencies being tests
• Step 2: Define the pressing issue
• Step 3: Consider all parties involved

Tip: Before reviewing the answers, take a moment to evaluate each response on your own using this framework.

PREview Question 1

You are pursuing a two-week volunteer opportunity at a well-regarded local clinic. When you receive your course schedule, you realize the volunteer opportunity would conflict with your weekly required lab. This is the only time that the lab is offered this semester, so you are not able to make up the lab. Participation in the lab will count toward your grade.

Step 1: Core Competencies

Reliability and dependability as well as resilience and adaptability

Step 2: Pressing issue

To fulfill your academic obligations and ensure your grades are not negatively impacted. To also give yourself valuable professional experiences.

Step 3: Parties impacted

Yourself

Answer Evaluation

a. Skip your lab for two weeks to attend the volunteer opportunity

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Skipping a required lab reflects poor reliability and dependability, which is central to this scenario. This approach ignores the primary obligation of maintaining academic performance and leads to clear negative consequences for your grades.

b. Ask your lab instructor to identify a solution that will allow you to attend both.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Although this approach acknowledges competing priorities, it avoids taking full responsibility for resolving the situation. By placing the burden on the instructor, it only partially addresses the issue and does not ensure a constructive outcome.

c. Stop pursuing the volunteer opportunity so that you can attend the required lab.

Rating: Effective

Why: Prioritizing the lab demonstrates accountability and aligns with reliability expectations, effectively addressing the immediate concern. However, it overlooks opportunities to adapt by seeking alternative experiences, which limits its overall effectiveness.

d. Tell your lab instructor in advance that you will miss two of your scheduled lab sessions.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Providing advance notice does not resolve the underlying issue of missing required academic commitments. The response still reflects a lack of dependability and results in the same negative impact on performance.

e. Attend the lab and investigate whether similar volunteer opportunities are available at another time.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Balancing responsibilities in this way demonstrates both reliability and adaptability. It addresses the core issue while also preserving opportunities for professional growth, leading to a well-rounded and constructive outcome.

PREview Question 2

You are assigned to a small group in your clinical skills course. One of your group members has recently struggled with their assignments. The group member is often late to sessions, prepares materials of poor quality, and needs numerous reminders to complete tasks. Your group receives a new assignment that is due in three weeks and will be graded based on the group's overall performance.

Step 1: Core Competencies

Teamwork, service orientation, reliability and dependability

Step 2: Pressing issue

To ensure your team collaborates and performs well on the assignment. Next, to help the struggling group member to succeed.

Step 3: Parties impacted

Your team and the struggling team member

Answer Evaluation

a. Encourage the group member to speak to the professor about creating a plan to handle their workload.

Rating: Effective

Why: Encouraging the student to seek help shows some awareness of the situation and supports a potential solution. However, this approach avoids direct involvement and does not fully address the group’s immediate need for improved collaboration, limiting its overall effectiveness.

b. Meet with the group member one-on-one and ask how you can help them contribute more effectively to the assignment.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Taking initiative to support the group member demonstrates strong teamwork and service orientation. By addressing the issue directly and offering assistance, it promotes a constructive outcome for both the individual and the group.

c. Meet with your group and evenly divide tasks across all members, making sure expectations are clear.

Rating: Effective

Why: Establishing clear expectations helps improve group organization and reflects an effort to address performance issues. However, it does not directly support the struggling member, leaving the underlying problem unresolved and limiting the likelihood of a fully successful outcome.

d. Ask the professor to assign the group member to a different group.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Removing the group member shifts responsibility rather than resolving the issue and reflects poor teamwork. Taking this step creates negative consequences for multiple parties and fails to support the individual’s development.

e. Work with the other members of your group to complete the assignment without the group member.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Excluding the group member undermines collaboration and demonstrates a lack of service orientation. This approach neglects the core issue and results in a negative impact on both the individual and the group dynamic.

f. Request that your professor grade each group member independently.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Altering the grading structure avoids addressing the group’s responsibility to work collaboratively. This response does not resolve the performance issue and may negatively affect the cohesion and outcome of the assignment.

g. Schedule recurring group meetings to review the work completed by each group member.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Implementing regular check-ins promotes accountability and strengthens teamwork across the group. This approach directly addresses the performance issue while supporting all members, leading to a more reliable and constructive outcome.

h. Tell the group member that their lack of accountability places the entire group’s performance and grade at risk.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Although this approach acknowledges the problem, the approach is confrontational and lacks support for the struggling member. It does not foster collaboration or provide a solution, which limits its effectiveness.

PREview Question 3

During class, your professor observes you participating in a role-play exercise with one of your classmates. You are acting as a doctor, and your classmate is acting as an angry patient. The role-play is tense but stays on course. You think you performed well, but after class, your classmate gives you unexpected negative feedback that you missed several opportunities to comfort the patient and calm the situation. You are now expected to attend a debriefing session with your professor.

Step 1: Core Competencies

Capacity for improvement and social skills

Step 2: Pressing issue

To constructively use the feedback you received to improve your clinical skills. To also maintain a positive and professional relationship with your classmate.

Step 3: Parties impacted

 Yourself and your classmate

 Answers Evaluation

a. Tell your classmate that only the professor is qualified to provide feedback.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Dismissing your classmate’s feedback reflects limited openness to improvement and weak social awareness. While it does not directly worsen the situation, it fails to engage with the feedback constructively and may strain the working relationship.

b. Explain to your professor that you understand you missed some opportunities during the exercise and discuss how to improve.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Acknowledging areas for growth demonstrates a strong capacity for improvement and professionalism. By actively seeking guidance, it directly addresses the feedback and leads to a constructive outcome for your development.

c. Skip the debriefing session because you have already received feedback.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Avoiding the debriefing ignores an important learning opportunity and reflects poor reliability and accountability. Taking this step fails to address the need for improvement and results in negative consequences for both your performance and professional development.

d. Ask your classmate how you could improve your performance in the future.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Seeking additional input demonstrates openness to feedback and strong interpersonal skills. This approach builds collaboration while directly addressing the need to improve, leading to a positive outcome for both your learning and your relationship.

e. Explain to your professor why you were satisfied with your performance.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Taking a defensive stance limits your ability to engage with constructive feedback and weakens your capacity for improvement. Although it may open a discussion, it does not meaningfully address the issue or lead to clear progress.

f. Ask your classmate if they would be willing to practice role-playing in advance of your next exercise.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Proactively seeking opportunities to improve demonstrates strong initiative and receptiveness to feedback. This response not only addresses the need for development but also strengthens collaboration, resulting in a constructive and forward-looking outcome.

g. Ask your classmate not to bring up the negative feedback during your debriefing session.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Attempting to suppress feedback reflects poor ethical judgment and a lack of accountability. By doing this, it undermines your ability to improve and creates negative consequences for both your development and your professional integrity.

h. Confirm your classmate’s feedback with your professor.

Rating: Effective

Why: Verifying the feedback shows some openness to improvement and a willingness to seek clarification. However, this approach remains passive and does not actively translate feedback into meaningful action, limiting its overall effectiveness.

PREview Question 4

For the past few days, you have been checking up on several patients, including one who is recovering from surgery. The patient has been in the hospital for a week and has not received any visitors. The patient is friendly, cheerful, and enjoys sharing stories about their career as a photographer. However, you are finding it difficult to politely end your conversations so that you can spend enough time with other patients with whom you were assigned to meet.

Step 1: Core Competencies

Service orientation, reliability and dependability

Step 2: Pressing issues 

To ensure that you meet the patient’s supplementary need for company and that other patients receive sufficient care.

Step 3: Parties impacted

Patient (photographer), other patients, and yourself

Answer Evaluation

a. Spend additional time visiting with the patient once you have completed your other patient visits.

Rating: Very effective

Why: This approach demonstrates strong service orientation by addressing the patient’s emotional needs while maintaining responsibility toward others. By completing required duties first, it balances priorities effectively and leads to a positive outcome for all patients.

b. Tell the patient that you do not enjoy photography to shorten your interactions with them.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Responding in this way shows poor social awareness and a lack of empathy. It dismisses the patient’s need for connection and creates a negative experience without addressing the underlying issue.

c. Ask another student to visit the patient so that you can focus on your other patients.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Although this response acknowledges time constraints, it shifts responsibility rather than addressing the situation directly. This limits your demonstration of service orientation and may place an unnecessary burden on another student.

d. Determine whether any of your tasks can be done more efficiently so that you can spend more time with the patient.

Rating: Effective

Why: Exploring ways to manage time more efficiently reflects an effort to balance competing priorities. However, the outcome remains uncertain, as it does not guarantee that the patient’s needs will be meaningfully addressed.

e. Create an excuse so that you can leave the patient’s room.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Avoiding the situation through dishonesty reflects poor professionalism and undermines trust. This approach fails to address the patient’s needs and results in a clearly negative outcome.

f. Tell the patient you have other patients to visit, but you will try to stop by later if you have time.

Rating: Effective

Why: Communicating your responsibilities shows some professionalism and awareness of priorities. However, the lack of commitment to follow up means the patient’s needs may not be fully addressed, limiting the effectiveness of this approach.

g. Ask your supervising doctor for advice on how to handle the situation.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Seeking guidance demonstrates a willingness to improve and ensures a more informed approach to balancing responsibilities. By doing this, it supports both patient care and your development, leading to a constructive outcome.

h. Skip some of your other patient visits so as to spend additional time with this one patient.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Focusing on one patient at the expense of others reflects poor prioritization and responsibility. Taking this step creates negative consequences for multiple patients and fails to manage the situation appropriately.

PREview Question 5

While viewing a classmate’s social media profile, you notice that your classmate has made negative comments about treating a recent patient. Your classmate describes the patient and the patient’s condition in detail, which violates patient privacy regulations.

Step 1: Core Competencies

Ethical responsibility to self and others

Step 2: Pressing issues

Correct the error, protect the patient’s privacy, fulfill your legal obligations. To also educate the classmate about the privacy violation.

Step 3: Parties impacted

 The patient, the medical school, and your classmate

Answer Evaluation

a. Explain to your classmate the importance of patient privacy and ask them to remove the comments.

Rating: Effective

Why: Addressing the issue directly shows awareness of ethical responsibility and a willingness to intervene. However, without escalation, this approach may not fully resolve the violation or prevent future occurrences, limiting its effectiveness.

b. Report your classmate's behavior as a privacy violation.

Rating: Very effective

Why: Taking formal action demonstrates strong ethical responsibility and prioritizes patient confidentiality. This response directly addresses the issue and helps ensure appropriate consequences, leading to the most constructive outcome.

c. Read through your classmate’s previous comments to see how often they comment about patients.

Rating: Ineffective

Why: Focusing on gathering additional information delays addressing the immediate violation. This approach does not resolve the issue and fails to protect the patient’s privacy in a timely manner.

d. Let other students know that your classmate should not be trusted with private information.

Rating: Very ineffective

Why: Spreading this information does not address the privacy violation and may create further harm. It reflects poor professionalism and results in negative consequences for both the classmate and the broader environment.

e. Suggest that your classmate remove the comments as soon as possible.

Rating: Effective

Why: Encouraging removal of the content helps reduce immediate harm and shows some ethical awareness. However, without further action, it does not fully address accountability or prevent similar issues in the future.

These sample scenarios are based on materials provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), with explanations developed using BeMo’s evaluation framework.

As you practice AAMC PREview questions, focus on identifying what the situation is really testing and choosing responses that lead to clear, professional outcomes. With consistent practice, this approach will help you evaluate scenarios more effectively and improve your overall performance.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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