AAMC PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam announcement & FAQ
New application requirement for the 2024 cycle
Our next generation of doctors must continue to provide compassionate care that nurtures their patients' mind and body, collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary medical teams, and navigate emotional, cultural and ethical challenges with resiliency. To achieve this goal, the admissions process must better assess applicants’ understanding of core pre-professional competencies.
To further enhance our holistic review process during the 2024 application cycle, we are recommending applicants to complete the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam, to assess the pre-professional competencies that our admissions committee believes are essential for success at our medical school and will be increasingly important in meeting the needs of patients and improving the health of all people.
The AAMC PREview™ exam is an opportunity for applicants to showcase personal and professional characteristics — beyond classroom learning — that will make them a great fit for Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. We will consider scores as one part of our admissions process to better understand and evaluate the whole applicant.
The AAMC PREview exam will be available June – Sept. 2023. For the 2024 application cycle, the AAMC PREview exam will be administered online using remote proctoring. There will be a $100 fee for examinees to take the AAMC PREview exam and release their AAMC PREview scores to all schools they apply to. Students who qualify for the Fee Assistance Program will receive a full fee waiver (no cost). Free preparation materials, including a full-length practice exam, are available through the AAMC.
We encourage you to review all our application requirements.
Information about the AAMC PREview exam, including preparation materials, test registration, requests for accommodations and important dates and deadlines is available at aamc.org/PREview.
Community-based, patient-centered, innovative education
Frequently asked questions
Why is Geisinger Commonwealth participating in the AAMC PREview program?
We are committed to educating aspiring physicians and scientists to serve society using a community-based, patient-centered, interprofessional and evidence-based model of education that is committed to inclusion, promotes discovery and utilizes innovative techniques. Our students have a solid academic foundation, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and demonstrate empathy, ethics and cultural humility. We believe the AAMC PREview exam provides an opportunity to assess these critical pre-professional competencies and identify applicants who are prepared to learn about professionalism in medical school and meet the healthcare challenges of the future.
Why is Geisinger Commonwealth using the AAMC PREview EXAM instead of CASPer?
We felt the AAMC PREview exam was a good fit for our holistic process because it was designed to measure pre-professional competencies that are critical for success at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and the AAMC has conducted research to establish the psychometric properties and validity of the AAMC PREview exam.
How will Geisinger Commonwealth use my AAMC PREview score?
We will consider AAMC PREview scores as one part of our admissions process.
Will it negatively affect my application/admissions evaluation if I don’t take the AAMC PREview exam?
No, applicants are not required to take the AAMC PREview exam. Your application will be considered complete if you do not have an AAMC PREview score. While the admissions committee may see that you did not take the AAMC PREview exam, they will be instructed to disregard missing AAMC PREview scores.
Will the admissions committee see my AAMC PREview score?
Yes, members of the admissions committee will see your AAMC PREview score as one part of our admissions process.
I already got invited to complete a secondary application or an interview, should I still take the AAMC PREview exam?
Yes, we recommend that all applicants to take the AAMC PREview exam. Doing so will give you an opportunity to display your knowledge of effective and ineffective behaviors across eight core competencies for entering medical students, which include service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, ethical responsibility to self and others, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, and capacity for improvement.
My application was rejected by Geisinger Commonwealth before I took the AAMC PREview exam. If I take the exam, will Geisinger Commonwealth reconsider my application?
No, application decisions are final.
Will I have access to my AAMC PREview score and will there be an interpretation of my results?
Yes, AAMC PREview scores will be released to examinees in July-October depending on the exam date. A confidence band and percentile rank will also be reported with each total score. Refer to the AAMC PREview website for more details.
When will Geisinger Commonwealth receive my AAMC PREview score?
AAMC PREview scores will be released to examinees and Geisinger Commonwealth in July-October depending on the exam date. Scores will be automatically pulled in to the AMCAS application – you do not need to take any additional action to include your PREview score in your AMCAS application. Refer to the AAMC PREview website for more details.
Will other schools, not part of the 2022 administration, have access to my AAMC PREview score?
Yes. Schools that are not part of the 2022 administration will have access to your AAMC PREview scores for the AMCAS 2023 admissions cycle. The AAMC will retain your AAMC PREview score report indefinitely. If you reenter the medical school application process in a future application year, scores for all AAMC PREview exams taken since the 2020 testing year will be available to AMCAS participating schools.
What does my AAMC PREview score mean?
AAMC PREview results in a total score, which reflects your understanding of pre-professionalism and potential to learn and develop pre-professionalism skills. Higher scores reflect a higher level of understanding. The AAMC collaborated with medical educators, including faculty, admissions officers and student and diversity affairs officers to develop the scoring key for the PREview exam (i.e., the key effectiveness rating for each response). Scores are based on the extent to which your effectiveness rating for each response aligns with medical educators’ ratings for each response. Full credit is awarded for an item if your response matches the medical educators’ rating. Partial credit is awarded if your rating is close to the medical educators’ rating.
Where can I find more information about the AAMC PREview exam?
For more details about the AAMC PREview exam, including registering, preparing, taking the exam and receiving your scores, visit the AAMC PREview website.