<p>Although current literature is filled with studies searching for the effectiveness of ChatGPT in educational contexts, there is limited research on students’ conceptualization of ChatGPT for their study routines while preparing for exams. This gap in research is important to address, as exploring students’ experiences while preparing for their departmental exam and identifying potential benefits and challenges associated with ChatGPT use in educational settings can reveal meaningful insights into classroom settings both for teachers and policymakers. Therefore, this study addresses the gap in the literature by focusing on 52 pre-service English teachers’ perceptions of AI utilization in their exam preparation practices using Elicited Metaphor Analysis (EMA). The analysis of metaphors showed that largely favorable metaphors underscored the potential of ChatGPT for examination study routines across five primary themes: accessibility and availability, efficiency and time saving, support in learning and comprehension, practicality and convenience, and speed. Conversely, the few negative conceptualizations emphasized concerns over reliability, information accuracy, and deficiencies in depth, retention, and competence. These findings were supported by eliciting students’ responses with open-ended questions to get better insights into reasons behind metaphors they used. The findings were discussed with two theoretical frameworks: constructivism and the self-regulatory learning hypothesis. It was found that participants generally use ChatGPT as a technology-mediated scaffolding tool rather than being passive receivers of output.</p>