A method is provided to prevent a permissible specific absorption rate being exceeded during a magnetic resonance examination and to an evaluation unit. The method includes a first provisioning unit providing a permissible SAR to an evaluation unit. A second provisioning unit, which may be identical to the first provisioning unit, provides a scan protocol for the magnetic resonance examination to the evaluation unit. The evaluation unit checks the scan protocol for the permissible SAR. If this check reveals that the permissible SAR is not adhered to, the scan protocol is modified. In this case, the modification of the scan protocol entails the amendment of at least one scan parameter of the scan protocol. The amendment of the at least one scan parameter is performed in dependence on at least one preference parameter.