The effect of prestrain with a path change on the strain rate sensitivity of AA5754 sheet was investigated. Prestrain magnitudes between 0% and 12% were applied in plane strain in either the transverse or longitudinal (rolling) material direction. Samples were then loaded in uniaxial tension in the longitudinal direction at strain rates of 0.001/s and 0.1/s. Results show that when a path change is involved between prestrain and subsequent uniaxial loading, the strain rate sensitivity of the hardening rate at 0.1/s compared to 0.001/s is reduced. The rate sensitivity of the yield stress remains constant with increasing magnitudes of prestrain, while the rate sensitivity of the elongation to failure decreases with increasing prestrain. A permanent softening of the flow stress is also observed, which is greater when the path change is combined with a change in orientation.