What is a Casper exam?
The Casper test is a situational judgment test (SJT) that assesses people skills. This computerized screening tool uses realistic scenarios to gauge a person’s soft skills like communication and professionalism. Schools use the Casper exam to determine if you are suited to a career in the medical field.
Casper stands for Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics. The Casper examination was formerly part of the Altus Suite created by Altus Assessments, which also included Snapshot and Duet. In 2023, Altus Assessments and One45 merged to form Acuity Insights, who continues to offer the Casper exam and Duet. Many medical schools use these test results during the admissions process to screen applicants and determine acceptances.
Do you have to take the Casper test to go to medical school?
Many medical schools require applicants to take the asper test during the medical school admissions process, but not all of them. We’ve included a current list of these institutes further down on this page.
Medical schools are not alone in using Casper. Many graduate programs, including those in the allied health fields, use Casper, and a few undergraduate programs do too.
What are the benefits of taking the Casper test for medical school? Taking the Casper test is a requirement for several schools. It benefits med school admissions committees by saving them time; they can learn whether you have the soft skills to be a good physician compared with other applicants.
A good Casper score is an authoritative way to tell med schools that you are mentally, ethically, and behaviorally qualified to work with patients in stressful situations. This can help you get into medical school.
How to Sign Up for Casper
You can sign up for the Casper test at Acuity Insights. The test is offered monthly, with additional test dates available during the summer to accommodate the admissions cycle. You’ll choose a program, a school, and a test day.
The requirements to take the Casper test are:
- A quality, stable internet connection
- Computer equipment including a webcam and microphone
- A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license
- A valid email address
- Money to pay the test fee
How much does the Casper test cost? The cost varies by academic program, but most American students will pay $40-85 for the all of the Acuity Insights Assessments. The latter includes distribution of your results to 8 programs and you can pay an additional $12-$15 per distribution to send your results to other schools. A handful of US-based Fee Assistance Programs can provide financial aid for eligible applicants.
What is the Casper exam format?
There is only one Casper exam — the one administered by Acuity Insights — but the test consists of multiple sections. Here’s a summary of the test format.
How long is the Casper test for medical school? Test takers will face 14 sections that consist of randomly ordered word-based scenarios and video-based scenarios. These situational dilemmas require your video responses or typed responses to open-ended questions.
Part 1: The video response section where you are presented with 2 word-based scenarios and 4 video based scenarios. You will have one minute to record your response to each of the two questions asked about the scenario.
Part 2: The typed response section where you are given 3 word-based scenarios and 5 video-based scenarios. Following each scenario you are given 5 minutes to type responses to 3 questions.
Pro Tip: If you’re worried about your typing speed, use bullet points.
How long does the Casper test take? The entire test takes around 90-110 minutes to complete according to Acuity Insights. Optional breaks are offered throughout the test.
Acuity Insights provides special accommodations for test takers who need additional time, assistive software, or dedicated personnel. A qualified professional can help you fill out a request form. It takes up to 7 business days for a response, and Acuity Insights will contact you with the outcome. An approved accommodations status is valid for two admission cycles.
How is the Casper test scored?
The Casper exam is not scored like a typical test with individual grades based on correct or incorrect responses. Instead, raters from a wide range of professions compare your answer to other test takers’ responses and rank it as better or worse. No single rater will rate more than one of your responses to eliminate any potential bias. Each of your responses is given a numerical score from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 9 (excellent) based on how well you responded in comparison to your peers.
Final Casper scores are then divided into four equal categories:
1st Quartile: 0-24 percentile
2nd Quartile: 25-49 percentile
3rd Quartile: 50-74 percentile
4th Quartile: 75-100 percentile
What is a good score on the Casper test? A 4th-quartile Casper result is the best score since it shows you were in the top 25% of test takers.
Many medical admissions boards also consider a 3rd-quartile score satisfactory depending on how rigorous their acceptance standards are. 1st-quartile and 2nd-quartile results are the lowest, but they don’t necessarily disqualify your application.
It typically takes a few weeks to get results back from Acuity Insights. In 2-3 weeks, Acuity Insights will automatically send your results to the medical programs on your distribution list. After a month from the test date, you will be able to see your quartile score but will never be able to know your specific response scores.
What does Casper assess?
Casper scenarios go beyond testing basic problem-solving to assess your non-cognitive skills and medical ethics. Rather than involving objectively correct or incorrect responses, your responses to scenarios will tell if you’re a strong applicant or raise red flags regarding dangerous or unethical viewpoints.
The Casper test assesses the following behavioral characteristics:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Empathy
- Equity
- Ethics
- Motivation
- Problem-solving
- Professionalism
- Resilience
- Self-awareness
Each Casper section is graded by a different rater from a diverse group of people. The final score thus encompasses multiple people’s impressions of you. This ensures the overall test score is fair and objective given the subjectivity of the material.
Should you study for Casper?
Unlike traditional academic tests, you do not need to study for the Casper exam per se. That’s because the test is designed to determine your normal response to a given situation. Raters aren’t seeking correct or incorrect facts, so you don’t need to memorize answers. However, there are other ways you should prepare for the CASPer exam.
How to Prepare for Your Casper Exam
The best method of Casper test prep is to learn more about Casper before taking the exam and practice Casper questions and simulations. Seek out sample questions so you know what you expect. Browse FAQs that the Casper is likely to ask, and speak with other applicants who already took the exam.
You can find practice tests online that contain sample Casper questions, including official ones at Acuity Insights. Think about your responses to these practice questions — the same as you would prepare for virtual medical school interviews. Being familiar with the test will help you overcome test-taking anxiety and give more confident, thoughtful responses.
If you’ve never taken it, you may wonder if the Casper test is easy or hard to pass. Most test-takers consider Casper to be simple compared to more rigorous admissions exams like the MCAT. However, don’t underestimate Casper; the scenarios are meant to challenge you.
When should you take Casper in the application process?
Take the Casper exam early in the application cycle. Many med schools want to see your Casper score early on in the vetting process, not considering your application complete without it.
A common mistake when applying to medical school is waiting too long to schedule admissions exams like Casper. Remember that the Casper is offered at limited times each month. And, it takes multiple weeks for schools to receive your results. So, give yourself a sufficient window for completing all steps of the application process before the application deadline.
Your Casper test results are only valid for the current application cycle. Any future reapplications to even the same program will require you to retake CASPer.
Which medical schools require the Casper exam?
Colleges and universities around the world require applicants to take the Casper, including programs based in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The list of current United States-based med schools that require Casper includes (as of January 2023):
| Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Alabama State University |
| Albany Medical College |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine |
| American University of The Caribbean School of Medicine |
| Anderson University |
| Arkansas College of Health Education |
| Arkansas College of Health Education |
| Arkansas College of Health Education |
| Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital |
| Ascension Providence Hospital |
| Assumption University |
| Auburn University |
| Barry University |
| Baylor College of Medicine |
| Baylor Scott & White Healthcare |
| Beaumont Health |
| Bellevue College |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Boston Medical Center |
| Boston University |
| Boston University |
| Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine |
| Brenau University |
| BronxCare Health System |
| Broward Health Medical Center |
| Brown University |
| California Health Sciences University |
| California Northstate University |
| California Pacific Medical Center |
| Case Western Reserve University |
| Case Western Reserve University |
| Central Michigan University |
| Charles R. Drew University |
| Chatham University |
| Christian Brothers University |
| Clarkson University |
| Cleveland Clinic |
| Cleveland Clinic Akron General |
| College of Saint Mary |
| Colorado Mesa University |
| Colorado Mountain College |
| Columbia University |
| New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell |
| Creighton University |
| Dartmouth – Hitchcock Medical Center |
| Des Moines University |
| Dominican University New York of Blauvelt |
| Drexel University |
| Drury University |
| Duke University |
| East Carolina University |
| East Tennessee State University |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School |
| Eastern New Mexico University |
| Eastern Washington University |
| Emory University |
| Florida Atlantic University |
| Florida International University |
| Florida State University |
| Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady University |
| Gannon University |
| Geisinger Eye Institute |
| George Washington University |
| Georgia Southern University |
| Grand Valley State University |
| Hamilton Medical Center |
| Harvard Medical School |
| Henry Ford Health System |
| Henry Ford Hospital |
| High Point University |
| Hofstra University |
| Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell |
| Hofstra University BS/MD |
| Hofstra University Northwell Health |
| Howard University |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, FlexMed |
| Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Indiana State University |
| Indiana University |
| Iowa State University |
| Jackson Memorial Medical Center – Bascom Palmer Eye Institute |
| Jamaica Hospital Medical Center |
| John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County |
| Johns Hopkins University |
| Kansas Health Science Center – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Kansas State University |
| Kettering College |
| Kettering Medical Center |
| Kresge Eye Institute |
| Krieger Eye Institute |
| Larkin Community Hospital |
| Lawrence Technological University |
| Lincoln Memorial University |
| Loma Linda University |
| Long Island University Veterinary Medicine |
| Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center |
| Louisiana State University |
| Loyola University Chicago |
| Loyola University Medical Center |
| Louisiana State University – Shreveport Campus |
| Marietta College |
| Marquette University |
| Marshall University |
| Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine |
| Mary Baldwin University (Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences) |
| Mason Eye Institute |
| Mayo Clinic Florida |
| Augusta University |
| Medical College of Wisconsin |
| Medical University of South Carolina |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center |
| Meharry Medical College |
| Memorial Healthcare System |
| Mercer University |
| Mercy College of Ohio |
| Methodist University |
| Michigan State University |
| Michigan State University |
| Midwestern University |
| Moravian University |
| Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) |
| Nassau University Medical Center |
| Nazareth Hospital |
| Netter School of Medicine Quinnipiac University |
| New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai |
| New York Medical College |
| Northeast Georgia Medical Center |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University |
| Northeastern State University |
| Northern Arizona University |
| Northwestern College |
| Northwestern University |
| New York University |
| New York University Langone |
| OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital |
| Oklahoma State University |
| Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine |
| Oregon Health & Sciences University |
| Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences |
| Parkview Medical Center |
| Penn State University |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology |
| Pfeiffer University |
| Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Point Loma Nazarene University |
| Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine |
| Quinnipiac University |
| Radford University |
| Randolph-Macon College |
| Rasmussen University – Florida Campus |
| Rasmussen University – Minnesota Campus |
| Rocky Vista University |
| Rosalind Franklin University |
| Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine |
| Rush University |
| Rutgers New Jersey Medical School |
| Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School |
| Salus University |
| Sam Houston State University |
| San Juan Bautista School of Medicine |
| South University |
| Spokane Teaching Health Center |
| St. John’s Episcopal Hospital |
| St. Joseph Hospital |
| St. Louis University |
| St. Mary Mercy Hospital |
| Stamford Health |
| Stanford University |
| State University of New York Upstate Medical University |
| Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University |
| SUNY Downstate Medical Center |
| SUNY Stony Brook University |
| Temple University |
| Tennessee State University |
| Texas A&M University |
| Texas Tech University |
| Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center |
| The Brooklyn Hospital |
| The Ohio State University |
| The University of Louisville School of Dentistry |
| UT Health at San Antonio |
| The University of Toledo |
| Thomas Jefferson University |
| Touro College |
| Touro University – Nevada |
| Tufts Medical Center |
| Tulane University |
| Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Undergraduate to Medical School Initiative |
| University at Buffalo |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| University of Arizona |
| University of Arkansas |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences |
| University of California Davis |
| University of California, Irvine |
| University of California Los Angeles |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| University of California San Diego |
| University of California San Francisco |
| University of Chicago |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center |
| University of Colorado |
| University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus |
| University of Colorado Denver (Anschutz Medical Campus) |
| University of Connecticut |
| University of Detroit Mercy |
| University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine |
| University of Florida – Gainesville |
| University of Florida – Jacksonville |
| University of Florida |
| University of Georgia |
| University of Illinois at Chicago |
| University of Indianapolis College of Health Sciences |
| University of Indianapolis College of Health Sciences |
| University of Iowa |
| University of Kansas |
| University of Kentucky |
| University of Louisville |
| University of Lynchburg |
| University of Maryland |
| University of Massachusetts |
| University of Miami |
| University of Michigan |
| University of Michigan-Flint |
| University of Minnesota |
| University of Mississippi |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City |
| University of Missouri St. Louis |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center |
| University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine |
| University of New Mexico |
| University of New Mexico |
| University of North Carolina |
| University of North Texas Health Science Center |
| University of Oklahoma |
| University of Pennsylvania |
| University of Puerto Rico |
| University of Rochester |
| University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia |
| University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine |
| University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine – HCA Healthcare |
| University of Southern California |
| University of Tennessee – Memphis |
| University of Texas |
| University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center |
| University of Texas Health Houston – McGovern Medical School |
| University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio |
| University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston |
| University of Texas Health Science Center |
| University of Texas Medical Branch |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
| University of Texas Southwestern |
| University of Utah |
| University of Vermont |
| University of Virginia |
| University of Washington |
| University of Wisconsin |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| UPMC Eye Center |
| Urology Resident Study |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
| Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine |
| Virtua Health |
| Wake Forest School of Medicine |
| Washington University in St. Louis |
| Wayne State University |
| Wellstar Kennestone Hospital |
| West Coast University |
| West Virginia University |
| Western Carolina University |
| Western Carolina University |
| Western Michigan University |
| Western University of Health Sciences |
| Western University of Health Sciences |
| William Carey University |
| Winston-Salem State University |
| Wright State University |
| Yale New Haven Medical Center |
Visit AcuityInsights.com for a current list of all schools and programs around the world that use the Acuity Insights in their admissions screening process.
Everything you need to get into medical school, delivered.
Another Casper preparation method is to get medical school admissions consulting. ProspectiveDoctor.com provides academic consulting so you can show admissions committees that you’re a great candidate. That includes passing admissions exams.
Sign up for a free MCAT practice exam and download the MedSchoolCoach mobile app for additional tips and tricks for navigating the med school application process. Schedule your consultation to learn more about how our MedSchoolCoach admissions advisors can provide tutoring or advising services. We’re here to help you ace the application process!
