Key Takeaways
- Allied health programs, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy, increasingly use Casper to screen for empathy and collaboration
- It is the same situational judgement test other health applicants sit, and it tests no clinical knowledge
- In the US, applicants often apply through services such as PTCAS or OTCAS; elsewhere you usually apply to the program directly
- Casper is reported as a quartile, and competitive applicants aim for the 3rd or 4th quartile
- Preparation works: learn the format, lead with empathy, and practise under the timed clock
Do physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs require Casper?
A growing number of allied health programs require the Casper test, including physiotherapy (called physical therapy in the US) and occupational therapy. These professions are built on close, sustained relationships with clients, often during difficult recoveries, so programs use Casper to assess the empathy, communication and collaboration that grades alone cannot show.
In the United States, physical therapy applicants often apply through PTCAS and occupational therapy applicants through OTCAS, with individual programs indicating whether Casper is required. In other countries you usually apply to the program directly. Adoption varies and changes each cycle, so confirm the current requirement on the official admissions page for each program you are applying to.
No clinical knowledge tested
Casper does not ask about anatomy, rehabilitation or any clinical content. It presents everyday dilemmas about people and fairness, so applicants from any academic background can prepare on equal footing.
11 scenarios across two sections: a typed-response section and a video-response section.
- Typed scenarios 7
- Video scenarios 4
What to expect and what a good score is
Allied health applicants sit the standard Casper test: four video-response scenarios and seven typed-response scenarios in roughly 65 to 85 minutes, each scored by a different trained rater and reported as a quartile with no pass or fail. The complete Casper test guide covers the format and scoring fully. Competitive applicants generally aim for the 3rd or 4th quartile, the level shown in our Q4 vs Q2 answer comparison.
An allied-health-style scenario
Someone you are helping is frustrated and discouraged because progress is slow, and says they want to give up. How do you respond? A strong answer leads with empathy for their frustration, encourages without dismissing how they feel, and works with them on a realistic way forward rather than simply telling them to keep going.
How to prepare for the allied health Casper test
- Learn the format cold so the timing and structure are familiar before test day
- Lead with empathy, acknowledging the people in each scenario before acting
- Rehearse the typed clock and lift your typing speed if it is holding you back
- Practise speaking to camera and review the recordings
- Do full, timed mock tests with honest feedback on every answer
Demonstrated empathy and collaborative judgement are what raters reward. The 9 Casper competencies breakdown explains each, and the 3.5-minute typed response strategy shows how to structure answers that score well under time.
Your Casper timeline, step by step
- 1Step 1
Check your programs
Confirm which of your programs require Casper and the deadline for your result.
- 2Step 2
Register early
Book your Casper sitting through Acuity Insights, well before your earliest deadline.
- 3Step 3
Practise under the clock
Rehearse timed scenarios across both sections until the format feels routine.
- 4Step 4
Sit the test
Complete the video and typed sections in a single sitting.
- 5Step 5
Send your results
Distribute your Casper result to every program before its application deadline.