Key Takeaways
- Some dental and dental hygiene programs require Casper to assess communication, ethics and judgement
- It is the same situational judgement test other health applicants sit, and it tests no dental or science knowledge
- Many programs collect Casper alongside the AADSAS application, each with its own deadline
- 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 dental schools require the Casper test?
A number of dental schools require the Casper test, and some dental hygiene programs use it too. Dentistry is a close, hands-on, trust-dependent profession, so admissions teams use Casper to assess the communication, empathy and ethical judgement that the DAT and a strong GPA cannot show. Many dental applicants apply through AADSAS, the centralised application service, and individual schools indicate whether a Casper result is required and the deadline for it.
Adoption varies by school and changes each cycle, so confirm the current requirement on the official admissions page for each dental program you are applying to before you book a sitting.
No dental knowledge tested
Casper does not ask about oral anatomy, the DAT or any dental content. It presents everyday dilemmas about people and fairness, so your science preparation gives you no advantage on the test itself.
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
Dental 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 format and scoring in full. Competitive dental applicants generally aim for the 3rd or 4th quartile, the level shown in our Q4 vs Q2 answer comparison.
A dental-style scenario
A nervous member of the public is anxious and asking lots of questions while others wait, and a colleague signals for you to hurry them along. What do you do? A strong answer stays patient and reassuring, communicates clearly, and balances the anxious person’s needs with fairness to everyone else.
How to prepare for the dental Casper test
- Learn the format cold so the timing and structure are familiar on the day
- Lead with empathy, acknowledging the people in each scenario before acting
- Rehearse the typed clock and lift your typing speed if it is slowing you down
- Practise speaking to camera and review the recordings
- Do full, timed mock tests with honest feedback on every answer
Demonstrated empathy and balanced judgement are what raters reward. The 9 Casper competencies breakdown details each, and the 3.5-minute typed response strategy shows how to structure high-scoring answers 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.