Casper Test for Medical School: Pre-Med Prep

Do medical schools require the Casper test?

Many medical schools require the Casper test as part of admissions. It is the most common single use of Casper, spanning MD and DO programs in the United States and a large share of medical schools in Canada, Australia and beyond. Admissions committees use it to assess the professional and interpersonal qualities that predict good doctors, the parts of an applicant that grades and the MCAT cannot capture.

Whether a particular school requires Casper, and by when, depends on the school and the cycle. Medical applicants usually apply through a centralised service such as AMCAS (allopathic), AACOMAS (osteopathic) or TMDSAS (Texas) in the US, or OMSAS in Ontario, and your schools tell you whether a Casper result is required and the deadline for it to arrive. Always confirm the current requirement on each medical school admissions page before you book. Programs we've checked that require it include Baylor College of Medicine and East Tennessee State University in the US. In Canada, they include Dalhousie University and McGill University. Our list of medical schools that require Casper names every one we've confirmed.

The Casper test format for pre-meds

Pre-meds sit the standard Casper test: 4 video-response scenarios and 7 typed-response scenarios, in about 65 to 85 minutes. You watch or read a short, everyday dilemma. Then you either record 1 minute per answer on camera or type both answers in 3.5 minutes. The scenarios are deliberately non-clinical, so a strong pre-med background gives no head start.

Each scenario is scored by a different trained rater. Schools receive your score, and you receive a quartile against everyone who sat the same test type in your cycle. There is no pass mark. Our complete Casper test guide breaks down the format and scoring in detail. For every timing, see how long the Casper test takes.

When should pre-meds take Casper, and what is a good score?

Take Casper early enough for your result to reach every school before its deadline. Many applicants sit it around when they submit their primary application. Acuity sends your Casper test results to the programs you've chosen about 2 to 3 weeks after your test. Your quartile score is available about 4 to 5 weeks after the test. You can only complete each Casper test type once per admissions cycle. Rescheduling is free 31 or more days before your test, and a fee may apply after that. So prepare before you book, rather than planning to retake. For sittings, see Casper test dates for the US and Canada.

On scoring, there's no fixed cut-off. You receive your Casper result as a quartile, and competitive medical applicants generally aim for the 3rd or 4th. The Q4 vs Q2 answer comparison shows what separates a top answer from an average one. For how quartiles work, see what your Casper score means.

How to prepare for the medical school Casper test

1. Learn the format cold so the timing and structure are second nature on test day
2. Lead with empathy in every response, acknowledging the people involved before reasoning toward a decision
3. Rehearse the 3.5-minute typed clock and raise your typing speed if it is costing you with a free typing speed test
4. Practise the video section on camera, watching it back for pacing, tone and eye contact
5. Sit full, timed mock tests with specific feedback on every answer, which builds judgement faster than reading tips

The skill that most separates strong pre-med answers is showing genuine empathy and balanced ethical reasoning, not reciting a framework. Our 9 Casper competencies breakdown details what raters reward, and the 3.5-minute typed response strategy shows how to structure an answer that lands a high quartile.