Key Takeaways
- A number of physician assistant (PA) programs require Casper to assess interpersonal skills alongside a CASPA application
- It is the same open-response situational judgement test other health applicants sit, and it tests no clinical knowledge
- PA admissions are highly competitive, so a strong Casper quartile can help a strong file stand out
- There is no pass mark; aim for the 3rd or 4th quartile so Casper adds to your application
- Casper is very preparable through format familiarity, empathy-first habits and timed practice
Do PA programs require the Casper test?
A growing number of physician assistant programs require the Casper test. PA practice is intensely patient-facing and team-based, so programs use Casper to gauge the empathy, communication and judgement that strong clinical hours and a high GPA do not reveal. Most PA applicants apply through CASPA, the centralised application service, and your programs indicate whether a Casper result is required and the deadline for it.
Not every PA program uses Casper, and requirements change year to year, so check each program page for the current rule before you register. Because PA cohorts are small and applications outnumber seats heavily, every part of your file matters, and a confident Casper performance is one more way to show you belong in the profession.
No clinical knowledge tested
Casper will not ask about your patient-care experience or any medical content. It presents everyday dilemmas about people and fairness, so your healthcare hours help you understand people, but give you no shortcut 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
PA 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. You are reported to programs as a quartile against everyone who sat the same test type in your cycle, with no pass or fail. The full format and scoring are covered in our complete Casper test guide. Competitive PA applicants generally aim for the 3rd or 4th quartile, and the Q4 vs Q2 answer comparison shows what that level of answer looks like.
A PA-style scenario
A coworker on your shift is clearly stressed and short with a member of the public, which is out of character for them. A colleague suggests reporting it to the supervisor straight away. What do you do? A strong answer checks on the coworker with empathy, gathers context before judging, and weighs fairness to the public against support for a struggling colleague.
How to prepare for the PA Casper test
- Learn the format cold so the timer and two-question structure never surprise you
- Lead with empathy, naming the people in each scenario before you move to a plan
- Rehearse the typed clock and lift your typing speed if it is slowing you down
- Practise speaking to camera for the video section and review the recording
- Do full, timed mock tests with specific feedback on every answer
What raters reward is demonstrated empathy and sound judgement rather than rehearsed lines. The 9 Casper competencies breakdown shows what strong looks like in each, and the 3.5-minute typed response strategy shows how to structure answers that score under pressure.
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.