Master the
CASPer Test
CASPer is an online situational judgment test, with typed and video responses, required by many US MD programs and most DO programs via AACOMAS. Master the format, scoring, and prep strategy — and verify requirements with each school, as participation changes annually.
11
Scenarios
3.5 min
Per typed scenario
Typed + video
Response format
Q1–Q4
Scoring
The format
How CASPer works
An online, video-and-text SJT you complete from your own computer — no testing center.
CASPer is delivered entirely online through the Acuity Insights platform (formerly Altus Suite). You need a reliable internet connection, a working webcam (for identity verification), and a microphone.
The test runs in two sections totalling 11 scenarios, each introduced by a short video clip or text vignette depicting a professional, ethical, or interpersonal situation. Seven are typed-response scenarios: two questions, 3.5 minutes for the pair. Four are video-response scenarios: two questions, one minute to speak per answer. A countdown timer runs on screen throughout.
There is no spell-check, grammar correction, or pasting from external documents. The 3.5-minute window covers both questions in a typed scenario — not 3.5 minutes each. Acuity Insights cut the test length by about 20% for the 2025/26 cycle, so older practice material describing 14 sections and 5-minute responses is out of date.
Typing speed matters
At 50 WPM you can produce ~175 words in 3.5 minutes. With two questions per typed scenario, allocate a little over 1.5 minutes each and aim for 60–80 words per response — concise and complete beats long and rambling.
2026–2027 cycle
When is Casper, and how much does it cost? (2026–2027)
Dates, fees and score timing for US medicine, as published by Acuity Insights.
For the 2026–2027 cycle, US medical school applicants take the Medicine (CSP-10111) test, which costs $85 including distribution to 9 schools ($20 for each additional school). Test dates are set per program: for Baylor College of Medicine, Acuity listed dates from March 19 to September 15, 2026. Programs get your score about 2–3 weeks after the test; you get your quartile after about 4–5 weeks.
| Test type | Medicine (CSP-10111), English |
|---|---|
| Test fee | $85 USD, includes distribution to 9 schools and Duet where required |
| Extra distributions | $20 per additional school |
| Rescheduling | Free 31+ days before the test; $20 within 30 days of or after the test date. Cancellations are non-refundable. |
| Test dates (example: Baylor College of Medicine, 2026) | March 19, March 31, April 30, May 14, May 28, June 9, June 25, July 7, July 19, July 30, August 11, August 25, September 15 |
| Booking | Reserve at least 3 days before your test; accommodation requests 4 weeks before |
| Format | 2 sections, 11 scenarios: 7 typed (3.5 minutes for two questions) and 4 video (1 minute per response); about 65–85 minutes with two optional breaks |
| Score to programs | About 2–3 weeks after the test, directly from Acuity Insights (not via AMCAS, AACOMAS or TMDSAS) |
| Your result | Quartile, about 4–5 weeks after the test |
| Validity | One admissions cycle and one test type; one attempt per test type per cycle |
| Equipment | Computer with Chrome or Firefox (no Safari, phones or tablets), webcam and microphone on throughout, government-issued photo ID for your account |
Acuity Insights had not listed a 2027–2028 cycle in its Dates and Fees tool as of September 14, 2026. Check which programs require Casper in the CASPer requirements database.
Sources (accessed September 14, 2026)
- Acuity Insights — Test dates & school information (Dates and Fees tool) — US Medicine test type, 2026–2027 test dates by program, $85 fee including 9 distributions, $20 extra distribution, Duet included, one test per cycle, 3-day booking advice
- Acuity Insights — About Casper — 2 sections, 11 scenarios, typed and video timings, 65–85 minutes, human raters, programs decide how to use scores
- Acuity Insights — Casper Updates for advisors — score delivery to programs, quartile definitions, one-cycle validity, Duet included in the fee
- Acuity Insights Help Centre — What to know before, during, and after Casper — browser and device rules, webcam and microphone, results to programs in 2–3 weeks, quartile in 4–5 weeks
- Acuity Insights Help Centre — How can I reschedule or cancel my Casper test? — free reschedule 31+ days ahead, $20 within 30 days, cancellations non-refundable
Scoring
How CASPer is scored
Different raters, no halo effect, and a quartile — not a raw score — sent to schools.
Responses are scored by trained human raters on dimensions including professionalism, empathy, communication, and ethical reasoning, and are spread across different raters so a weak response in one scenario does not color the rest. Since the 2025/26 change, each typed response is scored individually rather than one score per scenario. Your aggregated score is reported to you as a quartile relative to other test takers that cycle, while the programs you selected receive your score directly from Acuity Insights.
You see your quartile; programs receive your score. No program sees your typed or video responses.
How to prepare
CASPer preparation strategy
Five steps that move the needle — in roughly the order you should tackle them.
Build your typing speed to 50+ WPM
Use free tools (Keybr, Typing.com, 10fastfingers) to practice. This single most actionable step determines how much you can communicate per section. Practice typing in complete sentences — that is the actual task.
Use the Altus free practice scenarios
Acuity Insights provides free samples at acuityinsights.app. Complete them under timed conditions on your actual test computer and setup to familiarize yourself with the interface, timer, and video quality before test day.
Develop a response framework
A 3-part approach works well: acknowledge the complexity and the people involved; describe what you would do and why, using a relevant ethical principle (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice); then acknowledge your uncertainty. Avoid black-and-white conclusions where the scenario is ambiguous.
Review ethics & professionalism foundations
CASPer frequently tests informed consent, confidentiality, professional boundaries, disclosure, cultural humility, resource allocation, and conflict resolution. Review the four principles of bioethics (Beauchamp and Childress) and the AAMC Premed Competencies.
Complete timed practice sessions
The countdown timer, pressure to write coherently, and speaking to camera under time create a specific test anxiety. Repeated timed practice normalises it — and practice the spoken video answers out loud, not just the typing. Aim for 3–5 full-length sessions before your test. Paid practice tests (BeMo, Acuity Insights, Lecturio) add scored rubrics.
What it tests
Common CASPer question themes
Scenarios cluster around a predictable set of professional and ethical themes.
Ethical dilemmas
Resource allocation, end-of-life decisions, conflicting obligations between patients, colleagues, and institutions.
Professional conduct
Observed misconduct by a colleague, an impaired provider, documentation errors, and reporting obligations.
Conflict resolution
Disagreement with a supervisor, interpersonal conflict in a team, or a difficult patient or family member.
Cultural differences
Navigating cultural or religious differences in care, interpreter access, and family decision-making dynamics.
Informed consent & autonomy
Patient refusal of treatment, capacity assessment, surrogate decision-makers, and truth-telling.
Confidentiality
Disclosure obligations (safety threats, infectious disease) and protecting patient information in social situations.
Compare
CASPer vs AAMC PREview
Two SJTs, two very different formats — many schools require one, some require both.
| Feature | CASPer | AAMC PREview |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Acuity Insights (third-party) | AAMC (same body as AMCAS) |
| Format | Open-ended typed text + spoken video | Rate set behaviors on a 4-point scale |
| Sections / scenarios | 2 sections, 11 scenarios (7 typed, 4 video) | 1 section, 186 responses to rate |
| Time | ~65–85 min total | 75 min |
| Scoring | Quartile (Q1–Q4) | 1–9 scaled score |
| Score transmission | Direct to schools (separate from AMCAS) | Via AMCAS |
| Required by | 30+ MD, most DO programs | 30+ MD programs |
| Key prep | Typing speed, spoken fluency, response structure, ethics | AAMC competencies, effectiveness judgment |
Administrator
- CASPer
- Acuity Insights (third-party)
- AAMC PREview
- AAMC (same body as AMCAS)
Format
- CASPer
- Open-ended typed text + spoken video
- AAMC PREview
- Rate set behaviors on a 4-point scale
Sections / scenarios
- CASPer
- 2 sections, 11 scenarios (7 typed, 4 video)
- AAMC PREview
- 1 section, 186 responses to rate
Time
- CASPer
- ~65–85 min total
- AAMC PREview
- 75 min
Scoring
- CASPer
- Quartile (Q1–Q4)
- AAMC PREview
- 1–9 scaled score
Score transmission
- CASPer
- Direct to schools (separate from AMCAS)
- AAMC PREview
- Via AMCAS
Required by
- CASPer
- 30+ MD, most DO programs
- AAMC PREview
- 30+ MD programs
Key prep
- CASPer
- Typing speed, spoken fluency, response structure, ethics
- AAMC PREview
- AAMC competencies, effectiveness judgment
See the full AAMC PREview guide.
Where it's required
US schools requiring CASPer
Every requirement, curated from official admissions pages and re-verified each cycle.
23 of 163
MD programs require CASPer
5 of 64
DO programs require CASPer
2 of 78
Dental programs require CASPer
All 305 US MD, DO and dental programs — sortable by school, state and requirement, with AAMC PREview status alongside. Participation changes annually; each record links to the school’s admissions guide.
Pitfalls
Common CASPer mistakes
The avoidable errors that pull responses into lower quartiles.
Exceeding the time limit
The timer is absolute — the scenario closes when it expires. Practice pacing so you can answer both questions inside the 3.5-minute typed window. Two complete answers beat one polished answer and one blank.
Generic answers
“I would talk to my supervisor” without explaining how, why, or which ethical principle is at stake reads as evasive. Be specific about what you would do and why.
Ignoring context
Each scenario has specific details — your role, the setting, the relationships. Responses that could apply to any scenario suggest you are not engaging with the actual situation presented.
Taking an extreme position
Scenarios are designed to have genuine ethical tension. An immediate absolute position without acknowledging competing considerations suggests binary thinking rather than professional judgment.
Forgetting typing practice
Low typing speed is the single most preventable CASPer failure mode — you cannot demonstrate your reasoning if you cannot type it in time.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
The CASPer details US applicants ask about most.
Mock interviews built in your school's real format.
Pick your target US medical or dental school and our question bank assembles a mock in that school's documented format — MMI, panel or traditional. Every station comes with real questions, likely follow-ups, a full scoring rubric and annotated model answers.
- Matched to your school’s format — MMI, panel or traditional
- Hundreds of practice questions across US MD, DO & dental interviews
- Real scoring rubrics with examiner guidance — annotated model answers in the free preview
Prepare for CASPer with expert guidance
Live sessions covering response structure, ethics knowledge, and timed practice under real CASPer conditions.
Keep reading
Related guides
Other US interview formats and admissions topics worth knowing.