The CASPer Test in Canada: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re considering applying to Canadian medical schools, you may have heard of the CASPer test. You might be thinking, ‘Oh great, another test – as if the MCAT wasn’t enough.’ You may also be wondering: What exactly is the CASPer test, which Canadian medical schools use it, and how do they use it?

“Luckily for you, I’ve got answers (although, sadly, I can’t do anything about you having to take another test.) What I can do is help you become more informed! So, read on to find out what the CASPer test is all about, if the medical schools you’re planning on applying to use it in their admissions possess, and how exactly they use it.

Check out our guide on which U.S. medical schools require the CASPer test.

1. How long is the CASPer test?

Starting in the 2025/2026 cycle, CASPer is 65-85 minutes long. There are 2 optional breaks: a 10 minute break after the video-response section, and a 5 minute break halfway through the typed-response section

2. Where do I write the CASPer test?

The CASPer test is administered through a company called Acuity Insights. Unlike the MCAT,  it is completed on your own personal computer

3. Is the CASPer test harder than the MCAT?

The CASPer and MCAT are very different tests, making direct comparison difficult. While the MCAT requires months of preparation and covers a broad range of scientific content, the CASPer test challenges you with time constraints and the need to express ideas clearly and quickly. Both tests assess key skills for medical school applicants, but in different ways. Want to know which one might be more challenging for you? Keep reading to learn more about the CASPer test

4. Do I need to prepare for the CASPer test?

I believe that the majority of people would benefit from some form of practice, if only to familiarize themselves with CASPer’s strict time constraints. I think it’s a good idea to practice forming your answers coherently and concisely so you can express yourself fully in a short timeframe. For more information on the specifics of how much time you have for each question/response on the CASPer test, read below!

5. How much does it cost to register for the CASPer test?

Canadian English & French CASPer exams

• $50 CAD 
• A distribution fee of $18 CAD for each school you would like to send your scores to

American CASPer exam

• $85 USD with no additional distribution fees for the first 7 schools 
• $18 USD distribution fee for each additional school 

6. When Should I Sign Up for the CASPer Test?

Acuity recommends signing up at least 3 days before your test, but I suggest registering at least a month in advance. This gives you more than enough preparation time (especially if you have other commitments such as school or a job) and ensures that you secure your preferred test date and time

7. Can I Retake the CASPer Test?

Unlike the MCAT, you’re only allowed to take the CASPer test once per admissions cycle, and results are only valid for one admissions cycle (meaning you have to take CASPer each cycle you apply). So, while you actually have to retake the CASPer test next cycle, you cannot retake it for the current cycle

The CASPer test, short for the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, is a situational judgment test designed to evaluate applicants’ personal and professional attributes. Developed by McMaster University in 2010, it replaces traditional essay-based assessments in many schools’ admissions processes.

If you’ve had the chance to speak with other premeds, you might have heard of it before. On the other hand, if this is the first time you’ve heard the word CASPer be used to describe anything other than a friendly ghost – not to worry! That’s what this article is for.

Where Did the CASper Test Come From?

A common question people have is – where did the CASper test come from? The CASPer test was originally developed by McMaster University to assist in their medical school admissions process. The intention was to use CASPer in lieu of essays to assess candidates’ personal and professional attributes. McMaster began to incorporate CASPer into their admissions process in 2010 – and since then, a number of other Canadian schools have followed in their footsteps (but more on that later).

What is Tested on the CASPer Test

So, what exactly is tested on the CASPer test? “Personal and professional characteristics” can be pretty broad. Acuity assessments, the third party company that administers the CASPer test, lists the following attributes as being tested:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Empathy
• Equity
• Ethics
• Motivation
• Problem Solving
• Professionalism
• Resilience
• Self-awareness

The Format of The CASPer Test

Another common question people have is what is the format of the CASPer test? Starting in the 2025/2026 cycle, CASPer is 65-85 minutes long and is completed on your own personal computer (unlike the MCAT where you have to travel to a testing center). There are two types of scenarios on the CASPer test:

• Video-based scenarios
  • These are short videos that the test will show you prior to asking you questions about them – actors are typically used to act out scenarios that present an ethical dilemma
• Word-based scenarios
  • Instead of a video, you will be presented with a written question on your screen

There are also two sections on the CASPer test:

• A Video Response Section

1. 1. Includes 4 different scenarios
   2. Each scenario will ask 2 open-ended questions, presented one at a time. You have 1 minute to record each response.

• A Typed Response Section

1. 1. Includes 7 different scenarios
   2. Each scenario is followed by 2 open-ended questions, which are presented on one page. You have 3.5 minutes to type your answers to type your response to both questions.

There are 2 optional breaks – a 10-minute break after the video-response section, and a 5-minute break halfway through the typed-response section.

So, you know you need to take CASPer, but how do you sign up for the CASPer test? Unlike the MCAT, you’re only allowed to take the CASPer test once per admissions cycle, and results are only valid for one admissions cycle (meaning you have to take CASPer each cycle you apply). Testing dates for Canadian MD programs are typically between July-October. To sign up for CASPer, simply visit the Acuity Insights page to register for an account and choose a test date that corresponds to all schools you’d like to apply to (don’t worry, Acuity’s booking process makes this pretty easy). Be sure to choose “Medicine-Undergraduate” when signing up – the code for English Canadian medical programs is Casper 2 (CSP-10211).

You may also be required to take the CASPer in French (code CSP-20206F) depending on your preferred language of instruction (again, be sure to check Acuity’s booking tool, all information is laid out in a table when you select the schools you would like to apply to). 

When Should I Book My CASPer test?

So…when should you book your CASPer test? Acuity recommends signing up at least 3 days before your test, but I suggest registering at least a month in advance. This gives you more than enough preparation time (especially if you have other commitments such as school or a job) and ensures that you secure your preferred test date and time. You don’t lose anything by planning ahead, in fact, rescheduling is free if you’re 31+ days away from your test!

*Note: Depending on the schools you’re applying to, you may need to take CASPer before receiving your application ID. If so, don’t worry—the booking tool will tell you which placeholder to use until you get your ID. Just remember to update your ID(s) in your Acuity account once you have them. To do this, click your name in the top right, go to “Account,” then “IDs.” If you don’t update your ID, Acuity won’t be able to match your test results with your application.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately there is a fee associated with taking the test. 

To make matters even better (sarcasm intended) – if you’re planning on applying to Canadian and U.S schools that require the CASPer test, you must take (and pay for) the CASPer test twice. The tests are in the exact same format, but they differ in test code and cost. 

The payment structure is as follows:

• Canadian English & French CASPer exams (codes CSP-10211 & CSP-20206F respectively):

• • • $50 CAD 
    • A distribution fee of $18 CAD for each school you would like to send your scores to

• American CASPer exam (code CSP-10111):

• • $85 USD with no additional distribution fees for the first 7 schools 
  • $18 USD distribution fee for each additional school 

Now that you understand the format of the CASPer test, how to book it, and how much it costs. The next question you may be asking is how is the CASPer test marked?

According to Acuity Insights, each CASPer test is marked by a team of individual raters, one for each scenario. This means that your total score is the average of the individual ratings from each scenario. Raters are told to disregard spelling and grammatical mistakes, and instead focus on the content of your answers.

CASPer scores are also standardized into quartiles to represent your ranking comparative to others in the applicant pool. This means that your score is returned to you as a quartile (with 1st quartile being the lowest and 4th being the highest). However, the schools you elected to send your results to will see your specific result, not just your quartile rank (eg. you could be in the 4th quartile and get a 76%, or a 90% – but you’ll never know your true score, only the admissions committees will).

There are a lot of common misconceptions about the CASPer test floating around out there. So, let me address a few of them!

Do I Need to Study for the CASPer Test?

The first thing people often ask themselves is if they need to study for the CASPer test, and if so, how much do they need to study? There are people out there who will tell you not to study for the CASPer test at all. However, in my opinion, CASPer is structured like an MMI (multiple mini interview). Sure, there are people out there who are naturally great at interviews – but the majority of people would benefit from some form of practice – if only to familiarize yourself with CASPer’s strict time constraints (1 minute to explain yourself isn’t much, and if you’re a slow typer, 3.5 minutes to type out 2 complete answers can be brutal).

For most people, I think it’s a good idea to practice forming your answers coherently and concisely so you can express yourself fully in a short timeframe. Additionally, CASPer’s word-based scenarios can include interview-like questions such as “think of a time you had to make a sacrifice in order to accomplish a goal” – for these, it can be helpful to think of a few personal experiences that you can draw upon. Be aware – you don’t want to overdo it and prepare to the point where your answers sound robotic. Like preparing for any interview – there is such a thing as overkill (if all of your answers sound like Siri could be reading them instead…it might be time to take a break).

Check out this article for some of my favourite CASPer practice resources.

Is CASPer a Personality Test?

Many applicants wonder if CASPer is a personality test – and although people sometimes like to tote it as such – this thing isn’t the next Myers Briggs. At the end of the day, CASPer is a situational judgement test – it’s not a metric of how “good of a person” you are. You’re not a sociopath if you score in the first quartile – you just might not be as good at expressing yourself in your answers. That’s why practice helps – it ensures you’re able to showcase your skills with such a limited timeframe.

After all that information, the only question that might be left for you is “so…which schools actually want me to write this thing”. For a complete list of which Canadian medical schools use the CASPer test – along with how exactly they use it in their admissions process – look no further:

**Note: admissions requirements are dynamic and constantly changing without notice. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, be sure to check out each school’s admissions pages, which are linked below.

Ontario Schools

• McMaster University
  • Worth 32% of pre-interview score
• Ottawa University
• Queen’s University
  • Used as a threshold pre-interview, determined annually and not disclosed 

Western Canadian Schools

• The University of Manitoba
  • Used as a threshold pre-interview
• The University of Alberta
  • Used as a threshold pre-interview
• The University of Saskatchewan
  • Used as one of the criteria to determine which applicants are invited to interview

Eastern Canadian Schools

• McGill University
  • Weighted as 20% of pre-interview score
• Université Laval
• Université de Montréal
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Dalhousie University