Casper is an online situational judgment test that measures social intelligence and professionalism. It’s required by many medical schools, nursing programs, pharmacy schools, and residency programs as part of the admissions process. Administered by Acuity Insights, the test presents you with realistic scenarios and asks how you’d respond, giving programs a standardized way to evaluate qualities like empathy, ethics, and collaboration that grades and test scores can’t capture.
How the Test Works
Casper presents 11 scenarios split across two main sections: typed responses and video responses. The whole test takes 65 to 85 minutes.
For the typed section, you’ll work through 7 scenarios. Each one gives you a short written prompt or video clip describing a situation, then asks two open-ended questions about it. You get 3.5 minutes total to type answers to both questions on the same page. That’s tight, so your responses will be concise rather than polished essays.
The video section includes 4 scenarios. Each again asks two open-ended questions, but instead of typing you’ll record yourself speaking. You get one minute per response. This section tests your ability to think on your feet and communicate clearly under pressure, not just organize your thoughts in writing.
The scenarios are deliberately ambiguous. There’s rarely a single “right” answer. You might be asked what you’d do if a classmate admitted to cheating, or how you’d handle a conflict between a patient’s wishes and their family’s concerns. The goal isn’t to find the perfect solution but to show how you reason through competing priorities.
What It Measures
Casper evaluates aspects of social intelligence and professionalism: ethics, empathy, problem-solving, collaboration, and similar interpersonal qualities. The scenarios are designed to surface how you think about fairness, how you weigh different perspectives, and whether you can acknowledge complexity without defaulting to simplistic answers. Programs use it as one data point alongside your GPA, standardized test scores, and personal statements to build a fuller picture of who you are as a candidate.
How Scoring Works
Your responses are evaluated by a diverse group of human raters, not an algorithm. Each scenario is scored independently, meaning different raters assess different parts of your test. This is designed to reduce the influence of any single evaluator’s bias.
You won’t see a detailed score. About a month after the test, you’ll receive your quartile ranking, which tells you how you performed relative to everyone else who took it in that cycle. Programs on your distribution list receive your results directly, typically two to three weeks after the test date. Results go straight to the programs electronically rather than through application portals like AMCAS or CASPA.
Does Casper Predict Success?
This is where things get complicated. The evidence supporting Casper’s ability to predict who will succeed in medical or professional school is thin. A critical review published on Science-Based Medicine found very little independent research validating the test’s effectiveness. The strongest published finding showed a moderate correlation between Casper scores and performance on one specific section of a Canadian medical licensing exam focused on legal, ethical, and organizational aspects of practice. Beyond that narrow link, Casper scores showed no meaningful correlation with measures of medical knowledge or clinical expertise.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the test is useless. Supporters argue it helps diversify incoming classes by giving applicants another dimension to showcase strengths that traditional metrics miss. But if you’re wondering whether a high Casper score predicts you’ll be a better doctor or nurse, the published data doesn’t strongly support that claim.
How to Prepare
Casper isn’t a knowledge test, so there’s nothing to memorize. The most effective preparation involves practicing your ability to articulate ethical reasoning under time pressure. Read through sample scenarios and practice typing coherent two-question responses in 3.5 minutes. For the video section, practice speaking your answers aloud for one minute without rambling or freezing up.
A few principles tend to produce stronger responses. Consider multiple perspectives before landing on your approach. Acknowledge the tension in the scenario rather than pretending it’s straightforward. Be specific about what you would actually do, not just what values you hold. And avoid extreme positions. If a scenario asks about a friend breaking a rule, “immediately report them” and “do nothing” are both weaker than a response that weighs loyalty, fairness, and context.
Technical Setup
You take Casper from home on a laptop or desktop computer. Smartphones, tablets, and hybrid devices like the Microsoft Surface are not supported and can cause technical problems. You’ll need Chrome or Firefox (Safari won’t work), a working webcam, a microphone, and an internet connection with at least 1.5 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload speeds.
Acuity Insights recommends using wired audio inputs or your computer’s built-in microphone. Wireless headphones and earbuds, including AirPods, can drop connections or run out of battery mid-test. If you do use Bluetooth audio, disconnect all other Bluetooth devices first.
You’re required to complete a systems requirements check through your Acuity Insights account within six hours of your test start time, using the same setup and environment you’ll use for the real thing. On test day, restart your computer beforehand and disable any VPNs, firewalls, or browser extensions that could interfere.