Frequently Asked Questions

CASPer is used by academic programs to obtain a more reliable and meaningful assessment of applicants’ personal competencies. It is meant to be a way for programs to get a better sense of their applicant pool.

For programs, this means not only selecting applicants with the highest potential for success, but also ensuring that they are selecting a diverse group of students to reflect the increasing diversity of the patient population.

Academic programs incorporate CASPer in different ways to guide their admissions process. Most programs use CASPer alongside other metrics like GPA and MCAT scores as a prescreening tool to decide who they would like to invite to the interview process. Some programs use CASPer in a more impressionistic approach, to help facilitate decisions on candidates who are on the cusp of whether they are admitted to the program. Some programs implement a conservative cut-off score for CASPer to screen out applicants, while others take a closer look at candidates who have exceptionally high CASPer scores.

Please contact your academic program(s) for the most up to date information regarding the admission process, requirements, and deadlines.

Webcams are a strict requirement for your CASPer test as part of our identity assertion and proctoring methods. Your webcam must be active, uncovered, and facing towards you throughout the duration of your test.

During your CASPer Examination, Altus may, at any time and from time to time, remotely monitor your access to the service to ensure compliance with the Terms of Use.

Please ensure you have access to a working computer with a webcam to use for your account registration and test.

All payments must be made with a valid credit card. We accept major credit cards, including, but not limited to, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Debit cards are not accepted.

Please ensure to provide the exact email address, telephone number and the billing address your credit card bank has on file for you.

Since we are a Canadian company, some banks in other countries may block your payment in order to prevent fraud. If you reside outside of Canada, please contact your bank to ensure that your payment is authorized.

Please Note:

• • The charge on your credit card will be displayed as TAKECASPER.COM TORONTO CAN.
  • Incorrect program selection or change of mind is not grounds for a refund.
  • All payments are valid for the current admissions cycle.
  • All fees are non-refundable.

Program Fee Waivers (or CASPer coupons) are used by a small subset of programs that have requested to absorb the test fee for their applicants. Programs providing Program Fee Waivers will communicate this directly to their applicants via email. 

Altus Assessments does not provide Program Fee Waiver codes to applicants. 

Program Fee Waiver codes will only cover the CASPer test base fee + distribution fee to that particular program. Codes are associated with applicant email addresses and can only be used one time. All other distribution fees are the responsibility of the applicant.

The CASPer test takes approximately 90 minutes, which includes the introduction, about 65 minutes of questions, and an optional 10-minute break at the halfway point (after six sections).

Please aim to log in to your CASPer account approximately thirty minutes before your scheduled test time and ensure your computer, webcam, and internet connection are in working order for your test.

To learn more about CASPer, read our blog post HERE

CASPer does not use testing centers.

You can take the online CASPer test on a computer and at a location of your choice. Since the test requires your full concentration, we strongly recommend that you take the test in a space that is free from distractions and noise. You may use headphones to help you concentrate and/or eliminate background noise.

For your test, you will need access to a computer, webcam, and reliable internet connection that passes the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’ found on the reservations page.

For tips on how to prepare for the CASPer test, visit our test prep page.

Please remember that you must take your test alone.

We are unable to accommodate individual schedules. All test dates and distribution deadlines are pre-arranged with academic programs and tests are processed as a group to ensure timely delivery. Each test instance uses unique content and a team is on hand to support test takers.

When travelling, please arrange to have access to a computer, webcam, and reliable internet connection that passes the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’ (found on your reservations page).

If you are unable to take the test due to school/work, please speak with your supervisor/professor explaining the high stakes nature of the CASPer test so that you can be available.

You can browse program test dates on the Dates and Fees page.

CASPer raters are trained to disregard spelling mistakes when evaluating responses.

We strongly encourage you to focus on the content of your responses and to use all of the time provided to complete the questions in each answer section.

Keep in mind that raters will accept any typed answer, whether it be in point form/bullet points or complete sentences.

For more information about how the CASPer test is scored, please click HERE

Each section of the test is scored by a unique rater, making the CASPer score a robust measure made up of many independent impressions of you.

Raters are assigned to a particular scenario from a CASPer test and provided with relevant instructions and background knowledge about the topic at hand. Once prepared, raters are served responses from one scenario and multiple different applicants to rate. It’s important to note that no rater will ever score an applicant more than once.

As such, an applicant’s final score is always comprised of 12 unique rater impressions. This allows us to dilute any bias that one rater’s subjectivity may bring to the table. Your responses are also completely anonymized, meaning they only receive your typed reply and are not provided with any personal information (i.e. your name, age, photo, etc).

Raters are trained to disregard spelling mistakes when evaluating responses.

Each rater completes a training session and accreditation before they are permitted to score CASPer responses. Your responses are anonymized, so a rater does not know who you are, or how well you’ve done on any other section of the test.

It is up to the individual programs to determine how they will incorporate the CASPer score into their application decisions, meaning every school may use the scores differently.

That means that the same CASPer score may be competitive for one program but less competitive for another. The influence of the score also depends on the competitiveness of the applicant pool for each individual program.

Further information on the program-specific use of CASPer scores may be available on the individual program websites.

Additionally, depersonalized (anonymized) data may be used for research purposes about a program(s) applicants, while strictly adhering to legal and ethical research standards.

If you are approved for a fee assistance program that is honoured by CASPer, please select the checkbox that says, ‘I have been approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program’ when reserving your test.

This checkbox will appear after you have selected the programs you want to distribute your CASPer score to and before you continue to the payment.

Fee Assistance Programs that are honoured for the CASPer test are:
AAMC
AACOMAS
Texas JAMP
Texas Early Assurance

CASPer does not offer phone support.

We offer online support via our messaging system. To access this, click on the orange chat bubble located in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen when on the website or in your CASPer account.

Our support team typically replies within one business day.

For all CASPer tests, our support team is available for live-chat via our online messaging system one hour before the start times and for the duration of the tests.

Please note: We do not call applicants. If you receive a phone call from anyone claiming to be a CASPer representative, please contact us immediately.

All CASPer test fees are non-refundable and only valid for the then-current admissions cycle. 

You can find information regarding this policy in our Terms of Use (section 6. Fees and Payments) and on the Dates and Fees page.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reserve a test only once they are certain that they need to take it. Selecting an incorrect program, test language, or admissions cycle as well as having a change of mind, or no longer needing a test is not grounds for a refund.

You should prepare for the CASPer test by familiarizing yourself with the test format and technical requirements. The general literature suggests that situational judgment tests (SJTs), like the CASPer test, are relatively immune to test preparation (i.e. that coaching is unlikely to provide benefit).

We strongly encourage you to focus on the content of your responses and to use all of the time provided to complete the questions in each answer section.

To view our blog post about how to maximize your chances of success when taking CASPer click HERE

You are strongly encouraged to familiarize yourself with the standard CASPer test format and to complete the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’ found on the reservations page in your intended test environment. This will help to reduce test-day anxiety and to ensure no technical issues prevent you from having a smooth test.

For a sample test, please log-in to your CASPer account and go to the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’.

For tips on how to prepare for the test, visit our ‘Test Prep’ page and read our blog post HERE.

Please note that any example questions or tests that may exist outside of the takecasper.com site are in no way associated with the official CASPer test and are not recommended resources.

A sample CASPer test available. To access this sample test, please log-in to your CASPer account, go to ‘Test Management’, and choose ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’.

Please visit the ‘Test Prep’ page to familiarize yourself with the standard CASPer test format in order to reduce test-day anxiety and to ensure no technical issues prevent you from having a smooth test.

Please note that any example questions or tests that may exist outside of the takecasper.com site are in no way associated with the official CASPer test and are not recommended resources.

The test is composed of 12 sections (8 video-based scenarios and 4 word-based scenarios) that are presented in a randomized order. Each scenario is followed by an answer section (set of 3 questions). You have 5 minutes to type your responses for each answer section before you are automatically directed to the next scenario.

Please note: Your typed responses are automatically saved even if you don’t press the “Submit” button before you proceed to the next section.

Please complete the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’ found on your reservations page in your intended test environment to ensure that everything is working properly.

It is important to complete this check using the same computer, webcam, and internet connection that you intend to use on test day.

To avoid time zone scheduling issues, check the countdown timer on your test page in your CASPer account

No. Altus Assessments Inc., the company behind the CASPer test, is in no way affiliated with test preparation companies offering CASPer test preparation or coaching services. Any claims of a quantitative improvement in test scores from these third-party companies are not from the actual CASPer test. We do not offer any paid CASPer test prep or coaching services outside the practice tests and scenarios available on your official takecasper.com user account or on the takecasper.com website.

We strongly encourage all students and their parents (or guardians) to proceed with caution when reviewing the services offered by such third parties, as none of them have been verified nor are they supported by Altus Assessments. We have seen advice given by these companies that can be detrimental to an applicant’s score, so we advise you to be careful. We recommend you use the resources we have provided on the takecasper.com website.

To apply for CASPer test accommodations, applicants are required to complete and submit the following to support@takecasper.com (or you may request a link to directly upload your documents to a secure encrypted folder):
Registration for a CASPer test

• Accommodations Request Forms Parts 1 and 2 (download the form below)
• Part 1: Candidate Form
• Part 2: Medical Form
• Additional supporting documentation (if possible)

All forms and supporting documents must be submitted 3 weeks* prior to the time of your scheduled CASPer test in order to allow sufficient time for document review and a decision on the appropriate testing accommodation.

We strive to provide a CASPer test that is accessible to every applicant. The types of accommodated tests that we offer include, but are not limited to:

• Extended time
• Closed caption videos
• Assistive software (i.e. speech-to-text)
• Assistive personnel (i.e. scribe and/or reader)

Please note: All accommodation related forms and documents submitted are strictly confidential, and will only be used to inform accommodation decisions for the CASPer test. Accommodation statuses will not be shared with the academic program(s) or any CASPer rater(s).

For a more detailed outline of the CASPer accommodation process, please review the Altus Assessments Accommodations Policy here

CASPer Test Accommodations Request Form (English)

* Exceptions to the 3-week submission timeline and document requirements may be made in extreme circumstances (eg. The second iteration of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) CASPer test in early March, medical emergencies, or for cases relating to COVID-19).  

Applicants in these circumstances are encouraged to reach out to the CASPer support team about their accommodations needs as soon as possible and ask for more information using the orange chat bubble, located in the bottom right-hand corner of the CASPer website and account.

On the day of your test, please take the ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’ found on your reservations page in your intended test environment. This is to ensure that your webcam, browser and internet connection are adequate and working properly.

• Download an updated version of both Chrome and Firefox HERE.
• Restart your computer
• Close all other applications (e.g. Skype)
• Use incognito/Private browser
• Disable any Firewall or pop-up blocker
• Disable all plug-ins and extensions (e.g. Grammarly)
• Deactivate your Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Chrome or Firefox
• Log-in to your CASPer account approximately thirty-minutes before your scheduled test time.

Please note that webcams are a strict requirement for your CASPer test as part of our identity assertion methods. Your webcam must be active, uncovered, and facing towards you throughout the duration of your test.

Please log-in to your CASPer account approximately thirty-minutes before your scheduled test time.

Then, go to the testing page and wait for the countdown timer to expire. Once expired, click the ‘Start’ button that will appear. This will enable you to start your test.

Please note that you will only have 15 minutes to click the ‘Start’ button, after which you will have to reschedule to a future test date (if available).

You are entitled to an optional 10-minute break at the halfway point (after six sections) of your CASPer test.

During your break, you can take this time to stretch and relax. As well, please feel free to step out of the view of your webcam to go to the washroom, grab a quick snack/refreshment, and get ready for the second half of your CASPer test.

After the break, your CASPer test will automatically resume, so please ensure that you have returned to your computer before your break time has expired.

If you would like to proceed directly to the remainder of your test before the break has passed, you can click the ‘next’ button at any point.

Please ensure to familiarize yourself with the standard CASPer test format in order to reduce test-day anxiety and to ensure no technical issues prevent you from having a smooth test. A CASPer sample test is available. To access this sample test, please log-in to your CASPer account go to ‘Test Management’, and choose ‘CASPer System Requirements Check’.

If you experience technical issues during a test, simply refresh the browser page by clicking the refresh icon. If refreshing your browser does not resolve the issue, we recommend switch to your back-up browser (Chrome or FireFox). You can download the latest versions HERE

Please note that all other browsers (e.g. Safari, Explorer, Edge, etc.), as well as Smartphones and Tablets, do not support the CASPer website.

If the issue persists please reach out to the CASPer Support Team via the live chat (the orange button at the bottom, right-hand, corner of your test screen). We suggest reaching out to the support team during a video/word-based scenario of your test, rather than during an answer section.

Avoid refreshing the page during an answer section to avoid disconnection. Responses are automatically saved every second as long as your internet connection is stable.

While we aim to maximize your chance of finishing your test when scheduled, some things are outside of our control. Computer malfunctions, slow/intermittent internet connections, and undetected viruses/malware on your computer/browser may affect your test experience. In all cases, our applicant support team will do their best to help you.

If you experience any technical issues during your test, please contact us via the chat (the orange button at the bottom, right-hand, corner of your test screen) and we will help you as best as possible.

If you are unable to contact us during the time of your test, please make sure to reach out to support@takecasper.com within 24 hours of your scheduled test date (we do not have a phone number where you can reach us).

All test scores are processed and distributed to academic programs as a group. Your CASPer score will be made available to the programs on your distribution list approximately 2-3 weeks after taking your test.

You will not receive an email stating that your score has been delivered. However, in the Reservations section of your CASPer account, you will see “Completed – Results delivered” to indicate that the score has been delivered. If you see “Completed – Results pending,” your CASPer score has not yet been distributed.

It may take some extra time for individual programs to update the status of your CASPer score in their system. Please allow programs ample time to update their system.

Your CASPer score will be made available only to the programs on your distribution list approximately 2-3 weeks after taking your test.

You will not receive an email stating that your score has been delivered. However, in the Reservations section of your CASPer account, you will see “Completed – Results delivered” to indicate that the score has been delivered. If you see “Completed – Results pending,” your CASPer score has not yet been distributed.

Please note that we do not provide applicants with their CASPer score nor do we provide feedback on their answers.

You can add programs to your distribution list even after taking your test, as long as they are still accepting scores.

• On the Reservations page of your CASPer account, under Test Information, click on View/Add beside Distribution(s) 
• Select ‘Add a New Distribution’
• Select the program(s) and school(s) you wish to send your score to
• Provide additional ID requirements, if applicable
• Review and submit your payment 

If you are not able to select ‘Add a New Distribution’, the distribution deadline for one or more of the programs selected may have passed. You can browse all of the program distribution deadlines on the ‘Dates and Fees’ page.

CASPer scores are only valid for a single admissions cycle and for the test type (e.g. American Professional Health Sciences, etc.) for which you have taken the test.

You will need to take a separate CASPer test for future admissions cycles or different Test Categories, including for programs offered in different countries or in different languages.

One reason why scores are valid for only one admissions cycle is because exams evolve each year and answers must be assessed against the new pool of candidates. Therefore, a CASPer score for one type of program or admissions cycle cannot be used for other types of programs or future admissions cycles.

The CASPer test is not a pass or fail test. It measures your personal skills in relation to the entire applicant pool.

It is up to the individual programs to determine how they will incorporate the CASPer score into their application decisions, meaning every school may use the scores differently. That means that the same CASPer score may be competitive for one program but less competitive for another. The influence of the score also depends on the competitiveness of the applicant pool for each individual program.

This is why we do not provide applicants with their CASPer score nor do we provide feedback on their answers.

Additionally, applicants like yourself will not receive their CASPer score in the same way that they would not expect to get ‘results’ from an interview, reference letter, or personal statement. It is meant to be a way for programs to get a better sense of their applicant pool.

Finally, the CASPer score is a total numeric number that is not broken down by areas/topics covered. Therefore, sharing this information with applicants would not provide any insights into learning opportunities about where they excelled and/or where they could have improved.

It was weighing all this information, that we made the decision not to distribute scores.

Applicants are not permitted to take a CASPer test for the same test type (e.g. Canadian Professional Health Sciences, US Medicine, Australian Postgraduate Education, etc.) more than once per admissions cycle.

Some programs use the same CASPer test score multiple times throughout a single admissions cycle. For example, if an applicant took the Canadian Post Graduate Medical Education test for the CaRMS Round 1 match, the same CASPer score will be considered for the Round 2 match. This also applies to programs using CASPer for their initial application decisions as well as instead of a Multi Mini Interview (MMI) or in-person interview. In these cases, applicants do not need to take two CASPer tests for the same test type; the results from their initial CASPer test will be applicable for all admissions considerations for the duration of that admissions cycle, so long as the programs are added to their score distribution list.

Please note that CASPer results are only valid for a single admissions cycle, and only for the test type and test language for which you have taken the test. You will need to take a separate CASPer test for future admissions cycles or programs requiring different test types, including for programs offered in different countries or languages.

You may have noticed on your TakeCASPer account that Altus Assessments will be piloting the release of quartiles to some applicants applying to medical school in the United States. This is in an effort to provide CASPer test takers with some form of feedback on how they performed on the CASPer test while not risking test integrity, ensuring fairness from year-to-year, and respecting our partner programs’ admissions strategies. 

We will be piloting this with a very limited number of undisclosed programs and pre-selected applicants to study the effects and response to receiving such feedback.

Quartiles divide a set of scores into four equal parts, meaning that a quarter of scores place in each quartile. Specifically:

• 25% of applicants score in the first quartile (0-25 percentile)
• 25% of applicants score in the second quartile (26-50 percentile)
• 25% of applicants score in the third quartile (51-76 percentile)
• 25% of applicants score in the fourth quartile (76-100 percentile)

Quartiles tell you how you scored relative to your peers:

• Applicants who scored in the fourth quartile scored higher than applicants in the first, second and third quartiles, meaning they scored higher than at least 75% of all applicants.
• Applicants who scored in the second quartile scored higher than applicants in the first quartile, but lower than applicants in the third and fourth quartile. Specifically, this means that they scored higher than at least 25% of all applicants, but lower than at least 50% of all applicants. 

Remember that quartiles represent what percentage of other applicants you scored higher than, not what percentage of questions you got right or wrong – as there are no right or wrong answers on CASPer.

We do not share CASPer scores directly with applicants for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to:

• Ensuring a level playing field for all applicants
• Maintaining test integrity in order to get a genuine assessment of all applicants by minimizing chances of “faking good”
• Respecting all our partner programs’ unique admissions process strategies

Instead of sharing exact CASPer scores with applicants, Altus has decided to pilot sharing quartiles as a way of balancing the needs of the applicants with the needs of the program. This will help applicants understand where they place in terms of their performance on CASPer, relative to other applicants. Regardless of what quartile an applicant’s CASPer score places in, it should not dissuade them from applying to a program. Many programs consider all quartiles and use CASPer as an additional piece of information among many metrics to make admissions decisions.

Sharing CASPer quartile scores with applicants will not affect or change the application processes put in place by medical schools. Each medical school that uses Casper for admissions, will review Casper scores and will incorporate them into their admissions process as they always have.

A CASPer response is scored relative to other responses to the same scenario, meaning your score is the strength of your response relative to other responses to the same scenario. Placing in the first quartile means that other applicants had a stronger performance. It does not mean you failed, it just means that compared to other applicants, your responses were not as strong. The CASPer test pool is full of high-calibre applicants. 

Applicants who placed in higher quartiles may have done so for a number of reasons, based on the competencies CASPer is designed to measure. These might include:

• Effort: they may have tried harder to respond to questions (for instance, they may have explained their position fully, or used the full amount of time before moving on to the next question, compared to those who applicants who place in the first quartile) 
• Empathy: they considered all perspectives in a meaningful way
• Equity: they show the same high degree of respect for the experiences and needs of others 
• Communication: they demonstrated above-average ability to effectively articulate their ideas
• Familiarity with the medium: they familiarized themselves with the format of the test (video, typed response, etc.) and were able to successfully navigate these aspects of the test (see below)

Whichever quartile your CASPer score is placed, it should not dissuade you from applying to any program. Many programs consider all quartiles and use CASPer as an additional piece of information among many metrics to make admissions decisions.

While you cannot “improve” per se, you can familiarize yourself with the CASPer test format, and be your authentic self. Specifically, from surveying CASPer test takers, our research has shown that commercial test prep courses and coaching strategies do not seem to improve CASPer scores. There are ways that you can help yourself be better prepared for the test, or to truly develop the skills CASPer assesses for, which may help you improve for the next application cycle on the test and in many aspects of your professional career and life. 

Tips: 

• Familiarity with test format: Research has shown that applicants who review the applicant resources on the TakeCASPer website, go through the system requirements check, and take the 12-section sample test in the CASPer test account, on average score slightly higher than applicants who do not. This is because these applicants are familiar with the CASPer test platform and know what to expect on test day, so they’re prepared to perform to the best of their ability. While CASPer isn’t a typing test, being confident that you can get your ideas across within the 5-minute time limit may help reduce test anxiety – so we encourage you to take the sample test as many times as you need to feel comfortable. Should you require an accommodation, you can apply on the TakeCASPer site.
• Skill development: While CASPer scores tend to be fairly stable over time, this doesn’t mean that people can’t change. What it does mean is that surface-level coaching strategies (i.e., learning how to game the test, be “test-wise” or “fake good”) will not improve your CASPer score. The 5-minute time limit was partly designed to elicit authentic responses, so in order to truly improve, you will need to be dedicated to doing the personal work involved so that responding with empathy and self-awareness becomes natural. We encourage you to focus on self-reflection and skill development, not on test-taking tricks and strategies.

You may have noticed that your peer has received their CASPer test quartile and you have not. The reason is that during this admissions cycle, Altus is piloting the release of quartiles with a set number of medical schools in the United States and their applicants in order to solicit feedback before making the decision to release test quartiles to all CASPer test takers. These programs’ subset of applicants have been pre-selected and cannot be altered. If a test taker decides to distribute to a program that is participating in the pilot, after their test date, they will not receive their quartile. We will not be sharing which programs are participating in this pilot.