The CASPer Situational-Judgement Test for Canadian Admissions

What CASPer is

CASPer is an online, open-response situational-judgement test (SJT) used by many Canadian professional programs as part of a holistic admissions process. Instead of testing academic knowledge, it presents realistic scenarios and asks what you would do and, importantly, why — so programs can look at qualities that grades and test scores do not capture.

The test is run by Acuity Insights (the company formerly known as Altus Assessments). It is designed to assess people-skills relevant to client- and patient-facing careers: the published competencies include collaboration, communication, empathy, ethics, fairness, motivation, problem-solving, resilience, and self-awareness.

CASPer is a complement to the rest of your file, not a replacement for it. A program uses it alongside your grades, references, and other components — it does not decide admission on its own.

How the test is structured

CASPer is delivered in two sections and built around a set of scenarios — some presented as short videos and some as text. After each scenario you respond, with a mix of typed answers and short recorded video responses across the test, and there are optional breaks built in. The whole assessment typically runs a little over an hour.

There is no bank of "correct" answers to memorize. The scenarios are everyday interpersonal and ethical situations, and what matters is your reasoning — how you weigh the people and factors involved and explain a fair, sensible course of action. Because you are working under a time limit per scenario, being able to think and communicate clearly and quickly matters as much as what you decide.

The exact number of scenarios, the split between video and typed responses, and the timing are set by the provider and can be adjusted between cycles, so confirm the current format on the official Acuity Insights site before you sit it.

• Two sections built around realistic video and text-based scenarios.
• Responses combine typed answers and short recorded video answers.
• Runs roughly an hour-plus with optional breaks — confirm current timing officially.
• Judged on your reasoning, not on memorized "right" answers.

How CASPer is scored and sent to programs

Each scenario is reviewed by a different trained rater, so your overall result reflects many independent assessments rather than one person's opinion. You do not receive a numeric score yourself; instead, your result is distributed to the programs you selected when you registered.

Results are released to programs on a set schedule after your test date — commonly a couple of weeks later — so you must sit CASPer early enough for your score to arrive before each program's deadline. When you register, you choose which schools receive your result; your test fee usually covers distribution to a set number of programs, with an added fee for each additional program beyond that. Because scoring windows and distribution rules are set by the provider, always check the current details on the official site.

• Multiple independent raters review your responses — one per scenario.
• You do not see a score; results go directly to your chosen programs.
• Results are released on a fixed post-test schedule — take it early enough.
• One fee covers a set number of programs; extra programs cost more — verify current amounts.

Which Canadian programs require it

CASPer is used across a range of people-centred programs. In Canada it appears most often in health-professional admissions — medicine and rehabilitation sciences among them — and it is also used by some nursing, education, and other professional programs. Whether a specific program requires it, and how heavily it counts, is decided entirely by that program.

Critically, not every school on your list will require CASPer, and requirements change from cycle to cycle. Before you register, check each program's official admissions page and the provider's own program-lookup tool to confirm whether CASPer is needed, the version required, and the last accepted test date for that cycle. Registering for the wrong cycle or a program that does not use it wastes time and money.

• Common in medicine and rehabilitation-sciences admissions; used by some nursing/education programs.
• Each program decides if it requires CASPer and how much it weighs.
• Confirm the requirement and the last accepted test date per program before registering.

The wider Acuity Insights suite: Duet and Snapshot

CASPer sometimes travels with other Acuity Insights assessments. Duet is a value-alignment exercise: you indicate what you value most in a program and it is compared with what the program says it offers. Only a small number of programs use Duet, and it is more common in the United States than in Canada.

Snapshot — a short one-way recorded video interview that some programs previously required — was discontinued by the provider after the 2023–2024 cycle, so you should disregard older guides that still list it as current. Because the suite evolves, treat only the official Acuity Insights site as authoritative for what exists and what a given program requires today.

• Duet is an optional value-alignment assessment used by only a few programs.
• Snapshot (a recorded one-way interview) was discontinued after the 2023–2024 cycle.
• Rely on the official provider site for the current, program-specific requirement.

How to register and prepare

You register directly on the Acuity Insights website: you choose your country, admission cycle, program type, and the specific schools that should receive your result, then reserve a test date. Register well ahead of when you plan to test, because identity verification and payment can take time, and popular dates fill up.

You cannot really "study" for CASPer, but you can prepare sensibly: get comfortable typing quickly and clearly, practise reading a scenario and structuring a fair, well-reasoned response under time pressure, and make sure your computer, webcam, and internet meet the technical requirements. Do timed practice so the format is not a surprise. Beware of services promising to boost your score or sharing "real" questions — no legitimate preparation guarantees an outcome.

• Reserve your date early on the official site; choose the right cycle and programs.
• Practise timed, clearly-written and spoken responses to realistic scenarios.
• Check the technical requirements (computer, webcam, connection) in advance.
• No prep guarantees a result — avoid anyone claiming to sell real questions or a guaranteed score.