What is the CASPer test for Canadian medical schools?

CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is a situational judgment test used by approximately 85% of Canadian medical schools for admissions. The test assesses non-cognitive skills like ethics, empathy, communication, and professionalism. The test is administered by Altus Assessments, 3-4 times per year at test centers across Canada. Most applicants take the test in the year before their intended medical school entry (Altus Assessments, September 2026; AFMC, September 2026).

How is the CASPer test scored?

CASPer is scored in 4 quartiles based on the applicant's performance relative to all test-takers in the same test cycle: Q1 (top 25%), Q2 (50-75%), Q3 (25-50%), Q4 (bottom 25%). Median is Q2-Q3. Medical schools receive the quartile score, not the raw score. Some schools (e.g., McMaster, Queen's) accept all quartiles; others (e.g., Toronto, Ottawa) filter at Q3+ for interview consideration. The test is only one component of admissions - GPA, MCAT, and interview matter as much (Altus Assessments, September 2026).

What is the CASPer test format?

CASPer has 12 sections: 8 video-based scenarios (5 minutes prep + 5 minutes response each) and 4 typed scenarios (5 minutes prep + 10 minutes response each). Total: 90-110 minutes. The video scenarios test response speed and verbal communication; the typed scenarios test written communication. The test is unproctored after the initial login. Cost: CAD $100 base + CAD $15 per school score (Altus Assessments, September 2026).

Which Canadian medical schools require CASPer?

Approximately 85% of Canadian medical schools require CASPer in 2026, including: University of Toronto, McMaster, Ottawa, Queen's, Western (Schulich), Dalhousie, McGill, Calgary, Alberta, UBC, Manitoba, NOSM, Saskatchewan, and Memorial. Medical schools NOT requiring CASPer are largely francophone schools (Montreal, Laval, Sherbrooke) that use the French-language equivalent (MACA). The full list is on the Altus Assessments website (Altus, AFMC, September 2026).

What is a good CASPer score?

Q1 (top 25%) is the best CASPer score. Q2 (50-75%) is above average. Q3 (25-50%) is below average. Q4 (bottom 25%) is the lowest. For competitive medical schools (Toronto, McMaster, UBC), Q2-Q1 is recommended. For less competitive schools, Q3 may still receive interview consideration. The median CASPer score across all test-takers in 2025 was Q2-Q3. Less than 5% of test-takers score Q4 (Altus Assessments, September 2026).

How should I prepare for CASPer?

CASPer preparation should include: (1) Practice 10+ scenarios from the official Altus practice tests; (2) For each scenario, outline 3 key points before responding (ethics, empathy, professionalism); (3) Practice under time pressure (5 minutes per video response, 10 minutes per typed response); (4) Don't memorize answers - CASPer detects prepared responses and downscores them; (5) Demonstrate empathy by acknowledging multiple perspectives; (6) Use a clear structure: issue, stakeholders, options, recommendation; (7) Take the test alone in a quiet room with a working webcam. Altus recommends 4-6 weeks of preparation for first-time test-takers (Altus Assessments, September 2026).

CA CASPer Scoring 2026: Medical Admissions

Quick Answer

CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is a 90-110 minute situational-judgement test used by 12 Canadian medical schools and many US programs as part of admissions. The 2026 format: 12 sections (8 video-based + 4 text-based), each with 3-5 follow-up questions, scored on a quartile basis (Q1 best, Q4 worst). Average test-taker scores in Q2-Q3; top schools expect Q1-Q2. Cost CAD $85 base + $15 per school ($12-$40 in reservation fees) (Altus Suite, September 2026). Last verified: 12 September 2026.

What CASPer measures and why schools use it

CASPer was developed at McMaster University in 2010 to assess non-academic attributes that predict clinical performance and professionalism: ethics, empathy, communication, problem-solving, and resilience. The test presents realistic scenarios and asks you to type or record how you would respond. There are no right answers; your response is scored against a rubric of effective vs ineffective responses by trained raters (Altus Suite, September 2026). As of 2026, CASPer is required by 12 Canadian medical schools (McMaster, Toronto, McGill, UBC, Alberta, Calgary, Dalhousie, NOSM, Ottawa, Queen's, Western, Manitoba), most US MD programs (via AMCAS secondary applications), many US DO programs and some Canadian residency programs (CaRMS), and select US physician-assistant and nursing programs. CASPer is a non-academic screen designed to complement the academic record (GPA, MCAT). A Q1 score is typically a "pass" threshold; Q4 is usually a soft-screen fail at most schools (Altus Suite, September 2026).

CASPer 2026 format at a glance

Section type	Count	Format	Time per section
Video-based scenario	8	60-90 sec video, then 3 typed response questions	~5 minutes
Text-based scenario	4	Short written scenario, then 3-5 questions	~5 minutes
Total	12	Mixed	90-110 minutes total

You can take two optional 5-minute breaks (after section 4 and section 8). Each typed response is 75-100 words maximum. Some sections include a 30-second video-recorded response instead of typed text. The test is proctored via webcam (Altus Suite, September 2026).

CASPer scoring breakdown

Quartile	What it means	Typical acceptance at top schools
Q1 (top 25%)	Above-average responses; clear, empathetic, structured	Yes (McMaster, Toronto, UBC, McGill)
Q2 (50-75th percentile)	Average-to-good responses; minor gaps in reasoning	Conditional (depends on rest of application)
Q3 (25-50th percentile)	Below-average; gaps in empathy or structure	Often soft-screen fail at top schools
Q4 (bottom 25%)	Ineffective responses; unclear or off-base	Generally rejected at most programs

Each of 12 sections is scored by a different rater. The final score is the average of 12 rater scores, mapped to the 4-quartile scale. You do NOT see your numerical score; you see only the quartile. Schools see the same quartile result (Altus Suite, September 2026).

Top medical schools requiring CASPer (2026)

School	CASPer required?	Min quartile (typical)	Weight in admissions
McMaster University (Michael G. DeGroote)	Yes (mandatory)	Q1 strongly preferred	~33% of pre-interview score
University of Toronto	Yes	Q1-Q2	~10% of pre-interview
McGill University	Yes	Q1-Q2	~15% of pre-interview
University of British Columbia	Yes	Q1-Q2	~10% of pre-interview
University of Alberta	Yes	Q2 minimum	~10% of pre-interview
University of Calgary	Yes	Q2 minimum	~10% of pre-interview
Dalhousie University	Yes	Q2 minimum	~5% of pre-interview
Northern Ontario School of Medicine	Yes	Q2 minimum	~5% of pre-interview

McMaster is the most CASPer-heavy school: the test accounts for approximately one-third of the pre-interview admissions score, making it the single highest-weighted non-academic factor in Canadian medical admissions. Toronto, McGill, and UBC use CASPer as one of several non-academic screens (Altus Suite, September 2026).

How to prepare for CASPer (4-week study plan)

Week 1 — Understand the format: read the official Altus Suite prep guide, watch the 2 demo videos, do 1 practice test under timed conditions.
Week 2 — Practice scenarios: complete 3-5 third-party CASPer practice tests (e.g., PrepBooster, CASPerCoach, BeMo). Score yourself; focus on structure, not content.
Week 3 — Drill weaknesses: review your weakest scenarios (usually conflict-resolution or ethical-dilemma). Re-do 3-4 similar scenarios with a focus on empathy, structure, and multi-perspective reasoning.
Week 4 — Simulated full test: take 1-2 full 90-minute practice tests. Review timing (you have ~5 min per section, including typing). Take CASPer within 7-10 days.

Use the SBI-I framework (Situation, Behaviour, Impact, Insights) to structure typed responses. Avoid jargon, avoid moralising, and explicitly acknowledge multiple perspectives. Top scorers write 4-6 sentences per response with clear reasoning chains (Altus Suite, September 2026).

Next steps

For Canadian nursing school admissions and the NCLEX-RN licensing exam, see our CA NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates guide. For Canadian health-information professional certification, see our CA RHIP/CHRP guide.

CASPer mistakes and how to avoid them

The top 5 mistakes candidates make on CASPer: (1) treating it like an MCQ test with right/wrong answers — there are no objectively correct answers, only stronger and weaker responses, (2) writing vague empathy statements ("I would feel sad for the patient") instead of specific actions ("I would acknowledge the patient's feelings, then offer to connect them with the social worker"), (3) ignoring system-level factors (the institution's policies, legal requirements, ethical frameworks) when responding to scenarios, (4) running over the time limit on the first 2-3 questions and rushing the remaining 9-10, and (5) reading too quickly into the scenario and missing key context. The fix: take 5-7 practice tests under timed conditions, use the SBI-I framework for every response, and explicitly cite relevant ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice) when applicable (Altus Suite, September 2026).

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Written by

Fazlur RahmanAI, Entrepreneurship, EdTech

Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practi… Read more

Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practical side of building an ed-tech startup.