The Casper Test Has Rolled Out Significant Changes For The 2023-24 Admissions Cycle

It’s no secret that pursuing a career in medicine is highly competitive. Due to the vast number of applications admission officers face each year, they wanted a way to learn more about the candidates beyond the numbers: GPA and standardized test scores.

Acuity Insights offers assessment tools for some medical, dental, physician assistant, veterinary and direct medical programs to evaluate their applicants better. It currently offers two exams within its suite: Casper and Duet. Snapshot was previously offered, but it is discontinued for the upcoming admissions cycle.

Duet allows students to demonstrate that they have similar values to the schools. Casper, as a situational judgment test (SJT), will enable students to demonstrate their abilities to handle a tough situation as the medical schools access the following characteristics:

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

Since it was first implemented in 2015, Capser has grown in popularity as a way to assess students’ ability to succeed in these people-facing careers. For the 2023-24 admissions cycle, Acuity Insights revamped its offerings to help provide colleges with a more holistic view of their applicants.

Casper: What’s Changed In 2023-24

The format of this SJT experienced significant changes for the upcoming admissions cycle. Before, students faced 15 scenarios, divided between video and word-based passage sections.

Now students will have to tackle just 14 sections in total, reducing the amount of test-taking time from 110-120 to approximately 90-110 total minutes, which includes the introduction, roughly 80 minutes of questions and two optional breaks.

Section 1: Video-Based Scenarios

The question order has changed. Previously, students had to answer five word-based passages and could take a 5-minute optional break in the middle. Before moving on to the video passage, they could take an additional 10-minute break and then tackle the ten video passages.

Now, students will have to answer the video prompts first. The reason for this change was in case students ran into technical difficulties with recording their responses, it would happen earlier in the test, and therefore they wouldn’t lose their previous work.

In this first section, students will be presented with six videos introducing a character, a predicament and the student’s role in the situation. After watching each short video, students will have one minute per question to respond. Students will give typed responses for two scenarios, while four of the videos will require recorded video responses, presented in a randomized order.

After the first section, students will have an optional 10-minute break.

Here is a sample format of section 1:

Video Scenario 1 – Video response

Video Scenario 2 – Typed response

Video scenario 3 – Video response

Video Scenario 4 – Video response

Video Passage 5 – Typed response

Video Passage 6 – Video response

Optional 10-minute break before continuing to section two.

Section 2: Typed Scenarios

Previously, applicants had five word-based scenarios, but that number has been increased to eight. Test-takers will be presented with a written scenario and have to answer three questions within five minutes. They will have to record a video answer for five scenarios, and the remaining three will require a typed response. These scenarios will appear in random order.

Here is a sample format of the text-based scenarios in section two:

Passage 1 – Video response to a word-based scenario

Passage 2 – Video response to a word-based scenario

Passage 3 – Typed response to a word-based scenario

Passage 4 – Video response to a word-based scenario

Optional 5-minute break

Passage 5 – Video response to a word-based scenario

Passage 6 – Typed response to a word-based scenario

Passage 7 – Typed response to a word-based scenario

Passage 8 – Video response to a word-based scenario

The cost of taking the Casper also increased to $85, with seven distributions to schools included in this fee. There is an additional fee of $16 per school if students want to distribute their scores to others. The exam will still be taken online and can only be taken once per cycle.

If students want to reschedule the exam, they can do so for free 31 or more days before the test date, with no limit to the number of times they can reschedule. If they choose to reschedule within 30 days of the test date, they can do so but must pay a $20 fee. However, the rescheduling fee is waived if students experience a certified technical or medical issue.

Duet: What’s Changed In 2023-24

Duet is a value-alignment assessment exam that will remain the same for the upcoming admissions cycle. To prepare for this portion of the exam, students should review the program’s mission statement and values. Students will be judged on whether their values and those of the school match. Students will be presented with 21 pairs for comparison. These pairs are broken up into these categories:

• Teaching & Learning
• Mission & Culture
• Program Features
• Main Categories

When presented with the pairs, students must assess which option is the most important to them. Students are encouraged to go with their instincts because there is no right or wrong answer.

There isn’t an additional fee required when registering for the Casper and Duet, and students are encouraged to take the Duet within 14 days of taking Casper so schools will receive scores simultaneously.

Like Casper, students can only take the Duet once per admission cycle. If students have to reapply in a subsequent admissions cycle, they must retake Casper and/or Duet.

Snapshot: What’s Changed In 2023-24

This offering from Acuity Insights Suite has experienced the most significant change this cycle, as it has been completely discontinued. No schools will require this one-way interview for the 2023-24 cycle.

What Schools Require Casper?

Schools requiring Casper are subject to change from year to year. Verify each school’s Casper policy directly on their website.

Allopathic Medical Schools That Require Casper

• Augusta University
• Baylor College of Medicine
• Boston University
• Central Michigan University
• Hofstra University
• Drexel University
• East Tennessee State University
• Florida Atlantic University
• Howard University
• Indiana University
• Marshall University
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Meharry Medical College
• Mercer University
• Michigan State University
• New York Medical College
• Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Oregon Health & Sciences University
• Penn State University
• Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University
• Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• State University of New York Upstate Medical University
• Temple University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Tech University El Paso
• Texas Tech University Health Science Center
• Tulane University
• University of Colorado Denver (Anschutz)
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Miami
• University of Nevada, Reno
• University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center
• University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
• University of Texas Medical Branch
• University of Texas Southwestern
• University of Vermont
• University of Washington
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Wake Forest School of Medicine
• West Virginia University

Osteopathic Medical Schools That Require Casper

• Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Arkansas College of Health Education
• California Health Sciences University
• Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Kansas Health Science Center- Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Michigan State University
• Oklahoma State University
• Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
• Sam Houston State University
• Touro College
• Touro University – Nevada
• Western University of Health Sciences
• William Carey University

BS/MD Programs That Require Casper

• Hofstra University
• Drexel University (but only if the student receives an interview)
• Texas Tech University
• University of Illinois at Chicago (optional)

Dental Schools That Require Casper

• California Northstate University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Indiana University
• Temple University
• University of Louisville School of Dentistry
• University of California – Los Angeles
• University of Detroit Mercy
• University of Missouri-Kansas City
• University of Utah

Physician Assistant Schools That Require Casper

• AdventHealth University
• Augusta University
• Boston University
• Chatham University
• Christian Brothers University
• Clarkson University
• College of Saint Mary
• Colorado Mesa University
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Florida International University
• Florida State University
• Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
• Gannon University
• Kettering College
• Lawrence Technological University
• Lincoln Memorial University
• Louisiana State University
• Marquette University
• Marshall University
• Mercy College of Ohio
• Michigan State University
• Midwestern University
• Northwestern College
• Oklahoma State University
• Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Pfeiffer University
• Rush University
• South University
• Stanford University
• University of Toledo
• University of Colorado Denver (Anschutz Medical Campus)
• University of Florida
• University of Michigan – Flint
• University of New Mexico
• University of North Texas Health Science Center
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Texas Medical Branch
• University of Utah
• University of Wisconsin – Madison
• UT Health at San Antonio
• Wake Forest School of Medicine
• Wayne State University
• West Coast University

Veterinary Schools That Require Casper

• Iowa State University
• Kansas State University
• Lincoln Memorial University
• Long Island University
• Oklahoma State University
• Ross University
• Texas Tech University
• Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

What Schools Require Duet?

Duet requirements are subject to change from year to year. Verify each school’s Duet policy directly on their website.

Allopathic Medical Schools That Require Duet

• East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine
• Michigan State University (strongly recommend)
• Netter School of Medicine Quinnipiac University (optional)
• Rush University Medical College
• Texas A&M University, College of Medicine
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine
• Tulane University, School of Medicine (recommends)
• University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine
• University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
• UT Tyler School of Medicine
• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine

Osteopathic Medical Schools That Require Duet

• John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch
• Kansas Health Science Center – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nevada
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, NY/MT
• Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest
• William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dental Schools That Require Duet

• High Point University School of Dental Medicine