The Casper test is taken once per application cycle. There are no retakes. And despite what you may have heard, preparation genuinely helps — not because you can memorize "right" answers, but because familiarity with the format, timing, and question types reduces anxiety and improves your ability to think clearly under pressure.
Here are the 15 most impactful things you can do.
What Casper Actually Tests
Before you can prepare effectively, you need to understand what Casper is measuring. It is not a knowledge test. There are no facts to memorize. Casper measures how you apply judgment and values in ambiguous, human situations — the same situations doctors, nurses, and other professionals face every day.
The nine core competencies assessed:
Collaboration · Communication · Empathy · Fairness · Ethics · Motivation · Problem-Solving · Resilience · Self-Awareness
A strong Casper response:
- Acknowledges the complexity of the situation
- Considers multiple perspectives before acting
- Identifies the competing values at stake
- Proposes a response that is principled but not rigid
- Is grounded in specific reasoning, not vague generalities
General Preparation
1. Learn the Format Inside and Out
You cannot perform well under time pressure in an unfamiliar environment. Before answering a single practice question, know exactly:
- 11 total scenarios (4 video, 7 typed)
- Video: 60 seconds per question, auto-submitted
- Typed: 3.5 minutes for both questions together
- One optional 10-minute break between sections
- One optional 5-minute break midway through the typed section
2. Master the If/Then Framework
This is the single most useful tool in your Casper toolkit. Casper questions almost never have a single correct answer — they reward nuanced, contextual thinking:
"If X is the case, I would respond by doing Y because... However, if the situation turns out to be Z, my approach would be different because..."
This structure shows raters that you think before acting, consider multiple possibilities, and don't apply one-size-fits-all solutions to complex human situations.
3. Practice with Timed Scenarios
Reading Casper tips is not the same as actually practicing. You need to sit down, set a timer, and answer scenarios under realistic conditions. This builds the mental habit of thinking quickly and structuring answers efficiently.
Practice 36 AI-graded Casper scenarios at CasperMaster →
4. Take the Official Practice Test
Acuity Insights offers a free practice test in your account dashboard. Take it in your actual testing environment — same room, same computer, same time of day as your real test. You won't receive a score, but the format familiarity is invaluable.
5. Study the 9 Competencies
Read through the nine competencies and think about real experiences from your own life that demonstrate each one. Behavioral questions ("Describe a time when...") are common in Casper's typed section, and having authentic examples ready makes your answers feel genuine rather than constructed.
Typed Response Tips
6. Aim for 40+ WPM Typing Speed
3.5 minutes for two questions is tight. If you type under 40 words per minute, you will consistently run out of time before you finish your thoughts.
Use the CasperMaster Typer tool or external tools like Keybr or 10FastFingers to improve your speed before test day.
7. Answer Both Questions
This sounds obvious, but many applicants spend too long on the first question and run out of time for the second. A partial answer on question 2 hurts your score significantly.
Strategy: Spend no more than 100–120 words on the first question, then move to the second.
8. Write Specific, Not Vague
Raters are reading dozens of responses that all say "I would approach the situation with empathy and try to understand all perspectives." This is filler.
Specify exactly what you would do, why, and what you would say. Concrete language outperforms abstract language every time.
9. Don't Moralize
Strong Casper answers don't lecture. Avoid phrases like "this is clearly unethical" or "no one should ever do this." Instead, demonstrate your values through the specific actions you describe.
10. Raters Ignore Minor Spelling Errors
Casper raters are trained to disregard small typos. What they cannot ignore is an answer that is genuinely difficult to understand due to too many errors. Write as clearly as you can, but don't let fear of typos slow you down — speed and substance matter more.
Video Response Tips
11. Record Yourself at Least 5 Times Before Test Day
Most people sound and look very different on video than they imagine. The only way to know what raters will see is to watch yourself.
Use PhotoBooth (Mac) or Camera (Windows). Record yourself answering practice questions. Watch it back. Adjust. Repeat until you are genuinely satisfied — not just "good enough."
12. Look at the Camera, Not Your Preview
This is the most common video mistake. When you look at your own image in the preview window, it appears to raters that you are looking slightly away from the camera — which reads as evasive or disengaged.
Train yourself to look directly at the camera lens.
13. Structure Your Answer Before You Speak
Use 10–15 seconds of your 60 seconds to think before you start talking. An answer that is slightly shorter but clearly structured beats a longer answer that wanders.
Quick structure: Position → Reasoning → Nuance/If-then → What I would do
14. Warm Up Before the Video Section
Take 5 minutes before your test to read a paragraph aloud, do tongue twisters, and stretch your face. Cold voice = rushed, mumbled delivery. A warmed-up voice = confident, clear delivery from the first question.
15. Manage the Environment
The video section has no do-overs. A distraction mid-recording is not recoverable. Before test day:
- Silence your phone and remove it from the room
- Disable all computer notifications
- Tell housemates about your test time and ask them to be silent (ideally leave)
- Have a backup internet connection (mobile hotspot) ready
Test Day Checklist
The Night Before
- Run the Acuity Insights System Requirements Check if you haven't already
- Confirm your test time and timezone
- Charge your laptop fully
- Get 7–8 hours of sleep
30 Minutes Before
- Silence your phone
- Disable all computer notifications
- Close all browser tabs except the Casper portal
- Inform housemates / arrange for silence
- Have a glass of water nearby
- Warm up your voice and face (5-minute vocal/facial warm-up)
- Take 3 slow deep breaths
During the Test
- Take the optional 10-minute break between sections — use it
- If you miss a question, reset and focus on the next one
- Don't rush — use the full time available
- Do NOT refresh the page while a response is uploading
After the Test
- Scores go to schools in 2–3 weeks
- You receive your personal quartile report in ~1 month
- There is nothing you can do to change your score — let it go and focus on the rest of your application