Medical Schools That Require CASPer in

List of Medical Schools That Require CASPer

The CASPer situational judgment test is required by a growing number of medical schools as part of their admissions screening process. Below is an up-to-date complete list of U.S. MD, U.S. DO, and Canadian medical schools that require CASPer as part of the application process.

***Note: Unless otherwise indicated, schools require completion of the CASPer test only. Schools marked “Duet required” also require the Duet assessment, another component of the Acuity Insights admissions platform.

US MD Schools That Require CASPer

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
• California University of Science and Medicine
• Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
• Drexel University College of Medicine
• East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) *Duet required*
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Michigan State University College of Human Medicine *CASPer or AAMC PREview required
• Netter School of Medicine Quinnipiac University
• New York Medical College
• Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University
• Rush University Medical College
• Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School *CASPer or AAMC PREview accepted*
• Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine
• Texas Christian University School of Medicine
• Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
• Tulane University School of Medicine *Recommended, not required
• University of Colorado Denver (Anschutz Medical Campus)
• University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine *Duet required*
• University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine *Duet required*
• University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, McGovern Medical School
• University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, Long School of Medicine
• University of Texas Medical Branch *Duet required*
• University of Texas Southwestern
• University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine

US DO Schools That Require CASPer

• Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine *Duet required*
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York
• William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine *Duet required*

Medical Schools That Require CASPer in Canada

• Dalhousie University
• McGill University
• McMaster University
• Memorial University Faculty of Medicine
• Queen's University
• University of Ottawa
• Université de Montréal
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Université Laval
• University of Manitoba
• University of Saskatchewan

Looking for programs that do not require CASPer? See our complete list of medical schools that do not require CASPer.

Medical Schools that Require CASPer: Why Medical Schools Require It

There are many reasons so many medical schools require CASPer, or any situational-judgement test (SJT), such as the AAMC PREview. One of these reasons is to try to level the playing field in terms of allowing for more non-traditional medical school applicants to get into medical school.

However, we at BeMo are not convinced. In fact, we believe, and have evidence to support, that SJTs creates more disparity rather than alleviating it.

One of the study’s main conclusions is that the CASPer exam and multiple-mini-interviews (MMI) “do not appear to offer any significant advantage in promoting diversity or selecting intrinsically motivated applicants.” What’s more, this survey of medical students at McMaster found that SJTs like CASPer and the AAMC PREview, as well as the MMI, “favour applicants from higher income households,” as they have the resources to prepare for these types of tests and interview formats.

Of course, there are many studies that say the opposite. One study found that “the CASPER test, an SJT, can potentially reduce demographic disparities in the admissions process.” But even though there are benefits to using the CASPer test in the admissions process, many premed students feel a little intimidated and unsure about the test itself. Many students and professionals are stumped when they face CASPer, since so little information is shared by the administrators of the test. One of our students, Alison, was completely blindsided by CASPer during her application:

“I had no idea what CASPer was [at first]. I think it's something that a lot of schools use and that I feel … it's not talked about very much at all and I think it's because it's a test that you can't necessarily ‘study for’. Couple google searches later figured out what it was for … but by having a little bit of not necessarily studying but preparation you can not only know what you're doing but also make yourself kind of stand out as an applicant in that aspect as well.” – Alison, former BeMo student and current student at Dell Medical School.

Nonetheless, the CASPer test remains an important medical school requirement. The test is often used as a screening method to help determine which applicants should be invited to an in-person interview, so it's essential that students review CASPer test questions and know how to prepare for CASPer correctly, which should be followed by using realistic simulations followed by expert feedback.

So how do you prepare for CASPer? What can you do to feel ready for this intimidating test? Let’s find out.

Prepare for CASPer and practice with some sample passages!

Can You Really Prepare for CASPer?

You may know how important MCAT scores are and the importance of having a high GPA, but the CASPer test is something that students still struggle with because of the secretive nature of its scoring, which has made premeds more wary of the admissions process. Many schools do not reveal how the CASPer test is used in their admissions processes, but our students have a hunch that it has tremendous effect on some admissions officers:

“3rd quartile CASPer likely screened me out from most medical schools this past cycle, especially as a 3rd year applicant. I don't think I took CASPer prep as seriously as I should have and will work harder on it this cycle.” – Anushka G., BeMo student

However, the same study we cited above also found that preparation, both self-study and with certified CASPer test coaches, significantly improves not only your ability to take the test, but perhaps more important, your confidence. For example, BeMo's CASPer prep has been proven to increase applicants' practice CASPer score by 23%.

Confidence-building was something that helped our student Alina, who recently got into a medical school that requires CASPer. Like many premeds, Alina had little experience or knowledge of CASPer. “This [was] my first year ever writing CASPer,” she said, and Alina realized that she needed help understanding the various CASPer test question categories, such as “how to approach the occasional personal question that you get on CASPer.” But she also needed the confidence to take the test. Alina says the most helpful prep she received was with expert feedback, which she says:

“[CASPer prep was] really helpful because not only do you go through a CASPer scenario or two that you have completed but the expert will walk you through the scenario and tell you what you did well what you need to improve on … [CASPer prep] was helpful not only in terms of improving my CASPer test taking abilities but also telling me, roughly, where I was at so that I had confidence going into test day.” – Alina, BeMo student

Alina’s experience with expert feedback and personalized coaching and her eventual acceptance into medical school was reflected in the findings of the study we mentioned. It looked at the experience of 43 Canadian premeds who participated in a CASPer Preparation Program. These participants received step-by-step feedback and coaching, which helped 51% score in the highest percentile, and another 58% received an offer of admission from a medical school that requires CASPer. 

How Does the CASPer Test Work?

When Can I Take the CASPer Test?

While there are many CASPer test dates available throughout the year, students should check each program's requirements closely. Some programs, such as undergraduate nursing, only have December-March test dates while most MD vs. DO programs have dates ranging from July-May of the following year.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting