The 2026 CASPer test has 11 scenarios in two sections, as Acuity Insights publishes it on its applicant site. First come 4 video-response scenarios, each with 2 open-ended questions and 1 minute per recorded response. Then come 7 typed scenarios, each with 2 questions on one page and 3.5 minutes in total to answer both. The whole sitting takes approximately 65 to 85 minutes, including two optional breaks. Acuity does not publish where the breaks fall, and it notes the format may vary slightly for select programs.
CASPer (the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics) is a timed online test built by Acuity Insights and used by health-profession and other programs across Canada, the United States and Australia to assess judgment and interpersonal skills. It is separate from your GPA, your entrance exam and your interview, and most programs cannot see your answers until after your application is otherwise complete.
The ExperienceMED team wrote this breakdown for the applicants Arvin Ardakani coaches, checked against Acuity’s own wording. Arvin is a final-year medical student who scored in the 4th quartile on CASPer four times.
The two sections, as Acuity publishes them
Acuity Insights states the format on its applicant site, and that page is the authority. As of 17 September 2026 it reads: 2 sections, 11 scenarios.
- Video responses: 4 scenarios. Each has 2 open-ended questions and you record 1 minute per response into your webcam. No pausing, no re-recording.
- Typed responses: 7 scenarios. Each has 2 open-ended questions, shown on the same page, with 3.5 minutes in total to type both answers.
Acuity says the whole sitting takes approximately 65 to 85 minutes, including two optional breaks. It does not publish where the two breaks fall. Arvin Ardakani’s mock exam places one after the video section and one after the fourth typed scenario, so the typed section runs 4, a break, then 3.
Acuity adds one caveat in its own words: the format may vary slightly for select programs, and it names Australian teacher education programs, which use a shorter test with fewer scenarios.
What each scenario is actually testing
Every scenario presents a situation with no single correct answer: a conflict between colleagues, a customer or patient in distress, an ethical grey area, a mistake that needs to be owned. The questions ask what you would do, why, and how you would balance the people involved. Raters are trained human markers, one per scenario, looking for judgment, self-awareness, communication and ethical reasoning rather than a script. This is why Arvin Ardakani teaches a method for reasoning through a scenario, not answers to recite.
Practise the real timings
The free official practice test in your Acuity Insights account uses the same 11-scenario layout. Take it at least once so the 3.5-minute typed clock and the 1-minute video clock stop being a surprise. If you practise here, the mock exam uses the same clocks and the same two breaks.
Which Casper test do you take in Canada?
For the 2026-27 cycle, Acuity renamed its Canadian test types. Canada Casper 1 (English) is for undergraduate health sciences, teacher’s education and undergraduate engineering programs. Canada Casper 2 (English) is for graduate health sciences and after-degree teacher’s education, and medical schools such as Saskatchewan list Casper 2 (test CSP-10211). Canada Casper 2 (Français) is for French-language graduate professional programs. Your program decides the type, not you, and if your programs ask for different types you take each one. Acuity publishes one format for all of them: 11 scenarios, 4 video-response and 7 typed-response. Confirm your type on Acuity’s Dates and Fees page before you reserve a date.
Confirm the format yourself before test day
Acuity Insights has changed section counts and timing between cycles before. Before you sit the test, open the official Casper page linked above and re-read the current format for your test date. Your booking confirmation and the on-screen instructions are the authority for your date, not this article or any other third-party summary.
Once you know the format, the next step is practising under it. Arvin Ardakani marks every free CASPer mock personally at ExperienceMED.