CASPer and interview preparation articles and answers from Arvin Ardakani, ExperienceMED.https://www.arvinardakani.com/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/tmu-kira-last-week-before-19-november/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/tmu-kira-last-week-before-19-november/In the last week before TMU's Kira window, read the 12 November invitation the day it arrives, test your setup, rehearse one timed video and one timed written answer a day, and book an early slot.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-to-prepare-for-tmu-kira/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-to-prepare-for-tmu-kira/TMU Kira prep means applying TMU's mission and seven values, building a real story bank, and practising timed video and written answers before 19 November.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/kira-interview-questions-and-answers/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/kira-interview-questions-and-answers/Practise with the 12 original Kira interview questions below. Answer in your own words, show your reasoning and finish with a clear, practical action.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/kira-talent-guide/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/kira-talent-guide/Kira Talent is an online platform Canadian schools use for recorded and live admissions interviews. Each school sets its own format, timing and scoring.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/western-dentistry-abs-kira-guide/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/western-dentistry-abs-kira-guide/Western Dentistry's ABS runs on Kira Talent in mid-November, after the November 1 deadline, with written and video parts. What it asks and how to prepare.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/tmu-medicine-kira-assessment/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/tmu-medicine-kira-assessment/TMU medicine uses Kira, not Casper. Fall 2027 applicants get the invite 12 Nov 2026 and answer six timed video and written questions 19 to 22 Nov.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Alberta DDS program requires Casper, with results due by January 2, and the DAT with a minimum of 15 in each of three sections. The interview is a Multiple Mini-Interview with 10-minute stations, two minutes to read and eight with the interviewer, plus a written personal statement on the same day. Alberta residents receive at least 29 of 32 seats.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-medicine-casper-and-interview/The University of Alberta MD program does not list Casper among its requirements, and Alberta does not appear on Acuity Insights' list of medical schools receiving Casper. Selection rests on cGPA (30%), personal activities (35%) and an interview/MMI (35%), with the MCAT used as a threshold. Interviews are held over one weekend in early March.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/alberta-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/The University of Alberta's PharmD admissions page does not mention Casper or the PCAT. Alberta uses a web-based interview and a letter of intent, and states it does not conduct in-person interviews. Published weights: GPA 75%, interview 20%, letter of intent 5%. Both are completed in a window of about a month, due in early April.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/calgary-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/calgary-medicine-casper-and-interview/No. The University of Calgary MD program (Cumming School of Medicine) does not require Casper: its 2026-2027 Applicant Manual never mentions it, and the AFMC admissions guide for 2027 entry lists Casper as not required. Interviews are in person and use a variety of formats, including the Multiple Mini-Interview; Calgary states the number and type of stations vary from year to year.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Dalhousie's DDS program page, advising page and DDS fact sheet do not mention Casper. Dalhousie requires the DAT with at least 17 in perceptual ability, natural sciences and reading comprehension, in no more than two attempts. The interview is structured and in person at the Faculty, with two dentists, held in spring. Nova Scotia residents have preference for Canadian seats.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. Dalhousie Medicine requires Casper and uses it for interview selection: the pre-interview score is 50% GPA, 25% MCAT and 25% Casper. Snapshot is optional and not used in ranking. The interview is a 10-station MMI with 8 minutes per station and 2-minute breaks, and it carries 40 of the 100 points in the final score.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dalhousie-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Dalhousie's College of Pharmacy pages do not mention Casper, Duet, Snapshot or the PCAT. The highest-ranked applicants on academics are invited to a virtual interview, and the interview counts for 40% of selection, with academics at 60%. Dalhousie lists ethical reasoning, conflict resolution and self-awareness among the qualities assessed.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/experiencemed-vs-big-casper-prep-companies/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/experiencemed-vs-big-casper-prep-companies/At ExperienceMED, one person coaches you from start to finish: Arvin Ardakani teaches the course, marks your answers himself, answers your WhatsApp and stands behind the 4th Quartile Promise for the CASPer program. Before you join any prep company, ask who will coach you and who will mark your answers.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Yes. Université Laval's DMD program requires the French version of Casper, weighted 20%, and only the visual perception section of the dental aptitude test (minimum 15 out of 30). Selection is 60% academic file, 20% Casper and 20% interview. Laval's information-session material describes a 20-minute structured interview, in person, generally in May, and not an MMI.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. Université Laval requires the French version of Casper only, and applicants not retained on Casper are refused without a review of their academic file. Final selection is based on the multiple mini-interviews (MEM), held in person and in French in mid April, with 7-minute stations and 2-minute breaks; Casper breaks ties.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-pharmacy-casper-and-portfolio/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/laval-pharmacy-casper-and-portfolio/No, starting with the fall 2027 intake. Université Laval states that a commented portfolio now replaces Casper and the autobiographical questionnaire for its PharmD program. Selection is 80% academic record and 20% portfolio, and no interview is described on the admissions page.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-dentistry-casper-and-interview/No. University of Manitoba dentistry does not require Casper: its DMD admissions page does not mention it. In the general category, the adjusted GPA, DAT and interview are weighted equally, and the interview is the CDA structured interview: up to 35 minutes with a two-person panel. Manitoba applicants receive at least 25 of 29 seats.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Manitoba requires the English Casper test for every applicant pool, and Casper counts in both the interview-selection score and the final ranking. The interview is a virtual MMI held in February and March, with part of it in French for the Bilingual Stream. Manitoba gives priority to Manitoba applicants.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/manitoba-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Manitoba's College of Pharmacy requires the English Casper test, and Casper counts for 25% of selection, with adjusted GPA at 75%. Applicants more than 1.5 standard deviations below the pool mean on Casper are screened out. Selection rests entirely on adjusted GPA and Casper, with no admissions interview.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mcgill-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mcgill-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Yes. McGill's DMD program uses Casper for 20% of the interview-invitation score, with academics at 70% and the CV at 10%, and requires a minimum score on Casper and the CV. The final ranking is based mainly on the MMI, which is virtual and asynchronous: recorded on interview day, in under an hour. The DAT is not used.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mcgill-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mcgill-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. McGill states that completing Casper is mandatory to keep admission eligibility, and that Snapshot and Duet are not used. Casper counts for 20% of the pre-interview ranking, with academics at 70% and the CV at 10%. The final rank-order list is based on the MMI, which is virtual, held over two Zoom sessions, with applicants choosing French, English or either.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/memorial-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/memorial-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. Memorial University requires Casper for eligibility, and the application is closed if scores do not arrive by the deadline. The interview is online through Kira Talent: an 8-station MMI plus a 30-minute Competency Assessment, over two days. Memorial reviews applications holistically with a standardized rubric and does not publish component weights.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/memorial-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/memorial-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Memorial University's current PharmD admissions pages do not mention Casper. Memorial uses a virtual, asynchronous interview, normally behavioural questions about real past experiences, completed within about a week after instructions arrive in February. Published weights: academic score 65% and interview 35%, with a minimum academic score of 70%.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-dentistry-casper-and-interview/No, starting with the fall 2027 intake. The Université de Montréal states that its DMD program no longer requires Casper or the dental aptitude test (TAED). It now uses a motivation questionnaire weighted 60%, with the academic file at 40%, and the questionnaire can be eliminatory. Some candidates may also be called to an in-person interview in French.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. The Université de Montréal requires Casper for its MD program, and Casper can be eliminatory. Casper counts for 40% of the score that decides who is invited to the interview, with academics at 60%. The final selection is based only on the multiple mini-interviews (MEM), run jointly with Université Laval, in person and in French.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/montreal-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Yes. The Université de Montréal's PharmD program requires Casper, weighted 20%, with the academic record at 80%, and Casper can be eliminatory. Montréal may also call some college and university candidates to an in-person interview in French, if the Admission Committee deems it necessary, and that interview can be eliminatory.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/nosm-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/nosm-medicine-casper-and-interview/No. NOSM University states plainly that it does not require Casper, and it does not require the MCAT either. Interviews combine an online asynchronous Multiple Mini-Interview and a live online panel, and the interview carries about 68% of NOSM's selection weighting. A context score favours northern, rural and remote living experience.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/personal-casper-coach-vs-ai-practice-platform/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/personal-casper-coach-vs-ai-practice-platform/Use AI for volume and a human for judgment. AI practice platforms give instant feedback at any hour, but a generic AI score has no evidence it predicts your real result, and CASPer is marked by human raters. A personal coach diagnoses what is holding you back. ExperienceMED combines both.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/private-casper-tutor-vs-structured-coaching-program/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/private-casper-tutor-vs-structured-coaching-program/A private tutor gives you a person; a large program gives you a system. ExperienceMED gives both: Arvin Ardakani's 7-Level Blueprint course and scenario bank, an AI model trained on his teaching, and his own marking and WhatsApp support, with the same person coaching you from the first lesson to test day.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-dentistry-casper-and-interview/The University of Saskatchewan's DMD admissions page does not mention Casper. Selection is published: academic average 65%, DAT 15% and interview 20%. The interview is a Multiple Mini-Interview with 10-minute stations, held from February to March. To count as a Saskatchewan resident you need four years of residence in the province, with no exceptions to that rule.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Saskatchewan states that all MD applicants must complete Casper to be eligible, and that no other Acuity Insights assessment is required. The interview combines an MMI with a panel conversation, held virtually in February. Final ranking is 30% university academic average (UAA), 35% MMI and 35% panel.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/saskatchewan-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Saskatchewan's College of Pharmacy and Nutrition requires Casper, used as a minimum threshold, and does not consider PCAT scores. Applicants complete a virtual personal video interview, with no face-to-face interviews. Published weights: academic average 75% and video interview 25%.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/sherbrooke-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/sherbrooke-medicine-casper-and-interview/Yes. The Université de Sherbrooke requires the French version of Casper. Casper counts for 30% of the score for invitation to the multiple mini-interviews, with academics at 70%, and the final list weights the interview at 70%. Sherbrooke's interview is a virtual MEM (MEM-V), in French only, in April.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Toronto DDS program requires Casper, and it considers only the DAT academic average and perceptual ability sections. The interview is in person at the Faculty on a weekend in early February: 20 minutes with two faculty members, alongside a talk from the Registrar and a tour. Two essays are also required.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Yes. The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy requires Casper and states Duet is not required. There is no live interview. Instead, invited applicants complete an Online Individual Assessment: pre-recorded video questions with timed video answers, plus a multiple-choice section, about three hours on a single date in late March (25 March 2027 for August 2027 entry).Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-dentistry-casper-and-interview/UBC's DMD admissions pages do not mention Casper, Duet or Snapshot. UBC requires the DAT, without the manual dexterity component, and a mandatory in-person interview in which interviewers do not see the applicant's file. UBC does not name the interview format or publish weights, and about 90% of domestic seats go to British Columbia applicants.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/UBC's entry-to-practice PharmD admissions page does not mention Casper, Duet, Snapshot or the PCAT. Instead, UBC uses the PIQS, Pre-recorded Interview Questions and Scenarios: an online assessment with spoken and some written responses, held in one sitting a year in early March. UBC states applicants are ranked based on their PIQS performance.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/waterloo-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/waterloo-pharmacy-casper-and-interview/Yes. The University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy requires Casper. Invited applicants have a live, virtual interview on the Kira Talent platform, run by pharmacists and current students, over a weekend at the end of April or start of May. Waterloo limits each candidate to three interview invitations.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/western-dentistry-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/western-dentistry-casper-and-interview/Yes. Schulich Dentistry at Western requires the Canadian Casper test, with scores due November 1, and states it does not require Snapshot or Duet. It also requires the DAT, without the manual dexterity section, and the Western autobiographical sketch (ABS), completed on Kira Talent in mid-November. Interviews are structured, standardized and virtual, with three-person panels in February.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/western-medicine-casper-and-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/western-medicine-casper-and-interview/No. Western's Schulich School of Medicine does not require Casper, Duet or Snapshot for its MD program. Instead it uses the Western autobiographical sketch (ABS), which has written and oral (video) components and is completed on Kira Talent. Interviews are structured, standardized panel interviews with three people, conducted virtually in late February and early March.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-arvin-ardakani-uses-ai-to-make-coaching-sessions-count/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-arvin-ardakani-uses-ai-to-make-coaching-sessions-count/Arvin Ardakani uses AI to remove the slow parts of coaching so every session goes on fixing, not finding. AI transcribes answers for on-the-spot review, turns each class into notes, helps him analyze recorded practice for patterns, and gives students an AI model trained on how he teaches for practice at any hour.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-to-use-chatgpt-for-casper-and-interview-practice/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/how-to-use-chatgpt-for-casper-and-interview-practice/Use ChatGPT as a practice partner, not a judge. Give it a clear role and rubric, write your answer before asking for anything, ask for specific weaknesses rather than a score, and never memorize its answers. It can tell you what you want to hear, so a human should still read your answers.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-arvin-ardakani-learned-from-big-prep-companies/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-arvin-ardakani-learned-from-big-prep-companies/Arvin Ardakani paid large prep companies for CASPer and interview help himself. He never knew who would coach him, the coaches he got taught generic material with little training in the test, and support ended when the hour did. ExperienceMED is built on the opposite: one coach, personal marking, support at every step.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-arvin-ardakani-looks-for-when-marking-an-answer/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-arvin-ardakani-looks-for-when-marking-an-answer/Arvin Ardakani looks for six things when he marks an answer: that you answered the task, reasoned between real options, treated every person fairly, communicated clearly, gave a practical action within your role, and adapted when the facts changed. Strong answers also show reflection with a later example.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-coaches-every-pre-health-path/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-coaches-every-pre-health-path/Arvin Ardakani coaches medicine first, dentistry second, then pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing and every other pre-health applicant, because every healthcare program looks for the same skills. CASPer, MMI stations and panel questions test the same judgment, so the method transfers across paths.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-marks-every-answer-himself/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-marks-every-answer-himself/Arvin Ardakani marks every answer himself because no two students are held back by the same thing. Reading the full answer lets him diagnose the specific weakness, whether it is jumping to a conclusion, piling up examples or struggling to put thinking into words, and coach that one thing until it is fixed.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-teaches-personal-stories-over-templates/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-arvin-ardakani-teaches-personal-stories-over-templates/Arvin Ardakani teaches real, specific personal stories because a script sounds like a script and a true story sounds like a person. Students learn a structure, then fill it with their own experiences. A small, honest story with real reflection beats a large achievement told vaguely.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-direct-whatsapp-access-to-arvin-ardakani-matters/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-direct-whatsapp-access-to-arvin-ardakani-matters/ExperienceMED students can text Arvin Ardakani directly on WhatsApp because preparation does not stop between sessions. Questions come up at odd hours, and waiting a week to ask a simple one wastes time. Continuous support means no student feels alone in the process.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-generic-ai-marking-cannot-predict-your-casper-score/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-generic-ai-marking-cannot-predict-your-casper-score/No. A generic AI score has no evidence that it matches how CASPer's human raters mark. Many prep sites plug a general model into their website and return a number, and students who trust it can be surprised by a 2nd-quartile result. AI is useful for practice when trained properly, but humans mark CASPer.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-the-4th-quartile-promise/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/why-the-4th-quartile-promise/Arvin Ardakani made the 4th Quartile Promise because he stays with his students until they succeed. Finish the CASPer program, and if you do not reach the 4th quartile, he keeps working with you next cycle at no extra cost, until you do. A refund ends a relationship; this promise continues it.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-accommodations/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-accommodations/Acuity states accommodation requests for the early-phase MMI go by email to accommodations@acuityinsights.com with the Accommodations Request Form and supporting documentation, at least 2 weeks before your interview. Ottawa points applicants to Acuity's Early-phase MMI Accommodations page.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-common-mistakes/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-common-mistakes/The most costly early-phase MMI mistakes are booking late, a poor audio setup, rehearsed scripts, ignoring the question asked, and treating the camera as a wall. Each is preventable. Acuity advises registering at least 3 days before your date.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-dates/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-dates/Acuity runs the early-phase MMI for Ottawa and Queen's in mid October, shortly after the OMSAS deadline. This cycle's sittings are over; next cycle's dates are not posted yet.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-question-types-and-example-prompts/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-question-types-and-example-prompts/Acuity does not publish the early-phase MMI prompts. Ottawa states it evaluates critical thinking, decision making, communication, interpersonal skills, compassion and teamwork, so expect prompts that test those. The examples below are original, written by the ExperienceMED team for practice.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-tech-setup/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-tech-setup/Ottawa states you need a computer with a webcam, audio and reliable internet, and any quiet private location. Acuity publishes detailed requirements for Casper, not the early-phase MMI, so treat those as a sensible baseline and confirm in your own instructions.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-vs-casper-video-responses/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-vs-casper-video-responses/Casper and the early-phase MMI are both run by Acuity Insights and both use recorded video responses, but they are separate assessments. The early-phase MMI is about 1 hour and 15 minutes across 8 stations; Casper uses short scenarios. Queen's applicants take both, per Acuity.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-vs-regular-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/early-phase-mmi-vs-regular-mmi/The early-phase MMI is a recorded, asynchronous video interview on the Acuity Insights platform, while a regular MMI is live with an assessor at each station. The content skills overlap, but timing, feedback and delivery differ, so you prepare for the camera.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-is-the-early-phase-mmi-scored/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-is-the-early-phase-mmi-scored/Ottawa states interview invitations come from a rank-order list built from CGPA, early-phase MMI score and Autobiographical Sketch score. Ottawa scores critical thinking, decision making, communication, interpersonal skills, compassion and teamwork.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-long-is-the-early-phase-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-long-is-the-early-phase-mmi/Acuity states the early-phase MMI lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes and has 8 interview stations with a rest station in the middle. It calls the format tentative. Acuity does not publish how long each response runs, so check your own instructions.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-the-early-phase-mmi-in-one-week/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-the-early-phase-mmi-in-one-week/With one week to the early-phase MMI, spend two days on structure, three days on recorded timed practice with feedback, one day on tech and delivery, and keep the last day light. The format is 8 stations on Acuity, so rehearse short, complete, camera-ready answers.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/queens-early-phase-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/queens-early-phase-mmi/Queen's University invites applicants who successfully submit an MD application to complete the early-phase MMI on Acuity. Acuity states Queen's accepts only the English version and that Queen's applicants also take Casper.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/uottawa-early-phase-mmi-language-rule/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/uottawa-early-phase-mmi-language-rule/The University of Ottawa requires the early-phase MMI in the language of instruction chosen at application. Acuity states failure to complete it in the correct language will result in disqualification of your application. Each language interview is on a separate date for applicants to both programs.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-the-early-phase-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-the-early-phase-mmi/The early-phase MMI is an asynchronous video interview on the Acuity Insights platform. You record responses to prompts with no interviewer present. Queen's and the University of Ottawa invite every applicant who successfully submits an application to complete it, and the score is used early in selection.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-to-wear-and-where-to-look-in-the-early-phase-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-to-wear-and-where-to-look-in-the-early-phase-mmi/Dress as you would for an in-person interview, from the shoulders up at minimum, in plain solid colours. Look at the camera lens when you speak, not at your own image. Ottawa requires a quiet private location and a webcam, and does not publish a dress code for the early-phase MMI.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/which-ontario-medical-schools-use-the-early-phase-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/which-ontario-medical-schools-use-the-early-phase-mmi/Two Ontario medical schools use the early-phase MMI: Queen's University and the University of Ottawa. Acuity names both, and every applicant to either takes it.Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/casper-for-dental-applicants-what-is-different/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/casper-for-dental-applicants-what-is-different/CASPer for dental applicants uses the same format as every other CASPer sitting, but the scenarios you should practice lean toward patient anxiety, cost and access to care, scope of practice, infection control and cosmetic requests, because those are the situations dental students and dentists face most often.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-is-the-2026-casper-test-format/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/what-is-the-2026-casper-test-format/Acuity Insights publishes the 2026 Casper format on its applicant site: 11 scenarios in two sections. Four video-response scenarios with two questions each and one minute per response, then seven typed scenarios with two questions on one page and 3.5 minutes for both. The sitting takes about 65 to 85 minutes including two optional breaks.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/which-canadian-dental-schools-require-casper/https://www.arvinardakani.com/articles/which-canadian-dental-schools-require-casper/Toronto, Western, Alberta, McGill and Laval currently require CASPer for their DMD or DDS programs. UBC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Dalhousie do not list it. Montreal has removed it starting with Fall 2027 entry.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/canmeds-roles-in-interview-answers/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/canmeds-roles-in-interview-answers/You use the CanMEDS roles in interview answers as a checklist for what you have left out, not as vocabulary to recite. The Royal College framework names seven roles: Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Leader, Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional. Naming a role out loud scores nothing. Showing the behaviour behind it is what assessors mark.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/casper-practice-scenarios-with-model-answers/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/casper-practice-scenarios-with-model-answers/Three original CASPer practice scenarios are written out below, each with a weak answer, a strong answer and the reasoning that separates them, so you can see what raters reward rather than guessing from a score you never get to read.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/casper-prep-courses-compared/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/casper-prep-courses-compared/CASPer prep courses compared by approach rather than brand: official practice from the test maker, large prep companies staffed by contractor coaches, AI practice platforms, free peer practice groups, and a single coach who has sat the test. Each is genuinely good at something different. Start with the free official practice test, because Acuity Insights states that applicants who complete it tend to perform better.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/common-casper-mistakes/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/common-casper-mistakes/The most common CASPer mistakes are answering the situation instead of the question asked, deciding from facts you were never given, writing values instead of actions, running out of clock with the structure half built, and letting one bad scenario damage the rest of the test.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dental-school-interview-preparation-canada/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/dental-school-interview-preparation-canada/Dental school interview preparation in Canada depends entirely on which school invited you, because the formats are not alike. Toronto states a 20 minute interview with two faculty members. Western states structured three-person panels, held virtually. Alberta states an MMI with 10 minute stations. McGill states a virtual asynchronous MMI lasting under an hour. Several schools publish nothing.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/do-i-need-an-interview-coach/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/do-i-need-an-interview-coach/Yes, if you have an interview coming and want the offer. A coach hears what you cannot hear in your own answers, holds you to the same fix week after week, and runs the school's real format to the real clock. Arvin Ardakani coaches medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, every other pre-health applicant personally.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-long-to-prepare-for-casper/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-long-to-prepare-for-casper/Most applicants need three to six weeks to prepare for CASPer, working four or five days a week, because the skill being built is producing a structured answer under a clock rather than learning content, and that only improves through timed repetition with marking.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-answer-an-ethical-dilemma-in-casper/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-answer-an-ethical-dilemma-in-casper/To answer an ethical dilemma in CASPer, name what is genuinely in tension, say what you do not yet know and what you would ask, weigh the rules and the costs on both sides, then commit to one action and say what support the person gets afterwards.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself-in-a-medical-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself-in-a-medical-interview/Answer "tell me about yourself" in a medical interview with one specific thread rather than a summary of your CV: where the interest started, what you did about it that cost you something, what it changed in you, and what you are doing now.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-find-a-casper-tutor/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-find-a-casper-tutor/Choosing a CASPer tutor comes down to four checks: has this person actually sat the test, will the same person coach you every session, will they show you scored example answers before you pay, and is the price in a range you can explain to yourself. A coach who stands behind a written commitment, such as ExperienceMED's 4th Quartile Promise, is a good sign; the real warning signs are nobody marking your answers personally and no direct access to the coach.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-handle-an-interview-question-you-cannot-answer/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-handle-an-interview-question-you-cannot-answer/For an interview question you cannot answer, say plainly that you do not know, then show the assessor how you would work it out: what you would need to find out, who you would ask, and what you would do in the meantime. Silence and bluffing both score badly. Alberta states that asking for the available prompting questions carries no penalty.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-an-mmi-in-two-weeks/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-an-mmi-in-two-weeks/To prepare for an MMI in two weeks, spend the first week speaking answers out loud against a timer across the four station types, and the second week doing full mock circuits with someone who tells you what they actually heard rather than what you meant.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-casper/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-casper/To prepare for CASPer, learn one repeatable way to read a scenario and structure an answer, then rehearse it on timed practice scenarios until the structure survives the clock, and take the official full-length practice test under real conditions.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-the-mcmaster-interview/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/how-to-prepare-for-the-mcmaster-interview/To prepare for the McMaster interview, practise a full MMI circuit rather than single stations, because McMaster runs a circuit and does not publish the station count or station timing for its main MD stream. Only the MD/PhD stream's 12-station circuit is published. Practise across a range of timings, mix station types, and rehearse the whole run in one sitting.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/is-casper-prep-worth-it/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/is-casper-prep-worth-it/CASPer prep is worth it if you have no reliable way to structure an answer under a clock and nobody marking what you write, and it is close to worthless if you are already structured and are buying more scenarios to read.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mmi-acting-stations-what-to-do/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mmi-acting-stations-what-to-do/In MMI acting stations you talk to the person rather than about them, so open by finding out what is going on, say the hard thing plainly, stay in the discomfort before you reach for a solution, and offer help that costs you something.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mmi-practice-questions-with-answers/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/mmi-practice-questions-with-answers/Three original MMI practice questions are written out below, each with a weak answer, a strong answer and the reasoning that separates them, covering the three station families applicants most often prepare badly.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ottawa-medicine-interview-format/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ottawa-medicine-interview-format/The Ottawa medicine interview format has two parts. Every applicant must first complete an asynchronous early-phase MMI on the Acuity Insights platform, which is a gate. Selected applicants are then invited to a semi-structured panel interview of approximately 40 minutes with two Admissions Committee members and a fourth-year medical student, conducted virtually for the 2027 cycle.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/panel-interview-vs-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/panel-interview-vs-mmi/Panel interview vs MMI is a difference in structure, not in what is being scored. A panel is one long conversation with two or three assessors; an MMI is a series of short independent stations, each scored separately. Ottawa runs a semi-structured panel of about 40 minutes; UBC runs 10 MMI stations with about 10 interviewers.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/queens-medicine-interview-preparation/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/queens-medicine-interview-preparation/Queen's medicine interview preparation starts with an honest accounting of what Queen's publishes. It states that it uses MMI evaluation and that its later panel interview is virtual and synchronous. It does not publish a station count or station timing. Any specific number you read elsewhere is not from Queen's, and search results often return Queen's University Belfast instead.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/reapplicant-strategy-after-an-interview-rejection/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/reapplicant-strategy-after-an-interview-rejection/A reapplicant strategy after an interview rejection starts with a hard fact: you were competitive on paper, so the paper is not the problem. Rebuild around the interview itself, retake CASPer because scores are valid for one cycle only, and check each school's limits before you reapply, because Ottawa states that three completed interviews ends your eligibility there.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-mpi-interview-preparation/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/toronto-mpi-interview-preparation/Toronto MPI interview preparation is different from MMI preparation because the Modified Personal Interview is four independent interviews assessed by four different interviewers, approximately 12 minutes each in person. The virtual version is four asynchronous video responses of approximately 5 minutes inside a 30 minute circuit, with 30 seconds to read each question.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-mmi-preparation/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/ubc-mmi-preparation/UBC MMI preparation has to be built around 10 stations and roughly 10 different interviewers, because UBC states that each applicant rotates through 10 interview stations. Station timing is not published on the interviews page, so practise across a range. Expect interviewers to include third and fourth year UBC medical students as well as clinicians and community representatives.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/virtual-interview-what-to-wear-and-how-to-behave/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/virtual-interview-what-to-wear-and-how-to-behave/In a virtual medical school interview, wear the same thing you would wear in person, full outfit including the bottom half, in a solid mid-tone colour against a plain background. Behave as though the camera lens is the person: look at it, not at their face on your screen. Test the exact machine, browser and room at the exact time of day at least three days beforehand.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-a-good-casper-score-how-quartiles-work/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-a-good-casper-score-how-quartiles-work/A good CASPer score is the 4th quartile, meaning you placed in the top quarter of the people who sat your test, because Acuity Insights standardizes scores within a single test instance and reports a quartile to applicants and a z-score with a percentile to programs.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-an-mmi/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-an-mmi/An MMI, or multiple mini interview, is an interview built from a series of short independent stations, each with its own prompt and its own assessor, so that one weak station cannot decide your whole result the way it can in a single long interview.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-duet-and-does-it-matter/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-duet-and-does-it-matter/Duet is Acuity Insights' value-alignment assessment, in which you rank what you want from a program and the program's own ranking is compared against yours, and Acuity states the fee to reserve Casper already covers it for programs that require it.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-snapshot-and-how-to-prepare/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-snapshot-and-how-to-prepare/Snapshot was Acuity Insights' short one-way recorded video interview, and it no longer appears anywhere in the company's current product lineup, so if a program still asks you to record video answers you are being sent to Video Interviews instead.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-the-casper-test/https://www.arvinardakani.com/answers/what-is-the-casper-test/The CASPer test is an open-response situational judgment test from Acuity Insights, taken online in two sections, video response and typed response, scored by a different human rater per scenario and reported back to you as a quartile.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT