Casper Test for PA School: Requirements and Prep

A growing share of physician assistant programs, including Boston University, Wake Forest, Florida, and dozens more in the CASPA cycle, now require the Casper test, and PA applicants consistently rank it among the most stressful parts of the application. This guide covers what PA applicants specifically need to know: which programs require Casper, which test type to register for (a surprisingly easy thing to get wrong), when to take it in the CASPA timeline, how programs use your score, and how to prepare efficiently alongside everything else CASPA demands.

Why PA Schools Use Casper

Casper is an online situational judgment test from Acuity Insights: 11 everyday-dilemma scenarios answered by typed text and recorded video, scored by trained human raters for qualities like empathy, ethics, communication, and professionalism. No clinical knowledge is tested. PA programs adopted it for the same reason medical schools did: GPA and GRE numbers say nothing about how an applicant handles conflict, ambiguity, or a struggling teammate, and PA education is intensely team-based from day one. If you're new to the test entirely, start with our complete Casper overview.

Note that Casper is one of three Acuity assessments you may encounter: a few PA programs instead (or also) require Duet (a free values-alignment survey) or Snapshot (a short recorded video interview). Check each program's admissions page for exactly which ones it wants.

Which PA Schools Require Casper?

Program requirements change every cycle, so treat any list, including this one, as a starting point to verify against each program's own admissions page. As of recent cycles, PA programs requiring or using Casper include:

• Boston University
• University of Florida
• Florida State University
• Florida International University
• Wake Forest University
• University of Colorado
• University of Utah
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch)
• Quinnipiac University
• Marquette University (also uses Snapshot)
• Mercer University
• AdventHealth University
• Meharry Medical College

And roughly 30-plus more across the CASPA cycle. Some programs only request Casper at the secondary or interview stage (for example, Lynchburg and Xavier University of Louisiana), while others, including Northwestern, Penn State, EVMS, Pacific, New Mexico, and Butler, explicitly do not require it. A couple require Duet instead (LSU Shreveport, Detroit Mercy).

The reliable method: build your CASPA school list first, then check each program's requirements page for "Casper," "Acuity," or "situational judgment" and note the required test and the program's final accepted test date.

Which Casper Test Do PA Applicants Take?

This trips up applicants every cycle. Casper comes in multiple test types by country and program level, and your score only goes to programs that accept that test type, and sitting the wrong one can mean paying and testing again.

Under Acuity's current naming, PA applicants (professional health sciences) take "United States Casper 2." You'll see programs reference it with a CSP-prefixed code on their admissions pages. Rather than memorizing codes (Acuity renamed the test types recently, and older articles still cite outdated ones), do this: register through Acuity's official dates-and-fees page, select your program type (PA / professional health sciences), and confirm every school on your list appears in the distribution list for the test you're booking. If a school doesn't appear, you're looking at the wrong test type.

When to Take Casper in the CASPA Timeline

Three rules drive the timing decision:

1. Scores take about 2-3 weeks to reach programs after your test date.
2. You can only take Casper once per cycle. There is no retake if it goes badly.
3. Scores are valid for one cycle only. Reapplicants must test again; last year's result doesn't carry over.

Because many PA programs review applications on a rolling basis and some (like BU) won't review your file until your Casper score arrives, testing early in the cycle, around when you submit your CASPA primary, is the safest play. Each program also sets its own final accepted test date (Meharry, for example, publishes a specific July cutoff); missing one effectively voids your application there.

One logistical mercy: you can add programs to your score distribution after testing, as long as they accept the same test type and the distribution deadline hasn't passed, so adding schools to your list mid-cycle doesn't require a new test. Match available sittings against your deadlines using the Casper test dates calendar.

How Much Does Casper Cost for PA Applicants?

The US Casper fee is $85 USD, which includes score distribution to an initial set of programs, plus roughly $18 per additional program. Fees are non-refundable, and rescheduling near your test date incurs a charge. With PA applicants often applying to 8-15 programs, budget for distribution fees beyond the base price. Current figures are always on Acuity's registration page; the fine print on rescheduling and accommodations is summarized in our Casper policies guide.

If you need testing accommodations, request them well ahead of your test date. Programs commonly advise at least four weeks.

How PA Programs Use Your Casper Score

After your test, each response is scored by a different trained human rater, your combined result is standardized against other test takers, and programs receive a precise standardized score. You see only your quartile (1st through 4th; 4th is the top 25%) about four to five weeks after testing. The full mechanics are in our scoring guide.

How much it matters varies sharply by program:

• Boston University sets an explicit bar: applicants need at least a 50th-percentile score (3rd or 4th quartile), and applications aren't reviewed until the score arrives.
• Most other programs use Casper holistically, one input alongside GPA, healthcare hours, essays, and letters, without published cutoffs.
• r/prephysicianassistant folklore holds that "anything below 4th quartile tanks you" at certain programs; treat that as unverified, but the pattern underneath is real: a 3rd/4th quartile score keeps you safe everywhere, while a 1st/2nd quartile result matters most at screening programs.

What counts as a good score, what each quartile means, and what to do after a weak result are covered in What Is a Good Casper Score?

What PA Casper Scenarios Look Like

You won't be quizzed on medicine. Scenarios are everyday interpersonal dilemmas (a group member not pulling their weight, a customer demanding an exception, a friend asking you to cover for them) plus healthcare-adjacent themes that reward the instincts PA programs care about: patient dignity, teamwork under pressure, speaking up about safety, and professional boundaries. The competencies raters score are the same across all health professions; see the 10 competencies guide with examples of each.

The format is the hard part: one minute per recorded video answer, 3.5 minutes for each pair of typed questions. PA applicants juggling work and prerequisites often under-prepare for exactly that time pressure. The most common regret in r/prephysicianassistant post-test threads ("I'm not as quick-minded as Casper expects, my responses were so superficial") is about pacing, not content.

How to Prepare (Efficiently)

You don't need months. You need format familiarity, a repeatable answer structure, and honest feedback:

1. Learn the test. Read the Casper overview and the question-type frameworks, in one sitting.
2. Check your typing speed. The typed section is a hidden typing test; below about 40 WPM it's your biggest risk. Two minutes on the free typing test tells you whether the typing guide applies to you.
3. Drill timed scenarios. Work through the official practice scenarios with model answers, then practice under real timing with AI feedback on StudyCasper. The 4th-quartile playbook outlines the drill schedule.
4. Rehearse video answers on camera. Sixty seconds, out loud, no retakes. The discomfort fades fast with repetition.
5. Lock in logistics. Webcam, mic, quiet room, wired internet, system check done early. The test day guide has the checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which PA schools require the Casper test?

Dozens across the CASPA cycle, including BU, UF, FSU, FIU, Wake Forest, Colorado, Utah, UW-Madison, UTMB, Quinnipiac, Marquette, Mercer, AdventHealth, and Meharry. Requirements change yearly; verify on each program's admissions page.

What Casper test type do I select for PA school?

The US professional health sciences test, currently named "United States Casper 2." Confirm your programs appear in the distribution list before booking.

What's a good Casper score for PA school?

3rd or 4th quartile. BU explicitly requires 50th percentile or better; most programs have no published cutoff. See the full scores guide.

When should I take Casper for CASPA?

Early, around primary submission. Scores take 2-3 weeks to arrive, some programs won't review without them, and each program sets a final accepted test date.

Can I retake Casper if I do badly?

Not within the same cycle. Scores also expire after one cycle, so reapplicants test again fresh.

Do PA schools see my actual score?

Programs see a precise standardized score; you see only your quartile, about 4-5 weeks after testing.

The Bottom Line

For PA applicants, Casper is a one-shot, early-cycle logistics problem wrapped around a practicable skill. Verify which of your programs require it, register for the right test type, book a date that beats every deadline on your list, and put your prep hours into timed practice and typing speed. Start with the official practice scenarios and the preparation guide, and take the test once, prepared, instead of wishing for the retake that doesn't exist.

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