What Is a Good Casper Score? Quartiles Explained

Casper doesn't hand out numbers, so "good score" means something specific here: 3rd quartile is solid, and 4th quartile, the top 25% of test takers, is the score that genuinely strengthens your application. The single most common confusion on Reddit is worth clearing up too: 4th quartile is the best result, not the worst. If you just opened your results and saw "1st quartile," that's the bottom 25%, not first place.

This guide explains exactly how Casper results are reported, what schools see that you don't, what each quartile realistically means for your chances, and what to do if your result was disappointing.

How Casper Scores Are Reported

Casper reporting is asymmetric: schools get more information than you do, and they get it sooner.

What You See

Applicants receive only a quartile, never a numerical score. Roughly four to five weeks after your test date, your result appears in your Acuity Insights account as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quartile. That's the entire report: no per-scenario breakdown, no competency scores, no percentile.

What Schools See

Programs receive your results directly from Acuity about two to three weeks after your test, before you see anything. Schools see a standardized score showing precisely where you sit relative to other applicants who took the same test type in the same period, commonly described as a z-score: 0 is the cohort average, positive values are above average, negative values below. In other words, a school can distinguish an applicant at the 55th percentile from one at the 74th, even though both would tell you "3rd quartile."

The Quartile Bands

By design, exactly 25% of test takers land in each band. Casper is graded on a curve against a strong pool (mostly motivated health-professions applicants), so an "average" Casper performance means average among people competitive enough to be applying. The mechanics behind these numbers (the 1-9 rating scale, human raters, red flags) are covered in our complete scoring guide.

What Each Quartile Means for Your Application

4th Quartile: A Real Asset

A top-quartile score signals strong judgment and communication to every school on your list, and at programs that weight Casper heavily it can meaningfully lift your interview chances. If you're still ahead of your test date and want to aim here, our 4th-quartile playbook lays out the habits that separate top scorers.

3rd Quartile: Competitive Almost Everywhere

Above the median is a solid result. At the large majority of programs, which use Casper as one holistic data point, a 3rd quartile score simply won't be the thing that decides your application. At the handful of schools with known heavy weighting, top-quartile applicants have an edge, but 3rd quartile keeps you firmly in the running.

2nd Quartile: Below Average, Not a Death Sentence

This is the score that generates the most anxiety and the least clear information. The honest picture: Acuity itself states that most schools do not apply firm cutoffs, and applicant outcome data backs that up. Every cycle, applicants report acceptances with 2nd quartile scores, including high-stat applicants at competitive MD programs. Where it stings is at programs that explicitly screen or weight Casper (more below). If most of your list treats Casper holistically, a 2nd quartile result is a weakness to offset, not a rejection.

1st Quartile: A Concern, With Context

A bottom-quartile score hurts most at Casper-heavy schools and matters least where the test is one input among many. Acuity's own guidance says a 1st quartile placement "does not mean you failed" and that applicants generally remain eligible for admission. It's also worth remembering that someone must occupy the bottom quartile every single test date, and the pool is strong. If this is you, skip to the "what to do next" section. You have more options than the number suggests.

Do Schools Have Casper Cutoffs?

Mostly no, with important exceptions concentrated in Canada:

• McMaster University (MD) is the best-documented case: Casper counts for roughly 32% of its pre-interview formula, equal in weight to GPA and MCAT CARS. A weak Casper materially reduces interview odds there.
• Dalhousie University (MD) applies a minimum Casper threshold in interview screening: applicants below it are not considered.
• Boston University's PA program requires at least a 50th-percentile (3rd/4th quartile) score before applications are reviewed.
• Several other Canadian programs weight Casper substantially in interview selection, and some US schools won't review applications until a Casper score arrives.

For everyone else, Acuity's public position holds: most programs use Casper as supplementary evidence in holistic review, without hard thresholds. If Casper-heavy schools anchor your list, it's worth knowing that before test day. Check how each program describes its use of Casper, and see which schools require it.

What Does an "Undefined" Casper Score Mean?

Occasionally an applicant's account shows an "undefined" result. This generally means Acuity couldn't generate a valid comparison, typically because too much of the test was incomplete (missed sections, technical failures) for reliable scoring. If you see it, contact Acuity Insights support directly rather than guessing; depending on the cause, they can explain whether programs received anything and what your options are.

Why Your Quartile Doesn't Match How You Felt

Two findings come up constantly in applicant communities, and both are worth taking seriously:

1. Self-assessment is unreliable. "I felt like I did horrible but ended up with 4th quartile" is a genuinely common Reddit post, and so is the reverse. You never see your responses again, raters reward substance over polish, and the curve does the rest. Don't spiral (or celebrate) based on vibes.
2. Casper and PREview disagree, a lot. Applicants regularly report a top score on one situational judgment test and a bottom score on the other in the same cycle. The tests use different formats (open response vs. multiple choice), different rating systems, and different cohorts. A weak Casper doesn't mean you have weak judgment; it means one instrument, on one day, ranked you below the median of one pool. Format-specific preparation is exactly the lever that moves it. See our comparison of Casper, PREview, and Duet.

Got a Low Score? Here's What You Can Actually Do

You can't retake Casper within the same cycle, so the play is about everything around the score:

• Audit your school list. Your score hurts you most at heavy-weighting schools and least at holistic ones. If you're pre-submission, rebalance accordingly.
• Strengthen what you control. Essays, letters, and interview prep matter: Casper is one signal of interpersonal skill, while interviews are a much louder one, and a warm, thoughtful interview directly rebuts a weak quartile.
• If you reapply, you start fresh. Scores expire after one cycle. Reapplicants take a brand-new test, and a bad result does not follow you. For your retake year, prepare deliberately: applicants who drill timed scenarios with feedback, which is the core of what StudyCasper's practice platform does, consistently report feeling in control of the format the second time.
• Diagnose the real bottleneck. For many test takers, the problem wasn't judgment at all. It was getting only half an answer typed in 3.5 minutes. Check your words per minute on the free typing test, and read our typing speed guide if you're below about 40 WPM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3rd quartile a good Casper score?

Yes. It's above the median and competitive at the large majority of programs. Only at the small set of schools with heavy Casper weighting does the 3rd/4th quartile distinction carry real weight.

Is 2nd quartile bad?

It's below average, but most schools don't apply cutoffs, and acceptances with 2nd quartile scores are reported every cycle. It's a weakness to offset with interviews and essays, not a disqualification.

Do medical schools see my exact Casper score?

They see more than you do: a standardized score pinpointing your position relative to your test cohort, delivered about 2-3 weeks after your test. You only ever see your quartile.

What is the average Casper score?

By construction, the average test taker sits at the boundary of the 2nd and 3rd quartiles (the 50th percentile). There's no published numerical average because applicants never receive numbers at all.

Can I retake Casper after a bad score?

Not in the same cycle. Scores are valid for one application cycle only, so if you reapply next year you'll take it again with a clean slate.

When do Casper results come out?

Programs receive scores about 2-3 weeks after your test; your quartile appears in your Acuity account around 4-5 weeks after.

The Bottom Line

Aim for 4th quartile, be genuinely happy with 3rd, and don't catastrophize 2nd. The score that matters is relative, the reporting is asymmetric, and the schools that treat Casper as make-or-break are a known, small list. If your test is still ahead of you, the best insurance is format practice under real time pressure. Start with the official practice scenarios, check your typing speed, and follow the full preparation guide.

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