Casper Test for UK Medical Schools: The Complete Guide

The Casper test is an online situational judgement test that medical and health-profession schools use to assess the personal and professional qualities academic grades cannot show: empathy, ethics, communication and professionalism. It is produced by Acuity Insights. This guide explains what Casper involves, how it is structured and scored, which UK and Irish medical schools use it, what it costs, and exactly how to prepare, updated for 2027 entry.

What is the Casper test?

Casper (made by Acuity Insights) is an online, open-response situational judgement test. Unlike the UCAT or an A-level, it does not test knowledge or how fast you can reason. Instead it presents realistic everyday and professional scenarios and asks how you would respond, to gauge social intelligence, judgement and professionalism.

Schools use Casper alongside academic grades, admissions tests and interviews to build a more rounded picture of an applicant. It is used worldwide across medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and other health programmes, and in the UK and Ireland a smaller set of medical schools use it.

Casper test at a glance

What does the Casper test assess?

Casper is designed to measure the non-academic attributes that make a good clinician. Acuity Insights groups these into qualities such as:

• Collaboration and teamwork
• Communication
• Empathy and compassion
• Equity and treating people fairly
• Ethics and integrity
• Motivation and resilience
• Problem-solving and judgement
• Professionalism and self-awareness

These map closely onto the GMC’s Good Medical Practice and the core values of the NHS, which is why preparing for Casper and preparing for your medical interviews overlap so much.

How is the Casper test structured?

The current Casper test has around 11 scenarios split into two response types. There are no right answers: assessors score the judgement and reasoning behind what you write and say.

• Video-response scenarios: you watch or read a short scenario, then record spoken answers, usually about one minute per response.
• Typed-response scenarios: you read a scenario and type answers to two open questions, with around 3.5 minutes for both.

Most candidates finish in about 65 to 85 minutes including breaks. The exact mix of video and typed sections can change between cycles and programmes, so check the current format on the Acuity Insights site before your sitting.

Which UK medical schools use the Casper test?

In the 2023/24 admissions cycle, an NHS England-backed pilot introduced Casper at several newer medical schools: Aston, Anglia Ruskin (ARU), Brunel, Kent and Medway (KMMS) and Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester. The aim was to widen access and assess values alongside grades.

That national pilot has since wound down, and not every pilot school has kept Casper. For 2026 entry, Kent and Medway Medical School and Three Counties Medical School (Worcester) continue to use Casper, offered free to shortlisted applicants. Requirements change year to year, so always check the admissions page of each medical school you apply to.

The Casper test for medicine in Ireland and the Atlantic Bridge Programme

For many applicants, Casper matters most for Ireland. Canadian and US students apply to the six Irish medical schools through the Atlantic Bridge Programme, and RCSI requires Casper for its 5-year and 6-year programmes for North American applicants. The other Irish schools do not require it.

The fee is about $85, and the timing is strict: RCSI stops accepting new Atlantic Bridge applications just before the January Casper sitting, so you must book and sit Casper early rather than waiting for the application deadline. See our full guide to studying medicine in Ireland for the wider picture.

How much does the Casper test cost?

It depends on where and why you are sitting it. At the UK medical schools that currently use Casper, it is free to the applicant. For US and Canadian medical school applications, and for Ireland through the Atlantic Bridge Programme, the fee is about $85 for the 2026-27 cycle, which includes sending your results to a set number of programmes, with extra programmes costing roughly $20 each.

What do you need to sit the Casper test?

• A computer (not a tablet or phone) with a working webcam and microphone.
• A stable internet connection.
• Government-issued photo ID for check-in.
• A quiet, private room where you will not be interrupted.
• About 90 minutes set aside, and a test date booked through Acuity Insights for your school’s cycle.

Do you need to revise for the Casper test?

You cannot revise content the way you would for the UCAT or an exam: there is no syllabus and no facts to memorise. But you can and should prepare. Familiarity with the format, faster structured thinking, and confident typing and speaking all make a real difference under time pressure, where many capable candidates simply run out of time or freeze.

How to prepare for the Casper test

1) Understand the format

Know in advance how many scenarios you will face, the split between video and typed responses, and the timings. Going in cold and discovering you have one minute to speak or 3.5 minutes to type two answers is the quickest way to lose marks.

2) Practise with sample scenarios

Work through realistic scenarios under timed conditions, including the official practice test from Acuity Insights. Practising out loud for the video sections, and typing to time for the written ones, builds the speed you need.

3) Learn the core ethical principles

Know the four pillars of medical ethics, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, and concepts like consent, confidentiality and capacity. Our UCAT situational judgement (SJT) tips cover the same ethical reasoning Casper rewards.

4) Use a simple structure for your answers

A reliable approach: identify the key issue, consider the different people and perspectives involved, weigh the options, then decide and justify your choice. Structure beats waffle, especially when time is tight.

5) Build typing speed and clear communication

The typed sections reward candidates who can get a clear, complete answer down quickly. Practise typing to time, and for the video sections practise speaking concisely to camera.

6) Know the UK and Irish healthcare context

Understand how the NHS works and the values it expects, and for Ireland the role of the Medical Council. Scenarios are often set in everyday and clinical contexts, so this grounding helps. Our medicine interview questions guide is a good companion.

7) Practise across scenario types

Casper mixes personal, professional, teamwork and ethical scenarios. Practise all of them, not just the obvious medical-ethics dilemmas, so nothing throws you on the day.

Casper practice questions

Teamwork scenario

You are working on a group project for an important deadline. One team member, who is a close friend, has repeatedly missed meetings and not completed their share of the work. The rest of the group is frustrated and wants to report them to your supervisor.

• What factors would you consider before deciding what to do?
• How would you raise the issue with your friend?
• Is it ever fair to let one person’s circumstances affect how the team is assessed? Explain your reasoning.

Ethical scenario

A 16-year-old comes to a pharmacy asking for the morning-after pill and asks that their parents are not told. The pharmacist must decide how to respond.

• What are the competing considerations here?
• How do confidentiality and a young person’s capacity to consent apply?
• What would you do, and why?

Tips for sitting the Casper test

• Read or watch each scenario carefully before you start answering.
• Answer the question actually asked, not a generic response you have prepared.
• Show balanced judgement: consider more than one perspective before deciding.
• Be specific and structured, and avoid padding; assessors read quickly.
• Manage your time and try not to leave answers blank.
• Stay calm. There are no right answers, only well-reasoned ones.

How we can help

Casper rewards exactly the skills a strong medical interview tests: ethical reasoning, empathy and clear communication. Our interview coaching covers situational judgement, ethics and MMI-style scenarios that map directly onto Casper, and our application packages support the whole journey from UCAT to offer. Not sure where to start? Book a free consultation with an expert.