Casper Test Reddit: What Applicants Report and What Holds Up
Luca from Candidate Falcon
Editorial Team
Search for the Casper test and you land on Reddit: r/CASPerTest, r/premed, r/premedcanada and dozens of "how I got 4th quartile" posts. We read about 40 public threads from 2021 to October 2026 and checked the recurring claims against what Acuity Insights, the company behind Casper, publishes.
Posts are paraphrased, without usernames. Each one is one person's experience, so we say where Acuity confirms, contradicts or says nothing.
The short answer
- Reddit agrees on the basics: explain why you would act, consider everyone affected, and practise under the real time limits.
- Templates split opinion. Some 4th-quartile posters swear by stock phrases; others say filler words cost them. Acuity forbids reading from pre-prepared responses.
- Running out of time is normal. Several 4th-quartile posters never finished a typed answer, and Acuity says bullet points are fine.
- A Q1 is not a fail. Acuity says so, and posters report interviews with a 1st-quartile result.
- Be careful with practice quartiles from prep sites. Casper is scored by human raters against other applicants on the same test; a prep site's estimate is not that.
"4th quartile with no prep" versus "months of prep and Q1"
The most heated threads are about effort. A February 2026 rant in r/CASPerTest complained about posts that read "I barely prepared and got 4th quartile" while others studied for months, paid for coaching and practised typing. Posts claiming top results after one or two days of preparation do exist.
The more useful story came from a September 2026 post: the writer got a 1st quartile after learning a prep book's phrases, then a 4th quartile a year later after practising about an hour a day for a month and focusing on explaining why they would act. That matches what Acuity says raters look for: your thought process and judgement, not set words.
What this means for you: the format can be learned quickly, but the reasoning behind your answers is what is rated. Short, regular practice with honest review beats both cramming and no preparation.
Templates and stock phrases
Reddit has plenty of templates, from a 2021 fill-in sentence ("First, I will approach … in a non-confrontational manner") to lists of memorised statements about empathy and teamwork in 2026.
What holds up:
- Structures help, scripts do not. A plan such as gather the facts, consider each person, then act and explain why helps you start quickly. Pasting the same sentences into every answer is what one poster called "word salad".
- Acuity's conduct rules forbid "reading from scripts or pre-prepared responses", and reviewers may flag answers where you appear to read from a script.
Use phrases to start, then answer the scenario in front of you.
Running out of time
Typed scenarios give you 3.5 minutes for two questions. Many posters never finish. One who scored 4th quartile in October 2026 said they ran out of time on every question, written and spoken, switched to bullet points near the end and did not let it stress them. Acuity confirms that raters focus on substance rather than grammar or spelling, and that bullet points are fine.
Practise typing if you are slow, but put your main points in the first two minutes so a cut-off sentence costs little.
The video section
The first four scenarios are answered on camera, 1 minute per question, with an optional 30 seconds to reflect first. Posters describe it as the most stressful part: too many "um"s, blanking, starting late. One 4th-quartile poster said they took about 20 seconds to start talking and never finished a question, and concluded that grading is "so subjective".
Advice that recurs: use the reflection time to jot two or three points, guess the follow-up question from the scenario, and say your conclusion first. Practise talking to a webcam for exactly a minute until stopping cleanly feels normal.
Notes on paper
Many posters say you can keep a blank sheet of paper to note key points from each scenario, and recommend it. Acuity's test conduct guidelines do not mention scratch paper either way: they ask for a workspace "clear of unauthorised materials or devices" and forbid reading from scripts. Check the instructions in your Acuity account before test day, and never prepare notes in advance.
Practice quartiles from prep sites
Several 2026 posts ask whether the quartiles that prep sites give for practice answers mean anything. One applicant, writing in a second language, had done over 100 paid practice scenarios and kept getting a 2nd quartile; another got a 10th percentile "over and over" three days before the test.
What Acuity says: each response is rated by a trained human, a different rater for each scenario, and your ratings are standardised against other applicants who took the same test. No prep site has those raters or that comparison group, so its quartile is an estimate made by its own method, often an AI. Use practice for timing and feedback on your reasoning, not to predict your result.
Results and the dreaded Q1
Results arrive as a quartile, about four to five weeks after the test. Q1 posts appear every week, often with "I'm devastated". What helps:
- Acuity says a 1st quartile is not a fail. It means other applicants on that test had stronger responses.
- Programs weigh Casper differently. One poster with a 1st quartile was still invited to interview for dentistry at the Université de Montréal.
- It can change. The poster who went from Q1 to Q4 did so a year later, after changing how they practised.
Technical and room problems
- Video answers cutting out. A 2025 poster said their recording kept cutting out on almost every question. Acuity advises testing your webcam, microphone and system before the test; if it happens on the day, contact Acuity at once.
- Audio needing a refresh in the practice test worried one applicant in 2025. The practice test is the place to find this out.
- Other people at home. One applicant's family argued during the test. Acuity's rules say no one else may be in the room, and someone entering can trigger a review, so plan a quiet room and tell your household.
- The camera after you finish. One poster used their phone while the camera was still on after submitting. Acuity's rules apply "during the test"; close the window when you are done.
Reddit claims: what holds up
| Claim on Reddit | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Each question is graded by a different person" | Mostly true | A different rater scores each scenario; the same rater sees both questions of a scenario but scores them separately |
| "It's scored against other test takers" | True | Ratings are standardised against applicants who took the same test |
| "Grammar and full sentences matter" | Mostly false | Raters focus on substance; bullet points are fine |
| "Memorise a template" | Risky | Structures help, but reading pre-prepared responses is prohibited |
| "You can keep blank paper for notes" | Unconfirmed | Widely reported; Acuity's conduct guide does not mention it |
| "Q1 means you failed" | False | Acuity says Q1 is not a fail; programs decide the weight |
| "Prep site quartiles predict your score" | False | Real scores are standardised against applicants on the same test |
How to use Reddit before your Casper
- Read the format and scoring from Acuity first, then use Reddit for experience, not rules.
- Take Acuity's free practice test once you reserve a test, to check your setup and the timing.
- Practise explaining why, not memorising phrases. For each scenario, name the people affected, what you would do first and why.
- Time yourself: 1 minute on camera, 3.5 minutes for two typed answers.
- Prepare your room and your computer the day before.
Practise the Casper format
Candidate Falcon's Casper practice gives you timed video and typed scenarios, up to a full 11-scenario mock, with feedback on the reasoning in each answer. Our scenarios are our own, not Acuity's, and our feedback is not a Casper score. For the free background, read our Casper test guide, try the Casper practice questions and check the medical schools that require Casper. Practice needs a plan that includes video practice; see pricing.
FAQs
Is Reddit reliable for Casper advice?
For experience, yes; for rules, no. Posters describe the stress, timing and results honestly, but claims about how Casper is scored are often wrong. Check them against Acuity's help pages.
Does Casper use AI to grade answers?
No. Acuity says every response is rated by a trained human, with a different rater for each scenario.
Can I use a template on the Casper test?
A structure, yes. Acuity forbids reading from scripts or pre-prepared responses, and posters report that stock phrases without reasoning scored poorly.
Is a 1st quartile on Casper a fail?
No. Acuity says a first quartile means others had stronger responses on that test. Each program decides how much weight Casper carries.
Sources
- Acuity Insights: Casper format and length (updated 11 March 2026), how Casper is scored (updated 10 March 2026), quartile score, understanding Casper ratings, test conduct guidelines (30 April 2026) and Casper test prep.
- Reddit (individual reports, read November 2026): study tips and how scoring works, May 2025, prep effort rant, February 2026, from Q1 to Q4, September 2026, running out of time, October 2026, video response tips, December 2025, a slow start on video, August 2026, note taking, September 2026, practice quartiles, September 2026, stuck at Q2, October 2026, interviewed with a Q1, May 2026 and answers cutting out, August 2025.
Candidate Falcon is independent and not affiliated with Acuity Insights, Casper, Reddit or any school or prep company mentioned here.