Casper Test for PA School: Everything to Know

We all love another test added to PA school requirements, right? Just kidding. But the Casper test is genuinely different, because you can't really study for it. It's a behavioral, situational assessment built to judge how you respond to ethical and difficult scenarios in a time based way, which makes it unlike a knowledge test like the GRE or PA-CAT.

Schools use it because the application has both objective and subjective parts. Grades show academic preparedness but not personality, and it's hard to narrow a huge applicant pool on paper alone. On the Casper website you'll find the qualities it assesses: collaboration, communication, empathy, equity, ethics, motivation, problem solving, professionalism, resilience, and self awareness. Programs use the scores to look for red flags and as one more piece of the decision, with each school weighing it differently. At the time the original article was written in 2022, 49 PA programs required the Casper exam.

During the test you'll complete two sections, one where you type responses and one where you record video responses. Some scenarios are word based and some are video based, which can feel strange if you aren't used to typing fast or being on camera. Each scenario is followed by three open ended questions, and you'll have five minutes to respond to each if typing, or one minute to respond by video. Plan for the whole exam to take around two hours.

The exam currently costs $40 to take and $12 to send to each additional PA program. You'll need a computer with a webcam and microphone, and it doesn't happen in a testing center, so you'll need a quiet place at home. If that's not an option, see whether your local library or university has a room you can reserve. Do a full system check beforehand to avoid technical issues on test day.

There's no material to memorize, but you can absolutely prepare. Practice typing responses on the spot and recording yourself on video so the format feels familiar. That familiarity won't necessarily change your content, but it makes you steadier on test day. There's a free practice exam on the Casper website, and I highly recommend taking it before the real thing.

The timing is what trips most people up, based on what I see in the Pre-PA Club Facebook group, so practice with the clock running. If you feel like you messed up one section, let it go quickly and move on. A few simple tips: smile, sit up straight, and get comfortable. Nerves are normal, but don't let them derail your performance. Spelling isn't scored in typed responses, so don't fixate on it, and the Casper FAQ says typed answers can be bullet or paragraph form, so practice both and use whichever you prefer. If you have the PA School Interview Guide, the MMI and ethical question chapters are great prep for the content.

Casper is scored by a team of trained raters, with each rater scoring a different scenario, somewhat like an MMI interview. Schools won't see your individual responses. Instead of a number, you'll receive a quartile showing your performance relative to your peers for the typed portion, similar to how the PANCE is scored. Only the schools see how you did, and each sets its own bar for what a good score is. You can't fail in the traditional sense, but your typed section could land in the lowest quartile, and you can't retake Casper more than once in the same cycle. Scores are good for only one application cycle.

Many programs now also require the rest of the Altus Suite: Snapshot and Duet. Snapshot is basically a one way video interview with no live interviewer, and its sample questions look a lot like traditional interview questions. Duet is more program specific and helps show how a program fits what you're looking for. Both are included when you sign up for Casper, each adds only about 15 minutes, and they can be completed within 14 days of taking Casper, so it's often worth doing them in case you need them later.

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Casper feels intimidating because you can't cram for it, but if you're a reasonable person with common sense and empathy toward patients, you'll likely be just fine. Practice the format, take the free practice exam, and let any rough moment go. If you want structured ethics and MMI prep, the PA School Interview Guide is a helpful companion.