Medical Schools in Canada That Require CASPer (2026–2027 Cycle)

If you’re applying to medical school in Canada, CASPer is often the first assessment admissions committees see — sometimes arriving on your file before your personal statement, reference letters, or even your GPA is fully reviewed. But not every Canadian medical school requires it, and the list has shifted in the last two years as a couple of programs moved away from it. Here’s exactly which schools require CASPer right now, which don’t, and how each one tends to use your score.

Quick answer: As of the 2026–2027 admissions cycle, 10 of Canada’s 17 medical schools require CASPer: McMaster, Queen’s, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, Dalhousie, Memorial University of Newfoundland, McGill, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, and Université Laval.

What Is CASPer, and Why Do Medical Schools Use It?

CASPer stands for Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics. It’s a situational judgment test (SJT) delivered through the Acuity Insights platform (formerly known as Altus Suite), and it’s designed to evaluate traits that a GPA or MCAT score can’t capture — things like ethical reasoning, communication, empathy, collaboration, professionalism, and resilience under ambiguity.

Rather than testing medical knowledge, CASPer presents applicants with a series of short scenarios — some written as text, some presented as short videos — depicting realistic, often ethically tricky situations a person might encounter in everyday life or in a professional setting. After each scenario, you respond to follow-up questions, either by typing your answer or recording a short video response, within a tight time limit. There’s no single “correct” answer; instead, trained raters score your reasoning, judgment, and how clearly you communicate it.

Canada was the first country to widely adopt CASPer at scale, and it remains especially entrenched here compared to other regions. That’s part of why the test carries real weight for Canadian applicants: it isn’t a niche requirement at a handful of programs, it’s a mainstream part of the admissions pipeline that touches a meaningful share of MD seats across the country — even though, as this guide shows, it’s not universal.

Schools generally use CASPer for one of two purposes: as a hard screening tool that determines who advances to interview, or as one input folded into a broader, weighted admissions formula alongside GPA, MCAT, autobiographical sketches, and reference letters. Which approach a given school takes matters a lot for how you should think about your own preparation time.

Canadian Medical Schools That Require CASPer

Canadian Medical Schools That Do NOT Require CASPer

• University of Toronto — has never required it
• Western University — has never required it
• University of British Columbia — has never required it
• University of Calgary — has never required it
• University of Alberta — dropped the requirement effective July 1, 2025
• University of Ottawa — replaced CASPer with an early-stage Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

If you’re specifically trying to avoid CASPer, these six schools are currently your best bet — though it’s worth applying broadly rather than narrowing your list around a single test, since admissions criteria change from cycle to cycle.

A Closer Look at Each School That Requires CASPer

McMaster University (Ontario). McMaster is where CASPer originated — it was developed by researchers there before being spun out to Acuity Insights. Unsurprisingly, it’s also the school most associated with heavy CASPer weighting in Ontario. Unlike most other programs, McMaster typically allows applicants to sit CASPer after the OMSAS application deadline, which catches some applicants off guard in the other direction — they assume they’ve missed their shot when they haven’t.

Queen’s University (Ontario). Queen’s requires CASPer as part of its file review, evaluated alongside academic metrics and other application components. As with most schools, exact weighting formulas aren’t published, so applicants should treat any specific percentage found online as an estimate rather than official policy.

University of Saskatchewan. CASPer is heavily weighted here and the school’s final accepted test date tends to fall earlier than many applicants expect — often in early-to-mid September, well ahead of typical national deadlines. Missing this window can mean missing the cycle entirely, regardless of how strong the rest of your file is.

University of Manitoba. Also a heavy-weighting school, with a test window that typically runs into mid-October. Manitoba’s timeline sits later than Saskatchewan’s, so don’t assume the two prairie programs share a deadline.

Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia). Dalhousie is one of the earliest-deadline schools on this list, with its final accepted sitting often falling in late August — more than a month before many applicants start thinking seriously about CASPer at all.

Memorial University of Newfoundland. Memorial’s CASPer requirement also extends to affiliated UPEI-stream seats, and it shares Dalhousie’s early-deadline pattern, typically requiring scores to be released roughly a month ahead of the national OMSAS deadline.

McGill University (Quebec). McGill delivers its MD program in English but sits inside a province where French-language testing is common at other schools. McGill applicants can choose either the English or French version of CASPer, which makes it one of the more flexible options for bilingual or anglophone applicants targeting Quebec.

Université de Montréal. Also flexible on language for most applicants, accepting either English or French CASPer — though French becomes mandatory specifically for international medical graduates applying to the program.

Université de Sherbrooke. Requires the French-language version of CASPer specifically; English scores aren’t accepted here.

Université Laval. The strictest of the four Quebec schools on language — Laval requires French CASPer only and explicitly rejects English results, even from otherwise strong applicants. Laval’s test window also tends to extend later into the cycle, sometimes into November, which can work in your favor if you need extra preparation time.

How Much Weight Does CASPer Actually Carry?

Not every school that requires CASPer treats it the same way. Broadly, Canadian programs fall into two camps:

Heavily weighted, often used to rank or screen files: McMaster, Queen’s, Dalhousie, Memorial, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Manitoba tend to give CASPer significant weight in their file review — at some of these schools, a low quartile score can end an application before a reviewer looks at anything else.

Required, but used more as a pass/fail screen: Some programs use CASPer primarily as a threshold check rather than a fine-grained ranking tool, meaning it matters less once you clear the bar. Weighting isn’t always published, and it can change between cycles, so treat any specific ratio you find online as directional rather than official.

Read Also: Med Schools in Canada that Don’t Require MCAT for International Students

Because Canadian medical schools typically receive 30–50 applicants per available seat, even a “screening only” use of CASPer can meaningfully narrow the applicant pool before interviews are ever offered.

French vs. English CASPer for Quebec Schools

If you’re applying to any of Quebec’s four medical schools, pay close attention to language:

• Université Laval requires the French-language CASPer and does not accept English results.
• Université de Sherbrooke also requires the French version.
• Université de Montréal accepts either English or French — but French is mandatory if you’re an international medical graduate.
• McGill University is English-taught and lets applicants choose either language version.

Registering for the wrong language version is a common and completely avoidable mistake — double-check the required test type for each school before you book your sitting, since Canada English CASPer and Canada French CASPer are separate registrations.

Deadlines: Don’t Assume CASPer Lines Up With Your Application Deadline

One of the most common CASPer mistakes is assuming the test deadline matches the broader application deadline (like OMSAS’s early-October deadline for Ontario schools). It often doesn’t:

• Dalhousie and Memorial typically close their CASPer window earliest — often by late August, with score release required roughly a month before the OMSAS deadline.
• University of Saskatchewan usually closes in early-to-mid September.
• University of Manitoba sits mid-October.
• McMaster is a notable exception — it generally allows applicants to write CASPer after the October 1 OMSAS application deadline.
• Université Laval tends to accept sittings into November.

Because every program sets its own final test date and score-release cutoff, always confirm the current deadline directly on each school’s admissions page or through Acuity Insights’ official dates-and-fees tool — don’t rely on a generic “October” assumption.

Why Some Schools Have Dropped CASPer

The University of Alberta and University of Ottawa both moved away from CASPer recently, which is a useful reminder that this list isn’t static. Ottawa replaced it with an earlier-stage Multiple Mini Interview, effectively moving the situational-judgment assessment from a written/video format to an in-person interview format instead. Alberta removed the requirement altogether starting July 2025. Programs occasionally cite concerns about equity of access to test preparation, cost, or a preference for other assessment tools as reasons for dropping situational judgment tests — but official rationale isn’t always published, so treat specific explanations with some caution.

This also means older “complete list” articles you find online may be out of date in both directions — naming schools that have since dropped CASPer, or missing schools that added it. Always cross-check against the school’s own admissions page before you register or plan your application timeline around it.

What the Test Actually Looks Like

CASPer typically consists of a set of scenarios split across two sections: a video-response section and a typed-response section. Across the full test, you’ll work through roughly 10–15 scenarios in total, each followed by one or more open-ended questions. You’ll type your answers for some scenarios and record short video responses for others, all under strict time limits per question — usually around five minutes per section. The full test generally takes somewhere between 65 and 90 minutes to complete, and it’s taken once per admissions cycle; scores don’t carry over automatically from one cycle to the next, so returning applicants typically need to retake it.

Questions generally fall into three broad categories:

• Situational questions, which describe a scenario and ask how you would respond or what you would do.
• Policy-based questions, which ask you to reason through a broader ethical or systemic issue rather than a personal interaction.
• Personal questions, which ask about your own experiences, values, or how you’ve handled a specific type of situation in the past.

There’s no official answer key, and Acuity Insights doesn’t publish detailed scoring rubrics publicly, which is part of why the test feels opaque to a lot of first-time applicants. Scores are typically reported to schools as quartiles rather than raw numbers, meaning schools generally see where you fall relative to other test-takers rather than an absolute score.

Registration, Cost, and Logistics

CASPer registration and test-day logistics run through Acuity Insights directly, not through OMSAS or any individual school’s application portal. When you register, you select your test type (Canada English, Canada French, US, or another regional variant) and the program category that matches the schools you’re applying to — these selections affect which scenarios you may see and, critically, which schools your score can be distributed to.

A few logistics worth knowing before you register:

• You can typically add schools to your score-distribution list after you’ve already taken the test, provided you add them before that specific program’s individual distribution deadline — you don’t need to know your full school list before test day.
• Each school sets its own final accepted test date, and these dates vary by weeks or even months across Canadian programs, as outlined above. Acuity Insights’ own dates-and-fees tool lets you select your specific target schools to see exactly which test dates and deadlines apply to your situation.
• Test type matters as much as test date. Registering for the wrong regional or language version means your score may not reach the schools you intended, even if you complete the test correctly and on time.
• You need a stable internet connection, a webcam, and a quiet space for the full test window, since video responses are recorded in real time and can’t be redone once submitted.

How to Prepare for CASPer

Because there’s no fixed content to memorize, most effective CASPer preparation focuses on process rather than facts. A few approaches that tend to help:

• Practice with realistic scenarios under timed conditions, so the format and pacing feel familiar rather than stressful on test day.
• Work through both typed and video-response formats, since composing a clear answer on a keyboard is a different skill than articulating one out loud on camera under a countdown timer.
• Get feedback from someone who understands the scoring criteria, whether that’s a formal prep service, a premed advisor, or peers who’ve already been through the process — self-study alone makes it hard to spot blind spots in how you reason through ambiguous scenarios.
• Review your target schools’ specific deadlines early, since — as outlined above — several Canadian programs require CASPer to be completed weeks before the broader application deadline, and missing that window isn’t recoverable within the same cycle.

Some research suggests structured preparation and coaching can meaningfully improve applicants’ confidence and performance, though how much any individual applicant needs varies — students who are naturally comfortable improvising under time pressure may need less formal preparation than those newer to interview-style assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all Canadian medical schools require CASPer? No. Roughly 10 of Canada’s 17 medical schools require it for the current cycle. Toronto, Western, UBC, and Calgary have never required it; Alberta dropped it in 2025, and Ottawa replaced it with an early MMI.

Which Canadian medical school weighs CASPer the most heavily? McMaster is generally considered the school where CASPer carries the most weight, alongside Dalhousie, Memorial, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Manitoba — though exact weighting isn’t always disclosed and can change year to year.

Can I write CASPer in English for a Quebec medical school? It depends on the school. McGill and Université de Montréal accept English; Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke require the French version only.

If I already wrote CASPer for one Canadian school, do I need to retake it for another? No — one CASPer sitting can be distributed to multiple schools that require the same test type (Canada English or Canada French), as long as you add each school to your distribution list before that program’s individual deadline.

Is CASPer the same test for every Canadian program? The overall format is consistent, but you select your program type and test language when registering, and some scenario content may vary accordingly. Always register under the correct program and language for each school on your list.

How is CASPer scored, and will I see my score? Raters trained by Acuity Insights score your responses, and results are typically reported to schools as quartiles rather than raw numeric scores. Applicants generally don’t receive a detailed numeric breakdown themselves — schools see where you fall relative to other test-takers in that cycle, not a transparent point total.

Can I take CASPer more than once if I’m not happy with my performance? No — CASPer is generally taken once per admissions cycle, and that single score is what gets distributed to every school on your list for that cycle. If you’re applying again in a future cycle, you’ll need to retake it, since scores don’t carry forward automatically.