Casper and the AAMC PREview exam are the two situational judgment tests used in US medical school admissions, and they are not the same test, not run by the same organization and not used by the same schools. Which one you need depends on the schools you apply to. This guide sets them side by side using Acuity Insights' pages for Casper and the AAMC's pages for PREview, both read on October 6, 2026.

The short version

Casper is run by Acuity Insights. You watch or read scenarios and answer in your own words, on video and by typing. Humans score it.
PREview is run by the AAMC. You read scenarios and rate how effective each listed response is. It is scored against the ratings of medical educators.
Schools pick one, the other, either, or neither. A handful of schools appear on both lists.

Casper and PREview side by side

	Casper (Acuity Insights)	AAMC PREview
What you do	Respond to scenarios in your own words: 4 video scenarios, then 7 typed, 2 questions each	Rate the effectiveness of 186 listed responses to text-based scenarios, in one section
Time	About 65 to 85 minutes, including optional breaks	About 75 minutes
Scored by	Trained human raters, standardized against the applicant pool	Your ratings compared with a key built from medical educators' consensus ratings
What you receive	A quartile, about 4 to 5 weeks after the test	A scaled score with a confidence band and a percentile rank
Measures	Personal and professional qualities such as empathy, communication, ethics and problem solving	Personal accountability and relational skills
Fee (as listed)	$85 for Medicine, 9 schools included, $20 per extra school	$105 flat for 2026, including unlimited score distribution; $25 to reschedule
Attempts	One per test type per cycle	Twice per testing year, four in a lifetime
Delivery	Online, on your own computer; webcam and microphone on	Online with a live remote proctor, ID check and room scan

PREview's format and scoring come from the AAMC's pages on the exam, scores, fees and eligibility. In PREview, full credit goes for an item when your rating matches the consensus rating, and half credit when you are one step off on the same side of the scale (for example, "Very Effective" where the key says "Effective"). The AAMC reports a confidence band with your score and a percentile rank, which can change as the table is updated each May. Casper details are in our guides to how Casper is scored and the Casper format.

Which schools use which

The AAMC publishes a list of schools using PREview. The list we read was updated June 12, 2026 and covers the 2026 testing year, which is the 2027 medical school application year. It had 73 entries in four groups:

15 requiring PREview (14 medical schools and one veterinary school)
3 requiring a situational judgment test where PREview satisfies it
16 recommending PREview
39 exploring PREview for future use. They may look at scores this year but will not use them to evaluate applications.

Requiring PREview:

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine
University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Recommending PREview:

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Des Moines University Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Morehouse School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
Thomas R. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University
Uniformed Services University of Health Science F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

The three schools where PREview can satisfy a situational judgment test requirement are Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and UT Health San Antonio's Long School of Medicine. Michigan State and Rutgers say on their own pages that either Casper or PREview is accepted. UT Health San Antonio's page, as we read it, names Casper, so confirm with the school before choosing PREview there. For the 39 exploring schools, see the AAMC list. It also says which schools receive scores automatically through AMCAS.

Schools on both lists

Acuity's Dates and Fees page listed 33 US MD and DO schools for Casper in 2026-27 (full list with dates). Eleven of them also appear on the AAMC's PREview list. This does not mean PREview replaces Casper at those schools.

School	Casper, per the school's page	AAMC PREview list
California University of Science and Medicine	Required for applicants invited to the secondary	Exploring PREview
Central Michigan University College of Medicine	Optional, per the school	Exploring PREview
East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine	Required for applicants moving to the secondary	Exploring PREview
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans	Listed by Acuity; school page silent	Recommending PREview
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston	Required	Exploring PREview
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine	Casper or PREview	Requiring an SJT, PREview satisfies it
Rush Medical College	No longer required or recommended for Fall 2027, per the school	Exploring PREview
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School	Casper or PREview	Requiring an SJT, PREview satisfies it
UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine	Casper, per the school's page	Requiring an SJT, PREview satisfies it
University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine	Required	Exploring PREview
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell	Required	Exploring PREview

Medical College of Wisconsin is different: it requires Casper and says PREview is not accepted instead. The other 22 schools on Acuity's list do not appear on the AAMC list. Schools change their policies each cycle, so confirm on each school's admissions page.

Which one should you take

This is our advice, not Acuity's or the AAMC's. Work backwards from your school list.

Write down your schools and look each up on Acuity's list, the AAMC list, and the school's own admissions page.
If a school requires one specific test, take that one. If it accepts either, pick the one that suits you.
If your list needs both, plan both. Casper runs on set dates through the cycle, while PREview runs in set testing windows.
Don't take a test a school only "explores" or "recommends" unless you have a reason. The AAMC says exploring schools will not use scores for this year's decisions.

Watch the calendar. The AAMC's 2026 PREview windows ran from April to October, and registration for the last window (October 14 and 15) closed on September 30, so a new registration for the 2026 testing year is no longer possible; scores for that last window are released on November 13. Check the AAMC's PREview page for the 2027 testing year. Casper dates for 2026-27 are still open into early 2027; see our dates and registration guide.

The two tests also ask for different preparation. PREview rewards knowing which behaviours are effective in a professional setting, which the AAMC says you can learn from free materials and two practice tests. Casper asks you to explain your own reasoning aloud and in writing under time pressure, which is a speaking and writing skill as much as a judgment one.

If you want to practice, Acuity's own free 11-scenario practice test is the place to start. For extra timed practice with feedback, Confetto has an independent Casper Prep with a free set of video and typed scenarios (current pricing is on that page). You can also read our original sample scenarios, try the practice test, or follow our guide to preparing for Casper.

FAQ

Is Casper the same as PREview?

No. Casper is run by Acuity Insights and uses open responses scored by human raters. PREview is run by the AAMC and uses ratings of listed responses scored against a key.

Do I need both Casper and PREview?

Only if your schools require both. Most schools use one or neither. A few accept either.

Can I use PREview instead of Casper?

At some schools, such as Michigan State and Rutgers, yes. At others, such as Medical College of Wisconsin, no. Check each school.

How much does PREview cost?

The AAMC listed $105 for the 2026 testing year, with $25 to reschedule. The AAMC also runs a fee assistance program.

How many schools use PREview?

The AAMC list we read had 73 entries, of which 15 required PREview and 16 recommended it.

Sources

AAMC: About the PREview exam, 2026 participating schools (updated June 12, 2026), registration and testing calendar, fees and scoring. Acuity Insights: Dates and Fees and About Casper. Policies and dates change: check the AAMC and Acuity for current.

PREview is a registered mark of the AAMC. Confetto is not affiliated with the AAMC.

Casper is a registered trademark of Acuity Insights. Confetto offers independent practice and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Acuity Insights.