Updated
How Long to Prepare for Casper? 1, 2 and 4 Week Plans
Plan on about 2 weeks for most applicants, 1 week if you already finish on time, and 4 weeks if typing, speaking on camera or English needs work. Those plans are ours: Acuity Insights, which runs Casper, sets no number of weeks. It says there is nothing to memorize and that applicants who complete its free practice test tend to perform better.
How long should you prepare for Casper?
Long enough to get comfortable with the format and clock, since Casper has no content to learn. Acuity says “there is no need to memorize content”, and on its practice test: “Applicants who complete the practice test tend to perform better on Casper than those who don't.” Also, “applicants can take it as many times as they like.” That is the one piece of prep with Acuity's backing, so start there.
Prep sites suggest anything from 2 to 8 weeks. None of those is an Acuity figure, and we have seen no public study linking weeks of prep to quartiles, so treat any exact claim with care. The honest answer depends on your starting point, which the next sections help you check. Our how to prepare guide covers the method once you know your timeline.
Is the Casper test hard?
It's hard because of the clock, not the content. Casper is an “open-response situational judgment test (SJT)” with no answer key to study, covering collaboration, communication, empathy, ethics, fairness, motivation, problem solving, resilience, self-awareness.
| Section | Scenarios | Your clock |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 4, first | Two questions, 1 minute each |
| Typed | 7, second | Two questions, 3.5 minutes shared |
What makes the time pressure real
- Each scenario gives you an “optional 30-second reflection period”. That is all the planning time you get.
- Video: “You will have 1 minute per question to record your video responses.” Once recorded, “you cannot retake it unless you experience technical problems”, per Acuity.
- Typed: “You will have 3.5 minutes to type your answers to each set of” two questions. Acuity itself says “many applicants do not finish typing all their thoughts.”
- No stopping: “Once the test has started, all sections must be completed.”
How long the test itself runs (65 to 85 or 90 to 110 minutes)
Acuity publishes two figures and does not explain the gap. Its Casper page says “Casper takes approximately 65-85 minutes to complete, including two optional breaks”. Its advisor page says “Casper typically takes 90-110 minutes to complete, including two optional breaks.” By our math, the answer windows themselves add up to only 32.5 minutes. Plan your full runs around the longer figure, so test day never feels longer than practice.
Which Casper prep plan do you need?
Do one timed video and one timed typed scenario, then find what happened below. Start from the 2 week plan and adjust. This is our guide, not an Acuity rule.
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| You can't finish two typed answers in 3.5 minutes | Add a week. Test your speed with the typing test on this page. |
| You trail off or run over on a one-minute recording | Add a week of video practice. You get one take on test day. |
| Your answers name only one person's view | Add a week of untimed scenarios before going back to timers. |
| You finish on time and cover every side | One week may be enough. Run a full test to confirm. |
What does a 1, 2 or 4 week Casper plan look like?
These plans are Confetto's suggestions. Answer minutes count only the time on the timers, so plan about as long again to review what you did. Use our scenario library and practice test for material.
| Plan | Scenarios | Answer minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | 17 (7 video, 10 typed) | 49 |
| 2 weeks | 32 (12 video, 20 typed) | 94 |
| 4 weeks | 50 (20 video, 30 typed) | 145 |
The 1 week plan
Who it fits: You write and speak comfortably under time pressure, you already know the format and your test is close.
- Day 1: Book if you have not, then take Acuity's official practice test to learn the screens and timers.
- Days 2 to 4: One video and one typed scenario a day on real timers. Use bullet points if they help you finish.
- Day 5: One full run: 4 video and 7 typed scenarios with breaks.
- Day 6: Fix the one thing that cost you most. Check your webcam, mic and room.
- Test day: Pass the System Requirements Check within six hours of your start time.
The 2 weeks plan
Who it fits: Most applicants. You can reason through a dilemma but have not practiced aloud on a one-minute clock.
- Week 1: Take the official practice test, read the nine skills, then do 4 video and 6 typed scenarios on real timers. Review each one for who you left out.
- Week 2: Two full runs, a few days apart, to build stamina. Between them, work on what the first run showed, then do your tech check.
The 4 weeks plan
Who it fits: English is not your first language, you type slowly, freeze on camera or want a structured build-up.
- Week 1: Take the official practice test, then do 4 video and 4 typed scenarios untimed, focusing on people and reasoning.
- Week 2: Move to real timers: 4 video and 6 typed scenarios.
- Week 3: Target your weaker format and skill: 4 video and 6 typed scenarios, using all the time you are given.
- Week 4: Two full runs, then a light last few days and your tech check.
Is your typing fast enough?
Take this one-minute test. Acuity sets no speed requirement, so this is our arithmetic: at 40 words per minute, 3.5 minutes is 140 words before planning time. If the result is lower than you want, choose a longer plan. More in our Casper typing speed guide.
Casper typing test: 60 seconds
0:60
Type the passage below. The clock starts on your first key. Don't stop to fix typos, just keep going.
Passage to type: Casper is an online situational judgment test with two sections. First you see four scenarios and record a short video answer to each question. Then you move to the typed section, where you read seven more scenarios and type your answers to two questions on the same page. You have three and a half minutes to answer both, so a steady pace matters more than a perfect sentence. Raters look at what you would do and why you would do it. They are told not to count spelling or grammar, which means you can keep moving instead of fixing every typo. Plan your first line, type your main points, and leave time for the second question before the clock runs out.
No account needed. Nothing you type is saved.
For the whole test, see how long the Casper test takes.
Try a format-accurate practice question
A simple order works for both formats: check what you don't know yet, name who is affected, weigh what each person needs, then say what you would do and why. See our video answer tips for the one-minute section.
“You and a classmate are finishing a group project due tomorrow. You notice that she copied a paragraph from a website without citing it. When you bring it up, she says everyone does it and there is no time to fix it. 1) What do you do? 2) What would you say if your instructor asked how the project went?”
This is the 2026-27 shape: one scenario, two questions. Try it both ways. Record the first question in one minute, then type both in 3.5 minutes.
Example answers written by Confetto
Spoken, question 1 (105 words, so trim if you speak slowly)
I would start by asking her what is making this feel impossible, because she may just be exhausted and worried about the deadline. Then I would explain my concern plainly. Our names are both on this work, and the original author deserves credit. Fixing it takes minutes, so I would offer to rewrite the paragraph with her or add the citation myself tonight. If she still refused, I would tell her that I can't submit it as it stands, and I would suggest we ask the instructor about a short extension. I would rather have that awkward conversation than submit work I know is copied.
Typed, both questions, with bullet points
1) Talk to her first. She may be stressed, so I would ask what is going on and not assume bad intent. - Explain why it matters: fairness to the author, and both our names are on it. - Offer the easy fix: I will add the citation or reword it with her tonight. - If she refuses, I would not submit it as is and would ask the instructor about extra time.
2) I would be honest and fair. I would describe what we each did and mention any real difficulty, including the citation problem if it was fixed late and the instructor asked. I would not hide something relevant, but I also would not exaggerate her role or make her look worse than the facts.
Which dates should you count back from?
- Your program's accepted test dates. Each program takes only some sittings, and Acuity asks you to reserve at least 3 days ahead. The US Medicine test costs $85 USD (9 schools included). Sittings still open: Nov 12 and Dec 3, 2026, and Jan 5 and Feb 9, 2027. See Casper test dates.
- One test per cycle. You can take each Casper test type once per admissions cycle, unless Acuity confirms a technical problem you reported, so treat your sitting as your one attempt and confirm the rule with Acuity when you book.
- Accommodations. Your request is due “at least 4 weeks before your scheduled Casper test date.” Speech-to-text falls under this: “Use of speech-to-text tools is not permitted unless pre-approved under testing accommodations”.
- Tech check. The System Requirements Check is required “within six hours of their test start time.” Use the same setup and room you will test in.
- Results. “Your results will be sent approximately 2-3 weeks after you complete your test.” See when Casper scores come out.
Practice with breaks too. You get an optional 10-minute break after the video section and a 5-minute break after four typed scenarios, and after the second one “you'll need to take a photo of yourself using your webcam for security.”, per Acuity.
What should your prep time go toward?
Reasoning, not polish. “Casper is scored by certified human raters”, and “typos, incomplete sentences, or small grammatical mistakes will not affect your score”, per Acuity. It adds: “You're welcome to write in full sentences or use bullet points”. Its quartile page says stronger applicants “they may have explained their position fully, or used the full amount of time” and that “they familiarized themselves with the format of the test”. Each scenario goes to a different rater under Acuity's process, and “Casper tests cannot be re-scored.” Our scoring guide explains quartiles, and the Casper test guide and prep hub have the rest.
Sources: Acuity Insights Casper page, format and length, advisor updates, spelling and grammar, video responses, scoring, re-scoring, quartile scores, breaks and how results are sent. All checked October 30, 2026. Plans, scenario counts and minutes are ours. Confetto is not affiliated with Acuity Insights.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I prepare for Casper?
Acuity Insights does not set a number of weeks. We suggest about 2 weeks for most applicants, 1 week if you already know the format and finish on time, and 4 weeks if typing, speaking on camera or English needs work. Acuity's advisor page
Is the Casper test hard?
There is nothing to memorize, so the difficulty is the clock. You get 1 minute per video answer and 3.5 minutes per pair of typed answers, across 11 scenarios, and you can't redo a recorded answer unless a technical problem stopped it saving. Acuity's format page
Can you prepare for Casper in a week?
Yes, if you are comfortable writing and speaking under time pressure. Take the official practice test on day one, practice on real timers, and do one full run before test day.
Can you prepare for Casper in one day?
One day is enough for the essentials: take Acuity's official practice test, try a few timed answers, check your setup and sleep. It leaves little time to fix pacing, so book a later date if your programs accept one.
How many Casper practice scenarios should I do?
Acuity gives no number. Our plans use 17 scenarios in 1 week, 32 in 2 weeks and 50 in 4 weeks. Reviewing each answer matters more than the count.
How does Acuity recommend preparing for Casper?
It says there is no content to memorize and offers a free practice test in your account, which you can repeat as often as you like. It says applicants who complete it tend to perform better. You must also pass the System Requirements Check within six hours of your start time. Acuity's advisor page
Do spelling mistakes hurt my Casper score?
No. Acuity says typos, incomplete sentences and small grammar mistakes will not affect your score, and you can use bullet points. Spend your time on your reasoning. Acuity on spelling and grammar
How far ahead should I book the Casper test?
At least 3 days before the sitting, and earlier if you want the date your programs accept. If you need accommodations, Acuity wants your request at least 4 weeks before your test date, so count back from there. Acuity's Casper page