CASPer for CaRMS: The 2027 R-1 Match Checklist

Which 2027 R-1 programs require CASPer?

CaRMS published its list of Canadian medical graduate (CMG) stream programs requiring CASPer for the first iteration of the 2027 R-1 match on September 28, 2026 (CaRMS CMG list). It has 24 program listings at 13 universities:

What the list tells you: 11 of the 13 universities require CASPer for Diagnostic Radiology. If radiology is anywhere on your list, assume you need CASPer until a program description says otherwise. Outside radiology, the requirement is scattered across single programs, so check each description rather than guessing by specialty or province.

International medical graduates have a separate, shorter list (CaRMS IMG list, updated September 30, 2026):

CaRMS notes that it tries to keep these lists current but that applicants are responsible for confirming the requirement in each program description. Both lists will be updated for the second iteration on March 4, 2027.

Which CASPer test do residency applicants book?

Residency applicants book ENGLISH: Postgraduate Medical Education (CSP-20201) for the 2026–27 cycle. Acuity's Dates and Fees tool lists, for the Canadian Resident Matching Service distribution:

• Fee: $120 CAD, with $0 for the CaRMS distribution. Duet is included. All fees are final, non-refundable and valid for the current cycle only.
• Rescheduling: a fee applies within 30 days of, or after, your confirmed test time.
• ID: your CaRMS number, plus a government-issued photo ID on your Acuity account.
• Language: the English distribution accepts the English test only. CaRMS says to write in the language of the program you are applying to.

This is not the Casper 2 test you may have written for medical school, and that old score is not valid. Acuity lists the same standard 2026–27 format for this cycle: 11 scenarios, four video-response and seven typed, about 65 to 85 minutes (Acuity format article). If you have not seen it since the format changed, read what the CASPer test is and the current format guide.

2027 R-1 CASPer dates and deadlines

CaRMS lists three first-iteration sessions: September 24 and October 15 in English, and November 5 in English and French (CaRMS). Acuity also lists a March 5, 2027 sitting with a March 18 distribution deadline. Combined with the CaRMS R-1 applicant timeline:

Three practical consequences for the November 5 sitting:

• Book by November 2. Acuity recommends reserving at least three days before your test.
• Accommodations are already tight. Acuity asks for accommodation documents four weeks before your scheduled test, which for November 5 was October 8. If you need accommodations and have not applied, contact Acuity now. See CASPer accommodations.
• You will apply without knowing your quartile. Applicants usually receive a quartile four to five weeks after testing, after file review opens on November 26. Do not wait for it before submitting.

How your CASPer score reaches CaRMS

Your score reaches CaRMS only if you tick the consent checkbox in your Acuity account; without it, Acuity does not send the result (CaRMS). After that:

1. Acuity sends all CASPer results to CaRMS about one week before the application deadline, and CaRMS uploads yours about five business days before it (CaRMS).
2. CaRMS emails you when the score is in your account.
3. In CaRMS Online, go to My Information, then Examinations, then Situational Judgement Tests, and assign the result to every program that requests it. Only programs you apply to and assign it to can see it.

A “delivered” status in Acuity before the upload is normal; CaRMS receives results in that pre-deadline batch. You also cannot view the score itself in CaRMS (CaRMS). The score is valid for both iterations of the 2027 R-1 match, and you cannot retake it for the second iteration (validity, retakes).

CASPer vs FMProC: which one do you need?

They are different tests for different programs. CaRMS says the Family Medicine Professional Choices Assessment (FMProC) is required for all family medicine programs in the R-1 match, while CASPer is required only by the programs on the lists above (CaRMS situational judgement tests).

Applying to family medicine and, say, Alberta Public Health and Preventive Medicine or a radiology program means you may need both.

A three-week CASPer plan for the November 5 sitting

Residency applicants usually prepare around electives and CaRMS paperwork, so this plan uses short daily blocks. It is an editorial suggestion, not an Acuity requirement.

1. Week 1 (October 15–21): logistics and a baseline. Confirm every program's requirement, reserve CSP-20201 with CaRMS consent and your CaRMS ID, run the system check, and take Acuity's free official practice test once without preparation.
2. Week 2 (October 22–28): the two response modes. Do two typed scenarios a day under the 3.5-minute timer and record two one-minute video answers. Review each against a clear answer structure.
3. Week 3 (October 29 – November 4): full sets and rest. Complete two full-length timed sets, fix one recurring gap, then stop the day before the test.

A trap specific to residents: CASPer scenarios are everyday interpersonal situations, and Acuity notes that roles are assigned in the prompt (“you are a co-worker”). Answer from that role, not as a physician applying clinical knowledge. Raters look for how you weigh perspectives and justify a proportionate action, which a clinical plan can crowd out in a one-minute answer.

Sources and scope

Checked October 15, 2026 against CaRMS's CMG and IMG CASPer lists, its situational judgement test help articles and 2027 R-1 first-iteration timeline, and the CSP-20201 listing in Acuity's Dates and Fees tool. CaRMS and Acuity dates can change; program descriptions and your Acuity account are the final word. This page covers the R-1 main residency match only. CasperCoach is independent of Acuity Insights and CaRMS.