Registration decision guide

Which CASPer Test Type Do You Need in 2026–27?

CASPer 1 and CASPer 2 are different program-level test types, not easier and harder versions of the exam. Choose the test attached to your country, program category, language, and admissions program. If a school publishes an exact code such as CSP-10211, that code—not a forum post or a guess based on the degree name—is the safest match.

What is the difference between CASPer 1 and CASPer 2?

The difference is the applicant population and program category the test serves. Acuity's June 2026 guidance introduced the CASPer 1 and CASPer 2 names for several 2026–27 categories. It says the right type depends on where and what you are applying to, not which label sounds more advanced.

The labels also control distribution. You can select multiple programs together when they accept the same test type. If two programs require different types, Acuity says you may have to reserve and complete more than one test. A score from one type does not automatically satisfy the other.

Which CASPer test type should you choose?

Use the live program listing as the final answer. The table below is a quick map of categories Acuity explicitly identifies for the 2026–27 cycle; it is not a substitute for checking your individual school because specialized and unchanged test types still exist.

Acuity also says some categories did not change names. That is why you should not extend the table by analogy. Search for the actual program on the official page, then verify the test in the school's admissions instructions. Our CASPer requirements guideexplains the other eligibility, identity, and equipment checks.

Do medical-school applicants take CASPer 1 or CASPer 2?

The school's current test code decides. Canadian medicine provides a useful example: current OMSAS guides for Queen's and McMaster direct applicants to CSP-10211, Canada CASPer 2, Canadian Professional Health Sciences. That does not prove every medical program everywhere uses the same type.

Check each destination even when two programs sound similar. A professional MD program, an undergraduate health-science degree, and a nursing program can sit in different CASPer categories. The phrase “health sciences” alone is not specific enough to book from. For current examples, compare Western Engineering's Canada CASPer 1, McGill Medicine's CASPer 2, and the route-specific Western Nursing requirement.

What does a CASPer test code tell you?

A test code identifies the reservation more precisely than the CASPer 1 or 2 label alone. It helps distinguish region, program family, language, and test type. When an admissions page names a code, match every character in your Acuity account before checkout.

1. Copy the code from the current official admissions page.
2. Confirm the application cycle and entry year.
3. Confirm the test language.
4. Confirm the program appears on the distribution list.
5. Save the reservation confirmation and program instructions.

If the school only gives a CASPer label, use Acuity's filters for country and program category. The registration walkthroughcovers account, identity, payment, and distribution steps.

Can you need both CASPer 1 and CASPer 2?

Yes. Applicants crossing countries, languages, or program categories can need more than one test type in the same cycle. Acuity says only programs requiring the same type can be selected together, and a different type can require a separate test.

Build a simple requirement sheet before reserving. Give every program one row with its official requirement URL, exact test type, code, language, last acceptable date, and distribution status. If all rows match, one reservation may cover them. If they do not, confirm the additional-test requirement with Acuity and the school.

What should you do if you booked the wrong test type?

Stop before taking it and contact Acuity support. Because types are not interchangeable, completing the wrong reservation can leave the intended program without a valid result. Do not rely on a forum reply saying an older code was accepted in a previous cycle.

1. Open the school's current requirement and Acuity's live listing side by side.
2. Capture the reserved test name, code, date, language, and distribution list.
3. Contact Acuity support from the email attached to the account.
4. Ask whether the reservation can be corrected before the sitting; do not assume it can.
5. Confirm the corrected test and program distribution inside the account.
6. Check that the replacement date still meets the program's result deadline.

If timing changes, review the current CASPer dates workflowand rescheduling guide. The school's last acceptable sitting matters more than the general availability of later dates.

Does CASPer 1 have a different format from CASPer 2?

Do not assume a different response format from the number alone. Acuity's standard 2026–27 CASPer format has 11 scenarios: four video-response scenarios followed by seven typed-response scenarios. Each scenario has two questions; each video answer gets one minute, while the two typed questions share 3.5 minutes.

Acuity notes that exceptions can exist, so the official practice test inside your account is the best final simulation. Read the complete CASPer format guidebefore choosing a practice resource.

Does the test type change CASPer scoring or validity?

The standard scoring process combines typed and video responses into an overall result, but the result remains tied to its test type and admissions cycle. Acuity says a CASPer score is valid for one cycle and one test type. It cannot be carried into a future cycle or substituted for another type.

Applicants later see a quartile, while programs receive the result Acuity distributes for that reservation. Learn how the bands work in the CASPer scoring guide, and review retake and score-validity rulesbefore planning another test.

What should you do after confirming the correct test?

Reserve it, verify distribution, and run a timed diagnostic in both response modes. The label changes which application the score can serve; it does not remove the need to reason clearly under the real timer. Use a CASPer practice testto identify whether judgment, typed coverage, or spoken delivery is the first bottleneck to train.