How to Prepare for CASPer When English Is Not Your First Language

You do not need perfect English to write a strong CASPer response. Acuity Insights tells raters to focus on the substance of your answer rather than spelling or grammar, and it allows incomplete sentences or bullet points. Your real tasks are to book a language accepted by every target program, make your reasoning easy to follow, and practise both typed and video responses under the current time limits.

Does CASPer penalize grammar or spelling mistakes?

Acuity says raters are trained to focus on answer content, not spelling and grammar. Small mistakes, incomplete sentences, and bullet points do not reduce the score simply because they are not polished prose. It is also normal not to finish every thought.

This is not permission to be unclear. If the rater cannot tell what you would do, why you would do it, or how you would handle the people involved, the reasoning is missing from the response. Aim for simple precision: one idea per sentence, familiar words, and an explicit action.

Should you take CASPer in English or French?

Choose a language only after confirming that every program on that test distribution accepts it. Acuity's 2026–2027 test-type guide says country, program category, and—in parts of Canada—English or French determine the correct test type. Language is therefore an admissions requirement, not just a comfort setting.

McGill medicine is one current example that accepts Casper in either English or French and recommends taking the language in which you are most comfortable. That does not create a universal rule for Canadian schools. If one target program requires English, an otherwise valid French result may not satisfy it.

1. Open each program's current admissions requirement.
2. Record the accepted language and exact test type.
3. Group programs that accept the same test type.
4. Confirm the group in your Acuity account before paying.
5. If the pages conflict, get written confirmation from the program and Acuity.

What the current test asks you to do

The standard 2026–2027 CASPer includes four video-response scenarios followed by seven typed-response scenarios. Each scenario has two questions. You get one minute for each video answer and 3.5 minutes shared by both typed answers. Read the full typed versus video comparison before deciding that only typing—or only speaking—is your problem.

The format creates different language pressures. Typed answers let you see and revise words but force you to divide one short clock. Video answers remove spelling entirely but require a coherent one-take explanation. Train both as communication tasks, not as English exams.

A clear response structure for ESL applicants

Use a four-part sequence: decision, reason, missing information, next step. It prevents a language search from consuming the whole response and makes the logic visible even when the sentences are short.

1. Decision: “I would first speak with Jordan privately.”
2. Reason: “This protects confidentiality and avoids assuming why the deadline was missed.”
3. Missing information: “I would ask what happened and whether there is an urgent barrier or safety issue.”
4. Next step: “Then I would agree on a fair recovery plan and escalate only if the risk or pattern continues.”

That is enough structure for a defensible answer. You can add a stakeholder or alternative if time remains. Do not bury the action under five sentences about empathy, professionalism, and fairness. Our CASPer answer structure guide shows how to expand the same logic without memorizing a script.

Plain English beats complicated vocabulary

Raters need evidence of judgment, not advanced vocabulary. Replace abstract phrases with observable actions. “I would demonstrate beneficence through collaborative remediation” is harder to follow than “I would ask what support is needed, agree on a deadline, and check in tomorrow.” The second sentence shows what you mean.

How to handle the typed section

Both typed questions share 3.5 minutes. Start by reading both, then protect time for the second. A practical first split is 20 seconds to choose the core point, 90 seconds for question one, 90 seconds for question two, and 10 seconds to fix only an error that changes meaning.

• Use short sentences or connected bullets.
• Skip articles or elegant transitions if they slow you down.
• Never spend 30 seconds searching for one word; use a simpler synonym.
• Answer the exact question before adding context.
• Measure completion, not only WPM, in every practice set.

There is no official minimum typing speed. Use the diagnostic in our CASPer typing-speed guide to separate a keyboard problem from a planning or language problem.

How to handle video responses and accent anxiety

Your goal is intelligibility, not accent removal. Start with the action in the first sentence, pause briefly between ideas, and use verbal signposts such as “first,” “because,” and “if.” A steady pace with four clear ideas is stronger than a fast minute filled with qualifications.

Practise by recording, transcribing what you actually said, and checking three things: did the first sentence answer the question, did each sentence add a new idea, and was the next step clear? Do not restart every time you make a grammar mistake. The real CASPer video response is one take, so practise recovering with “More specifically…” and continuing.

Can you use a dictionary or translation tool?

Acuity permits a physical dictionary but prohibits translation, voice, and grammar tools unless an approved accommodation says otherwise. Grammarly and browser translation should be disabled. Under a 3.5-minute clock, even the permitted dictionary is usually too slow to be useful; practise replacing an unavailable word with a plain description.

Language learning by itself is not a disability accommodation. If you have a documented disability or health-related need, review the CASPer accommodation process early—the current submission deadline is weeks before the test, not on test day.

A 10-day CASPer plan for non-native English speakers

Use deliberate, narrow practice. Ten days will not transform your general English, but it can make your CASPer communication much clearer and faster.

Bottom line

Do not try to sound native or academically impressive. Verify the language your schools accept, then train simple reasoning under the actual clocks. State what you would do, explain why, ask for the missing information, and give the next step. That process makes an answer easier to score—and easier to produce in a second language.