CASPer for Veterinary School: Requirements and Preparation

Some veterinary schools require CASPer and many do not. For 2027 entry, current official sources confirm requirements at UPEI's Atlantic Veterinary College, the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University, and Murdoch University. Each uses its own deadline and distribution instructions, so a generic “vet CASPer list” is not enough to complete your application.

Which veterinary schools require CASPer for 2027 entry?

The confirmed programs below span Canada, the United States, and Australia. Notice how much the instructions differ: two Canadian programs name Casper 2 (CSP-10211), LIU connects its deadline to VMCAS, and Murdoch uses an undergraduate veterinary-science test.

A VMCAS application does not automatically register you for Casper or distribute your result. LIU, for example, requires the VMCAS application and a separate Casper completion. UPEI instructs applicants to select Atlantic Veterinary College in the Acuity distribution list. Build both actions into your deadline tracker.

How to verify your own veterinary-school list

Use a three-source check because third-party directories age quickly. Start with the school, confirm the cycle in VMCAS or the local application guide, then verify that the program appears under the expected test type in Acuity.

1. Open the veterinary school's admissions requirements and FAQ. Search the page for “Casper,” “situational judgment,” and “Duet.”
2. Confirm that the page names your entry year—not only the date the page was published.
3. Record the test code, accepted language, final sitting, and distribution deadline as separate fields.
4. In Acuity, use the country and program category shown by the school. Never choose a medicine test simply because both degrees are health professions.
5. Save the admissions-page link and a dated screenshot. Recheck it before registering for Casper.

Is the veterinary CASPer different?

The distribution and test type can be program-specific, but the assessment is still an open-response situational judgment test—not an animal-science exam. It evaluates how you reason and communicate when people have competing interests, information is incomplete, and a decision has consequences.

Veterinary applicants should be comfortable discussing animal welfare, client constraints, professional boundaries, team hierarchy, public safety, and limited resources. Those are useful practice contexts, not a promise that your real scenarios will be veterinary-themed. CASPer can use ordinary workplace, school, or community situations.

What is the current veterinary CASPer format?

On the standard 2026–2027 format, Casper contains 11 scenarios and takes approximately 65–85 minutes. Four video-response scenarios come first, followed by seven typed-response scenarios. Every scenario has two questions.

• Video: two questions shown one at a time, with one minute to record each answer.
• Typed: two questions shown together, with 3.5 minutes shared across both answers.
• Reflection: an optional 30 seconds before the response window.
• Breaks: a 10-minute optional break after video and a 5-minute optional break within the typed section.

Some test types can differ. Use the format displayed in your own account and our current CASPer format guide to practise the correct section order.

A veterinary CASPer practice scenario

Use this fictional prompt to practise judgment, not clinical knowledge. Set 30 seconds to reflect and 3.5 minutes to answer both questions.

1. What would you do immediately, and why?
2. How would you address the volunteer while protecting the working relationship?

What a strong answer needs

Stop the unverified medication without making a clinical diagnosis. Check whether any dose has already been given, identify the medication if it can be done safely, and escalate to the responsible veterinarian or shelter lead. Explain the concern privately and respectfully: the volunteer may be trying to help, but an unknown medication and dose create a preventable welfare risk. Document the facts and make sure the adopter receives accurate information.

The strongest reasoning separates intent from impact. It shows empathy for the volunteer without letting that empathy delay the safety action. It also stays inside your role rather than pretending a veterinary applicant can prescribe or determine treatment.

A two-week CASPer plan for DVM applicants

Veterinary experience gives you examples of responsibility and communication, but it does not automatically create concise timed answers. Spend two weeks converting that experience into a repeatable response process.

Common veterinary-applicant mistakes

The biggest mistake is turning every response into a demonstration of animal knowledge. CASPer is testing judgment. A technical answer that ignores the worried owner, the limits of your role, or the need to confirm facts can be weaker than a plain answer with a safe and proportionate process.

• Assuming every vet school requires it: this creates unnecessary cost and the risk of choosing the wrong test type.
• Using one deadline: the application, test sitting, and result distribution can close on different dates.
• Acting beyond your role: applicants should escalate clinical decisions rather than invent authority.
• Choosing animal welfare without communication: safety comes first, but respectful explanation still matters.
• Ignoring video practice: veterinary interviews may feel familiar; a one-minute, one-take recording is a different constraint.

Bottom line

Treat veterinary CASPer as two tasks: an admissions requirement to verify precisely and a judgment test to practise under time. Record the exact test type, sitting, and distribution deadline for every DVM program. Then train clear decisions across both typed and video responses rather than memorizing animal-themed scripts.