CASPer Test Rules: What You Can and Can't Have During the Test

You may have blank paper, a pen, a physical dictionary, headphones, an external keyboard and a drink with you during CASPer. You may not have pre-written notes, a phone, a smartwatch, voice tools, or another person in the room. Most of the “you can't bring anything” advice circulating on forums and prep sites is out of date — this page gives each rule with the current Acuity source behind it.

What you can have with you during CASPer

Acuity Insights publishes a short allowed-items list: a pen, paper, a physical dictionary, headphones (fully charged if Bluetooth), a keyboard, and drinks such as water. Its separate rules page adds that you can eat or drink as long as you stay focused on the test.

Can you take notes during the CASPer test?

Yes — on blank paper, written during the test. This is the single most confused CASPer rule, and the confusion is understandable. Applicant forums carry both answers: one Premed101 thread has one poster saying notes are not allowed while another says applicants may bring a blank sheet and a pen, ending with a suggestion to email Acuity to confirm. Several prep sites, including older versions of our own test-day guide, list “notes, books, or reference materials” as prohibited without distinguishing blank paper from prepared notes.

Acuity's current published guidance draws the line clearly. The allowed-items article names “pen, paper, physical dictionary” among what you may have with you. The rules page states that pre-written notes and grammar or translation tools are prohibited. The distinction is not paper versus no paper — it is blank versus prepared.

A note-taking method that survives the timer

Knowing paper is allowed is only useful if your method fits the clock. On the standard 2026–2027 format you get an optional 30-second reflection period, then 3.5 minutes for a pair of typed questions or one minute per video answer. That is not enough time to outline. It is enough time to write three words.

1. During the scenario: write nothing. Watch or read. Splitting attention costs more than the note is worth.
2. During the 30-second reflection: write three words only — the central issue, the people affected, and your first action.
3. While typing or recording: glance at the sheet once, when you transition from naming the problem to stating what you would do. That is where answers drift.
4. Between scenarios: cross out the old three words. A cluttered page becomes a distraction by scenario seven.

If you have never tried writing and then typing under a live clock, it feels slower than it is. Run it against a real timer a few times before test day — our CASPer practice test enforces the same constraint, and typing speed matters more than note-taking once the response window opens.

Rules about your room, webcam and privacy

You choose your own quiet, private location — CASPer is not taken at a test centre. Acuity requires that you take the test alone, that no one assists you, and that your webcam and microphone stay on for the entire assessment. The webcam must remain uncovered and clearly facing you.

There is no ID check at the start under the current rules, though you may be asked to briefly remove a face covering for a photo at the start or midpoint. If you are wondering how far the monitoring actually extends, we cover that separately in can the CASPer test see your screen.

What you can do during the breaks

The standard format includes two optional breaks: roughly 10 minutes after the video-response section and 5 minutes after the first four typed scenarios. You can step away during a break — this is the only time leaving your seat is expected — but you must return on time, because the break timer does not wait for you.

Breaks are optional. Skipping them ends the test sooner but gives up your only chance to stand up, and the full assessment runs roughly 65–85 minutes on the standard format. Use at least the first one. See the current CASPer test format for the full section order and timing.

What happens if you break a rule

Acuity states that rules violations can result in interruptions or disqualification. There is no published penalty tier, no warning system described in the help centre, and no appeal process laid out for a violation. That absence is the point: treat the rules as strict rather than assuming a first offence is forgiven.

The highest-risk behaviours are the ones that look like outside assistance regardless of intent — another person entering the room, a phone lighting up on the desk, a smartwatch on your wrist, or a sheet with writing already on it. None of these require bad intentions to create a problem. Remove them before you start rather than relying on being able to explain them afterward.

Rules that are commonly stated incorrectly

Because Acuity has revised its help centre over time and prep sites copy each other, several outdated rules are still widely repeated. Here is what the current sources actually say.

Rules can change between cycles and between test types. The Australian teacher-education format, for example, uses a different number of scenarios entirely. Check the rules page linked below during the week of your test rather than trusting any summary, including this one, indefinitely.

Bottom line

Set your desk up with one blank sheet, a pen, your headphones and a drink. Put the phone and the smartwatch in another room. Take the test alone with the webcam on. Then spend your preparation time on the thing the rules cannot help with: producing a clear, decisive answer inside 3.5 minutes.