Medicine admissions guide

Dalhousie Medicine CASPer Requirements 2027

Yes. Dalhousie Medicine requires CASPer for every applicant in the 2026-27 application cycle. The test contributes 25% of the published pre-interview score, alongside 50% GPA and 25% MCAT. Dalhousie offered three CASPer sittings, and all three had passed by this article's September 2, 2026 publication date.

Is CASPer required for Dalhousie Medicine?

Yes. Dalhousie's current CASPer page says all applicants to its Undergraduate Medical Education program must complete the test to maintain admission eligibility. It also says applicants who do not complete CASPer will not be considered.

The requirement applies to the current 2026-27 application cycle and is used for interview selection. It is separate from Dalhousie's GPA, MCAT, residency, application, and later MMI requirements. Check every medical school independently because another university's policy does not transfer. The uOttawa 2027 update, for example, lists a different Acuity-hosted assessment instead of CASPer for standard applicants.

How much does CASPer count at Dalhousie Medicine?

Dalhousie publishes a clear pre-interview formula: 50% GPA, 25% MCAT, and 25% CASPer. Approximately 300 to 400 applicants are invited to interview each year. For applicants in the Other Canadian pool, interview selection also considers the compelling-reasons information explaining why Dalhousie is their preferred choice.

A 25% weight is meaningful, but it does not reveal a hidden quartile cutoff. Dalhousie does not publish a minimum CASPer quartile or a guaranteed interview threshold on the reviewed pages. A strong result also cannot compensate for failing a separate eligibility requirement. Read how medical schools use CASPer scores without turning a published weight into a promise.

Dalhousie CASPer dates and application deadline

Dalhousie published three CASPer sittings for this cycle:

• July 19, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ADT
• August 11, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. ADT
• August 27, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. ADT

All three are in the past as of September 2. Dalhousie's Section 2, transcript-upload, and $70 application-fee deadline is September 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Atlantic Time. That later application deadline does not reopen CASPer registration or create an extra test date.

If you are planning a future application, use these dates only to understand the usual sequence: Section 1 first, CASPer in July or August, and Section 2 after. Do not assume the same calendar will be repeated next year. Use the current CASPer date guide and Dalhousie's live admissions page once your cycle opens.

What do you need to register?

Dalhousie says applicants need a nine-digit Application Reference Number and government-issued photo ID to reserve a CASPer date. The reference number appears on the main page of the application status portal after Section 1 is submitted, under Application Details.

1. Submit Section 1 of the Dalhousie application.
2. Copy the nine-digit Application Reference Number from the status portal.
3. Open Acuity's Dates and Fees flow for the correct application cycle.
4. Choose the exact test and Dalhousie Medicine distribution shown there.
5. Use a matching government-issued photo ID.
6. Save the reservation and later confirm score distribution.

Do not guess the test type from another medical school. Acuity says test types are not interchangeable, and a score is only valid for one type in one cycle. Our CASPer registration guide covers account, identity, date, and distribution checks.

What is the current CASPer format?

Acuity's current 2026-27 standard format contains 11 scenarios: four video-response scenarios and seven typed-response scenarios. Each video scenario has two questions with one minute per response. Each typed scenario shows two questions together with 3.5 minutes for both. Optional breaks appear after the video section and after the first four typed scenarios. The estimated total time is 65 to 85 minutes.

Prepare both modes. The video section rewards concise spoken organization, while the typed section requires prioritizing two questions under a shared timer. The current CASPer format guide provides a complete section walkthrough.

Score validity, retakes, and Snapshot

Dalhousie says CASPer must be completed during the same application cycle and that a score from an earlier cycle is not eligible. Acuity likewise says a result is valid for one admissions cycle and one test type. It permits one attempt per test type in a cycle, so there is no same-type do-over after a weak result.

Snapshot is different. Dalhousie says it is not required and that any Snapshot responses are not used in ranking or selection. Completing optional Snapshot practice does not satisfy the mandatory CASPer requirement.

A focused Dalhousie CASPer preparation plan

Since Dalhousie publishes a 25% pre-interview weight, preparation should be deliberate but evidence-based. CASPer evaluates how you reason through interpersonal and professional situations, not your recall of medicine facts or Dalhousie trivia.

1. Start with official practice. Learn the current interface and timing on the same equipment you will use.
2. Build a decision scan. Identify the issue, affected people, missing facts, immediate action, and follow-up.
3. Practise both modes. Record one-minute video responses and type two answers inside 3.5 minutes.
4. Use health-care-adjacent scenarios. Include privacy, consent, access, team conflict, and a struggling peer.
5. Review for judgment. Look for unsupported assumptions, vague empathy, unsafe action, or missing escalation.
6. Complete a full simulation. Test pacing, breaks, webcam framing, microphone, and recovery after a weak scenario.

A repeatable answer can be short: state what you know, identify what must be clarified, take a proportionate first step, and explain what would change your decision. Use the two-week CASPer study plan to turn that method into timed practice.

Common Dalhousie CASPer mistakes

• Using the Section 2 deadline as the CASPer deadline. The three CASPer sittings came earlier.
• Waiting to obtain the application number. Registration requires the nine-digit reference from Section 1.
• Reusing an old score. Dalhousie accepts only a result from the current application cycle.
• Completing Snapshot instead. Snapshot is optional and does not satisfy the CASPer requirement.
• Preparing for a 90-minute legacy format. Acuity's current operator page lists 11 scenarios and 65 to 85 minutes.
• Chasing an invented cutoff. Dalhousie publishes the weight, not a minimum quartile.