Scores & results

I Got a 3rd Quartile CASPer Score. What Does That Mean?

A 3rd quartile CASPer result puts you in the second-highest of four relative bands. Think of it as the upper-middle band: fourth quartile is highest, followed by third, second, and first. It is an encouraging result, but it cannot tell you whether a particular school will offer you an interview.

If you opened your results expecting fourth quartile, third can feel like you missed a target. Before treating it as a problem to fix, separate two questions: what does the result say about your test, and what can you actually do with it in your application?

What does a third-quartile CASPer result mean?

The order matters: a larger quartile number represents a higher band. Third quartile sits above second and below fourth. Acuity's official quartile explanation describes a comparison with applicants taking the same test type, based on responses to the same scenarios. It is not a ranking against only the applicants to your chosen school.

The label is deliberately broad. Two people can both receive third quartile without having identical underlying results. You also cannot turn the number three into “three out of four questions correct” or assume it means you performed well on every individual response.

For the bigger picture, our guide to a good CASPer score compares all four bands. If you meant second quartile, use the second-quartile guide instead.

Is 3rd quartile a good CASPer score?

As a relative test result, third quartile is encouraging. As an admissions prediction, it is incomplete. “Good enough for my program” depends on a policy that the quartile label does not contain.

Acuity explains that each program decides how to use CASPer. A result may carry different significance across applications. There is no sound way to translate your third quartile into an interview probability without the program's actual process and the rest of your file.

A useful question is: “Does this program publish a minimum, a weighting, or an explanation of how it uses CASPer this cycle?” An unverified forum cutoff cannot replace that information. Equally, a school's silence about a cutoff is not proof that CASPer has no influence.

How different is third quartile from fourth?

Fourth is the higher band, but the labels do not show the size of the gap. Acuity notes that a small change near a boundary can change the reported quartile. That does not tell you that your own result was near the boundary; it explains why the labels are too coarse for precise comparisons.

Comparing your third quartile with a friend's fourth will not reveal which response made the difference. Their result cannot diagnose your test. Our fourth-quartile explanation covers what the highest band can and cannot prove.

What should you do after getting third quartile?

Use a short application check rather than rebuilding your school list around one label:

1. Confirm delivery. Check your Acuity account's Reservations section for the completed test and results-delivery status. Then check your selected programs and application identifiers.
2. Read each current admissions page. Record what it actually says about CASPer, the relevant cycle, and any remaining deadlines. Keep published requirements separate from assumptions.
3. Finish the parts you still control. Complete required documents, follow up on missing references through the appropriate process, and prepare for interviews if invited.

Acuity's delivery-status guide also notes that a program's own system may take additional time to update. A delayed portal label is worth checking; it is not evidence that your quartile caused a rejection.

If a published policy is ambiguous, ask admissions a specific procedural question, such as where its current CASPer requirements are documented. “Will I get in with third quartile?” asks for a prediction the office may be unable to give.

Can you retake CASPer after a third-quartile result?

Wanting fourth quartile is not a reason to book another attempt at the same test type in the same cycle. Acuity's retake policy limits applicants to one test per test type per admissions cycle. A new cycle requires a new test; another required test type is a separate matter. Verified technical issues have a separate support process.

Keep those situations separate from dissatisfaction with a score. For your completed sitting, use the result you have and follow the application rules that apply to you.

If you need another CASPer in a future cycle

Start with observable practice habits instead of trying to “repair” an unknown test-day mistake. Write or record fresh answers, then look for patterns across several scenarios:

• Did you answer the specific question, including a follow-up that changed the situation?
• Did you name a practical action rather than stopping at “I would be empathetic”?
• Did you explain what would change your decision?
• Could a reader or listener follow your reasoning without filling in missing steps?

Try revising one response for clarity, then answer a different scenario to see whether the habit carries over. Use our CASPer study plan if you need a schedule. CasperCoach's timed practice and AI feedback can support that review, but cannot reveal the reason for your official result or promise fourth quartile next time.