Medical Schools That Require CASPer in Canada 2026: Complete Province by Province Guide
Canadian MD programs are among the most competitive in the world and for most of them, your CASPer test result reaches admissions committees before your personal statement, your reference letters, or your extracurricular record does. At schools like McMaster, a low quartile removes your application from consideration entirely. At UBC and the University of Toronto, it shapes whether you ever receive an interview invitation. For Canadian premed applicants, CASPer is not a supplementary requirement. It is the first filter.
This guide covers every Canadian medical school that requires CASPer, broken down province by province, with details on how each region's programs use scores, what the Canadian Medical test type looks like on test day, and what separates a Q2 result from a Q4 one. If you are building your Canadian MD application and have not yet registered for CASPer, start here.
MYLS Interview offers AI powered CASPer mock practice scored against all nine official competencies, built specifically for the MD, Nursing, Health Sciences and other programs.
Does Canada Require CASPer for Medical School?
Yes, Canada was the country that started it. McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine adopted CASPer in 2010, making it the first medical school in the world to require a situational judgment test at scale. The rest of Canadian medicine followed quickly. CASPer is mandatory at MD programs in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, effectively the entire country in English.
Canadian applicants sit the Canadian Medical test type, a version distinct from the US Medical, Canadian Nursing, and other regional versions Acuity Insights administers. Sitting the Canadian Medical test does not satisfy US program requirements, the two versions draw on separate applicant pools, are scored independently, and require separate registrations.
The CASPer test window runs July through May, but most Canadian MD programs require scores by late September or October. That means March to May is the strategic registration window, enough preparation runway while clearing every major program deadline.
How to register:
- Create an account at acuityinsights.app
- Select the Canadian Medical test type
- Book a date in March, April, or May
- Add every target MD program to your distribution list before paying
- Complete payment and run the technical systems check
- Verify score delivery before your September or October program deadline
Ontario Medical Schools That Require CASPer
Ontario has six medical schools and every single one requires CASPer. No other province has this density of requiring programs, which means Ontario applicants face a CASPer result that will be reviewed by up to six separate admissions committees in the same cycle.
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine | Hamilton | Required | Pioneered CASPer in 2010; heavily weighted in admissions |
| University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine | Toronto | Required | Used alongside GPA and MCAT in pre interview screening |
| Queen's University School of Medicine | Kingston | Required | Used alongside MMI at interview stage |
| University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine | Ottawa | Required | Bilingual program; CASPer required for all streams |
| Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry | London | Required | Required for all applicants |
| Northern Ontario School of Medicine University | Sudbury and Thunder Bay | Required | Required for all applicants |
How Ontario Programs Use CASPer Scores
McMaster Medicine is the program most applicants think of first and for good reason. Its CASPer weighting is heavier than any other Ontario school, and a below-threshold quartile ends your application before any reviewer opens your file. The University of Toronto and most other Ontario programs fold CASPer into a weighted selection index alongside GPA and MCAT, where it functions as one significant variable rather than a standalone gate. Queen's uses CASPer earlier in the cycle before extending MMI invitations. Across all six programs, Q3 is the floor and Q4 is the target and for McMaster specifically, Q4 should be treated as the minimum rather than the goal.
British Columbia Medical Schools That Require CASPer
UBC Medicine is the only MD program in British Columbia and one of the largest in Canada, with approximately 290 seats spread across four campuses. CASPer is mandatory for every applicant regardless of which campus stream they are targeting.
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine | Vancouver and distributed sites | Required | Required for all applicants; used in pre interview screening |
UBC's distributed model places students in Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George, and Kelowna, but the CASPer requirement applies identically across all sites. The application deadline typically falls in late September or early October, which makes a spring test date essential for on-time score delivery.
Alberta Medical Schools That Require CASPer
Alberta has two MD programs, and both require CASPer.
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine | Calgary | Required | Required for all applicants |
| University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry | Edmonton | Required | Required for all applicants |
Alberta MD programs draw primarily from in-province applicant pools, with the majority of seats reserved for Alberta residents. That smaller applicant pool makes CASPer performance proportionally more significant, a Q4 result in a pool of several hundred in-province applicants carries more weight than the same result in a national pool of thousands.
Quebec Medical Schools That Require CASPer
Quebec's medical admissions landscape is divided along language lines. The English-language pathway runs through McGill, which requires CASPer for all applicants. The four French-language programs have historically varied in their requirements.
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences | Montreal | Required | Required for all applicants; English language program |
| Université de Montréal Faculté de médecine | Montreal | Confirm for current cycle | French language program |
| Université Laval Faculté de médecine | Quebec City | Confirm for current cycle | French language program |
| Université de Sherbrooke Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé | Sherbrooke | Confirm for current cycle | French language program |
French-language Quebec programs change their CASPer requirements more frequently than English-language counterparts. Confirm directly with each institution before registering for the current admissions cycle — do not assume last year's requirements carry forward.
Atlantic Canada Medical Schools That Require CASPer
Both Atlantic medical schools require CASPer, and both serve regional applicant pools that extend across multiple provinces.
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine | Halifax | Required | Serves all four Atlantic provinces |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty of Medicine | St. John's | Required | Strong preference for Newfoundland and Labrador residents |
Dalhousie is the primary medical school for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland applicants. Memorial University prioritises Newfoundland and Labrador residents. Both programs schedule their deadlines in October, making a spring CASPer sitting the right approach for Atlantic applicants.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Medical Schools That Require CASPer
| Medical School | City | CASPer Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Manitoba Max Rady College of Medicine | Winnipeg | Required | Strong preference for Manitoba residents |
| University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine | Saskatoon | Required | Strong preference for Saskatchewan residents |
The prairie province medical schools allocate the majority of seats to provincial residents, but CASPer Test is mandatory for all applicants regardless of where they live. Out-of-province applicants face an already narrow path, a below-threshold CASPer result makes it effectively closed.
Canadian Medical CASPer Test Type: Format and Specifications
The Canadian Medical test type is built for Canadian MD program admissions. It runs on the same platform and shares the same nine-competency framework as other CASPer versions but is administered, scored, and reported on a separate pool from the US Medical, Canadian Nursing, and other regional versions.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test type name | Canadian Medical |
| Number of scenarios | 11 (7 typed, 4 video) |
| Typed section time | 3.5 minutes per scenario |
| Video section time | 1 minute per question |
| Total test duration | 65 to 85 minutes including break |
| Score format | Quartile ranking (Q1 to Q4) |
| Test window | July to May |
| Recommended registration window | March to May |
| Registration platform | acuityinsights.app |
Canadian applicants also applying to US MD programs need a second, separate registration for the US Medical test type. There is no mechanism to share scores across versions — the two tests are independent from registration through to delivery.
How Canadian Medical Schools Use CASPer Scores
The way a program uses your CASPer score determines how much the result matters and what quartile you need to stay competitive. Canadian MD programs use CASPer Test in three distinct models:
Pre interview screening filter: Your quartile is checked against a program-set threshold before any reviewer looks at your application. Fall below it and your file is not reviewed, regardless of your GPA, MCAT, or research record. This is how McMaster and several other Ontario programs apply CASPer. A Q1 or Q2 result here is decisive.
Weighted selection index: CASPer contributes a defined percentage to a composite score that combines GPA, MCAT, and other application elements. A strong quartile can lift a borderline application; a weak quartile can sink a strong one. Most programs using this model do not publish the CASPer weighting.
Post-interview ranking: A smaller number of programs hold CASPer until after interviews, using it to rank interviewed candidates rather than screen them. In this model, your quartile affects where you land in the offer queue, not whether you receive an interview.
Acuity Insights does not publish program-specific thresholds, and Canadian MD programs rarely reveal their CASPer weighting or cutoffs publicly. The only safe strategy is to target Q4 and treat Q3 as the absolute floor.
Canadian Medical School CASPer: Answers to the Questions Applicants Ask Most
Who needs to take CASPer for Canadian medical school?
Every applicant to a Canadian MD program with CASPer on its requirements list must sit the Canadian Medical test type through Acuity Insights before their program's submission deadline. This covers programs in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Atlantic Canada, and most of Quebec. Applicants also targeting US programs must register separately for the US Medical test type. There is no score sharing between the two versions, and sitting one does not satisfy the other.
What is the Canadian Medical CASPer test type?
It consists of 11 scenarios — seven requiring typed responses and four requiring recorded video answers — evaluated by trained raters across nine official competencies: collaboration, communication, empathy, fairness, ethics, motivation, problem solving, resilience, and self awareness. Scores are returned as a quartile ranking (Q1 to Q4). Applicants spanning both MD and nursing programs must register separately for the Canadian Nursing test type as well — the two versions are completely independent.
When should Canadian medical school applicants take CASPer?
March to May is the window that works for most Canadian MD applicants, enough preparation time to build response instincts, and early enough that scores reach programs before September and October deadlines. Seats fill faster than most applicants expect. Register as soon as your program requirements are confirmed.
Where do I register for the Canadian Medical CASPer test?
Through the Acuity Insights platform at acuityinsights.app. Log in, select the Canadian Medical test type, choose a date that clears your program deadlines, and add every target MD program to your distribution list before completing payment. Each additional program beyond the base package costs a small per-report fee.
Why do Canadian medical schools require CASPer?
GPA and MCAT measure what you know and how quickly you can process information. They do not measure whether you communicate with empathy under pressure, how you navigate competing ethical obligations, or how you respond when a colleague acts unprofessionally. Those qualities determine patient outcomes and team performance in clinical practice and CASPer is the only standardized tool in the Canadian MD admissions toolkit that surfaces them consistently across thousands of applicants before a single interview invitation is sent.
How is CASPer scored for Canadian medical school applicants?
Each of the 11 scenarios is evaluated by a different trained rater — a design that distributes assessor bias and prevents one poor response from dominating your result. Raters score holistically on reasoning quality, empathy, and professional judgment. Grammar, typing speed, and response length are explicitly excluded from scoring criteria. Your result is reported as a quartile ranking (Q1 to Q4) and sent directly to your designated programs, you will not see your own quartile through the Acuity Insights platform unless a program chooses to share it with you.
How MYLS Interview Helps Canadian Medical School Applicants Prepare for CASPer
MYLS Interview CASPer program was designed around a specific problem in the Canadian MD admissions cycle: applicants practice CASPer without ever knowing which competencies their responses are actually demonstrating. The result is preparation that feels productive but does not move the quartile. MYLS Interview closes that gap with AI powered competency scoring on every response, the diagnostic signal that tells you what to fix before test day rather than after.
About MYLS Interview
MYLS Interview gives Canadian premed applicants a single platform to prepare for both CASPer and MMI, the two non academic assessments that determine interview access at most Canadian MD programs. Over 190 interview programs, 24,000 practice questions, and response-level AI feedback replace undirected practice with a preparation process that targets your specific gaps. Contact [email protected] for program specific guidance.
Our Features
- 190+ interview programs covering CASPer and MMI for Canadian MD applicants
- 24,000+ practice questions spanning all nine CASPer competencies and all scenario types
- Video response practice with playback, delivery feedback, and improvements
- AI powered response feedback identifying exactly which competencies were demonstrated and which were absent
- Canadian MD specific preparation track emphasising clinical ethics, patient advocacy, and professionalism
- Timed mock tests replicating Canadian Medical CASPer conditions across both typed and video sections
How We Can Help Canadian Medical School Applicants
The applicants who move from Q2 to Q4 between cycles are not those who simply practice more. They are those who identified what was missing in their responses — an absent self-awareness sentence, a generic empathy statement, a solution proposed before any stakeholder was acknowledged and corrected it. MYLS Interview's AI feedback system identifies those specific patterns after every practice response, turning each session into a targeted correction rather than a blind repetition. Whether you are sitting CASPer for the first time in March or preparing for a second attempt after a difficult first cycle, access the MYLS Interview CASPer preparation program and begin scored practice today.
Start Preparing for Canadian Medical School CASPer Today
A strong GPA and MCAT get your file into consideration. CASPer determines whether it stays there. For Ontario programs using a pre interview screening model, the quartile cutoff happens before any human reviewer opens your application. For programs using a weighted index, a Q4 result can tip a borderline file into the interview pool. Either way, the preparation investment is the same and it is entirely within your control.
Begin with FREE CASPer practice, scored AI feedback on every response, all nine competencies covered, both typed and video sections included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Canadian medical schools require CASPer?
Most do, but not all. English language programs across Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Atlantic Canada almost universally require it. McGill requires CASPer among Quebec programs; the French language programs at Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and Université de Sherbrooke have variable requirements that must be confirmed each cycle. Never assume, please verify directly on each program's admissions page before registering.
Is CASPer the same for Canadian and US medical schools?
No. The Canadian Medical and US Medical test types share the same format — 11 scenarios, nine competencies, quartile scoring — but they are administered on separate pools and scored independently. A Canadian Medical result cannot be sent to US programs, and vice versa. Applicants targeting both countries need two separate registrations, two test dates, and two sets of program designations.
What is a good CASPer score for Canadian medical school?
Q4 is the target. Q3 is the floor. For Ontario programs using CASPer as a pre interview screening filter, a Q1 or Q2 result removes your application before any reviewer reads it — regardless of your GPA or MCAT. Landing in Q4 means outperforming three quarters of all Canadian Medical test takers in that cycle. Your quartile is sent directly to your designated programs — you will not receive it yourself through the Acuity Insights platform in most cases.
How long does CASPer preparation take for Canadian medical school applicants?
Three to four weeks of structured preparation is typically enough to perform consistently at Q3 or Q4. Applicants starting with no familiarity with situational judgment tests or ethical reasoning frameworks should allow four to six weeks. What matters more than total hours is whether every practice session includes strict timing, deliberate competency review after each response, and regular recorded video practice.
Can I use my Canadian Medical CASPer score for US medical schools?
No. The two test types are entirely separate, different pools, different registrations, different fees. If you are applying to both Canadian and US programs, you need two CASPer sittings in the same cycle. Build both into your timeline and application budget from the start.
What happens if I miss the CASPer deadline for a Canadian medical school?
Most Canadian MD programs treat a missing CASPer score as an incomplete application and incomplete applications are not reviewed. There is typically no grace period, no exception process, and no way to submit a late score for the same cycle. Register early, sit the test with time to spare, and confirm score delivery to every target program before their deadline.
Where can I find the official list of Canadian programs that require CASPer?
The authoritative, cycle-specific list is maintained by Acuity Insights at acuityinsights.app and updated at the start of each admissions cycle. Program requirements change year to year, always cross-reference the Acuity Insights directory against each program's own admissions page before registering.