Casper Test Day Rules, Retakes and What Happens After the Test

Casper is taken online, on a desktop or laptop, under webcam proctoring, and the rules are strict: a Chromebook is not supported, the camera must stay on after the video section, and a retake is considered only for a verified technical fault that was not caused by your own device or internet connection. This guide puts Acuity Insights' test-day rules in the order you will meet them, flags where Acuity's own pages disagree (keyboards and monitors), and sets out what happens after you finish.

Acuity Insights Step-by-Step Guide and Help Centre, read 21 Oct 2026.

Sitting Casper in the January-February 2027 wave? On 27 October 2026 the Dates and Fees page listed U.S. Medicine on 5 January and 9 February, and English Casper 2 in Canada on 7 January, 21 January and 18 February (Eastern time). The countdown below runs to the next official date for your test type; every type and time is in our Casper test dates guide.

The system check matters for more than convenience. Acuity says that if you have not completed it within the 6-hour window, you will be prompted to run it before you can begin, which can delay your start. And its retake rule excludes problems caused by your own device or connection, and Acuity adds: "This is why completing the System Requirements Check no more than six hours before your test is so important."

Log in 30 minutes early. When the countdown reaches zero a Start button appears, and Acuity says you then have "15 minutes to click it and begin the test"; all system checks must already be done. If you miss the window you must reschedule, if another date is available, and a fee may apply. You cannot start the test until your identity is verified: during registration you upload photos of the front and back of a government-issued photo ID (in English or French; or, if you have none showing your full name and date of birth, another form of ID together with a birth certificate in English or French) and a live selfie. Acuity says you do not need to show ID at the start of the test itself.

You take the test alone (unless Acuity approved assistive personnel as an accommodation). Your webcam and microphone stay on, uncovered and facing you throughout, and your face must be visible except during the scheduled breaks. Acuity warns specifically: "Don’t turn off your camera after the video responses, this may invalidate your test." Typed answers must be typed in real time: speech-to-text and dictation are not allowed without an approved accommodation, and copy and paste is disabled. AI tools of any kind are prohibited. Acuity's pages differ on the breaks. Its breaks article says you may leave the room, check your phone, have a quick snack or talk to someone, with the timer still running, and after the second break you take a webcam photo before continuing. Its conduct guidelines list using a mobile phone "at any time during the test" and communicating with others during the test as prohibited behaviour, and do not say whether that covers the breaks. Follow the stricter rule, or ask Acuity before test day, and keep the phone out of sight whenever you are at the desk.

Acuity's lists of permitted items do not all agree, and the difference is about equipment people commonly use. We print each source as published rather than pick one.

Acuity's Test conduct guidelines list behaviours that are prohibited outright, and others that "may result in your test being flagged" for investigation and footage review, among them appearing to read from a script (for example repeated downward or sideward eye movements), frequently looking off screen or away from your monitor, any sign that a phone was used, copy-paste behaviour, and someone entering the room.

If a breach is found, Acuity says a red flag may be placed on your record and may be shared with the programs on your distribution list, your score may be cancelled or withheld, and you may be restricted from future testing. The practical lesson is the one Acuity's rules point to: test in a closed room, with your phone out of sight, and look at the camera when you are recording.

You cannot retake the same test type in the same admissions cycle to improve your score. The Terms of Use say retake requests are considered "only in the event of a technical problem, as verified by the Acuity proctoring and security team; otherwise, there are no retakes."

Two more limits are easy to miss. By starting the test you confirm you are healthy enough to test, and Acuity says retests are generally not granted for pre-existing conditions; exceptions may be considered in cases of extenuating circumstances, but not for concerns raised after you have received your score. And a video answer you are unhappy with cannot be re-recorded unless you experience technical problems and the response does not save correctly. If something goes wrong during the test, use the chat icon on the test screen at once: Acuity says reporting early lets it assess and possibly fix the problem so you can continue.

Acuity distributes results directly to the programs on your distribution list about 2-3 weeks after the test; there is no email for that step, and your account shows "Completed – Results delivered" once they have gone. Acuity emails you when your quartile is ready, which usually happens around 4 to 5 weeks after the test date. Make sure the name, date of birth and ID numbers in your Acuity account match your applications exactly, because programs use them to match your result to your file. CaRMS is the exception: Acuity sends the score to CaRMS and you upload it to each CaRMS program that requires it.

What the score means, and what programs see that you do not, is in how Casper is scored. One last rule applies after the test as much as during it: Casper content is confidential. Acuity forbids copying, recording or taking screenshots of questions or scenarios, sharing details of the test online or with others, and posting about the content on social media or forums.

ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of or endorsed by Acuity Insights. Every rule, date and fee here is quoted or summarised from Acuity Insights' own pages or, where named, a program's own page.