- Casper scores 9 domains: Collaboration, Communication, Empathy, Fairness, Ethics, Self-Awareness, Resilience, Problem Solving, Motivation.
- Ethics and empathy carry the most practical weight because nearly every scenario centers on an interpersonal or professional dilemma.
- The 2026-2027 test runs 11 scenarios (4 video, 7 typed) with 22 total open-response questions.
- Every response is scored 1-9 by a different trained human rater, and there is no fixed passing score.
Why Casper Uses 9 Domains Instead of a Syllabus
Casper (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) doesn't test knowledge the way a licensing exam does. There's no textbook chapter to memorize and no formula sheet to review. Instead, Acuity Insights built the assessment around 9 personal and professional characteristics that programs care about when selecting future clinicians, educators, and other professionals. Each scenario you see on test day is written to surface evidence of one or more of these domains through your open-ended written or video responses.
This is the core reason generic "test prep" advice falls flat for Casper. There's nothing to cram. What you can do is understand exactly what each domain is evaluating, recognize which scenario types trigger which domain, and practice structuring responses that demonstrate the qualities raters are trained to look for. If you haven't yet reviewed the fundamentals, the Casper Study Guide 2026 is a useful companion to this breakdown, and our full-length practice tests let you rehearse against realistic scenario framing rather than abstract theory.
The 9 Casper Domains Explained
Below is what each domain actually measures and the kind of scenario content that tends to draw it out. Treat these as lenses for interpreting scenarios, not as separate subjects to study in isolation - most scenarios pull on 2 or 3 domains simultaneously.
Domain 1: Collaboration
Assesses how you work within teams, share credit and workload, and navigate disagreement with colleagues, classmates, or supervisors.
- Scenarios involving group projects, shared responsibility, or conflicting team priorities
- Responses that acknowledge other perspectives while still proposing a workable path forward
Domain 2: Communication
Evaluates how clearly and appropriately you convey difficult information, adjust tone for the audience, and listen before responding.
- Scenarios involving delivering bad news, correcting misunderstandings, or de-escalating tension
- Responses that show clarity, tact, and awareness of how words land on the other person
Domain 3: Empathy
Measures your capacity to recognize and validate another person's emotional experience, even when you disagree with their behavior.
- Scenarios featuring a distressed patient, student, colleague, or family member
- Responses that name the emotion at play before jumping to a solution
Domain 4: Fairness
Looks at how you handle situations involving bias, favoritism, unequal treatment, or competing claims to limited resources.
- Scenarios about resource allocation, rule enforcement, or perceived double standards
- Responses that apply consistent reasoning rather than personal preference
Domain 5: Ethics
Probes your reasoning through confidentiality breaches, honesty dilemmas, professional boundary issues, and competing obligations.
- Scenarios involving witnessing misconduct, conflicts of interest, or gray-area disclosure decisions
- Responses that weigh multiple obligations explicitly rather than picking one side reflexively
Domain 6: Self-Awareness
Assesses insight into your own limitations, biases, emotional reactions, and when to ask for help or step back.
- Scenarios where a personal mistake, blind spot, or emotional reaction is central to the dilemma
- Responses that own the gap honestly instead of deflecting responsibility
Domain 7: Resilience
Measures how you respond to setbacks, criticism, failure, or high-pressure situations without becoming defensive or paralyzed.
- Scenarios involving rejection, failed attempts, or unexpected obstacles to a goal
- Responses that show a constructive next step rather than dwelling on the setback
Domain 8: Problem Solving
Evaluates your ability to reason through ambiguous, multi-stakeholder situations and land on a practical, proportionate response.
- Scenarios with no clean right answer and several valid but imperfect options
- Responses that name trade-offs explicitly and justify the chosen course of action
Domain 9: Motivation
Looks at what drives your commitment to the field, your persistence under difficulty, and your understanding of the role's realities.
- Scenarios about weighing career sacrifice, long-term commitment, or discouraging feedback
- Responses that connect the decision back to a grounded, specific reason for pursuing the path
How Domains Map to the 11-Scenario Format
For the 2026-2027 admission cycle, Casper presents 11 scenarios in a fixed order: 4 video-response scenarios followed by 7 typed-response scenarios, with 2 open-ended questions per scenario for 22 questions total. Video answers allow 1 minute per question recorded one at a time, while typed scenarios show both questions at once with 3.5 minutes for the pair. Each scenario is preceded by an optional 30-second reflection period, and a 10-minute optional break follows the video section with a 5-minute optional break after the first four typed scenarios. Total testing time runs an estimated 65 to 85 minutes.
No single scenario is labeled with a domain name - you won't see "Empathy scenario" on screen. Instead, each scenario is a short narrative built around a dilemma, and your job is to identify which domain(s) the dilemma is probing before you start writing or speaking. A scenario about a teammate missing deadlines is testing Collaboration and Fairness. A scenario about a friend confiding something sensitive is testing Ethics and Communication. Recognizing the domain quickly is what separates a generic answer from one that hits what raters are trained to score.
Scenarios are presented as either video-based or word-based, and switching response formats mid-test is not permitted - you answer video scenarios by speaking and typed scenarios by typing, in the order presented. Speech-to-text tools are prohibited unless you have approved accommodations. For a full walkthrough of pacing and mechanics, see Casper Exam Dates 2026 for scheduling logistics and Casper Requirements 2026 for eligibility details.
Key Takeaway
Before writing a single word, spend your 30-second reflection period naming which domain(s) the scenario is testing. This single habit sharpens focus more than any generic outline.
Which Domains Carry the Most Weight
Casper does not publish a fixed percentage breakdown per domain, so treat any specific weighting numbers you see elsewhere with skepticism. What is well established is that ethics and empathy carry the most practical weight in scoring, simply because nearly every scenario across the 11-scenario set is built around an interpersonal or professional dilemma. Even scenarios primarily testing Problem Solving or Resilience usually have an ethical or empathetic undercurrent, so strengthening those two domains tends to raise your performance across the board.
| Domain | Typical Scenario Trigger | What Strong Responses Show |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics | Confidentiality, honesty, competing obligations | Explicit weighing of duties before deciding |
| Empathy | Distressed or upset third party | Naming the emotion before offering a solution |
| Communication | Delivering difficult news or feedback | Clear, tactful language matched to the listener |
| Collaboration | Team conflict or shared responsibility | Respecting other views while proposing action |
| Problem Solving | Ambiguous, no-clean-answer dilemma | Trade-offs named and a proportionate decision made |
For a deeper look at how raters translate these observations into the 1-9 Likert scale, read Casper Passing Score 2026 and Casper Pass Rate 2026, which both explain why "passing" isn't really the right frame for a test with no fixed cutoff.
Scheduling Domain Practice Without Wasting Time
Because Casper allows only one attempt per test type per admissions cycle, and retakes are granted only for verified technical failures reported within one week, you want your preparation time concentrated on domains you're weakest in, not spread evenly across all 9. A simple way to do this: draft two or three sample responses per domain, then honestly flag which domains felt forced or generic. Those become your priority for the remaining weeks before your sitting. Classic study techniques like timed drafting, reviewing your own responses against a rubric, and spacing practice sessions across several weeks work well here, but only when anchored to specific domains rather than applied as a generic routine.
Domain Recognition
- Read sample scenarios and label which of the 9 domains each one targets
- Draft one response per weak domain under realistic time limits
Ethics and Empathy Depth
- Practice scenarios that combine Ethics with Empathy or Fairness
- Focus on naming emotions and weighing competing obligations explicitly
Video Pacing
- Practice 1-minute video answers on Collaboration, Communication, and Resilience scenarios
- Time the optional 30-second reflection period as part of your routine
Full Simulation
- Complete a full-length timed run covering all 9 domains using practice tests
- Review pacing against the 65 to 85 minute total testing window
If you want a condensed reference to keep nearby during this stretch, the Casper Cheat Sheet 2026 summarizes the domain list and format details in one page. And if you're still deciding whether the investment makes sense for your application timeline, Is the Casper Certification Worth It? and Casper Certification Cost 2026 break down the fee mechanics in more detail.
Who Actually Looks at These Domain Scores
Programs that require Casper receive the actual numeric score across the assessment; applicants only see a quartile. There's no domain-by-domain report handed to you personally, which is why understanding the 9 domains ahead of test day matters more than trying to reverse-engineer your performance afterward. The US Medicine registration fee is $85 USD, covering Casper plus the Duet value-alignment assessment and distribution of results to 7 programs, with roughly $18 per additional distribution beyond that. Other health professions programs pay a lower base fee, and pricing varies by country and test type. All fees are final and non-refundable and cannot be transferred between admissions cycles, though applicants approved for AAMC or CASPA fee assistance can have the fee waived.
For broader context on how Casper fits into an application and what roles or programs typically request it, see Casper Jobs and Casper Training. If you're still unclear on the basics before diving into domain prep, start with What Is Casper? or What Is Casper Certification?, and if you've seen the acronym used differently elsewhere, Casper Meaning and What Does Casper Stand For? clarify the terminology specific to this assessment.
FAQ
No. Most scenarios are written to surface 2 or 3 domains at once rather than all 9, but ethics and empathy show up across nearly every scenario because the test is built around interpersonal and professional dilemmas.
No official percentage breakdown per domain is published. What's established is that ethics and empathy carry the most practical weight given how the scenarios are constructed.
No. Applicants only receive a quartile, while the programs you apply to receive the actual score. There is no domain-level breakdown provided to test-takers.
The domains are the same across both formats; only the response method differs. Video scenarios (the first 4) require spoken answers at 1 minute per question, while the remaining 7 typed scenarios give 3.5 minutes per question pair.
There are 22 questions total across 11 scenarios, 2 open-ended questions per scenario, with every response evaluated by a different trained human rater on a 1 to 9 Likert scale.