CASPer vs PREview | PrepTrack

CASPer and AAMC PREview both sit in the professionalism assessment category, but they are not interchangeable tests. CASPer asks you to create your own spoken and written responses to situational prompts. AAMC PREview asks you to rate how effective listed actions would be in a scenario.

If your school list could involve either test, compare PrepTrack's CASPer prep platform with PrepTrack's AAMC PREview prep platform early so your practice matches the exam format.

That difference changes almost everything: how you practice, how your score is reported, how much time you need, and how you should read school requirements. For the broader CASPer process, start with the Ultimate Guide to CASPer, then use this comparison to decide what belongs on your admissions timeline.

Quick Comparison

Category	CASPer	AAMC PREview
Test provider	Acuity Insights	AAMC
Core task	Produce your own video and typed responses	Rate the effectiveness of provided responses
Format	11 scenarios: 4 video-response scenarios, then 7 typed-response scenarios	Scenario sets with 186 total response items rated for effectiveness
Timing and availability	Usually 65-85 minutes for the standard 2026-2027 format	Offered in AAMC testing windows from April through October 2026; scores are released approximately 30 days after each window
Applicant-facing result	Quartile score, usually available about 4-5 weeks after testing	1-9 total score with confidence band and percentile rank
Primary logistics source	Acuity account and Dates and Fees	AAMC PREview registration, FAQ, scores, and participating-school pages
Prep emphasis	Clear reasoning, empathy, structure, and delivery under time pressure	Calibrating ratings against effective and ineffective professional behavior

The Main Difference: Produce vs Rate

CASPer is an open-response situational judgment test. In the 2026-2027 format, most applicants see 4 video-response scenarios followed by 7 typed-response scenarios. Each video scenario has 2 questions, shown one at a time, and you have 1 minute to record each answer. Each typed scenario has 2 questions shown together, and you have 3.5 minutes total to answer both.

That means CASPer prep has to include output practice. You need to explain what you would do, why it is fair, whose perspectives matter, what information you still need, and how you would take a reasonable next step. You are not choosing from answer choices. You are showing judgment through your own words.

PREview works differently. The exam presents scenarios and possible actions, then asks you to judge whether each action is very ineffective, ineffective, effective, or very effective. The task is not to write what you would do. The task is to evaluate whether a listed response would improve or worsen the situation.

Scoring Is Not Comparable

A CASPer quartile and a PREview score are different reporting systems, so do not translate one into the other.

Scoring point	CASPer	AAMC PREview
How responses are evaluated	Each scenario is evaluated by a different trained human rater; responses are anonymized	Ratings are scored by how closely they align with medical educators' consensus ratings
What programs receive	A program-facing CASPer result combining typed and video responses	A PREview score report from AAMC
What applicants receive	A quartile score, not a detailed numerical score	A 1-9 total score, confidence band, and percentile rank
What a lower result means	A 1st quartile result means other test takers in the same test type/cohort generally had stronger responses; it is not a failure label	A lower PREview score means your ratings aligned less closely with the scoring key than higher scores did

CASPer results are usually sent to programs about 2-3 weeks after the test. Applicant quartiles usually appear later, about 4-5 weeks after the test. For CASPer-specific score distribution details, use How to Send CASPer Scores before you finalize your test date.

PREview score release timing follows the AAMC schedule for the testing year. In 2026, AAMC lists score release dates tied to testing windows, approximately 30 days after each window. Because both exams have processing time, last-minute testing can create avoidable stress even when the exam itself is online.

Let Your School List Decide

The practical question is not which exam is better. It is which assessment your programs require, recommend, or list for the cycle you are applying in.

Program requirements vary. Some programs require CASPer, some participate in AAMC PREview under AAMC categories such as requiring or recommending, and some may not list either assessment. Do not assume that one situational judgment test substitutes for the other unless official program, AAMC, or Acuity guidance for that program says so. For a CASPer-focused starting point, use Schools That Require CASPer, then verify each program against Acuity Dates and Fees, the program's admissions page, and the school's current application instructions.

Also separate admission deadlines from score distribution deadlines. A school may have an application deadline, a CASPer distribution deadline, and separate instructions for PREview. Treat each as its own logistics item.

How to Prepare for Each Test

If you are preparing for	Practice this	Avoid this
CASPer	Timed 1-minute video answers, 3.5-minute typed sets, and concise reasoning that considers multiple perspectives	Memorized speeches or generic virtue statements that do not answer the prompt
PREview	Timed rating practice, review of scoring keys, and careful distinctions between ineffective, effective, and very effective actions	Writing CASPer-style essays or rehearsing what you personally would say
Both	Separate prep blocks so each format stays distinct	Switching between rating mode and response mode in the same drill without a reason

For CASPer, complete the free practice test in your Acuity account and run system checks before test day. Because video and typed responses are combined into one overall program-facing result, do not ignore either section. A strong CASPer plan should include both spoken clarity and typed organization.

For PREview, official AAMC practice materials are especially useful because the exam rewards calibration. After each practice set, the important question is not just whether your rating was right. It is why that action helped, harmed, escalated, avoided, respected, or ignored the professional issue in the scenario.

Registration and Retake Implications

CASPer can usually be taken only once per test type per admissions cycle. A new CASPer test may be needed for a new cycle or when programs require a different test type, country, or language. You can add programs after testing if they are still accepting scores and require the same test type, but you can remove or swap programs only before taking the test. If your school list is still moving, read Can You Add Schools After Taking CASPer? before assuming your distribution list is locked.

PREview has its own eligibility, scheduling, testing limits, and score release rules through AAMC. Do not borrow CASPer assumptions for PREview registration, and do not borrow PREview assumptions for CASPer reporting.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better approach
Assuming CASPer and PREview are interchangeable	Read each school's exact requirement language
Practicing PREview by recording CASPer answers	Practice rating listed actions against the effectiveness scale
Practicing CASPer only by reading sample scenarios	Record and type timed responses so delivery becomes part of prep
Waiting for applicant-facing CASPer quartiles before checking distribution	Track whether results were sent to programs, since quartiles arrive later
Treating a CASPer quartile like a pass/fail result	Use it as a relative performance signal within your test type/cohort

Related CASPer and AAMC PREview Resources

Final Takeaway

CASPer and PREview overlap in theme, but not in task. CASPer measures how you produce professional, fair, and thoughtful responses under time pressure. PREview measures how well you judge the effectiveness of listed actions. Let your school list decide which exam you need, then practice the format you will actually face.