Find medical schools that don’t require CASPer or AAMC PREview and learn how to build an SJT-smart school list for the your medical school application!
If you are trying to find medical schools that do not require CASPer or AAMC PREview, the encouraging answer is that you still have plenty of options. Although situational judgment tests have become more common in medical school admissions, they are not universal requirements, and many U.S. medical schools continue to evaluate applicants without requiring either exam.
The difficult part is that there is not one permanent list of medical schools that never require CASPer or PREview. Schools can add, remove, recommend, or change how they use these exams from one application cycle to the next, and a school that did not require an SJT last year may adopt one for the next entering class. The AAMC specifically notes that its PREview participation list is updated as schools confirm their policies, while CASPer dates and participating programs are maintained through the Acuity Insights testing portal.
That means the best strategy is not simply finding an old list online and assuming it remains accurate. Instead, you can build what I call an SJT-smart medical school list, where you identify which schools require CASPer, which use PREview, which merely recommend one of the exams, and which currently appear to require neither.
Medical Schools That Don’t Require CASPer or PREview
The following U.S. MD medical schools are not currently listed among the schools requiring CASPer or AAMC PREview for the 2026–2027 application cycle. This gives applicants a broad starting point when looking for medical schools that do not require either situational judgment test.
Medical Schools Not Currently Requiring CASPer or PREview (As of posting date)
| Medical school | State |
|---|---|
| Albany Medical College | New York |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | New York |
| Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University | North Carolina |
| California Northstate University College of Medicine | California |
| Carle Illinois College of Medicine | Illinois |
| Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine | Ohio |
| Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University | Florida |
| Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University | Illinois |
| Cooper Medical School of Rowan University | New Jersey |
| Creighton University School of Medicine | Nebraska |
| Duke University School of Medicine | North Carolina |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University | Virginia |
| Emory University School of Medicine | Georgia |
| Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Florida |
| Florida State University College of Medicine | Florida |
| Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University | Connecticut |
| Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth | New Hampshire |
| Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | Pennsylvania |
| Harvard Medical School | Massachusetts |
| Howard University College of Medicine | Washington, D.C. |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York |
| Indiana University School of Medicine | Indiana |
| Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo | New York |
| Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine | Maryland |
| Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV | Nevada |
| Loma Linda University School of Medicine | California |
| Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine | Illinois |
| Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine | Minnesota |
| Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University | Georgia |
| Mercer University School of Medicine | Georgia |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | Georgia |
| New York University Grossman School of Medicine | New York |
| New York University Grossman Long Island School of Medicine | New York |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | Ohio |
| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Illinois |
| Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine | Michigan |
| Ohio State University College of Medicine | Ohio |
| Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine | Oregon |
| Penn State College of Medicine | Pennsylvania |
| Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine | Puerto Rico |
| Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont | Vermont |
| Roseman University College of Medicine | Nevada |
| Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University | Pennsylvania |
| Southern Illinois University School of Medicine | Illinois |
| Stanford University School of Medicine | California |
| State University of New York Upstate Medical University | New York |
| SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine | New York |
| Texas A&M University College of Medicine | Texas |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine | Texas |
| The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences | Ohio |
| Tufts University School of Medicine | Massachusetts |
| Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences | Maryland |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix | Arizona |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson | Arizona |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine | Arkansas |
| University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine | California |
| University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine | California |
| University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine | California |
| University of California, San Diego School of Medicine | California |
| University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine | California |
| University of Central Florida College of Medicine | Florida |
| University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine | Illinois |
| University of Cincinnati College of Medicine | Ohio |
| University of Connecticut School of Medicine | Connecticut |
| University of Florida College of Medicine | Florida |
| University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine | Hawaii |
| University of Illinois College of Medicine | Illinois |
| University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine | Iowa |
| University of Kansas School of Medicine | Kansas |
| University of Kentucky College of Medicine | Kentucky |
| University of Louisville School of Medicine | Kentucky |
| University of Maryland School of Medicine | Maryland |
| University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine | Massachusetts |
| University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine | Florida |
| University of Michigan Medical School | Michigan |
| University of Minnesota Medical School | Minnesota |
| University of Mississippi School of Medicine | Mississippi |
| University of Missouri School of Medicine | Missouri |
| University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine | Missouri |
| University of Nebraska College of Medicine | Nebraska |
| University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine | Nevada |
| University of New Mexico School of Medicine | New Mexico |
| University of North Carolina School of Medicine | North Carolina |
| University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences | North Dakota |
| University of Oklahoma College of Medicine | Oklahoma |
| University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine | Pennsylvania |
| University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine | Puerto Rico |
| University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry | New York |
| University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine | Alabama |
| University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia | South Carolina |
| University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville | South Carolina |
| University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine | South Dakota |
| University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine | Tennessee |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical School | Texas |
| University of Virginia School of Medicine | Virginia |
| University of Washington School of Medicine | Washington |
| University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health | Wisconsin |
| Vanderbilt University School of Medicine | Tennessee |
| Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine | Virginia |
| Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine | Washington |
| Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis | Missouri |
| Wayne State University School of Medicine | Michigan |
| Weill Cornell Medicine | New York |
| West Virginia University School of Medicine | West Virginia |
| Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine | Michigan |
| Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine | Ohio |
| Yale School of Medicine | Connecticut |
Important: Treat this table as an initial screening tool rather than final confirmation. A school may recommend an exam without making it mandatory, adopt a new requirement after publishing its initial admissions information, or apply different policies to special pathways and combined-degree programs. Before submitting your primary application, confirm the requirement through the school’s admissions website, the current AAMC PREview participating-school list, and the Acuity Insights test-date and program directory.
The AAMC distinguishes between schools that require PREview, recommend it, accept it to satisfy a broader SJT requirement, and are merely exploring the exam for future use. A school that is exploring PREview does not use the score to evaluate applicants during the current cycle, while a school that recommends it still permits applicants to submit without a score.
CASPer requirements also fluctuate annually. Acuity Insights directs applicants to search for individual schools and testing dates, while current 2026 compilations identify roughly 29 U.S. MD programs as requiring CASPer.
What Are CASPer and AAMC PREview?
CASPer and PREview are both situational judgment tests, often shortened to SJTs. Instead of testing biology, chemistry, physics, or other academic content, they are intended to evaluate how applicants approach professional, interpersonal, and ethical situations.
CASPer is administered by Acuity Insights and uses open-response scenarios to evaluate areas such as communication, empathy, ethics, collaboration, judgment, and problem-solving. Applicants respond through a combination of typed and video responses.
AAMC PREview is the AAMC’s professional-readiness exam. It presents situations that medical students may encounter and asks applicants to rate possible responses based on their effectiveness. Scores are reported on a scale from 1 to 9 and are automatically connected with an applicant’s AMCAS record when applicable.
Although both tests fall under the broader SJT category, they are separate exams with different formats, scoring systems, testing dates, and participating schools. Taking CASPer does not automatically satisfy a PREview requirement, and taking PREview does not normally replace CASPer unless a medical school explicitly states that it accepts either SJT.
Do Most Medical Schools Require CASPer or PREview?
No. Situational judgment testing has expanded, but neither CASPer nor PREview is required by every medical school.
The AAMC maintains a confirmed list of schools participating in PREview for the current testing year. Schools on that list may fall into several different categories:
- PREview required
- PREview recommended
- An SJT required, with PREview accepted to satisfy the requirement
- PREview being explored for possible future use
These categories are important because participating does not always mean required. A school exploring PREview may receive data for research purposes without using your score in admissions decisions during the current cycle. Similarly, a school that recommends PREview may still review your application without a score.
CASPer participation also varies by school and program. Applicants must select the relevant country, application type, program, and cycle through the Acuity Insights portal to see available testing dates and the programs that accept or require the exam.
Because the two systems are maintained separately, you need to check both before deciding that a school requires neither exam.
How to Find Medical Schools That Don’t Require CASPer
The most reliable way to determine whether a medical school requires CASPer is to begin with the Acuity Insights testing portal.
Select the appropriate application cycle and U.S. medical education program, then look for every school you are seriously considering. If a medical school appears in the portal, read the program details carefully because different tracks within the same institution may have different requirements.
You should then confirm the information on the medical school’s own admissions website. Look for pages titled:
- Application requirements
- How to apply
- Admissions timeline
- Frequently asked questions
- Supplemental application
- Application completion requirements
Use the search function on the page to look for terms such as CASPer, Acuity Insights, Altus, situational judgment test, and SJT. Altus was an earlier name associated with the assessment platform, so the word may still appear on older school pages or instructions.
If a school is not shown in the Acuity Insights directory and does not mention CASPer anywhere in its current admissions requirements, that is a strong indication that CASPer is not required. Still, it is worth checking the applicant portal and secondary instructions once you receive them because those materials may contain more detailed completion requirements.
How to Find Medical Schools That Don’t Require AAMC PREview
Finding schools without a PREview requirement is somewhat easier because the AAMC publishes an official list of participating institutions.
The current list identifies schools participating during the 2026 PREview testing year, which corresponds with applicants seeking admission for the 2027 entering class. The AAMC also separates schools according to whether PREview is required, recommended, accepted as one possible SJT, or being explored for future use.
When reviewing the list, do not automatically remove every participating school from your SJT-free list. Instead, check the school’s participation level.
A school that requires PREview belongs in your PREview-required category.
A school that recommends PREview may still allow you to apply without taking it, although you will need to decide whether submitting no score could put you at a disadvantage.
A school that is exploring PREview for future use is not using your score to evaluate your application during the current admissions year, according to the AAMC’s participation descriptions.
The AAMC also publishes free MSAR advisor reports and directs applicants to review both MSAR profiles and individual medical school websites for the most current policies. These reports are updated throughout the year as schools submit new information.
How to Build an SJT-Smart Medical School List
Building an SJT-smart list does not necessarily mean applying only to schools without CASPer or PREview. It means understanding the requirements before you submit applications, so a surprise exam does not delay your completion date or force you to remove a school after paying the primary application fee.
I would organize your medical school list into four groups.
Group 1: Medical Schools That Require Neither CASPer Nor PREview
These are the simplest schools from an SJT-planning perspective. You can focus on the primary application, secondary essays, letters, MCAT score, and any other school-specific requirements without scheduling an additional judgment exam.
This group may be especially attractive if you are applying later in the cycle, have limited testing availability, need accommodations that take time to arrange, or simply want to reduce the number of application components you must manage.
However, avoiding an exam should not be the only reason you apply to a school. A medical school that does not require an SJT still needs to fit your academic profile, state residency, mission, career interests, financial situation, and geographic preferences.
Group 2: Medical Schools That Require CASPer but Not PREview
Applying to even one school in this category may make taking CASPer worthwhile, particularly when several good-fit schools use the same exam.
Because CASPer scores are distributed only to the programs you select, check the test-date portal before registering and make sure your intended schools are available for the correct cycle. Each program establishes its own acceptable test dates and distribution deadlines.
Group 3: Medical Schools That Require PREview but Not CASPer
Applicants with multiple schools in this group may find that PREview opens enough additional options to justify the testing time and expense.
PREview is offered during designated testing windows, and the AAMC advises applicants to check participating schools and deadlines before registering. For the 2026 testing year, the exam is offered from April through October.
Group 4: Schools That Recommend or Accept an SJT Without Requiring It
This category requires more judgment. Technically, you may be able to apply without submitting a score, but “recommended” is not the same as irrelevant.
Consider how strongly the school recommends the test, whether your score would arrive before review begins, whether you are already taking the exam for another school, and whether the rest of your application gives the admissions committee enough evidence of professionalism and interpersonal readiness.
When the policy is unclear, a brief email to the admissions office is reasonable:
I am preparing my application for the 2026-2027 cycle and wanted to clarify your situational judgment testing policy. Is CASPer or AAMC PREview required for my application to be considered complete, or is submission optional?
That question focuses on the detail that matters most: whether the school will actually mark your file complete without a score.
A Simple SJT School-List Tracking Table
You can add the following columns to your medical school application tracker:
| School | CASPer status | PREview status | Required for completion? | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School A | Not required | Not required | No | May 2026 | Admissions website |
| School B | Required | Not required | Yes | May 2026 | Acuity portal |
| School C | Not required | Recommended | No | June 2026 | AAMC list |
| School D | Either SJT accepted | PREview accepted | Yes | June 2026 | School website |
The last verified column is more useful than it may initially appear. If you created your school list in January but plan to submit AMCAS in June, policies may have changed during those five months. Recording when you last reviewed each requirement makes it easier to identify which schools need one final check.
You can use my free medical school application tracker to organize primary submissions, secondary essays, testing requirements, deadlines, interview invitations, and final decisions in one place.
Should You Avoid Every School That Requires an SJT?
Probably not.
CASPer and PREview add another task to an already demanding application process, and I understand why an applicant may prefer to avoid them. Medical school applications already involve the MCAT, AMCAS, letters, personal statements, activity descriptions, secondary essays, fees, and interviews, so another test can feel unnecessary.
At the same time, eliminating every CASPer or PREview school could remove programs that otherwise fit you extremely well. This may be particularly limiting if one of the exams is used by several schools in your home state, schools with strong regional preferences, or programs closely aligned with your service, research, or clinical interests.
A better approach is often to compare the burden of taking the exam with the number and quality of schools it would add to your list.
For example, taking CASPer for one poorly fitting reach school may not be worthwhile. Taking it for four schools that match your state residency, statistics, mission, and career goals may be a reasonable tradeoff.
Can You Apply Without Taking CASPer or PREview?
Yes. You can build an entire medical school list using programs that do not require either exam.
However, your list still needs to be balanced across several more important factors:
- GPA and MCAT competitiveness
- In-state and out-of-state admissions patterns
- Public versus private medical schools
- Mission alignment
- Clinical and service expectations
- Research emphasis
- Geographic preferences
- Tuition and total cost
- MD versus DO preferences
A school should not automatically become a target simply because it does not require an SJT. Stanford and Duke, for example, may avoid CASPer and PREview requirements under their currently published policies, but both remain highly selective medical schools. Avoiding an additional exam does not make the underlying admissions process easier.
Your final list should still include a realistic range of schools where your academic record, experiences, residency status, and goals make sense.
Do You Need CASPer or PREview Before Submitting AMCAS?
You generally do not need to have a CASPer or PREview score before submitting your AMCAS primary application.
The more important issue is when each medical school considers your application complete. The AAMC explains that schools requiring PREview may allow you to submit your application before your score arrives, but they may not consider the file complete until the score has been received.
CASPer schools can follow a similar process, with each program establishing its own accepted testing dates and distribution deadlines.
This distinction matters because submitting AMCAS is not necessarily the same as becoming complete at a medical school. A school may have your primary application and secondary fee while still holding your file because it is waiting for letters, an SJT score, or another required item.
You can read my full guide to whether a medical school secondary application is complete without CASPer, PREview, or Duet for a closer look at how these missing items may affect application review.
When Should You Check SJT Requirements?
I would check each school at least three times.
The first check should happen when you begin building your preliminary school list, ideally several months before AMCAS opens. This tells you whether you may need to reserve a testing date.
The second check should happen shortly before you submit AMCAS. At that point, you can confirm that each school still belongs on your list and that no new testing policy has been announced.
The final check should happen when you receive the secondary application. Read the completion instructions closely and confirm that the portal is not waiting for a CASPer or PREview score.
This may sound repetitive, but medical school policies are updated throughout the year. The AAMC specifically advises applicants to consult MSAR profiles and individual medical school websites for current information, while noting that its PREview participation list will continue to be updated as schools confirm their plans.
A School Does Not Appear on the PREview List. Does That Mean It Requires No SJT?
Not necessarily.
A school absent from the AAMC PREview list may still require CASPer. The AAMC list only tells you about PREview participation, not every other situational judgment test used in admissions.
This is one of the most common ways applicants misread SJT policies. They look at the PREview list, do not see a school, and assume they are finished checking. You still need to search for the school through Acuity Insights and review the medical school’s own application requirements.
Only after checking both systems can you reasonably place the school in your “neither exam required” category.
What If a Medical School Changes Its Requirement After You Build Your List?
First, verify that the change applies to your entering class. Admissions pages sometimes contain information from prior cycles, and search engines may surface an older page before the current one.
Next, determine whether the exam is required, recommended, or merely being studied. Those categories have very different consequences.
If the exam is newly required, check the remaining test dates immediately and determine whether a score can arrive before the school’s completion deadline. If no usable date remains, contact the admissions office rather than assuming that an exception will or will not be granted.
You can also add medical schools after submitting AMCAS as long as the school’s application deadline has not passed, although adding a school late may leave you less time for its secondary application and any testing requirement. A well-organized list at the beginning of the cycle is usually much easier than repairing one during peak secondary season.
Final Thoughts on Finding Medical Schools Without CASPer or PREview
It is absolutely possible to apply to medical school without taking CASPer or AAMC PREview. Many programs do not require either exam, and an applicant who wants to avoid additional situational judgment testing can still build a broad medical school list.
The safest way to do that is to verify every school through four sources:
- The AAMC PREview participating-school list
- The Acuity Insights CASPer program and test-date directory
- MSAR
- The medical school’s current admissions website
I would treat lists from blogs, forums, spreadsheets, and prior applicants as starting points rather than final proof. They can help you identify schools to investigate, but your application decisions should rest on the policy published for your own cycle.
Most importantly, keep SJT requirements in perspective. Avoiding CASPer or PREview may simplify your application, but your strongest school list will still be based on academic fit, mission, residency, cost, location, and the kind of physician you hope to become. The goal is not simply to find the greatest number of schools without another test. It is to find schools that genuinely fit you while understanding every requirement early enough to avoid surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are CASPer and AAMC PREview the same test?
No. CASPer and PREview are separate situational judgment tests administered by different organizations. They use different question formats, scoring systems, testing calendars, and school lists.
Do all medical schools require a situational judgment test?
No. Many medical schools do not require CASPer, PREview, or another SJT.
Which medical schools do not require CASPer?
The list changes by cycle. Check the Acuity Insights program directory and then confirm the policy through each school’s current admissions website.
Which medical schools do not require AAMC PREview?
Schools outside the AAMC’s current participating-school list generally do not participate in PREview, but you should still verify the school’s website and remember that it could require CASPer instead.
Can a medical school recommend PREview without requiring it?
Yes. The AAMC identifies separate participation categories for schools that require PREview, recommend it, accept it to fulfill an SJT requirement, or explore it for possible future use.
Can I submit AMCAS before taking CASPer or PREview?
Usually, yes. However, an individual medical school may not mark your application complete or begin reviewing it until the required score arrives.
Is it bad to apply without a recommended PREview score?
Not necessarily, because recommended and required are different policies. Still, you should read the school’s wording carefully and consider taking it when the school is a strong fit or when you are already taking PREview for another program.
Should I take both CASPer and PREview?
You only need both when your final school list includes programs requiring CASPer and other programs requiring PREview. Build your list first, identify how many schools each exam would unlock, and then decide whether taking one or both is worthwhile.
Can I create a school list with no CASPer or PREview schools?
Yes. There are enough schools without either requirement to build a full list, but you still need to balance that list based on competitiveness, state residency, mission, cost, and overall fit.
How often should I recheck SJT requirements?
Check when initially researching schools, again before adding them to AMCAS, and once more when completing each secondary application.