Case Study: How Casper Supports World-Class Veterinary Science Programs in Australia and New Zealand

September 30, 2025

Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the world’s most prestigious veterinary science programs. With top-ranked, AVMA-accredited universities, these programs deliver globally recognized qualifications and open pathways to international careers.

Students benefit from unmatched hands-on training, exposure to unique wildlife, cutting-edge facilities, and strong research opportunities in areas like biosecurity and epidemiology. Coupled with rising demand for veterinarians, the region offers both academic excellence and outstanding career prospects.

But what truly sets these programs apart is not just the world-class training: they also use a sophisticated admissions process to select the candidates most likely to succeed.

The Challenge

Veterinary science requires more than academic knowledge. Successful veterinarians must demonstrate strong communication, empathy, ethical judgment, and professionalism—skills not easily measured by traditional grades or test scores. Admissions teams needed a fair, defensible, and efficient way to assess these qualities and identify applicants with the potential to thrive both in-program and in practice.

Here are just a few of the distinguished Australian institutions using Casper in the veterinary sciences program:

The University of Adelaide
James Cook University
Charles Sturt University

The Solution: Casper

For over 10 years, every veterinary science program in Australia and New Zealand has integrated Casper, a situational judgment test, into their admissions process. Casper is designed to measure the personal and professional competencies essential to veterinary careers, including:

Collaboration and teamwork
Empathy and resilience
Problem-solving and ethical reasoning
Self-awareness and communication

Using real-time, open-response video and text scenarios, Casper captures authentic insights into an applicant’s values, decision-making, and perspective. This data is far more reliable than personal statements or reference letters.

Casper is also built for today’s digital environment, with features that ensure fairness and security:

AI-resistant: Each test contains unique content, and questions are open-response, requiring moral and ethical discernment.
Time-limited responses: Encourages authentic thinking and prevents test takers from “gaming” the system
No copy-paste: Safeguards originality and adds additional AI barrier
Virtual proctoring & video interviews: Maintains integrity, offers test takers live-support, and ensures security

The Results

By combining Casper results with traditional academic measures, admissions teams in Australia and New Zealand gain a well-rounded, defensible view of each applicant. This approach allows them to:

Identify high-potential candidates who may otherwise be overlooked
Save time and resources in the admissions process
Admit students who consistently demonstrate strong professional and interpersonal skills
Ensure graduates are well-prepared to excel in clinical practice and research

Conclusion

Australia and New Zealand’s veterinary science programs are recognized globally for producing highly skilled veterinarians. By embedding Casper into admissions, these programs have created a fair, rigorous, and future-focused selection process that ensures only the most capable, compassionate, and resilient students enter the field. The result: a new generation of veterinarians ready to thrive in-program, practice, and beyond.