Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP)

CAP applicants must have a high school admission average of 90.0% or greater, as calculated by the Faculty of Science at Waterloo.

CAP applicants in year one CEGEP (with a minimum of 12 semestered academic courses) must have an admission average of 85.0% or greater, as calculated by the Faculty of Science at Waterloo.

See How do I apply to CAP? for more information on the programs eligible for CAP status and visit the program sites to learn more about the required courses.

All applicants are required to complete Casper as part of their application for the 2026/27 admissions cycle. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test that takes 65-85 minutes to complete.

You will register for Casper 1 (English) (CSP-10200).

Casper measures different personal and professional skills that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. It will complement the other tools we use for applicant review and evaluation, and we require Casper as part of our efforts to enhance fairness in our selection process. 

Casper is administered by Acuity Insights.

How to sign up for Casper 

• Go to takecasper.com to create an Acuity Insights account and register to complete Casper. 
  • You will register for Casper 1 (English) (CSP-10200) using your Waterloo Applicant ID Number and a piece of government-issued photo ID. 
  • Please register with the email address you are using for your application and check it regularly, as there may be updates to the test schedule.
• Select a Casper test date from the available testing dates and times, which have been approved in line with our admissions timelines. 
  • These are the only testing dates for applying to our program and no additional tests are likely to be scheduled. 
• Register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time to allow time to perform a system requirements check and take the sample test in your account. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
• Ensure you have selected University of Waterloo for distribution before the distribution deadline listed on the Dates and Fees page. 

Technical requirements for Casper 

To take the assessments, you will need a:

• Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application).
• Desktop or laptop computer, ideally using Windows or macOS.
  • Smartphones and tablets are not supported.
• Working webcam and microphone.
  • Wired inputs or your computer’s built-in microphone are recommended.
• Reliable high-speed internet connection with download speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 2 Mbps.

Learn more about technical requirements.

Accommodations

Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete Casper should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to your scheduled Casper test date. 

Learn more about the accommodations policy.

Help with Casper 

If you have any questions, please contact the Acuity Insights team via the chat bubble on the bottom right of your Acuity Insights account or on takecasper.com. You can also review their collection of Frequently Asked Questions.

The Extracurricular Experience Form provides the admissions committee with insights into the applicant’s personal qualities, extracurricular accomplishments, and motivation for a career in Pharmacy.

Your submission should demonstrate:

• Motivation and passion for pursuing a career in the profession of pharmacy.
• Recognized contributions to leadership activities and community involvement through extracurricular activities.
• Pharmacy experience (work or volunteer) and if possible, work experience (either part-time or full-time).

A competitive application will usually have 50 or more hours of extracurricular experiences documented in its CAP Extracurricular Experience Form submission.

A section within the Applicant Portal asks you to provide the name and contact information for two individuals who will serve as your references:

• One academic (e.g., teacher, principal, or guidance counsellor).
• One from an employer or volunteer agency (someone you had a contractual responsibility with to either provide a service through employment or a service through a volunteer agreement).

Once you add the names of your references, your references will receive an email to submit a reference within 3 business days.

Note: Applicants who do not submit exactly two references and/or submit incorrect reference types (i.e., two academic or two employers) will not be considered for CAP status.

References will not be accepted from relatives of the applicant.

High school transcripts are required for out-of-province and international applicants only.

If the last four years of your education have not been taught completely in English, you must provide a score from an acceptable test of English proficiency. More information can be found on the English language requirements web page.

The virtual interview will be an asynchronous assessment completed using an online platform.

Applicants who have successfully completed all other admission requirements by the specified deadlines on the Application Timeline, will receive an invitation to participate in the virtual interview process.

Candidates will be given a window of time to complete the virtual interview process. The virtual interview will comprise both video and written responses where candidates will be given the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee more details about themselves and demonstrate their intent, motivation, and fit for the profession of pharmacy and Waterloo’s CAP status program.