Acuity Insights

In high-stakes, real-world situations that involve pressure, ambiguity, and competing priorities, human skills are what define success.

That’s where Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) come in.

SJTs don’t measure knowledge; they reveal how people think, respond, and make decisions when it counts.

Acuity Insights has released a brand new report that breaks down the evidence behind SJTs–and why they’re becoming essential for both admissions and in-program learner development in higher education.

Get actionable strategies to give graduates the competitive edge: https://hubs.li/Q04dLzDt0

Every veterinary science program in Australia and New Zealand uses the Casper test–setting the standard for admissions across the region. This shared foundation brings fairness, consistency, and clarity to how programs build strong cohorts of future veterinarians poised for professional success.

Veterinary education prepares professionals for complex decisions and emotionally demanding work. Casper helps programs select candidates who are ready not only for the academic rigor, but also for the human realities of veterinary practice.

Read the full case study: https://hubs.li/Q046cS040

The goals? Scalable interviews. Better fit. Less attrition.

🔜 Join our Feb 25 webinar to find out how schools can select more suitable applicants poised to succeed: deeper insight with less effort.

✅ Assess applicant qualities that matter most
✅ Watch and evaluate responses at your own pace, on-demand

Get a first look at Video Interviews–a must-have for your admissions toolkit. Don’t miss our live demo and interactive Q&A with our Acuity Insights team.

Save your spot: https://hubs.li/Q043D1hv0

Passing ≠ Prepared
Progress > Perfection
Progress > Pitfalls

Join us on March 11 as we explore real-world lessons learned from launching and scaling Competency-Based Education (CBE)–and how are making the pivotal shift to focus on outcomes, competence, and real-world readiness.

You’ll learn:
1️⃣ Common implementation challenges and how schools overcame them
2️⃣ How to build faculty and learner engagement early
3️⃣ Practical tips for sustaining momentum beyond year one

Don’t miss this candid discussion on March 11 with CBE experts from Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine, Stanford Medicine and Acuity Insights.

You’ll leave with actionable insights and proven CBE strategies you can apply at your institution.

Save your spot: https://hubs.li/Q043C-G10

Lost revenue due to attrition can amount to billions. Here’s what admissions teams need to know–and a first look at a must-have for their toolkit.

Programs are facing unprecedented challenges to identify top applicants who will not only excel academically, but also thrive in their chosen professions. Yet, many admissions teams lack a scalable and consistent method for evaluating the qualities that matter most during the selection process.

Join us on February 25 as we explore how our newest on-demand admissions tool, Video Interviews, meets the mark.

Don’t miss our live demo and interactive Q&A with our Acuity Insights team. Save your spot: https://hubs.li/Q0420zcj0

75% of long-term job success is attributed to people skills. These are the applicant qualities that college admissions teams care about most–and they are often masked by polished essays and AI tools.

Yet, many admissions teams lack a scalable and consistent method for evaluating these human-centered qualities that matter most during the selection process.

Here’s a first look at Video Interviews by Acuity Insights – our newest, on-demand admissions tool that delivers deeper insight with less effort, so programs can:

✅ Scale admissions
✅ Save time and accelerate decisions
✅ Boost retention
✅ Build cohorts poised to succeed

See how Video Interviews meets the mark: https://hubs.li/Q041yFGb0

Good intentions can sometimes go wrong: Competency-Based Education (CBE) fails when programs chase simplicity over validity.

To round out our 3-part series, we unpack the biggest CBE pitfalls to keep on your radar – and how to avoid them. Let’s dive in:

❌ Pitfall 1: The “Expert” Trap – Adding “Expert” as a visible anchor can be powerful, but only when raters understand what “expert” looks like for the learner stage in front of them.

❌ Pitfall 2: Stacking Scales Across Time – Converting multiple 1-4 scales into a single 1-12 growth curve creates misleading growth curves. For example, a 4 in clerkship ≠ a 4 in internship.

❌ Pitfall 3: Using One Assessment Form Across Multiple Phases – Early learners get discouraged; advanced learners plateau; committees lose stage context.

❌ Pitfall 4: Retro-Mapping Competency Scores into EPA Dashboards – Filling EPA dashboards with repurposed competency ratings can muddy feedback and put promotion decisions at risk.

Ready to make the pivotal shift to focus on outcomes, competence, and real-world readiness? Get started with our free guide: https://hubs.li/Q03_Ys1h0

Q: True or false? Good data beats perfect data.

A: True – For Competency-Based Education (CBE) programs, the answer is a resounding yes.

Next in our 3-part series on CBE Best Practices, we unpack how programs can aim for an outcomes-driven approach and design for competence and real-world readiness.

Here are some key principles to keep top of mind:

• Start with purpose: proficiency, growth, or readiness for autonomy.
Anchors > numbers. Not all 3s are equal: a “3” isn’t the same across different rating scales.
• Frequent, focused observations lead to better insights.
• Faculty need clarity about what they’re judging–and why.

Ready to make the pivotal shift from simply capturing activity to more intentionally capturing ability? Get started with our free guide: https://hubs.li/Q03-Q9qV0

Stay tuned for PART 3 - What to avoid: common pitfalls of CBE that derail well-intentioned programs.

Our team at Acuity Insights wishes you all the best for the holiday season. Things will be quieter here, as our team takes a well-earned, restorative break over the holidays from December 22 through to January 4.

We look forward to reconnecting with you in 2026 and continuing pivotal conversations about advancing holistic success in .

How can new grads navigate career-readiness in the age of AI? How can schools reliably identify candidates who are both academically strong and prepared to succeed in their profession?

These are among the many questions in 2025 sparking discussion on job readiness – and the pivotal role of in preparing students for life beyond the lecture hall.

To answer these key questions and more, check out our Must-Watch Webinars on Holistic Success – available on-demand, so you can tune in whenever and wherever you are.

How can schools produce career-ready graduates with the resilience and agility to navigate a future where the only constant is change? https://hubs.li/Q03YvH3y0

In the era of automation, how can engineering schools set up graduates for professional success? https://hubs.li/Q03YvF7c0

How can law schools identify traits predictive of long-term success during admissions? https://hubs.li/Q03YvG7J0

How can schools reinvent the post-admissions process so students are poised for success? https://hubs.li/Q03YvGfj0

Get more best practices from Acuity Insights on how institutions can go beyond book smarts and uncover and nurture hidden potential: https://hubs.li/Q03YvF1y0

2025 saw many trending higher education topics, from the invisible work crisis to the value of , and how colleges and universities can elevate fairness in the admissions process.

We’re looking back at 5 Must-Read Blogs for Holistic Success from the past year. Read on:

How Colleges Can Stay True to Their Missions in a Time of Rapid Change
https://hubs.li/Q03YdmN90

Is College Worth It in 2025? Understanding the True Value of Higher Education
https://hubs.li/Q03Ydl-n0

How To Implement Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) in Undergraduate Medical Education
https://hubs.li/Q03YdntP0

Solving the Invisible Work Crisis in Medical Education
https://hubs.li/Q03Ydm1r0

Situational Judgment Tests: Why Open Response Formats Offer Deeper Insights
https://hubs.li/Q03Ydm0t0

Get best practices from Acuity Insights and learn why institutions need to go beyond book smarts and uncover and nurture hidden potential: https://hubs.li/Q03Ydp8J0