Ottawa states you need a computer with a webcam, audio and a reliable internet connection, in a quiet private location. Acuity publishes detailed technical requirements for Casper, not for the early-phase MMI, so use them as a baseline and confirm in the instructions Acuity sends you when you schedule. For a sitting of about 1 hour and 15 minutes, a tested setup matters.
What does Acuity publish?
For Casper, Acuity lists a laptop or desktop, the latest Chrome or Firefox, a working webcam and microphone, and download speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps with upload of at least 2 Mbps. It recommends wired inputs or the built-in microphone, and says smartphones and tablets are not supported. Those figures are for Casper. We did not find the same list for the early-phase MMI, so do not treat them as official for it.
Our checklist
- Audio first. Record thirty seconds and play it back with headphones.
- Light in front of you, never behind.
- Camera at eye level. Stack books if needed.
- Wired connection if you can, with other devices off the network.
- A private room. Tell the household, silence your phone and close other tabs.
- A full test recording in the real room, at the real time of day.
Arvin Ardakani tells applicants a tidy, boring background beats an interesting one.
Related
What to wear and where to look in the early-phase MMI covers presentation, How long is the early-phase MMI? covers how long you will be sitting, and Ottawa medicine interview format covers the rest of Ottawa’s process.
Related: Ottawa medicine interview format, What to wear and where to look in the early-phase MMI, How long is the early-phase MMI?. Arvin Ardakani marks recorded answers personally and mentors applicants at every step through ExperienceMED, with direct WhatsApp access: book an interview session.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026. Written by the ExperienceMED team. Reviewed by Arvin Ardakani, final-year medical student, 4th quartile on CASPer four times.