How to Prepare for the CASPer Test: A Guide to Mastering Situational Judgment

If you're applying to medical school, you’ve likely heard of the CASPer test. CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is a situational judgment test designed to assess your professionalism, communication skills, empathy, and ability to handle challenging scenarios. It’s used by many med schools to evaluate how you’ll respond to real-world situations, beyond what grades and test scores can show. People think that there is no way to prepare for this as it is not testing content- however, getting comfortable with ethical dilemmas sets you up for medical school and beyond.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to approach and ace CASPer:

1. Understand What CASPer Is Testing

CASPer isn’t testing your scientific knowledge or ability to memorize facts. Instead, it’s looking at the non-cognitive skills you’ll need as a future doctor:

• Empathy and Compassion: Can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and respond with care? Will you break the rules in certain circumstances, or be creative with solutions?

• Ethical Reasoning: How do you handle ethical dilemmas where there may not be a clear right or wrong answer? Can you think outside the box and avoid black and white thinking?

• Communication Skills: Can you articulate your thoughts clearly and professionally?

• Problem-Solving: How do you approach complex situations or conflicts?

2. Practice with Sample Questions

CASPer consists of 12 sections, each with a different scenario—either a video or text-based prompt—followed by three open-ended questions. You’ll have 5 minutes to answer the questions in each section, so practicing within this time limit is crucial.

Here’s an example of a scenario: You witness a coworker taking credit for work you did. How do you handle the situation?

Questions that follow could include:

1. What is your immediate reaction?

2. How would you address the issue with your coworker?

3. What steps would you take to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

To practice:

• Write out your responses under timed conditions.

• Review your answers to make sure they are concise but still demonstrate empathy, professionalism, and sound judgment.