The ProspectiveDoctor Podcast

Podcast 79: Are You Thinking About the CASPer Exam?

Each year, applicants are surprised to learn about how many medical schools require that they take the CASPer exam. Get ahead of the curve and learn about the exam, and what you need to do to prepare for it!

[0:51] What is the CASPer exam?

It stands for Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics. It has twelve sections where you are given a short video or statement that you are required to answer.

Click here for a list of schools which utilize CASPer.

[4:43] When should I take this test?

When you receive an email from a school, look closely to see if there is a deadline. Most will not provide this information, but you can consider this as part of the secondary application process. You need to complete it for your application to move forward.

[5:21] How can you prepare?

The key here is practice, practice, practice. Read lots of scenarios and use all available CASPer test material to test yourself.

[6:26] Sample scenario.

  1. “Describe a time when you had to deal with conflict and how you coped with it.”
    • You should pick a significant conflict that you handled positively.
  1. “How might you handle a similar situation differently?”
    • You can look back and think about if there was an even better way to solve this conflict.
  1. “What would be your strategy if you were faced with a conflict that was extremely difficult to resolve?”
    • They are looking for your problem-solving skills and compassion.
[10:52] One more sample scenario.

This is a video that shows you’re a cashier. A woman comes in to return a stuffed animal that she bought, but she doesn’t have a receipt. You offer store credit, but the woman refuses and says she absolutely needs the cash. You look to another employee who is wondering what to do.

  1. “What do you tell the other employee; to give store credit or to give a refund?”
    • The best answer is to abide by store policy.
  1. “Suppose you advise the newer employee not to give the refund, but she does anyway. Do you report this to your supervisor? Why or why not?”
    • This is a really common type of question. The best answer is to do something about it.
  1. “If you were asked to establish a policy for a new store around refunds, what aspects would you take into consideration?”
    • This is testing your decision-making abilities. You can say that you’d look at past data to come up with solutions.

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