CASPer (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: In CASPer, effective workload distribution in a team requires:

Assigning equal tasks to everyone regardless of skill or availability
Letting members self-select tasks to avoid conflict
Delegating all difficult tasks to the most capable member
Matching tasks to individual strengths while maintaining equitable effort (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Matching tasks to individual strengths while maintaining equitable effort

Aligning tasks with strengths optimizes performance while equitable effort distribution prevents burnout and resentment.

Question 2: In a CASPer scenario, a colleague makes a racist comment. The most empathic and professional response is to:

Laugh along to avoid social tension
Address the comment calmly and explain its harmful impact (Correct answer)
Ignore it and hope others did not hear
Report to HR without speaking to the colleague first

Correct answer: Address the comment calmly and explain its harmful impact

Calmly naming the harm of discriminatory comments in the moment is more effective and immediate than reporting alone.

Question 3: A CASPer prompt shows a scenario where one team member has access to important information the rest of the team lacks. The best collaborative action is to:

Use the information advantage for personal benefit
Share it selectively with trusted members only
Keep it private until you determine its strategic value
Share the information transparently with the team (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Share the information transparently with the team

Transparent information sharing ensures all team members can contribute fully and makes decisions more informed.

Question 4: In CASPer, if you are asked to complete a task you are not trained to do, professionalism requires you to:

Attempt the task and correct any errors afterward
Complete the task while concealing your lack of training
Decline clearly and explain your current scope of competence (Correct answer)
Delegate it to a less experienced peer

Correct answer: Decline clearly and explain your current scope of competence

Acknowledging the limits of your competence is a professional responsibility that protects patient safety.

Question 5: A CASPer scenario involves a peer who frequently dominates group conversations. To communicate your concern professionally, you should:

Tell the group to exclude them from discussions
Speak with the peer privately using specific examples of the behavior (Correct answer)
Ignore the behavior and adapt
Send a group email criticizing their behavior

Correct answer: Speak with the peer privately using specific examples of the behavior

Private, example-based conversations about behavior are more constructive and less humiliating than public or written criticism.

Question 6: In CASPer, what is the MOST important characteristic of an effective team player?

Dominating discussions to ensure quality outcomes
Being willing to adapt your role to support the team's overall goal (Correct answer)
Completing only your assigned tasks and nothing more
Avoiding any disagreement to maintain harmony

Correct answer: Being willing to adapt your role to support the team's overall goal

Flexibility and willingness to support broader team goals over individual roles is a hallmark of high-performing team members.

Question 7: Which of the following BEST defines equity in a CASPer healthcare context?

Ensuring everyone has access to the same services
Prioritizing patients who have waited the longest
Treating all patients identically regardless of their needs
Providing additional resources to those who need them to achieve equal health outcomes (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Providing additional resources to those who need them to achieve equal health outcomes

Equity means allocating resources based on need, not uniformity, to achieve fair and just outcomes for all patients.

Question 8: In CASPer, when delivering difficult feedback to a peer, which communication approach is most effective?

Use blunt, direct criticism to make the message clear
Delegate the feedback to a superior
Avoid the topic to preserve the relationship
Use 'I' statements and focus on behavior rather than character (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Use 'I' statements and focus on behavior rather than character

'I' statements and behavior-focused feedback reduce defensiveness and facilitate constructive dialogue.

Question 9: When integrating a new team member in a CASPer scenario, effective collaboration includes:

Providing orientation, mentorship, and a welcoming team environment (Correct answer)
Assigning them the most challenging tasks to accelerate learning
Leaving them to figure out the team dynamics on their own
Withholding information to protect institutional knowledge

Correct answer: Providing orientation, mentorship, and a welcoming team environment

Structured orientation and mentorship integrates new members effectively and accelerates their contribution to the team.

Question 10: In CASPer, self-awareness as a professional competency means:

Knowing all the answers before entering a professional program
Avoiding self-reflection to maintain confidence
Recognizing your own biases, strengths, and areas for growth (Correct answer)
Believing your judgment is always superior to protocols

Correct answer: Recognizing your own biases, strengths, and areas for growth

Self-awareness allows professionals to manage their biases and engage in continuous improvement.

Question 11: The following are the top four medical ethics tenets:

Privacy, autonomy, beneficence and justice
Autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and morality
Autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice (Correct answer)
The following are the top four medical ethics tenets:

Correct answer: Autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice

The four central principles of medical ethics are justice, beneficence, autonomy, and non-malfeasance. Patient autonomy allows them to reject medical treatment or decide how to proceed. Beneficence: A physician should always put the patient's needs first. Non-malfeasance: "First, do no damage." Justice: Limited resources must be allocated based on who should receive what care and what is just. These provide a framework for comprehending potential conflicts, not solutions for managing specific situations

Question 12: A CASPer scenario shows a student who observes academic dishonesty by a close friend. Professionalism requires:

Reporting it anonymously if the institution has such a mechanism (Correct answer)
Ignoring it since friendship loyalty overrides academic rules
Helping the friend cover it up to protect the relationship
Confronting the friend publicly at the time of cheating

Correct answer: Reporting it anonymously if the institution has such a mechanism

Anonymous reporting mechanisms allow students to uphold academic integrity without direct interpersonal confrontation.

Question 13: In a CASPer scenario involving a distressed individual, what is the primary communication goal?

Provide a solution as quickly as possible
Minimize the problem to reduce their distress
Make the person feel heard and understood before offering solutions (Correct answer)
Direct them to professional resources immediately without engaging

Correct answer: Make the person feel heard and understood before offering solutions

Feeling heard is foundational to trust; premature problem-solving can feel dismissive to someone in distress.

Question 14: Which of the following best describes the purpose of the CASPer test in professional school admissions?

To replace letters of recommendation entirely
To assess academic knowledge in science subjects
To measure standardized test-taking ability under pressure
To evaluate situational judgment, professionalism, and interpersonal skills (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To evaluate situational judgment, professionalism, and interpersonal skills

CASPer is specifically designed to assess non-cognitive skills like empathy, ethics, and communication relevant to professional practice.

Question 15: A CASPer scenario shows a patient in visible distress who says 'I'm fine.' An empathic response is to:

Document that the patient refused to discuss their emotional state
Gently acknowledge the discrepancy between their words and their appearance and invite them to share (Correct answer)
Insist they are not fine and demand elaboration
Accept their response and proceed with clinical tasks

Correct answer: Gently acknowledge the discrepancy between their words and their appearance and invite them to share

Gently naming the discrepancy opens a door for the patient to share while respecting their pace and agency.

Question 16: During a CASPer video scenario, a colleague interrupts you repeatedly in a meeting. What is the best response?

Stay silent and let them speak over you
Interrupt them back to assert dominance
Complain to your supervisor immediately
After the meeting, calmly address the behavior privately (Correct answer)

Correct answer: After the meeting, calmly address the behavior privately

Addressing the behavior privately and calmly preserves the professional relationship and allows for honest dialogue.

Question 17: Which response best demonstrates empathic communication in a CASPer healthcare scenario?

'You need to follow the treatment plan exactly as prescribed.'
'I understand this must be very difficult for you — let's talk about your concerns.' (Correct answer)
'I will forward your questions to the specialist.'
'Many patients have this condition; it is not as serious as you think.'

Correct answer: 'I understand this must be very difficult for you — let's talk about your concerns.'

Acknowledging the patient's emotional experience before problem-solving validates their feelings and builds trust.

Question 18: When writing a CASPer typed response about a conflict, which communication principle should guide your answer?

Strongly advocate for one side to appear decisive
Use respectful, balanced language that acknowledges multiple perspectives (Correct answer)
Avoid mentioning the conflict directly
Show all parties are equally wrong

Correct answer: Use respectful, balanced language that acknowledges multiple perspectives

Balanced and respectful language demonstrates emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate disagreement constructively.

Question 19: When a CASPer scenario involves being late to complete a critical task due to a personal issue, the professional response is to:

Complete an unrelated task instead to appear productive
Proactively communicate the delay and propose a plan to minimize impact (Correct answer)
Blame the delay on external circumstances
Say nothing and submit the work late without explanation

Correct answer: Proactively communicate the delay and propose a plan to minimize impact

Proactive communication about delays allows others to plan accordingly and demonstrates responsibility.

Question 20: Implicit bias in a CASPer healthcare scenario can MOST directly harm patients by:

Causing practitioners to over-document clinical encounters
Making practitioners too cautious with all patients equally
Increasing administrative burden for marginalized patients
Leading to differential quality of care based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Leading to differential quality of care based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status

Implicit bias leads to systemic disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and pain management across patient populations.

Question 21: Which of the following describes the MOST important quality of an effective team leader in a CASPer scenario?

Delegating all responsibility to avoid personal liability
Maintaining strict control over all decisions
Prioritizing task completion over team member well-being
Inspiring and empowering team members while remaining accountable (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Inspiring and empowering team members while remaining accountable

Effective leaders balance empowerment, motivation, and accountability to achieve both team cohesion and goals.

Question 22: When a CASPer prompt involves a patient who is homeless, an empathic practitioner would first:

Acknowledge the complexity of their situation and address immediate medical needs while connecting them with relevant supports (Correct answer)
Prioritize getting them housed before addressing medical concerns
Refer them immediately to social services without conducting an assessment
Focus only on the presenting medical complaint

Correct answer: Acknowledge the complexity of their situation and address immediate medical needs while connecting them with relevant supports

Acknowledging social complexity while meeting immediate medical needs and connecting patients with resources reflects holistic, equity-centered care.

Question 23: In a CASPer scenario, a team fails to achieve its goal. A collaborative post-mortem analysis should:

Examine systemic and process factors without personal blame (Correct answer)
Avoid discussing the failure to maintain team morale
Identify and punish the member most responsible for the failure
Attribute the failure to external circumstances entirely

Correct answer: Examine systemic and process factors without personal blame

Systemic analysis of failures identifies correctable processes and prevents blame culture from undermining future teamwork.

Question 24: You should act the part of a medical student in each scenario. On a four-point scale, you will be asked to score the effectiveness of each response. SCENARIO: In your clinical skills course, you are placed in a small group. One of the members of your group has recently had trouble with their homework. The group member frequently arrives late for meetings, creates subpar materials, and frequently requests reminders to complete responsibilities. A new task is given to your group. It is due in three weeks and will be graded on the basis of the group's overall performance. Please rank the impact of each solution to this issue. In a group meeting, distribute tasks equally among all participants while ensuring that expectations are clear.

Very Ineffective
Very Effective
Effective (Correct answer)
Ineffective

Correct answer: Effective

Distributing tasks equally with clear expectations is a sound organizational practice that gives everyone a defined role and reduces confusion, so it is Effective. It is not Very Effective because it treats the struggling member like everyone else without directly addressing the specific reasons behind their lateness and subpar work.

Question 25: A CASPer prompt describes a team member who speaks very little in group discussions. The most professional response is to:

Report them to management for low participation
Create space in meetings and directly invite their input (Correct answer)
Ignore the issue since participation is voluntary
Assign them less work since they seem disengaged

Correct answer: Create space in meetings and directly invite their input

Actively inviting quieter team members fosters inclusion and often surfaces valuable perspectives.

Question 26: In a CASPer scenario, a colleague claims that focusing on equity means lower-quality care for advantaged patients. The best response is:

Report the colleague for holding biased views
Acknowledge their concern and explain that equity expands overall system quality without reducing care for others (Correct answer)
Agree that there is an unavoidable trade-off in equity-focused care
Avoid the conversation to prevent conflict

Correct answer: Acknowledge their concern and explain that equity expands overall system quality without reducing care for others

Equity-focused care improves population health outcomes and system quality overall; it is not a zero-sum reduction in care for advantaged groups.

Question 27: In a CASPer scenario involving a patient with limited health literacy, an equitable approach includes:

Using full medical terminology to respect their intelligence
Asking them to bring a family member to explain things for them
Shortening the appointment to minimize confusion
Using plain language, visual aids, and checking for understanding (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Using plain language, visual aids, and checking for understanding

Plain language and comprehension checks are evidence-based strategies for reducing health disparities related to literacy.

Question 28: A CASPer scenario presents a conflict between following a supervisor's questionable instruction and your personal ethics. The best action is to:

Refuse any instruction that conflicts with any personal preference
Always follow supervisory instructions without question
Comply while raising your concern through proper channels (Correct answer)
Immediately resign in protest

Correct answer: Comply while raising your concern through proper channels

Raising ethical concerns through appropriate channels allows for resolution while maintaining professional relationships and responsibilities.

Question 29: During a group project, one team member consistently misses deadlines, causing others to redo their portions. The group must submit tomorrow. What should you do?

Have a direct but respectful conversation with the member to understand barriers and redistribute tasks if needed (Correct answer)
Do all of their work yourself and say nothing to avoid conflict
Submit the project without that member's name since they did not contribute
Email the professor now to complain about the team member's performance

Correct answer: Have a direct but respectful conversation with the member to understand barriers and redistribute tasks if needed

Direct communication may uncover obstacles and allows fair redistribution of work before the deadline.

Question 30: In a CASPer scenario where team members disagree on an approach, the most effective collaborative response is to:

Push your own view firmly until others agree
Facilitate a discussion where all perspectives are heard before deciding (Correct answer)
Let the group decide without sharing your own perspective
Side with the most senior member to maintain hierarchy

Correct answer: Facilitate a discussion where all perspectives are heard before deciding

Structured discussion that includes all voices leads to more informed decisions and stronger team buy-in.

Question 31: In a CASPer group scenario, decision-making by consensus means:

Decisions are delayed indefinitely until full agreement is reached
The most senior person decides and others agree publicly
The majority votes and the minority must comply silently
All members discuss until they reach a decision everyone can support (Correct answer)

Correct answer: All members discuss until they reach a decision everyone can support

Consensus decision-making ensures all voices are heard and increases commitment to the outcome, though it requires more time.

Question 32: A CASPer prompt describes a student who is consistently late because of childcare responsibilities. An equitable institutional response would be to:

Apply the same late policy to all students regardless of circumstances
Explore flexible accommodations that address the barrier while maintaining standards (Correct answer)
Transfer the student to a program with fewer attendance requirements
Exempt the student from attendance requirements permanently

Correct answer: Explore flexible accommodations that address the barrier while maintaining standards

Equity-informed accommodation addresses structural barriers while maintaining academic integrity and standards.

Question 33: Which of the following BEST demonstrates critical thinking in a CASPer typed response?

Stating the most obvious solution without examining alternatives
Restating the scenario without providing analysis
Identifying multiple perspectives, evaluating trade-offs, and justifying a conclusion (Correct answer)
Providing an emotional reaction without logical reasoning

Correct answer: Identifying multiple perspectives, evaluating trade-offs, and justifying a conclusion

Critical thinking requires examining multiple perspectives and trade-offs before reaching a well-justified conclusion.

Question 34: A CASPer scenario presents a patient who cannot afford prescribed medications. An empathic and equitable response is to:

Explore pharmaceutical assistance programs, generic alternatives, and community resources (Correct answer)
Tell the patient to follow the prescription and find a way to afford it
Dismiss the concern as outside your professional role
Document non-compliance in the patient's chart

Correct answer: Explore pharmaceutical assistance programs, generic alternatives, and community resources

Proactive resource navigation addresses cost barriers and demonstrates commitment to equitable access to care.

Question 35: Which of the following demonstrates analytical thinking in a CASPer response about a workplace conflict?

Avoiding analysis to appear neutral and unbiased
Identifying the perspectives of all parties, underlying causes, and potential resolution paths (Correct answer)
Proposing the most aggressive intervention to resolve the conflict quickly
Describing only your emotional reaction to the conflict

Correct answer: Identifying the perspectives of all parties, underlying causes, and potential resolution paths

Analytical thinking involves dissecting the components of a problem — parties, causes, and options — before proposing solutions.

Question 36: A CASPer prompt shows a student from a low-income background who lacks access to preparation resources for professional programs. An equity-minded perspective would suggest:

This reflects insufficient personal effort on the student's part
Admissions should discount their application due to lack of preparation
Systemic barriers require targeted institutional support to level the playing field (Correct answer)
Access to resources should not affect professional readiness

Correct answer: Systemic barriers require targeted institutional support to level the playing field

Systemic barriers to preparation reflect structural inequity, not individual deficiency, and require institutional response.

Question 37: A patient of limited English proficiency needs to discuss a serious diagnosis. The patient's bilingual adult child offers to interpret. What is the best approach?

Delay the conversation until a bilingual staff member is available
Use a professional medical interpreter to ensure accuracy and confidentiality (Correct answer)
Use a translation app on a smartphone
Accept the child's offer to save time and resources

Correct answer: Use a professional medical interpreter to ensure accuracy and confidentiality

Professional medical interpreters ensure accurate translation of complex medical information and protect patient confidentiality, which family members may compromise.

Question 38: In a CASPer interprofessional scenario, recognizing the unique expertise of other disciplines means:

Valuing and integrating each profession's knowledge for better patient outcomes (Correct answer)
Limiting your input to only your area of formal training
Deferring all decisions to the most experienced profession present
Avoiding overlap with other disciplines to prevent turf conflicts

Correct answer: Valuing and integrating each profession's knowledge for better patient outcomes

Interprofessional collaboration leverages diverse expertise to improve patient care outcomes beyond what any single discipline can achieve.

Question 39: During a CASPer scenario, a classmate confides that they plagiarized an assignment. What is the BEST first communication step?

Tell other classmates to warn them
Listen fully and ask open-ended questions to understand their situation (Correct answer)
Ignore it since it does not affect you
Immediately report them to the professor

Correct answer: Listen fully and ask open-ended questions to understand their situation

Active listening and open-ended questioning allows you to fully understand the situation before deciding on an appropriate response.

Question 40: In a CASPer interprofessional healthcare scenario, a role conflict arises between two professions. The best approach is to:

Refer the conflict to a patient who can decide
Use the patient's best interest as the guiding principle for resolution (Correct answer)
Avoid the situation by limiting interprofessional interaction
Insist your profession's approach takes priority

Correct answer: Use the patient's best interest as the guiding principle for resolution

Centering the patient's best interest provides an objective basis for resolving professional role conflicts.

CASPer (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics)

CASPer is a situational judgment test used in health professions admissions that evaluates 10 core behavioral competencies—including collaboration, communication, empathy, fairness, ethics, and professionalism—through 11 video and typed scenario responses.

Questions

75 min

Time Limit

75%

To Pass

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Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

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