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

Question 1: A CASPer prompt shows a patient who does not understand their treatment plan. What communication strategy is most appropriate?

Repeat the information louder and more slowly
Tell the patient to research it online
Provide a brochure and end the conversation
Use teach-back method: ask the patient to explain it in their own words (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Use teach-back method: ask the patient to explain it in their own words

The teach-back method confirms understanding and identifies gaps in patient comprehension.

Question 2: Which response best demonstrates empathic communication in a CASPer healthcare scenario?

'Many patients have this condition; it is not as serious as you think.'
'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.'

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 3: When reflecting on a past mistake, which approach is most constructive?

Focus only on external factors that contributed to the error
Ignore the mistake to avoid dwelling on negative outcomes
Seek validation from others that the mistake was unavoidable
Analyze what you could have done differently while practicing self-compassion (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Analyze what you could have done differently while practicing self-compassion

Constructive reflection involves honest self-analysis combined with self-compassion rather than blame-shifting or avoidance.

Question 4: A CASPer scenario presents a patient who cannot afford prescribed medications. An empathic and equitable response is to:

Tell the patient to follow the prescription and find a way to afford it
Dismiss the concern as outside your professional role
Explore pharmaceutical assistance programs, generic alternatives, and community resources (Correct answer)
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 5: You notice a colleague is spreading misinformation. The most constructive communication approach is to:

Publicly correct them in front of others immediately
Stay silent to avoid conflict
Approach them privately with accurate information and a respectful tone (Correct answer)
Report them to a supervisor without speaking to them first

Correct answer: Approach them privately with accurate information and a respectful tone

Private correction with accurate information preserves dignity while addressing the misinformation directly.

Question 6: 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:

Admissions should discount their application due to lack of preparation
Systemic barriers require targeted institutional support to level the playing field (Correct answer)
This reflects insufficient personal effort on the student's part
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 7: In a CASPer interprofessional scenario, recognizing the unique expertise of other disciplines means:

Limiting your input to only your area of formal training
Valuing and integrating each profession's knowledge for better patient outcomes (Correct answer)
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 8: In a CASPer group scenario, decision-making by consensus means:

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

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 9: How many sections does the standard CASPer test contain for most health professional programs?

16 sections
8 sections
12 sections (Correct answer)
6 sections

Correct answer: 12 sections

The standard CASPer test typically includes 12 sections alternating between video-based and word-based scenarios with typed responses.

Question 10: In a CASPer video response about equity, which framing BEST demonstrates genuine understanding?

'Fairness means not considering race or background in any professional decision.'
'Everyone deserves the same treatment, full stop.'
'Certain groups simply make choices that lead to worse outcomes.'
'Structural barriers create unequal starting points that require targeted responses to address.' (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 'Structural barriers create unequal starting points that require targeted responses to address.'

Recognizing structural barriers as the root of inequity is more accurate and actionable than individual-focused or colorblind framing.

Question 11: You are the most senior person available when a junior staff member makes a significant error that could affect a client. The error is not yet known to management. What do you do?

Help cover up the error to protect the junior staff member
Wait to see if the error causes any actual harm before deciding whether to report
Blame the junior staff member entirely when reporting to management
Immediately disclose the error to appropriate management, work to mitigate harm to the client, and support the junior staff member through the process (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Immediately disclose the error to appropriate management, work to mitigate harm to the client, and support the junior staff member through the process

Prompt disclosure and harm mitigation are ethical obligations, and supporting the junior member through the process reflects good leadership.

Question 12: A student realizes they are more impatient with patients from different cultural backgrounds. The most constructive response is to:

Only disclose the bias if it directly leads to a medical error
Assume the impatience is natural and unavoidable given cultural differences
Recognize the bias, seek education about cultural differences, and monitor future interactions (Correct answer)
Avoid those patients when possible to prevent harm

Correct answer: Recognize the bias, seek education about cultural differences, and monitor future interactions

Acknowledging bias and proactively addressing it through education and self-monitoring is the foundation of self-aware professional development.

Question 13: In a CASPer scenario, a colleague makes a racist comment. The most empathic and professional response is to:

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

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 14: In CASPer, recognizing when a problem requires help from others demonstrates:

Weakness and lack of competence
Self-awareness, professional maturity, and effective resource utilization (Correct answer)
An inability to work independently
Poor problem-solving skills

Correct answer: Self-awareness, professional maturity, and effective resource utilization

Knowing when to seek help is a hallmark of professional maturity and efficient problem-solving.

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

Accept their response and proceed with clinical tasks
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
Document that the patient refused to discuss their emotional state

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: In a CASPer video response, speaking at an appropriate pace is important because:

Pace is irrelevant if the content is strong
Measured pace aids clarity, comprehension, and conveys composure (Correct answer)
Faster speech demonstrates confidence and intelligence
Slower speech always signals thoughtfulness

Correct answer: Measured pace aids clarity, comprehension, and conveys composure

A measured pace helps evaluators follow your reasoning and signals that you are composed under time pressure.

Question 17: Which behavior BEST demonstrates professional integrity in a CASPer healthcare context?

Agreeing with supervisors to maintain harmony, even when they are wrong
Maintaining honesty with patients even when the truth is difficult (Correct answer)
Prioritizing personal comfort over patient needs when the stakes are low
Avoiding documentation of errors to protect your reputation

Correct answer: Maintaining honesty with patients even when the truth is difficult

Honesty with patients, even when uncomfortable, is a cornerstone of professional integrity in healthcare.

Question 18: 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
Attribute the failure to external circumstances entirely
Identify and punish the member most responsible for the failure

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 19: Psychological safety in a team, as evaluated by CASPer, refers to:

Physical safety protocols in a clinical setting
A team environment where members feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment (Correct answer)
The absence of any interpersonal conflict
Ensuring everyone agrees before moving forward

Correct answer: A team environment where members feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment

Psychological safety enables honest communication, risk-taking, and innovation critical to high-performing teams.

Question 20: A patient tells you confidential information but also discloses intent to harm a specific person. What is the most appropriate response?

Break confidentiality and warn the intended victim and authorities (Correct answer)
Ask the patient to promise they will not act on it
Maintain full confidentiality since the patient disclosed this in trust
Document it but take no further action

Correct answer: Break confidentiality and warn the intended victim and authorities

Duty-to-warn obligations override standard confidentiality when there is a credible, specific threat of harm to others.

Question 21: In CASPer, which approach BEST demonstrates empathic engagement with a grieving patient?

Quickly pivot to treatment planning to give the patient something to focus on
Sit with the patient, acknowledge their loss, and allow them to lead the conversation (Correct answer)
Maintain clinical distance to avoid becoming emotionally involved
'At least you still have your family — many patients are alone.'

Correct answer: Sit with the patient, acknowledge their loss, and allow them to lead the conversation

Presence, acknowledgment, and patient-led conversation respects the pace of grief and validates the patient's experience.

Question 22: During a CASPer scenario, you are asked why a team project failed. A self-aware response:

Describes the ideal project outcome without analyzing the actual process
Examines your own contribution to the failure alongside relevant external factors (Correct answer)
Identifies only the team members who underperformed or caused problems
Focuses exclusively on what you personally did correctly throughout the project

Correct answer: Examines your own contribution to the failure alongside relevant external factors

Self-aware responses acknowledge personal contributions to failures rather than attributing them solely to external or interpersonal factors.

Question 23: A CASPer scenario shows a team member who consistently misses deadlines. The best collaborative approach is to:

Escalate to a supervisor without speaking to them first
Complete their work for them without discussion
Exclude them from future projects
Have a supportive conversation to understand the barrier and offer solutions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Have a supportive conversation to understand the barrier and offer solutions

Understanding the root cause of missed deadlines allows the team to provide meaningful support and maintain accountability.

Question 24: A CASPer prompt asks how you would handle working with someone whose values differ significantly from your own. The best approach is to:

Refuse to collaborate unless values align
Focus on shared professional goals and mutual respect (Correct answer)
Avoid the person and minimize interaction
Convince them to adopt your values

Correct answer: Focus on shared professional goals and mutual respect

Focusing on shared goals allows effective collaboration despite personal or cultural value differences.

Question 25: In a CASPer scenario involving a distressed individual, what is the primary communication goal?

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

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.

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

30 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