How Much to Write in a Casper Response?
The Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) test is a virtual exam required by many professional schools for admission. This includes programs such as optometry, dentistry, physician’s assistant, physiotherapy, and medical schools. For a list of specific professional schools that require the Casper test, take a look at our article here.
The Casper test spans about 2 hours and is made up of 2 main sections – one for typed text responses and one for recorded video responses. The written response section includes 9 scenarios in total, with 6 prompts in the form of a text passage and 3 prompts in short video form. After reading the text passage or watching the video prompt, you are given a 30-second reflection period before a 5-minute timer automatically starts. Within the 5 minutes, you are required to type your answer to 3 questions pertaining to the prompt you just saw. Due to the tight time constraint, it would be a good idea to figure out how to approach the various prompts given and the written responses you will be typing. In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to figure out how much to write in the written response portion of the Casper test.
1. Level of Preparedness
Before even considering how much you should be typing in your written responses, you should first figure out how to best prepare for the exam. This means doing research on the structure of the exam, the types of questions or scenarios that will be presented, and how to best approach various types of prompts on the exam. If you are not prepared at all, you will be caught off guard by the testing style and structure of the exam. The lack of prior knowledge will automatically limit how much you will be able to type, which will impede the clarity of your responses as well as your test score. More detailed information on exam preparation can be found in our articles: How to Prepare for the Casper Test and What to Expect on Casper Test Day.
2. Quality over Quantity
Without a doubt, the actual contents of your response will weigh much more than the sheer number of words you can pound out in the given 5 minutes. A good number to aim for is about 4-5 sentences for each question, but make sure that each sentence conveys a clear idea or point without unnecessary filler words. As discussed in our article on testing strategies, try to use techniques like active reading and scanning so you have a good idea of what you will want to say in your response. This way, you will also avoid repeating yourself or including redundant details in your responses.
3. Typing Speed
How fast is your typing speed? You will only get 5 minutes to answer 3 questions in a concise, yet clear and comprehensive way. Therefore, you want to ensure that you will not be holding yourself back by your own typing abilities. The good news is that you can practice and improve your rate of “words per minute” before the exam by using CasperBooster’s Typing Generators, which are typing-speed practice tests built for the Casper that can track your progress over time. Remember, even though the quality of your answers is more important than the number of words you can type, having the ability to type both quickly and accurately will allow you to clearly express what you want to say and answer the questions to the best of your ability.
4. Question Type and Strategy
In addition to preparing for the test structure and making sure you can type fast enough, it would also be a good idea to brush up on the different question types that will show up and the strategies to best approach them. The Casper test involves 3 general question types: situational, policy-based, and personal. Each question type is approached differently, so having a framework to fall back on can help supplement a more systematic thought process during the exam. For more detailed information, feel free to read our article on Casper testing strategies to best prepare yourself for both the written and video response sections.
5. Mindset
Last but not least, your mindset during the exam will be a big contributor to how much you will be able to type during the written response section. Even if you have put in the time to research test details, improve your typing speed, and brush up on the strategies to approach different question types, your performance will be impacted if you cannot stay calm during the exam. The time constraint can be very overwhelming, especially as you are able to watch the 5-minute timer count down on the screen during the entire exam. Therefore, try to use the time in between scenarios, as well as the 30-second reflection periods, to take a deep breath and calm your mind so that you can think logically and provide clear and comprehensive written responses.
Conclusion
The Casper test is a time-constrained, challenging assessment that requires proper preparation and practice. Even though you are not given much time during the written response portion for the exam, it is still possible to excel with the right answering strategies and adequate preparation. Aside from the other articles we have on the topic, feel free to try out CasperBooster for free Casper evaluations! You can sign up for free and complete any practice test, and you will be notified within 3-5 business days with a feedback evaluation only if your score falls within the 4th quartile. This would be the perfect way to gauge how much you are able to type in the given time, as well as how clearly you are able to express your ideas. Hopefully we provided some insight on figuring out how much to write in the written responses of the Casper test. Good luck!
