How to Prepare for the Casper Test

The Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (Casper) test is an online test where you are presented with various scenarios or prompts, and must respond to them in the form of a timed text or video recording response. The Casper is required by many professional schools for their admissions process, including various optometry, dentistry, physician’s assistant, physiotherapy, and medical schools. You can choose to do the test anywhere you want, and you will be either be monitored by your computer webcam during your typed responses, or recording yourself through your webcam to submit a response.

The purpose of the Casper test is to measure your situational judgment and critical thinking, while evaluating your personal characteristics (professionalism, ethics, critical thinking, communication skills, and personal empathy). The test itself spans about 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours, and it includes 2 main sections – one for typed text responses and one for video recording responses. Due to the length and extent of the exam, how you prepare for it will affect your performance and chances of getting into your dream school. In this article, we will discuss 10 ways to prepare for the Casper test.

1. Check your Tech

Before you start studying, make sure you have all of the right equipment to take the test itself. This includes a desktop or laptop computer with a front-facing camera, headphones or earphones with a microphone that will pick up your voice clearly, and a reliable internet connection. On the Casper website, you can also run their system requirements check to prevent any potential technical issues on your exam day.

2. Typing Speed

The first entire section of the Casper test is word-based, where the test-taker must type out text responses to three questions after being presented with a prompt or scenario. This section can be quite time-constraining due to the 5-minute time limit to answer all three questions for each scenario. If you are not super confident in your critical thinking and typing abilities, it would be a good idea to increase your rate of “words per minute” by using some typing-speed practice tests that can be found online, or to try timing yourself when doing any practice sets. You want to make sure that you can type both fast and accurately so you can answer the questions to the best of your ability.

3. Practice Sets

Besides typing speed, practice sets are very important. The Casper website has a full-length practice test that you can take as many times as you want, including both the typed and video response portions. We would highly recommend that you give this a go, because it is the most accurate representation of what you will be seeing on your test day. This means it will give you can idea of the type of questions to expect and how to best prepare for it.

4. Practice using CasperBooster AI

CasperBooster AI is a revolutionary study tool that lets you practice Casper questions and get instant feedback evaluations! What does this mean?

• No wait times for feedback
• Instantly learn how to improve your responses while it’s fresh
• Learn where your performance stands in real-time
• Reduce your prep time for the Casper exam

To help the community, we are making it completely free to use for everyone. Please kindly note that this AI is currently in the beta-testing phase and therefore may not be flawless. However, we are committed to enhancing its performance based on the feedback you provide us.

5. More Practice

To be fully prepared for the Casper test, doing one practice test is definitely not enough. There are many practice questions you can find online, and you can organize the questions into “practice tests” for yourself to do in a timed setting. This way, not only can you get more practice on analyzing situations on the spot and figuring out how to best approach and answer different questions, but the timed setting will also help with improving your critical thinking and typing speed.

As for the video-based portion of the Casper test, you can also get extra practice by using the recording function of the practice test on the Casper website. This will help you familiarize yourself with the testing platform, while you can also record yourself multiple times with various prompts to watch yourself back and see how you express yourself virtually. Even more, you can show your family or friends these recorded responses to get their first impressions on how you come across through video, provide any feedback and see if you can improve in any way. Outside of the practice test, you can also use applications on your computer (Photobooth for MAC users and Camera for PC users) to record yourself responding to more practice prompts, in case you want the extra practice.

6. Be Informed

Read up on current events and topics surrounding healthcare ethics. The Casper test does not necessarily test on topics relevant to the specific field you are applying for, so make sure to be well-informed on ethical issues surrounding healthcare workers and cultural sensitivity. If a scenario comes up on the exam about a newly-implemented policy or recent controversial topic, the last thing you want is to blank out on your response because you have no idea about the current event.

7. Set Up your Environment

During the Casper test, and especially during the video-based portion, make sure your environment is set up. This means ensuring that you and your surroundings are well-lit, you are sitting centred on the screen with a white or neutral background, and there are minimal background noises or distractions. A quiet room in your home would be a good place to take the test, but you could also book a private study room in a café or library if preferred. If you are planning to do the Casper test at home, be sure to give your family members a heads up to keep any sounds to a minimum during the duration of your test.

8. Dress to Impress

On the day of your exam, remember to dress to impress, but also dress comfortably. Although the Casper test is not a formal interview with a live interviewer, you will be recording yourself for the video-based responses and you will still be recorded by your webcam as you complete your typed responses. This means raters will be able to see you when they review your test and you want to look presentable – for instance, a simple top or a business casual outfit would be a good idea. However, you also want to be comfortable while you take the test, so use your best judgement.

9. Be Professional

After being presented with the scenario or prompt, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before typing or verbally answering the question presented. For the video-based responses in particular, remember to make “eye contact” by looking at the camera instead of down at your screen. Also, make sure to speak in a calm, concise manner – speaking slower is better than speaking too fast and tripping over your own words. Treat this portion of the exam like a real interview – try to refrain from fidgeting and touching your hair or face too much, maintain good posture when sitting in your seat, and use hand gestures if needed to emphasize certain points. Keep in mind that you will not be able to re-watch nor re-record your video response for each question. If you feel like your answer did not go as smoothly as you wanted, try to relax, smile, and take a few seconds to breathe before taking on the next question.

10. Refresh your Memory

While doing practice tests and catching up on current events for the exam, also be sure to review your own professional school application – this involves your personal statement and any supplementary essays if applicable. This way, you will be ready to potentially discuss any important events or personal achievements in your typed or video responses that may have shaped your career path, passion for the field that you are pursuing, or any other life goals down the road.

11. Show your Gratitude

Just like a normal interview with an interviewer, someone will be watching and rating your submissions on the other side of your video-based responses. If time allows, be sure to thank the listener at the end of your recording to show your appreciation for their time.

Conclusion

As you can see, the Casper test is a challenging exam that requires skills like critical thinking, communication and professionalism. Make sure to take the time to properly prepare for the exam, and do your research to gain some insight on how your exam day will go. If you need some more information, feel free to read out article on What to Expect on Casper Test Day. Having gone through the preparation process and taking the Casper test myself, I hope these 10 tips will help provide insight on how to best approach and prepare for the exam. All that’s left to do now is set up a plan, follow through with it, and get into your dream school. Good luck!