CASPer® Test Mandatory for Nursing and Residency Programs

January 25, 2020

The CASPer® test

CASPer® Test Mandatory for Nursing and Residency Programs

The CASPer® test, or in full, the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics is an online tool for assessment of personal characteristics. It was originally introduced by McMaster’s medical school as part of their admission process. Fast forward to today and most CASPer® test have adopted the CASPer® test as a mandatory part of the admission to their nursing and residency programs.

The following nursing programs require the CASPer® test for medical school as part of their admission requirements:

• McMaster University Nursing Education Program
• Conestoga College
• Mohawk College
• Internationally Educated Nursing and Second Entry Nursing programs at York University

Also, there are a number of medical residency programs at the University of Saskatchewan that require you to have passed the CASPer® test.

If you’re hoping to get admitted into a nursing or residency program that requires you to pass the CASPer® test, you must be wondering what you can do to increase your chances of passing. The first thing you need to understand is that the CASPer® test does not place too much premium on your medical knowledge. Rather, it aims to measure how reasonably and ethically you are able to respond to various medical scenarios that will inevitably arise in the course of your practice.

In matters of assessment, students are usually worried about the objectivity of assessors, after all human is to bias. The good news is that all CASPer® assessors must undergo training and orientation before they are allowed to grade any tests. What’s more, a total of 12 assessors go through each applicant’s test. This is to increase observer reliability since the test will have gone through twelve distinct eyes before a final grade is given.

Usually, a CASPer® question will have different scenarios depicted, even though at face value one might not immediately notice. The deeper you can dig when responding to the question, the better your chances of scoring a good grade. Assessors are trained to apply certain criteria when it comes to scoring your responses. If you can demonstrate understanding and insights into the scenarios being depicted, you are closer to getting 9 on that response. 9 is the highest score that you can get on each response, while 1 is the lowest.

In order to be well prepared for the CASPer® test, it is important to be well-versed with current events in the medical world. Research on court rulings involving medical cases that have taken place in the recent past, and acquaint yourself with the different dimensions that were considered before such rulings were made. It is highly important that you walk into the test armed with knowledge of how real life medical cases work. It is one thing to be well-versed in textbook medicine and another to understand how this is applied in real life. And this is something that CASPer® test is very keen to test-the application of medical knowledge to unique scenarios.

And for consolation, keep in mind that the great medical terms that you might come across in the CASPer® test are usually meant to ruffle you a bit. Don’t panic just because you forgot what that long confusing term means. Think through the question and offer a reasonable response that will be in the best interest of your potential patient.