Non-trad, average MCAT, 3.8 GPA, 1st quartile CASPER and will be attending a school that requires it.
Personally, I think it's one of the most catastrophically poor tests I've ever taken. Given the subjective and complex nature of the questions themselves I don't see how it has the capability to test for any of the stated characteristics outside of a very narrow range of responses. Rather, it seems that it tests how well the student has memorized and implemented an algorithm for responding that best matches the system. In order to remain "impartial" and scientifically valid, the scoring model would have to establish a clearly defined set of acceptable responses, which I would wager includes specific keywords or phrases, especially since there are potentially so many different people responsible for grading the tests. Of course, they don't tell us the methodology they use to grade, so there is no way to know if our scores are either entirely subjective (which given the extremely regimented psychological underpinnings they imply seems unlikely) or it is in fact so rigid that if you don't say a specific phrase or keyword you are penalized despite giving a potentially excellent response that a seasoned admissions committee member would appreciate.
It reminded me of the MMI format used during several of my interviews. The same types of questions were asked and I responded the same way I did to the CASPER questions yet I performed well enough that my 1st quartile CAPER score didn't disqualify me. In fact, I was accepted to three schools, two of which used MMI formats that mirrored the CASPER and SJT.
There seems to be a push to rigorously quantify a set of inherently subjective qualities that most people agree makes good physicians. But by creating these strange algorithmic personality tests you end up losing all of the nonverbal elements of communication or creativity that you can't quantify so easily that make up a large part of more traditional interviews that are being done away with. How do you quantify charisma, confidence, empathy, or even basic communication skills without relying on the subjective opinions of the graders?
I don't feel confident this will serve future applicants well. It will only reward more neuroticism. The process is already onerous enough...I don't believe that weeding out potentially great physicians because they didn't say the correct phrase on an answer key despite giving a creative, well-considered response is the right direction. Then again I'm not a psychologist, so maybe I'm entirely out of my depth and complaining to nobody. Or perhaps I just didn't type fast enough. There's no way for me to know.
