2017-2018 CASPER Schools

[Overthink]

Last Updated: 06/24/2017
Required unless otherwise stated

Tulane (optional)
NYMC
Central Michigan
U Vermont Larner
U Illinois
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
East Tennessee State
Medical College of Wisconsin
West Virginia (optional)
Rosalind Franklin
Texas A&M
Florida Atlantic

Please add

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lawpy]

Already the medical admissions process is a long, difficult and expensive journey, and yet some schools think it's a good idea to add another hoop to jump through. It's hard enough to do well on academics and get a strong GPA/strong MCAT, but some schools think adding an arbitrary assessment test that requires more practice to do well is an amazing idea.

I get that admissions is a seller's market but this is taking things way too far and is basically exploiting applicants at this stage.

 

[Advisor Prep]

@Lawper the majority of complaints against practitioners are professional based, giving rise to rapid adoption of CASPer. However, the link between performing well on a test like CASPer and a reduction in professionalism complaints has yet to be established. The current research shows that behavioral tests like CASPer are susceptible to faking and coaching effects.

We definitely empathize with applicants because you are absolutely right: the process is long, costly and filled with many hoops!

 

[NotASerialKiller]

CASPer is not designed to be a pass/fail test like the MCAT, making it much more difficult in nature.

What an utterly ridiculous statement. No part of CASPer ("prepping" for it or taking it) is difficult at all, let alone anything close to the MCAT. I have no idea why you're allowed to post what is essentially a flat-out lie/sales pitch while linking a website that sells test prep crap. Yes, I saw that you mentioned a free test, conveniently on the same site as the rest of your products.

And yeah, I've taken CASPer and gotten interviews at schools that use it. I pray that no one wastes money on anything you offer for it.

 

[Bloohaze]

Already the medical admissions process is a long, difficult and expensive journey, and yet some schools think it's a good idea to add another hoop to jump through. It's hard enough to do well on academics and get a strong GPA/strong MCAT, but some schools think adding an arbitrary assessment test that requires more practice to do well is an amazing idea.

I get that admissions is a seller's market but this is taking things way too far and is basically exploiting applicants at this stage.

Personally, I actually really liked the test. Prep/actual test taking took less time for me than most of the secondaries. I felt that I got to show a different side of myself. It's probably not the case everywhere, but the schools I applied to that used CASPer had much easier secondaries to fill out.

 

[814965]

CASPer is such garbage...

 

[Advisor Prep]

What an utterly ridiculous statement. No part of CASPer ("prepping" for it or taking it) is difficult at all, let alone anything close to the MCAT. I have no idea why you're allowed to post what is essentially a flat-out lie/sales pitch while linking a website that sells test prep crap. Yes, I saw that you mentioned a free test, conveniently on the same site as the rest of your products.

And yeah, I've taken CASPer and gotten interviews at schools that use it. I pray that no one wastes money on anything you offer for it.

@NotASerialKiller Thank you for sharing your experience with the CASPer test. What evidence do you have to back up your claim that the test "is not difficult at all, let alone anything close to the MCAT?" Is this simply because you received interviews after completing CASPer? You may not be aware but many applicants received interviews because several US medical schools that used CASPer on a pilot basis in the previous cycle offered interview invites before CASPer scores were received due to a huge backlog in getting the scores out to programs. In Canada, where the test originated and has been used for almost 10 years, many, many, many applicants will gladly admit that the test is anything but easy. CASPer is weighed as MUCH as the MCAT. If it was not difficult at all as you claim, why would any school weigh it as much as a 6 hour test.

Do you know anything about how the CASPer test was designed? If you have evidence to the contrary, then please share, otherwise, please refrain from making accusations without providing evidence. We take false accusations very seriously.

If you have any concerns, please message us directly. Thank you.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

In Canada, where the test originated and has been used for almost 10 years, many, many, many applicants will gladly admit that the test is anything but easy.

I'm Canadian. I have never met a Canadian applicant who has said, "Wow that CASPer test sure was a doozey! I'm glad I spent so much time and money preparing for it!". If you are familiar with ethical scenarios that can come up in MMIs and you can type quickly, you're as ready for CASPer as you'll ever be.

But hey, why trust me when you can get advice from someone who sells CASPer prep books?

If it was not difficult at all as you claim, why would any school weigh it as much as a 6 hour test.

Bulletproof argument right there- schools use it therefore it's as hard as the MCAT.

We take false accusations very seriously.

That's a statement that you make when you have power over someone. You don't. Maybe you shouldn't vaguely and impotently threaten me, because I'm pretty sure SDN takes that seriously. Wouldn't want you to have to go elsewhere to turn anxious pre-meds into customers.

 

[blackroses]

CASPer is weighed as MUCH as the MCAT.

Speaking of backing things up, I'd love to see some backing to this claim at any of the US medical schools that utilize CASPer

 

[814965]

Speaking of backing things up, I'd love to see some backing to this claim at any of the US medical schools that utilize CASPer

That account is a shill account. Their goal is to sell you products and make money, not help you get accepted. Of course they'll say things like that.

 

[Lucca]

The objective of this thread is to compile a list and discuss the schools utilizing CASPer in the 2017-2018 application cycle. Posts containing inappropriate advertising will be deleted. Advertising is only permitted in the classifieds section of our forum.

 

[Medic741]

@NotASerialKiller Thank you for sharing your experience with the CASPer test. What evidence do you have to back up your claim that the test "is not difficult at all, let alone anything close to the MCAT?" Is this simply because you received interviews after completing CASPer? You may not be aware but many applicants received interviews because several US medical schools that used CASPer on a pilot basis in the previous cycle offered interview invites before CASPer scores were received due to a huge backlog in getting the scores out to programs. In Canada, where the test originated and has been used for almost 10 years, many, many, many applicants will gladly admit that the test is anything but easy. CASPer is weighed as MUCH as the MCAT. If it was not difficult at all as you claim, why would any school weigh it as much as a 6 hour test.

Do you know anything about how the CASPer test was designed? If you have evidence to the contrary, then please share, otherwise, please refrain from making accusations without providing evidence. We take false accusations very seriously.

If you have any concerns, please message us directly. Thank you.

Go away

 

[21Rush12]

@Advisor Prep
CASPer is nonsense, and it's unethical to use a metric that is never shared with the student. It's a screening device pre interview, and there's absolutely no way it is harder or more important than the MCAT. This is complete misinformation.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[coffeeandcodeine]

Posts like this are bad for APE's business. The language is aggressive, rude, and condescending. For as much as APE criticizes @NotASerialKiller for failing to present evidence, you would think they would present some non-anecdotal evidence of their own, but I certainly don't see any. APE might want to think twice before attacking a well-liked and respected member of the SDN community -- it certainly won't win them any customers. After reading something like this, I would go out of my way to turn someone away from using APE's services.

@NotASerialKiller Thank you for sharing your experience with the CASPer test. What evidence do you have to back up your claim that the test "is not difficult at all, let alone anything close to the MCAT?" Is this simply because you received interviews after completing CASPer? You may not be aware but many applicants received interviews because several US medical schools that used CASPer on a pilot basis in the previous cycle offered interview invites before CASPer scores were received due to a huge backlog in getting the scores out to programs. In Canada, where the test originated and has been used for almost 10 years, many, many, many applicants will gladly admit that the test is anything but easy. CASPer is weighed as MUCH as the MCAT. If it was not difficult at all as you claim, why would any school weigh it as much as a 6 hour test.

Do you know anything about how the CASPer test was designed? If you have evidence to the contrary, then please share, otherwise, please refrain from making accusations without providing evidence. We take false accusations very seriously.

If you have any concerns, please message us directly. Thank you.

 

[Dr.Kat]

whoa interesting Vermont added it this year!

 

[bearded frog]

Do you know anything about how the CASPer test was designed? If you have evidence to the contrary, then please share, otherwise, please refrain from making accusations without providing evidence. We take false accusations very seriously.

Hi, I recently got my MD from McMaster, where casper was developed. I was accepted to McMaster where casper was indeed weighted as much as the verbal section of the MCAT (they only look at verbal/cars). The only other school requiring casper when I applied was Ottawa, which does not disclose how casper is weighted. I again took casper for my residency applications and was accepted to a program which required it (although I think they did not consider the results as it was likely a pilot year). Additionally, I have been a casper marker for two cycles now, and am familiar with how it is scored.

Some will find the test easy, some will find it difficult. It evaluates a candidate differently than the MCAT, therefore it will vary in difficulty relative to the MCAT. I think that casper and interviews test the same things, and if you do well on casper you will do well on interviews and vise versa. Therefore, it is most effective as an interview screening tool, ie to screen out the candidates who would have been rejected in the interview process, and either a) reduce the number of candidates required to interview or b) give more opportunity for interviews to candidates most likely to succeed in the interview process. This is especially true in MMI format interviews, as the questions may be very similar. I have not seen any claim that it correlates with later professionalism, nor do I think that is a goal of the test.

All that being said, some students would benefit from a casper prep course, just as some would benifit from interview prep. In fact I think a standard MMI interview prep materials would serve a candidate equally well for casper prep.

 

[begoood95]

Wow, that's annoying. I'm now considering not applying to UVM because they require this test. Has anyone taken this before? What's it like?

 

[ScottTenorman54]

Wow, that's annoying. I'm now considering not applying to UVM because they require this test. Has anyone taken this before? What's it like?

Video pops up: Cindy and Judy, two middle school teachers, are arguing because Billy chews gum in class and Judy is okay with it, but then Billy walks to Cindy's class the next period still chewing his gum, and Cindy hates it! Cindy and Judy also have a complicated history in which Cindy's husband Carl is Judy's brother, and is also Billy's father from his bitter first marriage with Tina, the superintendent. Carl suddenly joins the discussion, and is a strong advocate that chewing gum can help reduce the risk of adult onset Autism.

Quick you're the principal what are you gonna do to resolve the issue and satisfy all parties and preserve Cindy and Carl's marriage you have two minutes go

edit: Oh, and that'll be $30. Debit or credit?

 

[Iz_FtB]

Video pops up: Cindy and Judy, two middle school teachers, are arguing because Billy chews gum in class and Judy is okay with it, but then Billy walks to Cindy's class the next period still chewing his gum, and Cindy hates it! Cindy and Judy also have a complicated history in which Cindy's husband Carl is Judy's brother, and is also Billy's father from his bitter first marriage with Tina, the superintendent. Carl suddenly joins the discussion, and is a strong advocate that chewing gum can help reduce the risk of adult onset Autism.

Quick you're the principal what are you gonna do to resolve the issue and satisfy all parties and preserve Cindy and Carl's marriage you have two minutes go

edit: Oh, and that'll be $30. Debit or credit?

This nonsense costs extra, on top of everything else? What a tremendous addition to a process which is apparently not yet tedious enough.

 

[814965]

Wow, that's annoying. I'm now considering not applying to UVM because they require this test. Has anyone taken this before? What's it like?

It's a test that's claimed to test your supposed ethical stances, but in reality you're just telling the schools what they want to hear. You watch videos and answer prompts based on them with a time limit and then somebody scores it (you never get to see your score). Complete and utter BS test and horrible way to gauge an applicant's fitness to be a physician, IMO.

 

[bearded frog]

It's an interview screening tool, I don't think it is meant to assess anything beyond what an MMI style interview would.

 

[Ramatronics]

Quick question regarding the CASPER. If you are applying to two Casper schools, you only have to go through it once, correct?

 

[Dr.Kat]

Quick question regarding the CASPER. If you are applying to two Casper schools, you only have to go through it once, correct?

correct. at the beginning, it asks you which schools you'd like to send it to and you click the ones you're applying to

 

[Ezra Redden]

Tulane
NYMC
Central Michigan
U Vermont
U Illinois
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
East Tennessee State

Please add

Medical College of Wisconsin

 

[Horse Apiece]

I'm glad I'm applying now before this bull gets more widespread. Poor applicants of tomorrow and all the hoops they will have to jump through.

 

[trimethylpurine]

I went to register for it today and Rosalind Franklin popped up as an option. Anyone know anything about it?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Ezra Redden]

I went to register for it today and Rosalind Franklin popped up as an option. Anyone know anything about it?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

This is true. I also saw Florida Atlantic University and West Virginia University.

 

[DrfluffyMD]

Wow, this sounds total bull. Glad I got in years ago.

 

[trimethylpurine]

I didn't see anything on Rosalind Franklins site regarding the test, but on MCW's website it said it was mandatory. I would imagine that schools would post on their admissions website if the test was required going forward.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[snakeinmyboot]

This is true. I also saw Florida Atlantic University and West Virginia University.

Optional at WVU

 

[drgomally]

Hi, I recently got my MD from McMaster, where casper was developed. I was accepted to McMaster where casper was indeed weighted as much as the verbal section of the MCAT (they only look at verbal/cars). The only other school requiring casper when I applied was Ottawa, which does not disclose how casper is weighted. I again took casper for my residency applications and was accepted to a program which required it (although I think they did not consider the results as it was likely a pilot year). Additionally, I have been a casper marker for two cycles now, and am familiar with how it is scored.

Some will find the test easy, some will find it difficult. It evaluates a candidate differently than the MCAT, therefore it will vary in difficulty relative to the MCAT. I think that casper and interviews test the same things, and if you do well on casper you will do well on interviews and vise versa. Therefore, it is most effective as an interview screening tool, ie to screen out the candidates who would have been rejected in the interview process, and either a) reduce the number of candidates required to interview or b) give more opportunity for interviews to candidates most likely to succeed in the interview process. This is especially true in MMI format interviews, as the questions may be very similar. I have not seen any claim that it correlates with later professionalism, nor do I think that is a goal of the test.

All that being said, some students would benefit from a casper prep course, just as some would benifit from interview prep. In fact I think a standard MMI interview prep materials would serve a candidate equally well for casper prep.

Do you know how Casper is scored and how one candidate is "ranked" against another? What type of response would be considered a satisfactory response?

 

[bearded frog]

Do you know how Casper is scored and how one candidate is "ranked" against another? What type of response would be considered a satisfactory response?

It's scored on a point scale. So if the scale was 5 then you would say this person got a 3 out of 5, this person got a 4 out of 5. And you do 50+ of the same prompt in a row so you're supposed to grade subjectively relative to other answers. I suspect that each prompt is graded by multiple scorers as well so there is some sort of averaging to get the final result. The final score is a number and each school uses that number differently. A good response would be the same as the answer to an MMI prompt. Graders get some basic information about each question and what kind of things that should be considered but its basically graded on gestalt.

 

[ambitiousMED]

When should we take Casper if we are applying this summer?

 

[Dr.Kat]

When should we take Casper if we are applying this summer?

you take it when you're responding to secondaries and prompted to do so. There's a list of schools you want to send the score to, and you just choose the ones you know you'll be sending a secondary to! I guess you could do it now...? seems premature, but do you, if you have the time or are worried about it. There are only certain dates: https://apetest.com/edu/2017-2018-casper-test-dates-us-medical-schools/

 

[kitkat13]

you take it when you're responding to secondaries and prompted to do so. There's a list of schools you want to send the score to, and you just choose the ones you know you'll be sending a secondary to! I guess you could do it now...? seems premature, but do you, if you have the time or are worried about it. There are only certain dates: https://apetest.com/edu/2017-2018-casper-test-dates-us-medical-schools/

How on earth do we prepare for this? This is the first time i am hearing about it 0_o

 

[Dr.Kat]

How on earth do we prepare for this? This is the first time i am hearing about it 0_o

don't prep! i just took it. it's MMI-type scenarios. they play a vid and give you a role in the video. you have a certain amount of time to respond via typing. just go with your gut without sounding like an idiot pretty much

 

[ambitiousMED]

don't prep! i just took it. it's MMI-type scenarios. they play a vid and give you a role in the video. you have a certain amount of time to respond via typing. just go with your gut without sounding like an idiot pretty much

When did you take it?

 

[Dr.Kat]

When did you take it?

i dont remember the exact date...sometime in july i believe

 

[drgomally]

i dont remember the exact date...sometime in july i believe

Do you think you did well and did you end up interviewing at the Casper schools?

 

[bluedeacon]

I took the Casper last year (I think July 2016) but will be re-applying for 2018. Do I have to retake Casper or is there a way to send new schools my results from last year? I have no idea how well I did, but I'd rather not waste the time/money on taking it again.

 

[ambitiousMED]

I took the Casper last year (I think July 2016) but will be re-applying for 2018. Do I have to retake Casper or is there a way to send new schools my results from last year? I have no idea how well I did, but I'd rather not waste the time/money on taking it again.

I just emailed Casper and they said you have to take it every year for the current app cycle.

 

[ambitiousMED]

i dont remember the exact date...sometime in july i believe

How long did it take you to get your results back?

 

[Dr.Kat]

How long did it take you to get your results back?

you dont get results back, the schools receive the score and you just pray you did well lol

Do you think you did well and did you end up interviewing at the Casper schools?

yeah, i was accepted to every school i did casper for (3)

 

[hopefulmd2018]

don't prep! i just took it. it's MMI-type scenarios. they play a vid and give you a role in the video. you have a certain amount of time to respond via typing. just go with your gut without sounding like an idiot pretty much

Yes, SDNers .... please take Dr. Kat's advice and DO NOT PREP for CASPer. Getting into medical school is already difficult as it is. We don't need more SDN members prepping and increasing the competition.

Please just take CASPer blindly as suggested so that it will be that much easier for those of us that have prepared for this test to get an interview !!!!

I wish more applicants had this mentality and just took the MCAT blindly too!

 

[drgomally]

you dont get results back, the schools receive the score and you just pray you did well lol

yeah, i was accepted to every school i did casper for (3)

Did you ran out of time on any of the questions?

 

[DubZteR]

Did you ran out of time on any of the questions?

Even with prior preparation, it is not uncommon for examinees to run out of time on some of the sections.

5 minutes per section goes by very fast.

 

[drgomally]

Even with prior preparation, it is not uncommon for examinees to run out of time on some of the sections.

5 minutes per section goes by very fast.

Since the school I'm applying to is requiring CASPER for the upcoming cycle, and they are using it as a screen tool, on top of that it's their FIRST TIME EVER using CASPER, from your experience what would be a competitive score on the CASPER to avoid being screened? Since I will be one of the first applicants complete, do they compare the scores within THEIR OWN POOL of applicants to determine a cutoff or do they have a predetermined cutoff in place? Does CASPER have a percentile like the MCAT? Thanks!

 

[ambitiousMED]

you dont get results back, the schools receive the score and you just pray you did well lol

I meant, how long did it take med schools to receive your Casper scores? Do they mark your app as incomplete until the scores are reported, like the MCAT?

Would you say July 26th date is too late to take the exam?

 

[Dr.Kat]

I meant, how long did it take med schools to receive your Casper scores? Do they mark your app as incomplete until the scores are reported, like the MCAT?

Would you say July 26th date is too late to take the exam?

nooooo if I recall correctly, that's around the time i took it. and i think it depends on the school if they let you when your casper scores are in on their portal. you can always call the admissions office and ask! takes a couple of weeks. and think of it this way: since there are only certain dates to take the test, everyone will be taking it at the same time as you and everyone's scores will be available for the schools at the same time as you, so that should ease your sense of eagerness and anxiety about being "late". you can't control when to take the test...you're taking it when it's available, how could you get dinged for that??

 

[Dr.Kat]

Did you ran out of time on any of the questions?

maybe one of them..? I got couple of sentences in and didn't complete my thought. i'm a scribe tho, so I'm a pretty fast typer.