Comprehensive Guide to the CASPer Test for Dental Program Admissions

Dental programs in the USA are always overwhelmed with the candidate inflow every year. Therefore, admission committees in certain programs take assistance through peripheral assessment tools to get/judge applicants. One such test to gauge people skills and to get a holistic perspective of the candidate’s persona is the CASPer test.

What is the Casper Test and Its Importance?

Casper is the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics. It is a test that some dental programs require as an obligation to select candidates who they find compassionate, ethical, empathetic, motivated, resilient, and with decent overall interpersonal skills to suit their program needs. It serves as a valuable indicator for selectors as to who they would prefer to interview since this assessment, along with other traditional and obligatory scoring criteria like the GPA, the INBDE (the INBDE is a pass/fail exam), the TOEFL, the Statement of Purpose, Letter of recommendation, and clinical experience, gives a more holistic perspective of the candidate to the selector. It tells them more about the backstage human skills responsible for the numbers and the scores.

CASPer Test Rules and Structure

The exam is an open-response situational judgment test. The test is an amalgamation of 12 scenario-based sections, of which 8 are video-based scenarios, and 4 are written scenarios. The order of the presentation is random and jumbled. Each scenario, after being played or displayed in written format in front of your screen, will be followed by a 30-second reflection period, after which you will be shown three open-ended questions. The candidates are given five minutes to type in suitable responses for all three questions. Once submitted, a candidate cannot go back to edit or delete their original responses or play the video again.

The entire test can last for 60-90 mins, with an optional 10-minute break given halfway through the test. Regarding the evaluation, the response to each scenario is rated by a different human rater who is a diverse group of people. A candidate should not fret too much about grammatical errors in their response as the test raters judge responses based on content. Once a test has been rated it is sent automatically to the programs selected by the candidate.

University Requirements

As of April 2023, the Casper test is a mandatory requirement for admission to several universities, including:

• Indiana University
• University of California San Francisco
• Temple University
• California Northstate University
• Case Western Reserve University
• University of Louisville
• University of Utah

However, some universities, such as Boston University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, offer the Casper test as an optional requirement for admission.

Preparation and Resources

To increase your score, BeMo's Ultimate Guide to CASPer® Test Prep is considered a comprehensive resource for preparation. Written by former CASPer test raters and admissions committee members, this guide includes strategies and sample questions. Key features included are:

• 17 proven strategies to prepare for and ace any CASPer test.
• 21 possible types of CASPer questions and how to successfully answer each type.
• 12 difficult sample scenarios with expert analysis and answers.
• A total of 108 sample CASPer questions and access to a sample online test.

As a professional, you are bound to encounter situations where you need to examine, assess, and finally decide on your course of action. Utilizing these resources helps candidates avoid coming to conclusions without considering all the possibilities or opportunities.