CASPer Preparation Specialists
Who Sits the CASPer Test PA School?
This CASPer must be sat by anyone applying to a Physician Assistant program at a range of schools in the US, or one school in Canada, the University of Manitoba. If you are applying to Manitoba, you must sit the CSP-10201 CASPer: Canadian Professional Health Sciences. If you are applying to any of the following list of schools in the US, you must sit the CSP 10101 CASPer: US Professional Health Sciences.
List of US Physician Assistant schools that require CASPer:
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Key Features
The CASPer Test Physician Associate is shared with applicants to various other healthcare fields, and you therefore should expect it to be a rounded test that does not require any specialist knowledge. Your test will differ depending on whether you are applying to a program in the US or Canada.
The people that are responsible for marking the CASPer are known as ‘raters’ and your raters will be a demographically accurate portrayal of the country that you are applying within – i.e. if you are applying to a US school the raters will be a mix of people from across the US, who should be a fair representation of the patients you will one day be expected to treat. Your raters will not be majority healthcare professionals – although all should have an interest in healthcare and education – so do not expect to have to use or understand any healthcare terminology.
You should expect your CASPer exam to feature each of the ten core competencies in an equal amount – i.e. it will not focus on one particular area over another. These core competencies are collaboration, communication, empathy, equity, ethics, motivation, problem solving, professionalism, resilience and self awareness. They were developed, as was the CASPer test itself, by a team at McMaster University who sought to use the CASPer initially as an adjunct to their admissions process when choosing medical students. Since then the test has gone on to be used by dozens of different types of healthcare programs at universities around the world.
Core Components
The CASPer exam for Physician Associate applicants will feature the core CASPer test, and may also use Snapshot, depending on the school that you are applying to. The total exam takes 100-120 minutes, depending on whether you take breaks, with there being an optional 10 minute break between sections and a 5 minute break halfway through the first section. Snapshot will add to this, if it is used.
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The core CASPer exam consists of 15 scenarios, each of which is realistic and ‘real world.’ The vast majority will not be healthcare based. None will require any specialist knowledge of healthcare. There will be ten video scenarios and five text scenarios for you to answer, and each scenario has three questions stemming from it. These scenarios are broken down into two sections – the first section, of nine questions, requires that you write your answers. You have five minutes per prompt, in which you must write answers to three questions. The second section requires you to record yourself giving answers via your webcam. You will be given six scenarios, of which two are text based and four are video based. Each scenario again features three questions, but you must record your answer to each question within one minute before moving onto the next. You will have 10 seconds to read the question, as well as a 30 second break between questions.
Snapshot is a new feature from CASPer and will pose you three short video interview questions which you must answer. We recommend that you practice beforehand using CASPer’s practice questions on their site.
Preparation for the CASPer Test for Physician Associate School
Your preparation for this exam should follow the general guidance we provide at BlackStone Tutors, as it is a typical CASPer exam. Therefore, ensure that you have two months in which to prepare – we recommend that you sit the exam towards the end of the summer break. Begin your preparation by looking over the test’s format and aims, in order to familiarise yourself. If you understand the test’s purpose you will be more able to succeed. The combine practice questions with model answers to incrementally improve throughout the two months. At BlackStone Tutors we have more than 150 scenarios available, as well as a range of free resources. Make sure to keep to the time limit throughout your practice sessions. Make sure to record yourself answering some questions and seek objective feedback from others on your answers as well, to practise for section 2. Use the CASPer sample exam toward the end of your revision.Â
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