All applicants to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University will be required to complete a 90 minute computer-based test, called CASPer, as part of the selection process.

CASPer, the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics, is a web-based assessment of interpersonal skills and decision-making, to be completed at a computer.  Successful completion of CASPer is required to maintain applicant eligibility.

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To see a demonstration of the CASPer system, please click here.

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Why CASPer?

Compared to the Autobiographical Submission, CASPer is significantly more reliable, predicts much more validly for subsequent performance, and requires less applicant time.

Registering for CASPer

Upon applying via OMSAS to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University, you are automatically registered for CASPer.

CASPer steps:

Step 1 - Choosing your time to take CASPer

CASPer will be offered on two dates in late October 2012 (dates TBA) and there will be several time slots on each day.   You will be required to register for one date and one time slot. For more information please refer to: http://casperWorld.ca Only 2012/13 McMaster MD applicants who have submitted an application via OMSAS are eligible to complete CASPer.

Step 2 - Your computer system pre-test

Prior to your CASPer test, you will be required to run a pre-test of your computer system to ensure that it meets system requirements to successfully run CASPer.  CASPer is designed to run on very modest system requirements.  For some, the pre-test will indicate requirement for downloads, and directions to those downloads, or rarely, directions for obtaining further support. Successful completion of the pre-test is required to maintain eligibility.

Step 3 - Completing CASPer

You must log onto CASPer at your chosen date and time slot.  You will not be able to log on at any other time.  There are twelve sections to CASPer, each section requiring short-answer responses to two or three questions.  Eight of the twelve sections are prompted by situational challenges arising in video-clips lasting roughly one minute in length; the other four are prompted by self-descriptive questions.  A total of five minutes per section are provided for your typed response.  A break of up to 15 minutes is allowed midway through CASPer.  After the 12th and final section, all applicants are required to complete an exit survey.  The total time on task is approximately 90 minutes.

CASPer Results

As agreed upon provincially, feedback and scores of admissions assessments are not provided.

CASPer Test Security

Video-clips and prompting questions may change from date to date and from time slot to time slot.  Typing signatures from applicant responses may be recorded.  Subsequently interviewed applicants may be required to type short-answer responses to questions, for signature comparison.  Research has demonstrated that working in tandem with others does not improve average CASPer scores.

CASPer as Innovation

CASPer is the result of seven years of work at McMaster University, supported by funding from the Medical Council of Canada, the National Board of Medical Examiners in the United States, and the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.  CASPer has been tested extensively to ensure successful implementation.  However, as with all things computer and internet related, several back-up plans are in place. In the unlikely event of catastrophic technological failure, all applicants would instead respond to a set of personal descriptor questions conducted online. The details of that back-up system would be provided to applicants under those unlikely circumstances.