Ep 41: Everything You Need To Know About CASPer

Mare (00:15)
Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of Nurses Doing GAMSAT. We are super excited. I’m joined here by Bhakti Sharma. She is our CASPer expert, interview expert—basically all things applications. Welcome!

Bhakti (00:32)
Thank you, so excited to be here again.

Mare (00:34)
Yeah, I was going to say again—it’s not like we don’t know you. We’ve even got our matching merch on. So if you can’t see the video, we’re repping some clips today. It’s very exciting. So today we’re going to talk about all things CASPer. I thought we’d keep it conversational—talk a bit about what CASPer is, and then if we have time at the end, maybe some tips and tricks you can actually use to start studying.

Bhakti (01:05)
Yeah, absolutely. Let’s do it.

Mare (01:09)
Amazing. So let’s start with the big question—what the hell is CASPer? What is it? Why do we have it?

Bhakti (01:20)
Great question. I’ve been getting that a lot. If you’ve been chatting to us on social media, I’m usually the one replying, and there are so many questions about CASPer. I actually love it—I think it’s fun. It’s basically a situational judgement test. That’s how it’s described on the Acuity website.

I like to think of it as an interview before the interview. It helps filter applicants before they get to the actual interview stage.

Mare (02:00)
I feel like there are going to be people who are a bit introverted—or maybe a bit anxious—who are going to freak out hearing that.

Bhakti (02:12)
Yeah, absolutely. And just to reassure those people—I’m pretty introverted as well, so I get it. But the key thing is, you’re not actually talking to anyone live. You record your responses and upload them. And with practice, you can build that skill of talking to a camera, even if it feels unnatural at first.

Mare (02:52)
Yeah, amazing. Because I feel like it’s similar to the GAMSAT—there are always two groups of people. Some love typing essays, some hate it. Same with CASPer—some love not having someone on the other side of the screen, others hate it.

Bhakti (03:07)
Exactly. And both perspectives are fair. But at the end of the day, the process is what it is. We just have to build the skills to perform within it. That adaptability is part of what makes a good doctor anyway.

Mare (03:46)
I love that. So why is CASPer important?

Bhakti (03:51)
If you’re applying to Notre Dame Sydney, Notre Dame Fremantle, or University of Wollongong, you need to sit CASPer. For Notre Dame, it’s worth 30% of your application—same as your GAMSAT and GPA. For Wollongong, it’s even bigger.

If you don’t perform well, even with a high GAMSAT and GPA, you might not get an interview. So it’s really important.

Mare (04:32)
I wish we could bold that. So many people spend six months on the GAMSAT and then just wing CASPer.

Bhakti (04:41)
I know! And that’s such a mistake. It’s just as important.

Mare (05:29)
So what are they actually testing?

Bhakti (05:58)
They’re testing communication, empathy, judgement, and interpersonal skills—basically how you handle real-world scenarios. Medicine is a human-centred profession, so they want to know: can you actually work with people?

Mare (06:53)
And honestly, this is where nurses and allied health professionals shine. You already use these skills every day.

Bhakti (08:06)
Exactly. Now in terms of format—CASPer is done online from home. You’ll need a proper computer, not a phone or iPad. You’ll get 11 questions total.

The first four are video responses. You watch a scenario or read a prompt, then record your answer—one minute per question.

Then you get a break, and move into the typed section. There are seven stations, with about three and a half minutes to answer multiple questions per scenario.

Mare (12:27)
That timing sounds tight.

Bhakti (12:33)
It is. And if you waffle, you’ll run out of time. That’s why structure is so important.

Mare (14:42)
Do they auto-correct spelling?

Bhakti (14:46)
No.

Mare (14:46)
Of course not.

Bhakti (14:56)
And the scenarios are tricky—ethical dilemmas, interpersonal conflicts. There’s no single right answer.

Mare (16:13)
So what are they really looking for?

Bhakti (16:24)
They’re not looking for the “right” answer—they’re looking at your reasoning. Can you consider multiple perspectives? Can you justify your decisions?

Mare (22:02)
I love that. It’s about perspective and empathy.

Bhakti (24:25)
Exactly. And honestly, CASPer is a great filter. You don’t want someone lacking empathy becoming a doctor.

Mare (27:04)
This is about who you become on the journey, not just passing a test.

Bhakti (29:11)
And these are skills you can learn. You don’t have to be an extrovert—you just need to communicate clearly.

Mare (31:10)
Tell me how CASPer fits into admissions.

Bhakti (31:10)
You sit it in the year you apply. You get a quartile score—fourth quartile is top 25%. Most successful applicants are in that range.

Mare (34:16)
So we don’t want first quartile.

Bhakti (34:16)
No, definitely not.

Mare (37:09)
And application strategy matters too—don’t just pick preferences randomly.

Bhakti (40:09)
Exactly. And coming back to preparation—frameworks are essential. You need a way to structure your answers so you cover all perspectives.

Mare (43:02)
And even using your hands to visualise structure can help you stay on track when you’re nervous.

Bhakti (47:12)
If there’s one takeaway—it’s that you need structure.

Mare (47:16)
Alright, quick prep tips?

Bhakti (47:16)
Do the official practice tests. Practice speaking to camera. Record yourself. Improve your typing speed. And most importantly—get feedback.

Mare (50:54)
And make sure it’s the right kind of feedback—focused on structure, not just opinions.

Bhakti (54:41)
Exactly. And if you’re stuck, reach out to us.

Mare (59:16)
Amazing. If this helped, let us know. Share it with a friend. And if CASPer Edge is right for you, check the links below.

Bhakti (1:00:00)
Thanks for listening!

Mare (1:00:00)
Bye for now!