Casper (admissions test)

{{Short description|Admissions test used by the McMaster University Medical School}}

Casper (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, earlier CASPer or "CMSENS"){{Cite journal|last=Dore|first=Kelly|date=October 2009|title=Extending the interview to all medical school candidates--Computer-Based Multiple Sample Evaluation of Noncognitive Skills (CMSENS).|journal=Academic Medicine|volume=84|issue=10 Suppl|pages=S9–12|doi=10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181b3705a|pmid=19907396|doi-access=free}} is an admissions test developed by Harold Reiter{{Cite web |title=Harold Reiter - McMaster Experts |url=https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/reiterh |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=experts.mcmaster.ca}} and Kelly Dore.{{Cite web |title=Kelly Dore - McMaster Experts |url=https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/dore |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=experts.mcmaster.ca}} It was made for the McMaster University's Program for Educational Research and Development and has been used by McMaster University Medical School since 2010.{{cite news|title = Brains alone won't get you into McMaster medical school|url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/brains-alone-wont-get-you-into-mcmaster-medical-school/article1319478/|website = The Globe And Mail|publisher = The Globe And Mail|access-date = 21 August 2015}} The test is intended to examine an applicant's soft skills such as empathy. As of 2025, the test is used as part of the admissions process in 12 Canadian medical schools.

Braden MacBeth from Science-Based Medicine has criticized Casper for its lack of transparency. MacBeth believes that it should not be used in the admissions process.{{Cite web|last=MacBeth|first=Braden|date=2021-01-29|title=Ad-Conned: A Critical Look At CASPer|url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ad-conned-a-critical-look-at-casper/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129083048/https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ad-conned-a-critical-look-at-casper/ |archive-date=2021-01-29 |access-date=2021-01-29|website=Science-Based Medicine|language=en-US}} The studies used to promote the test are considered to be poor scholarship by other independent academics. Most of the research supporting Casper was authored by people affiliated with the company that produces it. People hired to grade the test are not required to have any qualifications.{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Erica |last2=Komnenic |first2=Ana |title=Shut out of medical school, he blames controversial admissions test which experts say lacks evidence |url=https://www.cbc.ca/1.7507308 |website=CBC News |access-date=15 April 2025 |date=April 14, 2023}}