How to use these practice questions
For each scenario:
- Read the prompt (60 seconds max).
- Identify the stakeholders, the values in tension, and the immediate vs. follow-up actions.
- Type your response with a 5-minute total timer covering all three sub-questions.
- Compare your answer structure (not wording) to the model outline.
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Category 1 — Ethical dilemmas (5 scenarios)
Scenario 1: The senior's shortcut
You're a medical student on rotation. Your senior tells you to skip the formal consent conversation with a patient because they're running late. The procedure is routine. The patient hasn't been told.
Model approach: name the conflict (efficiency vs. informed consent); recognise the patient's right; describe what you'd do in the moment (politely insist on consent); describe the follow-up (debrief with senior, escalate if pattern continues).
Scenario 2: The colleague with the missing log
A peer asks you to sign off as a witness on a procedure log they didn't actually perform. They say they did it last week with another senior.
Model approach: identify the falsification risk; recognise their stress isn't a reason; refuse politely; offer to help them resolve the actual missing entry through proper channels.
Scenario 3: The grateful patient
A patient you've been caring for offers you a substantial gift before discharge — perfume, a watch, a cheque.
Model approach: distinguish small tokens (sometimes acceptable) from substantial gifts (not); explain the professional-boundary rationale to the patient warmly; suggest charitable donation alternative.
Scenario 4: The whistleblower test
You witness a senior staff member taking medication that appears to be from the patient cabinet. You're not certain.
Model approach: acknowledge uncertainty; identify the duty (patient safety, drug-diversion risk); follow institutional protocol (talk to a trusted senior or compliance officer); avoid confrontation in the moment.
Scenario 5: The cultural clash
A patient's family insists you not disclose a terminal diagnosis to the patient, citing cultural beliefs. The patient is competent and has been asking direct questions.
Model approach: respect culture; uphold patient autonomy as primary; have a private conversation with the patient about how much they want to know; navigate the family conversation after.
Category 2 — Professional behaviour (5 scenarios)
Scenario 6: The viral post
A photo of you at a bar in scrubs goes viral on social media. The clinic's administration emails you.
Model approach: own the lapse without excuses; explain the boundary (scrubs identify you as healthcare); commit to the standard going forward; thank them for raising it.
Scenario 7: The missed deadline
You forget to submit an important coursework deadline. Your professor emails asking why.
Model approach: own it (no excuses, no blaming the system); explain what you'll do differently; ask for the consequence rather than the favour.
Scenario 8: The dressed-down rotation
On your first rotation, the senior tells you you're dressing too informally. Other students are dressed similarly.
Model approach: accept feedback; don't deflect to peers; ask for specific guidance; adjust immediately.
Scenario 9: The angry email
A faculty member sends you an email they later realise was sent in anger. The content was harsh and unfair.
Model approach: respond professionally — pause, draft, don't send same day; address content not tone; if pattern persists, escalate appropriately.
Scenario 10: The peer pressure
Classmates are pressuring you to attend a study group that conflicts with a clinical responsibility you committed to.
Model approach: hold the commitment; explain the priority briefly; offer to catch up the study material another time.
Category 3 — Communication (5 scenarios)
Scenario 11: Breaking difficult news
You need to tell a young parent that their child has a serious diagnosis.
Model approach: SPIKES protocol — Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotion, Strategy. Pace yourself, allow silence, avoid medical jargon.
Scenario 12: The non-English-speaking patient
You're seeing a patient with limited English. The interpreter is delayed.
Model approach: use clear simple language + visual cues; acknowledge limitation; only proceed with consent-critical conversation once interpreter is available.
Scenario 13: The over-talker
A patient consistently goes off-topic in your 15-minute consultations.
Model approach: redirect with empathy; structure the visit (set agenda upfront); offer follow-up appointment if needed for full discussion.
Scenario 14: The disagreement on a team round
You disagree with the consultant's management plan during a team round.
Model approach: raise it privately after rounds, not during; phrase as question not challenge; defer to seniority while voicing concern professionally.
Scenario 15: The complaint email
A patient sends a written complaint about your care.
Model approach: acknowledge receipt; investigate genuinely; respond formally with what happened, what changed, and an apology where warranted.
Category 4 — Teamwork (5 scenarios)
Scenario 16-20:
- 16: A team member is consistently late to morning rounds. — Address privately first; raise to team lead only if pattern continues.
- 17: A nursing colleague disagrees with your clinical decision in front of a patient. — Defer in moment, debrief privately, value their perspective.
- 18: Your study group has one member doing 70% of the work. — Address structurally — re-divide tasks transparently, not personally.
- 19: A junior colleague is struggling and asking you for too much help. — Help while teaching them to find resources independently.
- 20: Your team is split on a difficult decision and the leader is unavailable. — Document both options + risks; defer the decision; if urgent, choose the lower-risk path with rationale.
Category 5 — Problem-solving (5 scenarios)
- 21: The clinic's electronic health record crashes during a busy morning. — Triage paper documentation; communicate to patients; escalate to IT; defer non-urgent appointments.
- 22: You realise you've made a charting error on a patient's file from yesterday. — Disclose immediately; correct via formal amendment process; never alter retrospectively without documentation.
- 23: Two patients arrive simultaneously, both needing urgent attention. — Triage by clinical severity; delegate where possible; communicate ETAs honestly.
- 24: Your supervising attending is unavailable and a patient needs a decision. — Use clinical judgement within your scope; document reasoning; escalate to next senior available.
- 25: You're managing a complex case and realise mid-shift you've missed an important detail. — Stop, assess impact, disclose to team, correct course, document; never hide.
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Start practising free →Frequently asked questions
How many CASPer practice questions should I do?
Aim for 30-50 timed practice scenarios across all five competency categories. Quality matters more than quantity — practising with feedback (AI or peer) beats raw volume.
Are these real CASPer questions?
No. Real CASPer scenarios are confidential and rotate per sitting. The 25 above are realistic CASPer-style practice scenarios written specifically for prep, not the real test.
Can I share my CASPer practice answers?
Yes — for practice and feedback. But do not share or post real CASPer scenarios you've seen on the actual test. Acuity prohibits this and may invalidate your score.