Part II: The Method · Chapter 6
The big idea: Casper recycles a few question shapes. Recognize the shape, then aim the same DECIDE method at it.
Carry it into the test as: Read what the question actually asks before you answer it. Then run DECIDE.
Each scenario comes with two questions. In the typed section you see both at once; in the video section they come one at a time. The questions are not random: they fall into a few recurring shapes, and each wants a slightly different emphasis from the DECIDE method. Knowing the shapes means you spend your seconds answering, not decoding.
1. The action question. “What would you do? How would you respond?” This is the most common shape, and it wants the full DECIDE method: name the dilemma, weigh perspectives, decide and justify, handle consequences. Most of this book’s examples are action questions.
2. The considerations question. “What factors should this person consider? Who is affected here? What are the issues at play?” This shape does not always ask for your decision; it asks for your analysis. Lean on the first half of DECIDE: lay out the stakeholders, the competing perspectives, and the principles in tension. You can still end with what should guide the decision, but breadth of considerations matters most here.
3. The opinion or ethics question. “Do you agree with what the person did? Is it ever acceptable to do X? Was this fair?” The trap here is one-sidedness and preaching. Acknowledge the strongest version of more than one view, then take a clear, balanced position and justify it on a principle. “It depends” is fine, as long as you say what it depends on and then commit.
4. The personal-experience question. “Describe a time you faced a conflict. Have you ever had to give someone difficult feedback?” This shape is about you, and it wants a brief, specific story plus reflection. Give a short, real example (what the situation was, what you did), then reflect: what you learned, or what you would do differently. Honesty and self-awareness score here; a vague or suspiciously flawless story does not.
5. The professional-role question. “As a future nurse, how would you handle this patient?” This is an action question wearing a uniform. Run DECIDE, but let professional duties guide the principles: people’s safety and welfare first, confidentiality, honesty, staying within your role, and getting help when something is beyond you. You still need no clinical knowledge; you need good judgment applied to a professional setting.
Within a scenario, the two questions are rarely the same shape twice. A common pattern is an action question followed by a twist: “What would you do?” then “What if you later learned the person had lied to you?” or “Have you been in a situation like this yourself?” Read both before you start the typed section’s clock, so you do not pour all 3.5 minutes into the first and leave the twist unanswered. Both questions feed the same scenario’s single rating, so both deserve a complete answer.
| Question shape | Emphasis | One-line aim |
|---|---|---|
| Action (“what would you do?”) | Full DECIDE | Decide and justify, then handle the fallout |
| Considerations (“what should they weigh?”) | Define and Examine | Lay out stakeholders, perspectives, principles |
| Opinion or ethics (“do you agree?”) | Perspectives then Choose | Balance more than one view, then commit on a principle |
| Personal experience (“describe a time”) | Brief story plus reflection | Be specific and honest; show what you learned |
| Professional role (“as a future clinician”) | DECIDE with duty | Safety, honesty, scope, and getting help |
