Practice workbook
CASPer Scenarios Involving Friends: 5 Loyalty Dilemmas Answered
CASPer scenarios involving friends test what you do when loyalty pulls one way and doing the right thing pulls another: a friend who wants to drive after drinking, asks to copy your work, shares a worrying secret or does something dishonest. Strong answers take the friendship seriously, talk to the friend first, and explain clearly where your loyalty stops, usually at safety and harm to others. Below are five original practice dilemmas with weak and stronger sample answers.
What CASPer friend scenarios test
Situations with friends are realistic for almost every applicant, and they create genuine tension. Acuity's About Casper page lists skills such as ethics, fairness, empathy and communication among those CASPer lets you demonstrate. A friend dilemma tests all four at once: can you hold a standard, treat others fairly, understand your friend's situation and say something difficult kindly?
There is rarely one correct answer. Acuity's scoring explanation says raters focus on the substance of your response, meaning your thought process and judgment. Two applicants can reach different decisions and both score well if their reasoning is clear and considers everyone involved. For more on integrity specifically, see our CASPer honesty questions.
The loyalty ladder: a way to structure your answer
Most friend dilemmas can be answered by working up a ladder, stopping at the lowest step that solves the problem:
- Understand. Ask what is going on. There may be a reason, such as money, stress or a misunderstanding.
- Be honest. Tell your friend directly what concerns you and why.
- Offer help. Suggest a better option that addresses their real problem.
- Give them a chance to fix it. Let them return the item, tell the truth or contact the instructor themselves.
- Involve others. If they refuse and someone could be harmed, tell the person who needs to know.
- Act immediately. If there is a risk to life or safety, skip the earlier steps.
Naming the step where you would stop, and why, is what turns a vague answer into a strong one. The same structure helps with conflict resolution and confidentiality scenarios.
1. A friend wants to drive after drinking
Original practice prompt
At the end of a party, your close friend, who has had several drinks, grabs their car keys and says they are fine to drive home. They are annoyed when you hesitate and say you are overreacting.
- What would you do? Explain your reasoning.
- Imagine your friend gets angry, says you are embarrassing them and walks toward the car anyway. How, if at all, would this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 1. a friend wants to drive after drinking
A response to improve
I would tell them it is a bad idea, but in the end it is their decision and I cannot control what an adult does.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would not let it go, because driving after drinking could kill my friend or someone else, and that outweighs the awkwardness. I would keep my tone calm and practical rather than lecturing, and offer real alternatives: I could drive them if I have not been drinking, call a taxi or rideshare, or ask whether they can stay over. I would make it easy to say yes, for example by offering to bring them back for the car in the morning. I would also ask a mutual friend to back me up, because people listen more when it is not just one voice.
Question 2: Their anger would not change my decision, because the risk is the same. I would keep trying to take the keys or block the decision with help from others, and if they still got into the car, I would call the police, because preventing a crash matters more than the friendship being strained. Afterwards I would talk to them when they are sober and explain that I did it because I care about them.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The strong answer recognises that this is about safety, not personal choice, and makes the safe option easy. It is willing to strain the friendship to prevent serious harm, while still showing care.
Change one fact: Your friend lives a five-minute drive away on quiet roads. Does that change anything?
2. A friend asks to copy your assignment
Original practice prompt
A close friend in your course has fallen behind because of a family situation. The night before a graded assignment is due, they ask whether they can look at yours 'just for ideas'. The course has a clear academic integrity policy.
- How would you respond?
- Imagine you later find that your friend submitted work almost identical to yours. What would you do?
Compare sample answers for 2. a friend asks to copy your assignment
A response to improve
I would send it to them because friends help each other, and they are going through a lot right now.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would want to help, but sharing my work could get us both accused of academic misconduct and would not help them learn the material. I would tell them honestly why I am saying no, and offer real help instead: explaining the concepts tonight, reviewing their outline or helping them write a short message to the instructor asking for an extension because of the family situation. Many instructors grant extensions for that kind of reason if they are asked early.
Question 2: I would speak to my friend first, because they may not realise how similar the work is or how serious the risk is. I would encourage them to contact the instructor themselves before it is discovered. If the instructor asks me, I would be honest about what happened, because lying would make it worse for both of us. I would also think about how my own work ended up with them, in case I shared it without realising, and be careful in the future.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The sample takes the friend's hardship seriously and offers help that does not involve cheating. It names the integrity risk without moralising and gives the friend the chance to fix things themselves first.
Change one fact: Your friend says the instructor refused an extension and failing this assignment means failing the course. What now?
3. A friend asks you to keep a secret
Original practice prompt
A friend messages you late at night saying they have been feeling hopeless for weeks, are not sleeping, and are 'tired of everything'. They ask you not to tell anyone, especially their parents.
- What would you do, and why?
- Imagine your friend says something that makes you think they may be planning to hurt themselves. How, if at all, would this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 3. a friend asks you to keep a secret
A response to improve
I would respect their wishes and keep it secret, because they trusted me and telling anyone would break that trust.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would thank them for telling me and take it seriously. I would ask how they are doing right now and listen without judging or trying to fix everything. I would explain that I care about them and that this sounds like more than one person can help with, then encourage them to talk to a doctor, counsellor or campus mental health service, and offer to help them book it or go with them. I would respect their wish not to tell their parents for now, unless I became worried about their immediate safety.
Question 2: Then their safety comes before the secret. I would stay with them or keep them on the phone, ask directly whether they are thinking of hurting themselves and, if so, contact emergency services or a crisis line, or get a trusted adult involved straight away. I would tell my friend honestly that I am doing this because I want them to be safe. I would accept that they might be upset with me, because a friendship can recover from that.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The strong answer listens first, encourages professional help and respects privacy up to the point where safety is at risk. The follow-up makes the limit of confidentiality clear: a risk to life overrides a promise.
Change one fact: Your friend is a classmate in a health program, and they say they are worried that seeking help will affect their career. How would you respond?
4. You see a friend's partner cheating
Original practice prompt
While out with other friends, you see your close friend's long-term partner on what looks like a date with someone else. They see you and later message you asking you not to say anything because 'it's complicated'.
- What would you do?
- Imagine your friend has recently told you they are planning to propose. How, if at all, does this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 4. you see a friend's partner cheating
A response to improve
I would immediately tell my friend everything I saw, because they deserve to know and the partner is clearly a cheater.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would be careful not to assume the worst from one sighting, because there could be context I do not know. I would reply to the partner that I am not comfortable keeping secrets from my friend and that they should talk to my friend honestly themselves, soon. I would give them a short time to do that. If they did not, I would tell my friend what I saw, sticking to facts rather than conclusions, because my loyalty is to my friend, and they have a right to make decisions about their own relationship with accurate information.
Question 2: That raises the stakes and the urgency, because my friend is about to make a major decision based on information that may be incomplete. I would tell the partner that this cannot wait, and if they did not speak to my friend quickly, I would tell my friend myself before the proposal. I would choose a private moment and be gentle, because it could be very painful to hear.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The sample avoids jumping to conclusions, gives the partner a chance to be honest and keeps loyalty with the friend. It handles the news with care and respects the friend's right to decide.
Change one fact: You find out your friend and their partner have an agreement that allows dating other people. What would you do?
5. A friend shoplifts
Original practice prompt
While shopping with a friend at a large chain store, you see them slip a small item into their bag without paying. When you mention it outside, they laugh and say big stores do not even notice.
- What would you say or do?
- Imagine you later learn that a cashier at the store was disciplined for missing stock on their shift. How, if at all, would this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 5. a friend shoplifts
A response to improve
I would not say anything else. It is a small item and a huge company, so it does not really hurt anyone.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would tell my friend directly that I am not comfortable with it, and that I would rather they go back and pay or return it. I would explain that it is still stealing, and that if they had been caught, I could have been involved too. I would try to understand why they did it, in case they are short of money, and offer to help if so. I would not report them to the store without first giving them a chance to fix it, because talking to them is more likely to change their behaviour.
Question 2: That shows the theft does have a real cost, falling on a worker who did nothing wrong. I would tell my friend about it and push more firmly for them to return or pay for the item and, if possible, make sure the store knows the cashier was not responsible. If they refused, I would think seriously about telling the store myself, because an innocent person is being harmed.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The sample is honest with the friend without abandoning them, looks for the reason behind the behaviour and recognises who is affected. The follow-up removes the 'victimless' excuse, and the strong answer adjusts.
Change one fact: Your friend says they took it because they cannot afford basic items this month. How do you respond?
Review your friend-scenario answers
Answer each scenario in 3.5 minutes, the typed time in Acuity's format guide. Then check:
- Did I treat the friendship as something that matters?
- Did I ask why my friend acted that way before judging them?
- Did I say what I would do if my friend refused?
- Did I identify any innocent third party who could be harmed?
- Did I act immediately where there was a safety risk?
- Did I offer help with the real problem, not only a refusal?
Two common weak patterns are “it is their choice” when safety is at stake and “report them immediately” when a conversation would work. If you notice either in your drafts, rework the answer using the ladder. Our follow-up questions guide explains how to adjust when the second question changes a fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always choose doing the right thing over my friend?+
You do not need to choose one completely. Strong answers take the friendship seriously, talk to the friend first and offer help, but are clear that safety and harm to others come before loyalty.
Is it bad to say I would report my friend?+
Not if you explain why and when. Reporting straight away can look harsh if a conversation could solve the problem. Reporting after your friend refuses to fix a serious issue, or immediately when someone's safety is at risk, is usually well reasoned.
What if my friend asks me to keep a secret?+
Respect their privacy where you can, encourage them to get proper help and be honest that you would break the promise if their safety or someone else's was at risk.
Are there right answers to CASPer friend scenarios?+
Acuity says raters assess the substance of your response, including your thought process and judgment. Different decisions can score well if the reasoning is clear and considers everyone affected.
Sources and scope
Checked October 23, 2026 against Acuity's About Casper page, scoring explanation and format guide. All scenarios and sample answers are original CasperCoach editorial material, not official CASPer content or rated responses. If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis line. CasperCoach is independent of Acuity Insights.