Practice workbook
CASPer Workplace Scenarios: Boss, Coworker and Customer
CASPer workplace scenarios put you in an ordinary job, such as a store, restaurant, office or volunteer role, and ask how you would handle a customer, a coworker or a manager. They are some of the most common situations on the test because almost every applicant can relate to them. Strong answers weigh the rules against the people involved, check what you do not know, and choose a fair action you can explain. Below are five original practice scenarios with weak and stronger sample answers.
Why workplace scenarios are so common on CASPer
CASPer is designed to be fair to applicants from very different backgrounds, so its scenarios use situations most people understand without specialist knowledge. Jobs, volunteering and group work fit that perfectly. Acuity's About Casper page, checked October 23, 2026, shows sample scenarios in this style: one asks you, as a store manager, whether to give a customer a refund and how you would explain a refusal; another involves a volunteer coordinator who rewards one volunteer and not another.
Those samples show the typical two-question pattern. The first question asks for your decision and reasoning. The second asks how you would communicate it, or adds a new fact and asks whether your answer changes. Our guide to CASPer follow-up questions covers that second question in depth.
Raters are not looking for a single right decision. Acuity's scoring explanation says they judge the substance of your response, and its quartile article says higher-quartile applicants may consider all perspectives meaningfully. In a workplace dilemma, that usually means the customer or coworker, your employer, other staff and yourself.
A method for workplace dilemmas
- Identify the people affected. Customer, coworker, manager, other staff, the business and you.
- Check facts and authority. What do you not know? Are you allowed to make this decision, or should a manager?
- Weigh rule against reason. What is the policy for, and does this situation fit its purpose?
- Act privately first. Speak to the person directly and respectfully before going over their head.
- Escalate with a clear reason. Safety, dishonesty that continues or unfairness to others justify involving a manager.
This is the same structure that works for conflict resolution and teamwork questions, applied to a job.
1. A refund outside the policy
Original practice prompt
You are the shift supervisor at a small electronics store. A customer wants to return headphones 45 days after purchase. The store policy allows returns within 30 days. The customer says they were travelling for work and could not come in sooner, and the headphones are unopened.
- Would you give this customer a refund? Why or why not?
- Imagine you decide not to give the refund. How would you explain your decision to the customer?
Compare sample answers for 1. a refund outside the policy
A response to improve
Rules are rules, so I would say no. If I made an exception for one person, I would have to make it for everyone.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would first check whether I have the authority to make exceptions and whether the store has offered them before, so I treat this customer consistently with others. The headphones are unopened, so the store loses little by taking them back, and the customer has a reasonable explanation. If I have the discretion, I would likely offer store credit or an exchange rather than a cash refund, which respects the policy's purpose while recognising their situation. If I do not have that authority, I would ask my manager.
Question 2: I would explain it calmly and without blaming them: 'I understand you were away, and I wish I could help more. Our policy only allows refunds within 30 days, and I need to apply it the same way for everyone.' Then I would offer what I can, such as an exchange, store credit or the manager's contact details if they want to ask for a review. I would make sure they leave knowing their options, even if they are disappointed.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The strong answer weighs consistency against the customer's situation, checks the limits of the supervisor's authority and looks for a middle option. 'Rules are rules' ignores the people involved and the reason the policy exists.
Another defensible position: Refusing the refund is also defensible if you explain why consistency matters here and offer an alternative. What raters look for is the reasoning, not one correct answer.
Change one fact: You learn the customer is a regular who spends a lot at the store. Should that affect your decision?
2. A coworker takes credit for your work
Original practice prompt
At your summer job, you created a spreadsheet that saves the team hours each week. In a meeting, your coworker presents it to the manager as their own idea. The manager praises them and suggests they lead the next project.
- What would you do, and why?
- Imagine that your coworker later tells you privately that they are on probation and were afraid of being let go. How, if at all, would this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 2. a coworker takes credit for your work
A response to improve
I would interrupt the meeting and tell the manager that it was actually my work. It is unfair, and people need to know who really did it.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would not interrupt the meeting, because a public confrontation would embarrass everyone and could make me look worse. Afterwards I would talk to my coworker privately and ask what happened, in case there was a misunderstanding, such as them thinking we shared the idea. I would ask them to clarify it with the manager. If they refused, I would speak to the manager myself, calmly and factually, for example by showing the file history and offering to explain how the spreadsheet works.
Question 2: It would make me more sympathetic, and I would want to help them without being dishonest. I could suggest we present the spreadsheet as joint work in a follow-up, and offer to show them how to build on it so they have something of their own to contribute. I would still want the record to be accurate, because the next project depends on knowing who can do what, but I would choose a way that does not put their job at risk unnecessarily.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The sample addresses the unfairness without humiliating the coworker, checks for a misunderstanding and has a clear plan if that fails. The follow-up tests empathy; the strong answer adjusts the approach but keeps honesty.
Change one fact: The manager asks you directly, in front of the team, whether you helped with the spreadsheet. What do you say?
3. Your manager asks you to bend the truth
Original practice prompt
You work at a busy restaurant. A customer calls to ask whether a dish contains nuts because of an allergy. Your manager, who is rushed, tells you to say 'no' without checking, because 'it is probably fine and we are slammed'.
- What would you do? Explain your reasoning.
- Imagine your manager says you will lose shifts if you keep questioning instructions. How, if at all, would this change your response?
Compare sample answers for 3. your manager asks you to bend the truth
A response to improve
I would do what my manager says because they are in charge, and they probably know the menu better than I do.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would not tell the customer the dish is nut-free without checking, because a wrong answer could cause a serious allergic reaction. I would tell the customer I want to give them an accurate answer and ask them to hold for a moment, or offer to call back within a few minutes. Then I would check with the chef or the recipe information. If I could not confirm it, I would tell the customer honestly that I cannot guarantee it is nut-free. I would explain to my manager that I took a minute because of the allergy, not to slow things down.
Question 2: It would worry me, but it would not change what I do about the allergy, because someone's safety matters more than my shifts. I would try to talk to my manager when things are calmer, explain my concern and ask whether we could have a quick allergen list at the phone so this does not slow us down again. If the pressure continued, I would raise it with the owner or check the restaurant's food-safety obligations.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The strong answer refuses to give unsafe information while still solving the manager's real problem, which is speed. It also suggests a fix so the conflict does not repeat. Following an unsafe instruction because someone is in charge is a weak answer.
Change one fact: The customer says the allergy is mild and they just want to avoid a stomach ache. Does that change anything?
4. A coworker leaves early but logs full hours
Original practice prompt
You and a friendly coworker close a coffee shop together on weekends. You notice that for the past month they have left about 30 minutes early while recording their full shift. The workload has fallen on you.
- What, if anything, would you do?
- Imagine your coworker explains that they leave early to pick up their younger sibling from a program that closes before the shift ends. How, if at all, would that change your response?
Compare sample answers for 4. a coworker leaves early but logs full hours
A response to improve
I would report them to the manager right away. Stealing time is the same as stealing money.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would talk to my coworker first, privately and without accusing them: 'I've noticed you've been heading out before close, and I'm finding it hard to finish on my own. Is something going on?' There may be a reason I do not know about. I would explain that the hours being recorded do not match the time worked, and that it puts both of us at risk if the manager finds out. I would ask them to either stay for the full shift or talk to the manager about adjusting their hours.
Question 2: That makes their situation much more understandable, and I would want to help them find a solution. I would suggest they ask the manager for a schedule that ends earlier, or swap tasks so they do the closing work that can be done before they leave. I would not keep covering for inaccurate time records, because that is still dishonest to the employer, but I would support them in asking for a fair arrangement.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The strong answer gives the coworker a chance to explain, names the actual problem and offers a path that is honest and kind. The follow-up tests whether you can hold a standard while responding to someone's real circumstances.
Change one fact: Your coworker asks you to keep it between the two of you because they are afraid of being fired. What do you say?
5. An unequal thank-you
Original practice prompt
You and another volunteer spent the summer running a community garden. The organizer sends you both thank-you cards, but only yours includes a gift card. The other volunteer worked as many hours as you did.
- What, if anything, should you do?
- Imagine that the other volunteer often paid for supplies with their own money. How, if at all, does that affect your response?
Compare sample answers for 5. an unequal thank-you
A response to improve
I would keep the gift card and say nothing. It was the organizer's choice, and it would be awkward to bring it up.
Stronger sample answers
Question 1: I would first consider that there may be a reason I do not know about, such as a mistake, or a gift sent separately. I would mention it to the organizer privately and politely, for example: 'Thank you so much for the card. I wanted to check, did my co-volunteer receive one too? We did the same hours.' That gives the organizer a chance to correct an oversight without embarrassing anyone. I would not tell the other volunteer until I knew more, because it could hurt their feelings for no reason.
Question 2: That strengthens my concern, because they contributed even more than I did. I would mention their spending to the organizer as well, so it is recognised. If it turned out the gift was intentional and only for me, I might offer to share it or use it for garden supplies, because I would feel uncomfortable being rewarded more for the same work.
Why this reasoning is stronger
The sample avoids assuming bad intent, raises the issue tactfully with the person who can fix it and protects the other volunteer's feelings. The follow-up adds a fairness factor, and the strong answer adjusts accordingly.
Change one fact: The organizer explains that the gift card was a birthday present for you. What would you do now?
Review your workplace answers
Answer each scenario in 3.5 minutes, the typed time in Acuity's format guide. Then ask:
- Did I name everyone affected, including the business and other staff?
- Did I check what I do not know before deciding?
- Did I consider whether the decision is mine to make?
- Did I talk to the person directly before escalating?
- Did I explain how I would communicate a refusal kindly?
- Did I respond to the follow-up's new fact instead of repeating myself?
If you struggle to finish in time, read what to do if you run out of time on CASPer. For more mixed practice, see our CASPer sample questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there workplace scenarios on CASPer?+
Yes, everyday work and volunteer situations are common. Acuity's own sample scenarios include a store manager deciding on a refund and a volunteer coordinator who thanks two volunteers differently.
Should I always follow company policy in a CASPer answer?+
Not automatically. Explain what the policy is for, whether this case fits that purpose and whether you have authority to make an exception. A clear, fair reason matters more than the decision itself.
Is it okay to say I would go to my manager?+
Yes, when you explain why. Many strong answers speak to the person first, then involve a manager if the problem continues or affects safety, honesty or fairness to others.
Do I need real work experience to answer workplace questions?+
No. The scenarios give you the context you need. Use common sense about how customers, coworkers and managers might feel, and explain your reasoning.
Sources and scope
Checked October 23, 2026 against Acuity's About Casper page and its sample scenarios, scoring explanation, quartile article and format guide. Acuity's samples are described in our own words. All practice scenarios and sample answers are original CasperCoach editorial material, not official CASPer content or rated responses. CasperCoach is independent of Acuity Insights.