Research Review “Development and Rationale for the Consensus Auditory-Perceptal Evaluation of Voice—Revised (CAPE-Vr)”
Staying current with the tools we use in voice assessment is key to providing thoughtful, evidence-based care—and when a classic gets an upgrade, it’s worth paying attention. This month’s research review highlights a meaningful revision to one of the most commonly used tools in voice evaluation: the CAPE-V. In Development and Rationale for the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice—Revised (CAPE-Vr), authors Kempster, Nagle, and Solomon offer a clearer, more clinician-friendly approach to perceptual voice assessment—one that builds on years of feedback and experience in the field. You can read the full article here.
So, what’s new?
For starters, the sentence stimuli have been updated to be more culturally sensitive, easier to read, and more phonetically balanced. For example, “We eat eggs every Easter” has been replaced with “I eat eggs every evening,” and “How hard did he hit him?” becomes “He helped her hurry home.” These changes improve the patient experience and still support perceptual judgments about voice quality across a range of speech contexts.
The CAPE-V form itself has undergone a thoughtful redesign. Gone are the mild–moderate–severe text labels under the visual analog scales, which were shown to introduce rating inconsistencies. In their place are clean, unmarked VAS lines with clear directional indicators (“normal” to “extreme”), helping clinicians make judgments without being biased by arbitrary cut points.
New categorical options for pitch, loudness, resonance, and nasality allow for quicker and more descriptive documentation—moving beyond vague impressions and toward clearer clinical communication. Additional space is now provided to describe task-specific inconsistencies, vocal instabilities, and overall impressions, encouraging a more holistic view of the voice.
Perhaps one of the most helpful updates is the inclusion of dedicated sections to record recording and rating conditions. Whether you're completing the CAPE-Vr live, remotely, or with recordings, this section supports greater fidelity and transparency—especially helpful when monitoring progress or sharing assessments across clinicians.
We encourage you, the voice clinician, to read the full article and continue equipping yourself with the tools you need to meet the demands of your voice clients. Staying informed with evidence-based research strengthens your clinical practice and enhances patient outcomes.
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