This study guide is divided into sections by question type. You are able to navigate through the questions and can use the table of contents below as a guide. Once inside the guide, you can use the double-arrow button to pull up the table of contents and navigate to different sections.

  1. Overview
  2. Online CritiCall Test
  3. Data Entry - Audio 
  4. Decision-Making Questions
  5. Multi-Tasking Questions
  6. Proofreading/Sentence Clarity
  7. Data Entry – Written/Visual
  8. Reading Comprehension and Long-Term Memory
  9. Oral Comprehension and Call Summarization
  10. Cross-Referencing
  11. Numerical Ability
  12. Probability/Frequency of Information
  13. Map Reading
  14. Memory Recall – Short-Term - Numeric
  15. Memory Recall – Short-Term - Phrases
  16. Spelling
  17. Perceptual Ability
  18. Speech Clarity
  19. Customized Sections

5 Sample Questions

DECISION-MAKING
  The decision-making/multi-tasking questions on the CritiCall test may be organized into a section or randomly dispersed throughout the test.  In many instances, they may appear on the screen while the candidate is working on other sections. 

In either case, the candidate will be presented with an emergency scenario.  You must select which of the four listed agencies should respond to each event. The determination of which agency to send should be based on CritiCall’s  “Decision-Making Rules.”  The rules will be given to the candidate at the beginning of the test.  These rules are listed below:


Police:  The Police Department should be dispatched when someone is attempting or threatening to physically harm another person, or has actually physically harmed another person, or when a person causes or is in the process of causing harm to another person's property.

Fire:  The Fire Department should be dispatched when there are the immediate signs of a fire in progress (such as flames or smoke), when a fire alarm is sounded, or when a person who is trapped or confined needs to be rescued or released.

EMS:  Emergency Medical Service should be dispatched when there is an emergency medical condition requiring intervention by medically trained personnel.

Utility:  Public Utility should be dispatched when there is a problem associated with malfunctioning or broken public water systems, electric power systems (including, but not limited to, electrical power lines, streetlights, and traffic signals), natural gas systems used for home heating, or blocked sewer drainpipes

TIPS
  Memorize the above rules prior to the test and practice using a variety of examples so that you are well-versed prior to encountering them on the test.   Always follow the rules as written by the CritiCall test.  Do not use common sense, your own judgment, or local policies.  This means that, in some scenarios, you would be selecting an agency that is different than the one you would select in your actual community or that you may have seen dispatched on t.v.
Practice
Question:  A boy falls into a deep pit at a construction site. No one can get to him.  It is not known if he is injured.  Select the agency to respond to this call.

  • A. Police
  • B. Fire
  • C. EMS
  • D. Utility

PROOFREADING/SENTENCE CLARITY

In these sections, candidates will need to select the most grammatically correct version of a statement from a list. Alternately, some CritiCall proofreading sections display a statement with an error and require the candidate to retype it correctly.


TIPS
  You will need to understand basic English grammar for this section. If you find this subject challenging or need to “brush up” on your skills, focus on common grammatical and usage errors.   Common language areas to focus on are abbreviation, capitalization, grammar, number usage, possessives, punctuation, and spelling.


PRACTICE

Select the clearest statement of facts from the sentences listed below:
 

  • A. Alot of 9-1-1 dispatchers experience stress-related conditions.
  • B. A lot of 9-1-1 dispatchers experience stress-related conditions.
  • C. Allot of 9-1-1 dispatchers experience stress-related conditions.

READING COMPREHENSION and LONG-TERM MEMORY

These may be two separate sections but share the same setup and will be addressed together. In both question types, the candidate will be presented with a passage related to emergency services. In the comprehension sections, the candidate will need to answer questions about the text while they can still see and review it. To test long-term memory, candidates may see the passage first, experience a delay (like several other test sections), and then be asked to answer questions about the test later.

TIPS
  If the question is visible, consider reading the question prior to reading the passage.   If there will be a delay between the passage and the question, consider using memory techniques like visualization, etc.

PRACTICE


INSTRUCTIONS:  Read and remember the following story.  You will be asked questions about it later in the test.   The Commission, under the Telecommunications Act (the Act), regulates the provision of telecommunications services by TSPs. In the 9-1-1 context, the Commission’s role is to exercise regulatory oversight over the telecommunications access provided by TSPs to enable citizens to contact 9-1-1 call centers, also known as public safety answering points (PSAPs). This oversight includes determining national policies, standards, conditions of service, agreements, eligibility to operate, and approval of tariffs for telecommunications services.

To the extent that the delivery of 9-1-1 services involves telecommunications services, the Commission will develop the appropriate regulatory framework to ensure that TSPs are well-positioned to play their role in enabling access to 9-1-1 services that take advantage of these new capabilities. Accordingly, the Commission has outlined in its Three-Year Plan its intent to both enhance existing access to 9-1-1 services and conduct a comprehensive examination of NG9-1-1 services in 2015-16, which will include the establishment of the regulatory framework for implementing NG9-1-1, consistent with its mandate under the Act.

QUESTION:  According to the passage, 9-1-1 call centers are also known as what?

  • A. Public Service Answering Points
  • B. CERBs
  • C. PSAPs
  • D. TSPs

ORAL COMPREHENSION and CALL SUMMARIZATION

Both of these sections require the candidate to listen to audio calls and answer questions based on the information in the call. In the case of call summarization, the candidate will need to make notes in a text box and use these notes to answer questions later in the test. For short-term memory and oral comprehension, the candidate will use memory alone to respond to the questions.

TIPS
  Identify which piece of information will be critical and more difficult to remember. For example, numbers in addresses, VIN, phone numbers, etc.    Use acronyms were possible to shorten typing time. Ensure that you are familiar with common 9-1-1 acronyms prior to using them on the test so that you don't lose time trying to remember them. 

PRACTICE 

Play the video below.  You will hear a mock 9-1-1 call.  After the call is complete, answer the following 6 questions with the information provided in the call.
 
Enter Call Notes Here: Add call details below:
What is the address of the emergency?
 

  • A. 311 Brighton Lane
  • B. 31 Brighton Lane
  • C. 311 Burnaby Lane
  • D. 31 Burnaby Lane
  • E. 311 Bellamy Lane

NUMERICAL ABILITY
The numerical ability section tests the candidate’s ability to do basic math problems found in communications centers.  It is generally addition, subtraction, percentages, time, distance, and amounts.  

TIPS
  Read all questions very carefully   Practice essential math skills.  The CritiCall focuses on practical and job-related math.  These cover math topics like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, ratios, fractions and percentages.  These topics may be presented in the context of spaces, volumes, staffing, vehicles, supplies, etc.   Practice your numerical ability without the use of a pen or paper.  Most CritiCall proctors do not allow note-taking

NOTE: Please note that many agencies have removed the numerical ability section from their CritiCall test. That being said, there is no way to know which agencies are still using it and which have chosen to remove it from their test.


PRACTICE

There are 25 calls in the queue waiting to be dispatched:  5 Chest Pain, 4 Difficulty Breathing, 7 Shoplifting, 3 Burglary, 3 Fire Alarms, and 3 Electrical Hazards.  The next call is dispatched at random.  What are the chances that it is a Police-related call?

  • A. 30%
  • B. 40%
  • C. 60%
  • D. 80%

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