Public Safety Communciations Pre-Employment Test Preparation Guide - Dispatcher CritiCall Examination Study

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk

Public Safety Communciations pre-employment test preparation guide explains how the computerized CritiCall assessment measures core skills needed for public-safety dispatching and call-taking, including effective computer navigation. It emphasizes that no specialized dispatcher training is required to answer items and provides practical guidance on test instructions, practice item usage, listening with a headset, keyboard Num Lock settings, and entering responses in uppercase. It also details structured decision rules for dispatching Police, Fire, EMS, and Public Utility, including example scenarios and the need to multitask during timed screens.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

General Notes

Practice items and test participation

Headset listening and volume control

Num Lock and uppercase entry

Navigation and response selection

Decision Rules for Emergency Messages

Police dispatch criteria

Fire dispatch criteria

EMS dispatch criteria

Utility dispatch criteria

Examples and Multitasking Notes

Scenario examples

Handling concurrent tasks

Public Safety Communciations Pre-Employment Test Preparation Guide The computerized CritiCall pre-employment test used by this agency measures underlying skills and abilities a person needs to possess prior to any training they might receive if they are hired as a public-safety dispatcher and/or calltaker, including the ability to effectively navigate and use a computer. Because of this, a test taker does not need to possess any specialized dispatcher/calltaker knowledge or training to be able to read, understand, or answer the test items. The following information is designed help a future test taker to prepare for the CritiCall testing process. General Notes 􀀁 Be sure to follow all of the instructions provided during the test. 􀀁 Practice test items are offered before each section of the test to help you understand how you should respond during that section. Scores from the practice items are not included in your final test score. You are not required to take the practice items and you will be given an opportunity to bypass them during the test if you wish. 􀀁 During the test you will likely be required to listen to spoken information heard over aheadset and then must use that information to answer questions or input data. You will also likely have the ability to adjust the volume of the information you hear over the headset. 􀀁 Many test takers find it helpful to have the computer's keyboard “Num Lock”(number lock) function turned “on” when taking the test. • See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Num_lock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Num_lock for details)[ for details](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Num_lock for details). 􀀁 Do not be surprised when the computer allows you to enter information during many parts of the test using only UPPER case letters. This mimics computerized dispatcher systems, which also limit a dispatcher to enter information in only UPPER case letters. 􀀁 You will be penalized if you skip any questions during the test (unless you are informed otherwise during the instructions for that portion of the test.) . 􀀁 You may need to use “scroll bars” that might appear on the right side of the computer screen during testing so that you can view those parts of the screen that might be hidden. Copyright © 2013 Biddle Consulting Group, Inc. 1 • At some points during the test you may need to select the correct response by clicking your mouse on a box to the left of your choice, or by pressing the A, B, C, or D key on the keyboard. A “check mark” indicates your choice during multiple-choice questions. In this example, the check mark next to alternative B (“Green”) was placed by either moving the pointer over the small box to the left of the letter B and clicking once, or by entering the letter B on the keyboard. You can change your response as many times as you wish before you move on to the next test item by either clicking on a different box or by entering a different letter. Scroll Bar (Move up and down to view) Decision rules to be followed during testing One of the important abilities needed by a public safety communication’s employee is the ability to make decisions based upon structured rules. During the test, you will be asked to quickly and accurately indicate which type of agency (i.e., Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Service, or Public Utility Company) should be dispatched to the IMPORTANT! For purposes of this test you should use only the four decision rules shown below when responding to “emergency message” items during the test. Do not rely on any prior knowledge about either this agency or any other public-safety agency when responding to those items. scene of an incident according to the rules listed below. You should read and learn these four rules before taking the test. Experience has shown that the better an applicant knows these rules, the better they will perform during the decisionmaking portions of the test. • Police Police Department should be dispatch

FAQs

What is the CritiCall pre-employment test measuring?

It measures underlying skills and abilities required for a public-safety dispatcher/calltaker, including the ability to navigate and use a computer. The guide notes that specialized dispatcher/calltaker training is not needed to read and answer test items.

Do practice test item scores count toward the final test score?

No. Practice item scores are not included in the final test score, and you are not required to take the practice items.

What decision rules should be used for “emergency message” items?

Use only the four rules shown: dispatch Police for attempts/threats of physical harm or property harm, dispatch Fire for immediate signs of fire or rescue needs, dispatch EMS for emergency medical conditions requiring trained intervention, and dispatch Public Utility for problems with public water, electric power, natural gas heating systems, or blocked sewer drains.

Oct 5, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk