This practice test was created by Arbel, the CritiCall test expert at JobTestPrep.
Have a question? Contact him at: ask_arbel@jobtestprep.com
The CritiCall exam includes 10+ sections (also known as "modules") that assess different dispatcher skills that are crucial to succeed both in the training and the actual job.
Each hiring agency can choose what modules it uses from a pool of about 25 modules. That said, most agencies choose common sections, as these CritiCall sections represent the basic skills that any 911 dispatcher or call-taker must have and the type of duties you'll need to perform.
The following free CritiCall sample test covers these common modules, with 1-2 sample questions per module. To try additional CritiCall sample questions once you finish this test, visit our CritiCall test prep page.
CritiCall Practice Test (Divided By Modules)
CritiCall Map Reading
A man fainted at a grocery store on Lord Cir. A dispatcher ambulance is currently parked on the narrow road next to the medical center, between 29th St and King Cove.
What is the most direct route of the ambulance to reach the Lord Cir entrance of the grocery store?
(A) Exit to 29th St and drive east. Take the second turn south to 15th Ave and turn left to Lord Cir.
(B) Exit to King Cove St and drive east. Turn north and then turn east to 29th St. Follow the road south to 15 Ave and turn right to Lord Cir.
(C) Exit to 29th St and drive east. Take the second turn south to 15th Ave and turn right to Lord Cir.
(D) Exit to King Cove St and drive east. Turn right and then another time right to 30th St. Turn left to 11th Ave and follow the road until you reach the grocery store.
Answer:
The correct answer is (C).
The CritiCall map reading questions will usually consist of two types:
- Best route: you'll need to find the most direct route between two location.
- Orientation: you'll need to follow directions from a given starting point and determine where you will be at the end point.
CritiCall Cross-Referencing
What's the last name of the person whose License Plate number is 6XAB175?
| Last name | First name | Address | Phone Number | VIN | License Plate |
| GREEN | JEFFREY | 9123 WILLIAMS STREET | 361-946-9273 | 2GCEK19K5P1218458 | 6XJX353 |
| THOMPSON | CARL | 3891 FRANKLIN AVENUE | 443-762-7687 | 1HVBDZRM8NH459321 | 6ZXA459 |
| CARTER | DIAMOND | 3130 ESSEX COURT | 713-678-5225 | 5J6RE48558L048775 | RMJ 6699 |
| SCOTT | FINNEGAN | 630 WILLOW AVENUE | 774-489-5790 | 1FAFP33Z24W145616 | 445-YUR |
| CABLER | MIRANDA | 2055 ROUTE 30 | 398-343-1204 | WAUGFAFC7EN072017 | 6XAB175 |
| PARKER | RYAN | 3644 CLAY STREET | 663-601-8107 | 5XXGM4A72DG215499 | 6YVH144 |
| WESTCOTT | BRIANNA | 6632 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD | 385-452-9922 | 5NPEC4AB8DH507922 | 7CPT601 |
| MOORE | NATALIE | 2397 ROSE STREET | 269-743-9685 | 1G1AB5F52A7117210 | ATW V31 |
| MITCHELL | HUNTER | 9289 ROUTE 30 | 741-304-7424 | 2MEFM75W01X707833 | 7BSR491 |
| CARTER | HOLLY | 1255 WHITE STREET | 696-724-7942 | JS3TX92V124195237 | 7AVM897 |
| CABLER | GEORGE | 6334 WHITE STREET | 310-446-8695 | 1C3EL46X04N248206 | A38 7LG |
A. George
B. Mitchell
C. Miranda
D. Cabler
Answer:
The correct answer is (D), CABLER.
On the actual CritiCall assessment, you'll have only a few rows visible, and you'll need to scroll through the address book to find the details. Additionally, you'll need to respond simultaneously to emergency messages that appear at the bottom of the screen.
For many test takers, this can be often challenging, but the more you practice these question types, the easier it will be to multitask and locate the correct information.
CritiCall Call Summarization
Listen to this recording and then answer the following question. Try to listen to it only once, as on the real test, you’ll have only one shot as well.
How many kids are inside the vehicle?
A. Was not mentioned
B. None
C. Just one, Larry Brickman
D. Just One, Steven da Backer
Answer:
The caller's answer to the question "do you have kids inside the vehicle?" is "no, just me and my friend Larry Brickman here." Therefore the answer is B.
This CritiCall module may appear in three different forms on the real exam: (1) with one multiple-choice question - similar to the question above, (2) with several multiple-choice questions, and (3) with decision-making emergency messages that appear several times throughout the section.
You'll have an on-screen notepad on this section. Use it to write quick notes so that you don't forget or confuse any details you hear over the emergency call recording. You won't be scored on anything you write there, so use it freely.
CritiCall Prioritization
Question #1:
Which situation is more urgent?
1. A man calls in reporting about his loud neighbors. He claims they are having a loud argument. Sounds of glass shattering and a scream for help were heard.
2. The municipal garbage men crew found a dead homeless man in an alley in the city's commercial area. His corpse had signs of brutal violence on his head and chest. Gang graffiti was sprayed next to him.
Answer:
The correct answer is (A).
In prioritization questions, When deciding, follow scales. These scales will help you determine which scenario is the most urgent:
Scenario A depicts a possibility of abuse and violence and could be stopped (screams for help). A plausible outcome of this scenario is a serious injury and physical harm (code 1).
Scenario B is an incident, which presents a dead homeless person. This incident is also code 1, but this case already happened, and the criminals are known. According to the time scale, incident A has a priority on this call.
Question #2:
Which situation is more urgent?
1. A young tourist calls from his hotel, trying to explain that he got mugged while hiking in the park, approx. 90 minutes ago. He claims that all of his cash and his passport were stolen, and he thinks that the criminals are still there.
2. The local deli manager calls in reporting about a fire that burst in his kitchen. All the customers and staff were evacuated from the business, and the gas faucet was disabled.
Answer:
The correct answer is (B).
Incident A presents a minor property loss regardless of the chance to catch the criminals.
Incident B presents a major property loss due to the fire, and you may prevent the fire from spreading and inflicting more damage. According to the urgency response scale, incident B has a priority on this call.
CritiCall Decision-Making
Question #1
Which unit would you assign?
A man reported dirty water coming out from the window of the neighbor's apartment.
A. Police
B. Fire
C. EMS
D. Utility
Answer:
The appropriate agency, in this case, is (D) - Utility.
The public utility should be dispatched in case of a problem related to the water system.
Public utilities are those business undertakings that provide necessary services to society. The undertakings dealing with the supply of electricity, gas, power, water, and transport, etc., are all covered under public utility services. All these things are needed in the day-to-day life of the people.
Question #2:
Which unit would you assign?
A girl's hand got stuck in a vending machine.
A. Police
B. Fire
C. EMS
D. Utility
Answer:
The correct answer is (B) - The fire department.
The Fire Department should be dispatched in case of a trapped person.
The fire department forces are extinguishing fires in their area, protecting life and property in the event of fires in their area, rescuing and protecting people in the event of a road traffic collision, and rescuing and protecting people in other emergencies.
While making your decision, you must rely on the decision rules that are given by the test administrator. These rules can be found on the official PDF of the CritiCall test provider, as well as in JobTestPrep's preparation pack.
Note that during the test you'll have to answer these questions simultaneously while performing other tasks. Usually, you won't have these questions as a standalone section.
CritiCall Data Entry (Audio)
Listen to this recording, which highly resembles the real Data Entry test questions. On the actual test, you'll need to enter the details you hear into their appropriate fields.
The Data entry module appear in every agency's test, since data entry skills are one of the most fundamental abilities of a 911 dispatcher. You'll have either an audio version, a non-audio version, or both. Additionally, you'll need to respond to emergency messages simultaneously within 15 seconds of their appearance.
CritiCall Sentence Clarity
Choose the passage below that is most clear:
A. For years, police have cited bad driving as the main cause of accidents.
B. Police have cited bad driving for years as the main cause of accidents.
Answer:
The correct answer is (A).
CritiCall Reading Comprehension
Last year, road fatalities decreased by 9%. According to the latest figures published by the Department of Transportation today, this year has seen the lowest number of deaths in road traffic since records began.
However, road deaths are only the tip of the iceberg, because for every death on US roads, there are 10 serious injuries such as damage to the brain or spinal cord. Country by country, statistics show that the number of road deaths per year still varies greatly across the US, with the countries reporting the lowest number of fatalities being California, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Maine, with only 30 deaths per million inhabitants.
Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and users in certain age groups, notably the elderly, are particularly affected by serious road injuries.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Cyclists should be banned from riding on the roads.
B. More animals are killed by cars than by pedestrians.
C. Road deaths are on the rise in Vermont.
D. There are more serious injuries than deaths.
Answer:
Option D is correct. This is what the text states: "for every death... there are 10 serious injuries".
The content of the CritiCall reading comprehension passages will mostly be related to law-enforcement, emergency communication, and other texts that are used on the job. That being said, you don't need to use any prior knowledge or experience, but rather base your answer only on the given text and your reasoning skills.
CritiCall Spelling
Workers should wear gloves while working with __________ chemicals.
A. hazzardous
B. hazardous
C. hazzardos
D. hazardouse
Answer:
The correct answer is (B).
CritiCall Character Comparison
Question #1:
Determine which of the options is an exact copy of:
7227277277277222 James Baxter
A. 7227277277277722
B. 7227227277277222
C. 7227277722727222
D. 7227277277277222
Answer:
The correct answer is (D).
Question #2:
From the alternatives below, choose the one which is exactly the same as:
2C4GM68475R65969
A. 2C4GN68475R65969
B. 2C4GM68475R65696
C. 2C4GM68475R65969
D. 2C4GM68475R95969
Answer:
The correct answer is (C).
This CritiCall dispatcher test section is designed to assess your accuracy and attention to detail, which are crucial skills for being a successful 911 dispatcher..
CritiCall Probability
Four people reported the address of a burning building. The addresses reported were:
#1: 6742 Clerk Blvd.
#2: 4742 Clerk Blvd.
#3: 6782 Clerk Blvd.
#4: 3142 Clerk Blvd.
Which address is most likely the correct one?
A. 6742 Clerk Blvd
B. 4742 Clerk Blvd.
C. 6782 Clerk Blvd.
D. 3142 Clerk Blvd.
Answer:
As can be seen, in all addresses, the boulevard’s name is the same one – and only the numbers differ. To measure the best probability for the address – each number in order should be compared between all four addresses, and the most recurring number has the highest probability of being the correct one.
The report with all the most reoccurring numbers is report #1 – and therefore is the most likely correct address.
These questions require quick yet keen observation of recurring details, to determine which of a few options is the most probable one. You're allowed to use a pen and scratch paper (one of the only CritiCall modules where it's allowed), which may come in handy in the more complex questions.
CritiCall Mathematics
Emilio drives to a town 25 miles away from his location. He calls you, saying he has driven 3/5 of the way. How many miles did Emilio drive?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 20
D. 5
Answer:
First, calculate how much is 1/5 of 25 miles: 25*1/5=5miles.
Now multiply the number by 3 to calculate the sum of miles Emilio drove: 5*3=15 miles.
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