CritiCall Testing: What Is It and How Can You Prepare?

CritiCall Testing: What Is It and How Can You Prepare?

When emergency services such as police officers, EMTs, and the fire department arrive at the scene of an emergency, it is almost always because an emergency dispatcher has given them the information to get there.

In fact, when a call for help comes in, a dispatcher must determine the correct address, identify any potential dangers, and indicate the service or services needed.

Because emergency dispatchers are the first point of contact in an emergency, they need the skills to help decipher what a caller is asking for, often when they are under extreme duress. There may be information missing, but the dispatcher must put the pieces together to ensure that emergency personnel arrive at the scene as quickly and safely as possible.

It is no surprise that there is a rigorous selection process in place for the hiring of emergency dispatchers, followed by intensive training. Emergency dispatchers must be equipped to handle any emergency call they receive and triage it in order of importance.

One way to ensure that a potential dispatcher is suitable for the job is the CritiCall test.

What is the CritiCall Test?

CritiCall is software that emergency service departments use to screen applicants for dispatch jobs.

The CritiCall test puts dispatcher applicants into simulated situations requiring the same skills, knowledge, and reaction times needed for a real dispatch role. The test is completed on a computer and with the applicant wearing a headset that mimics the real thing.

The CritiCall test is challenging for potential applicants. It is designed to assess skills that include mapping, spatial ability, memory and recall, decision-making, language comprehension, and listening.

The test can be customized to each public safety agency, so a test taken in one jurisdiction may differ and include specific features to the dispatching position. The CritiCall test usually takes from 45 to 150 minutes to complete.

CritiCall Modules

There are 23 modules in the CritiCall test, and as they are customizable, the emergency department you are testing for will have specified the test.

The hiring department will likely not reveal the modules you will need to know for the test, so it is crucial to study well and concentrate on the most popularly used modules, as follow:

Data Entry: Your ability to place pieces of information and place them accurately into a data field is evaluated. There are a variety of formats provided, including audio and written, and will deal with phone numbers, names, addresses, and more.
Typing: You will need to type quickly as this is a requirement for a dispatch job. The emergency force you are applying to will have its own minimum typing speed, but the rate can range from 15 to 50 words per minute. You should be able to type for about 5 minutes at 35 words per minute (minimum). No module specifically evaluates your typing; however, the Data Entry, Vocalization Summary, and Call Summarization modules are among the modules that will test your typing speed, so this is a necessary skill.
Call Summarization: You will listen to call simulations or short stories via video and summarize the call or story, and then proceed to enter the addresses in the corresponding data fields correctly.
Memory Recall: You must have an excellent memory to be a dispatcher because of the amount of information that comes quickly. In the memory recall portion of the CritiCall test, you will need to recall phrases, letters, and numbers that you are shown, and then the same for the information you hear.
Map Reading: Another valuable skill that a dispatcher needs is the ability to read maps. This is because emergency services need to be directed most safely and quickly to areas with which they may be unfamiliar. This module will require you to select the best route to the scene while obeying traffic laws.
Spelling Test: Using proper spelling and grammar as a dispatcher is essential for accuracy and clarity when dispatching units, so you will be tested on your spelling skills via audio and written formats.
Cross Referencing: You will need to enter data into the correct field of an address book. The test may include instructions to do this verbally and manually, and you must complete it accurately.
Prioritization: Another vital part of dispatching is determining which emergency takes precedence. In the prioritization module, you will need to rank the importance of the calls you receive.
Reading Comprehension/Sentence Clarity: Understanding how to read and make assessments is crucial to dispatching so you will be tested on your comprehension skills as a result. When tested on sentence clarity, you will need to make determinations between similar sentences to identify the more suitable sentence.
Math: As it is imperative that you calculate the number of units responding to an emergency, and the distances to an emergency, and other math skills, you will also be evaluated to determine your math abilities.

Taking the CritiCall Test

The CritiCall test is challenging, but you can be ready to take it successfully with preparation and studying. The test will judge your decision-making speed, response accuracy, and ability to follow directions and rules.

Without preparation, the likelihood that you can't complete the test increases, which means you will not be successful in your pursuit of an emergency dispatcher position.

To be successful in your pursuit of an emergency dispatcher job, you will need to spend some time practicing the necessary skills that are evaluated in the CritiCall test.

You must be knowledgeable in every area that you will be tested, or you risk failing the CritiCall and losing the opportunity for the dispatching job you want.

Prepare for the CritiCall Test

Preparing for the CritiCall Test can be intimidating, but there are ways to get a step ahead of the rest of the candidates. Police Test Tutor offers a CritiCall Dispatch Package that offers 30 days of CritiCall test preparation, simulated 911 calls for practice, and over 1550 practice test questions.

You will be given access to tutoring modules that will accurately prepare you for what you might face when you take the CritiCall test. This test requires you to be alert, multitask, and complete tasks that you probably have never encountered before.

Check out the Police Test Tutor's CritiCall Dispatch package so that you are as prepared as possible when you take the test.