911 dispatcher hiring assessments
Most practice tests drill one skill at a time. The real assessment doesn't.
DispatchDrills runs timed drills for every module you'll face — and then interrupts you mid-task with an emergency message you have seconds to handle, the way the assessment actually does. That's the part candidates say catches them out.
One-time payment. No subscription. 14-day money-back guarantee.
Why divided attention is the whole game
You can be a fast, accurate typist and still struggle, because the assessment doesn't let you finish a thought. An emergency message appears while you're mid-record, and the clock on it is short. Practicing data entry on its own tells you nothing about how your accuracy holds up once something else is demanding an answer.
Our interrupt drills log every keystroke and every timeout, so after a run you can see exactly where you dropped accuracy — and whether it was the interruption or the recovery afterwards that cost you.
What you'll practice
15 modules, each timed and scored the way the assessment scores it.
Unlimited generated drills
These generate fresh records, tables and problems every run, so you can't memorize your way through them — and you never run out.
Data Entry
Type caller and incident details into a fixed-field form, accurately, against the clock.
Cross-Referencing
Look a value up in a reference table and report the matching record.
Character Comparison
Decide whether two strings of letters and numbers are identical.
Typing Speed & Accuracy
Timed typing runs with live words-per-minute and accuracy scoring.
Math & Probability
Arithmetic, elapsed time, distance and simple probability questions.
Data Entry with Emergency Interruptions
Data entry, interrupted by emergency messages you must answer within 15 seconds.
Cross-Referencing with Emergency Interruptions
Table lookups, interrupted by timed emergency messages.
Map Reading
Find the fastest legal route on a street grid, respecting one-way streets and closures.
Question banks
Spelling
Identify the correctly spelled word from a set of options.
Sentence Clarity
Choose the clearer, better-constructed version of a sentence.
Reading Comprehension
Answer questions on a short passage of procedural text.
Memory & Recall
Study details for a short period, then answer from memory.
Prioritization
Rank simultaneous incidents by which needs a response first.
Decision Making
Choose the appropriate action in a dispatch scenario.
Call Summarization
Read a rambling call transcript and write the summary a responding unit would need.
In development
Audio Data Entry, Multitasking. These aren't built yet — we list them so you know what you're not getting today. Buying now includes them when they ship, at no extra cost.
Which assessment are you sitting?
Agencies use different vendors, and each picks its own combination of modules. The underlying skills overlap heavily, which is why we train the skills rather than imitating one vendor's format.
CritiCall
Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.
The most widely used pre-employment assessment for 911 dispatchers and public-safety telecommunicators in the United States. It is modular: an agency picks which components to run, so no two agencies test exactly the same set.
Emergency Communications (ECOMM) Exam
Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc.
An Ergometrics-authored assessment distributed through the National Testing Network. Candidates typically pay to sit it and can share their score with multiple participating agencies. It is a different product from the National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST), which is published by Stanard & Associates — the two are frequently confused.
POST Entry-Level Dispatcher Selection Test Battery
California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
Used by California agencies. It is delivered on paper, with a pencil — not on a computer — and scores are reported as a T-score. Agencies set their own minimum.
Common questions
What score do I need to pass?
There isn't a single national pass mark. These assessments are modular — each hiring agency chooses which components to run and sets its own minimum score for each one. That's why two candidates can perform identically and get different results at different departments. Check the job posting and the agency's own candidate information for the requirements that apply to you.
What are the emergency interruptions?
In some modules an emergency message appears while you are already working on another task, and you have a short window — commonly around 15 seconds — to respond before it disappears. It measures divided attention, and it is the part candidates most often report being caught out by, because most practice material tests each skill in isolation instead.
How fast do I need to type?
It varies by agency. Minimums commonly fall somewhere in the 30 to 45 words-per-minute range, and it is usually a hard gate rather than a scored component — you either clear it or you don't continue. Accuracy is counted alongside raw speed. Our typing drill is free and reports net WPM and per-field accuracy.
Do I need a physical keyboard?
For the typing and data entry drills, yes — they measure keyboard speed and accuracy, so a phone touchscreen will give you a misleading score. The multiple-choice modules (spelling, reading, memory, prioritization, decision making) work fine on a phone.
What happens after I pay?
You get instant access to every drill with unlimited attempts. It is a one-time payment — there is no subscription and no recurring charge, and access does not expire.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If it isn't right for you, get in touch within 14 days of purchase and we will issue a full refund, no questions asked.
Practice the interruptions, not just the typing
$49 once. Every module, unlimited attempts, access never expires.
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