Get Thorough Practice for the Police Communications Technician Exam & Pass With a High Score
The Police Communications Technician Exam measures specific abilities that are crucial to performing the tasks of an NYPD 911 operator.
To pass the exam, which is usually taken only once a year, you must reach a minimum score of 70. The higher you score above that, the higher you'll be placed on the eligible list, when candidates who score the highest will be first in line for interviews.
To help you prepare for the exam and increase your chances of scoring high, JobTestPrep created a comprehensive prep package that covers the same topics that appear on the test. It's built around 3 effective strategies:
Practice Simulations
The practice tests will ensure you know exactly what to expect with question types that resemble the actual test and realistic conditions, such as similar time constraints and difficulty levels.
Step-by-Step Explanations
Each practice question comes with a thorough explanation that is both simple and time-saving and enables you to quickly learn from your mistakes and make significant progress.
Skills Improvement
The practice drills focus on the same 911 operator skills that the exam measures. The more you practice them, the faster you'll improve these abilities and arrive sharp and confident on test day.
JobTestPrep is a leading test prep company that offers accurate practice simulations and prep guides for 100's of pre-employment tests, since 1992. If you have any additional questions about your assessment, feel free to send us an email, we usually reply within 24 hours.
NYC PCT Exam Less ContentThe practice pack covers each of the seven exam topics in-depth:
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customer service
The Police Communications Technician Exam, also known as the NYPD 911 Operator Exam, is 85-questions long and takes 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. It assesses your abilities in 7 sub-areas, which are important for performing the duties of a 911 operator/radio dispatcher.
If you're taking a different 911 dispatcher test, visit the dispatcher test prep guide or our CritiCall exam guide and CritiCall free practice questions to get more information and try sample questions.
The minimum passing score on this exam is 70. Your score on this test determines your rank on the eligibility list.
If you pass all conditions and qualifications for the 911 operator position, you will be considered for employment when your list number is reached.
This means that the higher you score, the higher you'll be placed on this eligibility list and therefore receive a job offer faster.
Here's a breakdown of the seven NYC PCT exam sections:
OFFICER NOTES: Responded to a shooting in the Alley behind Silver Supermarket. Saw one woman lying on the floor, not moving.
QUESTION: Which one of the following choices most clearly and accurately expresses the facts presented in the notes?
A. When I responded to a call from Silver Supermarket, on the floor, I saw, pulling into the alley a woman on the floor.
B. Responding to a call from Silver Supermarket, and pulling into the alley, I saw the dead women lying on the floor.
C. I responded to a call from behind Silver Supermarket. When I pulled into the alley, I saw a woman on floor, not moving.
D. Responding to a call, I saw a woman on the floor of the alley. View ExplanationThe correct answer is (C).
Answer A: This answer is incorrect because “…on the floor, I saw, pulling into the alley" is not phrased and punctuated correctly. It would be better phrased: "When I responded to a call from Silver Supermarket, while I was pulling into the alley, I saw on the floor a woman not moving."
Answer B: This answer is incorrect because “I saw the dead women lying on the floor” suggests that the officer knew that the woman was dead. The note said she was lying on the floor not moving, we do not know if she is dead.
Answer C: Correct. The answer provided all the information in the notes in the correct sequence. The officer responded to the call from the supermarket, pulled into the alley, and then saw the women on the floor.
Answer D: This answer is incorrect because it did not tell you who called. It is missing information. It is also missing information of where the alley is located, which alley? When you are writing your reports remember that the most important information is who, what and where. Who was involved? What happened (stabbing, burglary, fire)? Where is the event taking place?
The prep package includes 24 practice tests that cover both the Written Comprehension and Written Expression sections of the exam.
Read the RULE carefully and answer the question.
RULE:
A correctional officer whose life is not being threatened may not shoot a violent inmate with a rifle or handgun unless it is a .22 caliber rimfire using rubber, sand, or rock-salt ammunition.
Which of the following is in violation of the RULE?
A. Officer Jerry Thomson shot a violent inmate, who was beating another inmate, with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle, using .22 rock-salt ammunition.
B. Officer John Adams shot a violent inmate who threatened his life with a shotgun, using rock0salt ammunition.
C. Officer James Kelly shot a violent inmate with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle, using .22 sand ammunition.
D. Officer Kim Buckley shot a violent inmate who was not threatening his life with a .22 caliber rimfire handgun, using .22 Short ammunition.
View ExplanationAnswer & Explanation
The correct answer is (D).
"A correctional officer whose life is not being threatened may not shoot a violent inmate with a rifle or handgun unless […]" – Buckley shot a violent inmate with a handgun while not under life threat."“[…] unless it is a .22 caliber rimfire using rubber, sand, or rock-salt ammunition.” – Buckley's handgun is a .22 caliber rimfire, but he used .22 Short ammunition, which does not comply with the RULE.
In answer (A), just as in (D), Jerry's life was not threatened. However, he used the correct ammunition.
In answer (B), Officer Adams's life was threatened. Since the RULE only addresses shootings when the officer's life is not threatened, no violation occurred.
Notice that answer (C) does not mention whether the officer's life was threatened; either way, there was no violation of the RULE:
If Officer Kelly's life was threatened, then there could be no violation of the RULE, just as in answer (B).
If Officer Kelly's life was not threatened, no violation of the RULE had occurred, since the correct ammunition was used.
The prep package includes 5 practice tests that cover the Problem Sensitivity section.
The following steps should be followed when approaching a crime scene. (These steps are not listed in the correct order.)
The correct answer is C.
When approaching a crime scene, the first step is to secure and protect it (step 6). If the scene is not secured or protected, evidence may be moved or tampered with, which can strongly harm the investigation. Answers B and D can therefore be eliminated.
Step 7 instructs you to record and collect evidence. When investigating a crime scene, the location of evidence can be important and therefore evidence should only be collected after the scene has been captured photographically (step 2), and after a detailed search of the scene has been conducted (step 5). We can therefore eliminate answer A, and conclude that C is the correct answer.
You may also have noticed:
A narrative of the scene can only be prepared (step 4) after the scene and the evidence have been closely examined. This must therefore be one of the last steps.
The word “preliminary” in step 3 indicates to us that this is one of the first steps. Taking a preliminary survey should come before evaluating what kind of physical evidence may be present (step 1).
The prep package includes 4 practice tests that cover the Information Ordering section.
The NYPD PCT title is also known by other names, such as 911 operator or dispatcher, emergency dispatcher, and public safety telecommunicator.
Regardless of the specific job title, this position performs a duality of roles: 911 call-taking and radio dispatching. As the key emergency resource for all five boroughs of New York City, the PCT position entails many diverse tasks.
911 operators work on state-of-the-art equipment that can handle 50,000 calls per hour. The average number of calls per year is in excess of 11 million.
One of the primary skills associated with this communications job is listening carefully to all callers in order to initiate appropriate emergency responses. Sometimes, to serve those in need, emergency dispatchers provide emergency response services and share interagency information with NYPD and FDNY operators and emergency medical dispatchers.
Life and death are literally in the hands of emergency dispatchers; therefore, excellent reasoning ability and sound judgment are essential characteristics of all who are hired as NYC Police Communications Technicians. The NYPD PCT exam assesses job-related criteria and explores the aptitudes needed for effective job performance.
Before launching into the test, it would be a good idea to mention a few words about the position for which you are applying. This will also help you to better understand the test itself. The dispatcher (aka. Technician) has some very serious responsibility to ensure that the entire operation runs smoothly. While we obviously cannot go through all the metrics related to the job, here are a few highlights.
An NYPD 911 operator must have knowledge in the following key areas:
Here are a few most important top skills you will need to get the job done:
Of course, you will have many critical responsibilities, as you are the primary clog in the engine Let’s take a look at a few:
So now that you have a broad overview of the skills need and pre-qualifications – how do you apply?
The application process is fairly simple; after going through a background check and drug test, you will go online to fill out the form on the NYC exam website.
Next, after a 14 day wait period, you will receive a notification via online and/or mail of your test date. Please note that you must bring a physical copy of the test notice with you to the test site. Additionally, you are prohibited from using any electronic device within the testing area.
The current salary starts between about 39-45,000 USD per year. After 3 years, the salary can climb to about 53,000 USD.
Benefits include: 401K Plan, dental insurance, employee discounts, health insurance, and life insurance.
Aside from passing the Civil Service Examination for Police Communication Technician, there are several other requirements needed to get the role.
