Ontario Provincial Police 911 Dispatchers Test Preparation [2024]
If you're about to apply for the 991 dispatcher position in Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), you probably already know that you're about to face the CritiCall Exam on your way to the prestigious job.
CritiCall is a unique test that centers around 911 dispatching. It puts you in the shoes of a 911 dispatcher to not only alert you to what will be expected of you but also allows the employers to assess your reactions to various situations.
The CritiCall is a modular test - each agency (Ontario Provincial Police for example) can choose the test modules that are most important to them and their own passing score.
This page will help you prepare for the OPP's CritiCall test using a free CritiCall practice test, detailed information, tips, and an accurate specific prep pack. Visit these links if you are preparing for the role of Peace Officer or Canda Police.
Ontario Provincial Police 911 Dispatchers Test Preparation
Each practice test contains detailed answers and explanations
- Decision Making: 1 practice test
- Data Entry: 11 practice tests
- Map Reading: 13 practice tests
- Call Summarization: 13 practice tests
- Typing (Keyboarding): 1 practice test
- 9 additional practice modules.
What Is the Ontario Provincial Police CritiCall Test?
Like many other 911 Dispatchers, The OPP also use the CritiCall test as their assessment tool for candidates for their 911 Dispatch.
The CritiCall test consists of multiple "modules." Each module is designed to assess specific skills, and every agency can choose the modules that are most important to them. Additionally, every agency and department can choose its own passing scores for each module.
The company that made the CritiCall exam, Biddle Consulting (administered by Test Genius), created 25 different modules. However, most agencies use up to 10 modules, which are usually similar across departments.
Here are some examples of the most frequently used modules:
- Typing (Keyboarding)
- Decision-Making
- Data Entry
- Call Summarization
- Cross-Referencing
- Memory Recall
- Prioritization
- Map Reading
- Sentence Clarity
- Reading Comprehension
- Spelling
- Character Comparison
- Math
If you would like more detailed information about the different modules, please check our dedicated General CritiCall page.
What Does the CritiCall Test Look Like?
To get a sense of what is the CritiCall exam and how does it looks like, Watch the short video below. We also recommend you try our free CritiCall sample test to get a hands-on feel of the actual test.
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Ontario CritiCall Test Preparation Tips and Strategies
- Practice for the exam using a desk PC and a regular keyboard with a num pad. Avoid practicing with a laptop, Mac, or MacBook. You’ll have regular Desk PCs on the actual test, so you should feel comfortable using them.
- Practice using “Tab” and “Shift-Tab” on your keyboard. These keys will help you move quickly between boxes and speed up your typing on the actual test.
- To practice your typing speed and accuracy, type into an audiobook. Let it get a few words ahead of you, and see if you can keep up with reasonable accuracy.
- Practice multi-tasking by typing a conversation you hear on the news or radio while holding a conversation with someone in the room.
- Learn the CritiCall decision-making rules in advance. There are pre-determined rules for choosing the correct emergency services to dispatch to a scene. Knowing them in advance can help you select the right option quickly and avoid losing points on the test.
Check Out Our CritiCall Test Practice Pack!
Our experts have developed our CritiCall Test Practice Pack after thorough research to validate the accuracy of the practice materials and after getting feedback from hundreds of candidates.
It includes Access to practice questions that simulates your test, Insightful tips, and a Prep program aimed at strengthening your weak spots.
Ontario Provincial Police Hiring Process
According to the official site of OACP, the Full Constable Selection System in the Ontario Provincial Police contains 3 phases of different tests-
- Phase 1, Pre-Hiring Stage (OACP Certificate Tests)-
- Stage 1 (A) - Online Files Submission
- Stage 2 (B) - Mental Abilities Test
- Stage 3 (C) - Personality Assessment
- Phase 2, Police Hiring Initial Stages-
- Stage 4 - Information Sessions
- Stage 5 - Application Package
- Stage 6 - Local Focus Interview
- Stage 7 - Essential Competency Interview
- Stage 8 - Additional specific testing (For example, the dispatchers CritiCall exam)
- Phase 3, Police Hiring End Stages-
- Stage 9 - Background Investigation
- Stage 10 - Psychological Evaluation
- Stage 11 - Medical Examination
- Stage 12 - Conditional Job Offer
OPP CritiCall 911 Dispatchers Exam FAQ
Your CritiCall test score is graded using three metrics: Keystrokes-per Hour (KPH), Words-per-Minute (WPM), and percentage scores (%) of each section. These are accumulated into an overall score shown in percentages.
The average CritiCall passing score for most portions ranges between 70% to 75%. To pass the CritiCall test at some of the most competitive agencies, you'll often need to reach a cutoff score of 80% and even 90%. The cutoff scores are usually determined by testing existing dispatchers and setting the benchmarks according to their scores. The passing score in the CritiCall Ontario Police is 70-75%.
The results’ processing time depends on every agency’s hiring schedule. Some send the results immediately to candidates, while others send out the results only several weeks after all testing dates have been completed.
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