11.2 CritiCall Test-Day Mechanics & Environment

Why the Environment Matters as Much as the Content

Even a candidate who has mastered every module's content can lose points to something that has nothing to do with dispatching: not knowing how to register a selection with the mouse, missing a scroll bar that hides part of the screen, or being unsettled by hearing information through a headset for the first time under time pressure. CritiCall's official Public Safety Communications Pre-Employment Test Preparation Guide, published by Biddle Consulting Group (the company behind the CritiCall/TestGenius testing platform), devotes an entire section to these mechanics precisely because they trip up otherwise well-prepared candidates. This section walks through what to expect physically and mechanically on test day, independent of which specific modules your agency selects.

The Testing Environment

CritiCall is administered on-site, under proctored conditions, at the hiring agency's own testing location — it is not offered remotely, because its audio and simulation components depend on controlled equipment and a monitored room. Expect a standard office computer with a mouse, a keyboard, and a headset through which spoken information — emergency calls, addresses, names, telephone numbers — is played during audio-based modules. You will typically be able to adjust the headset volume before or during those sections; test the adjustment during any practice items offered rather than waiting until a scored item is already playing and you cannot pause it.

Keyboard and Input Conventions

Three input conventions appear across nearly every module, and all three are explicitly called out in the official preparation guide:

1. Turn on Num Lock before you start. Many test takers find it easier to enter telephone numbers, zip codes, and other numeric data using the keyboard's numeric keypad, which only produces digits when Num Lock is active. Confirm this setting before a data-entry section begins, not partway through one, since re-enabling it mid-section costs time you may not have.
2. Expect UPPERCASE-only entry. During many data-entry portions, the system accepts and displays only upper-case letters, regardless of how you type. This mirrors real computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, which conventionally restrict a dispatcher's data entry to upper case only. Do not assume you have made an error if lower-case letters never appear on screen — this is expected behavior built into the test, not a keyboard malfunction to troubleshoot.
3. Use a single left-click only. Selections throughout the test — choosing a multiple-choice bubble, picking one of the four decision-rule icons covered in Chapter 2, or advancing a screen — are made with one single click of the left mouse button. A correctly registered choice typically appears as a filled or "blue dot" marker beside your selection, and you may click a different option as many times as you like before moving on to the next item. Double-clicking is unnecessary and can occasionally register as two separate actions.

Practice Items and the Skip Penalty

Most CritiCall modules open with a short set of practice items before the scored portion begins. Practice items are not counted toward your final score, and the official guide explicitly notes that you are not required to complete them — you will be given the option to bypass them if you feel ready. Even so, use them every time: they are the only risk-free opportunity to confirm you understand a specific module's exact input method (mouse-only, keyboard-only, or a mix of both) before any points are on the line.

Once the scored portion of a module begins, a different rule applies: skipping a question is penalized unless the on-screen instructions for that particular section explicitly say otherwise. This matters most on timed audio modules, where the temptation to leave a difficult item blank and move on can cost more than submitting your best guess. Always enter a response rather than leaving a field empty, unless an instruction screen has specifically told you skipping carries no penalty for that section.

Scroll Bars and Hidden Content

Some screens will not display all of the relevant information at once, and a scroll bar — typically running along the right edge of the screen — appears to indicate there is more content below what is currently visible. A candidate who does not notice the scroll bar may answer a reading-comprehension or cross-referencing item using only the visible portion of a passage or list, missing information located lower on the page. Build the habit, on every screen with a dense passage or a long list, of glancing at the right edge of the screen before submitting an answer.

Mechanic-by-Mechanic Checklist

Key Takeaways

• CritiCall is administered on-site under proctored conditions using a standard computer, mouse, keyboard, and headset — there is no remote-testing option.
• Turning Num Lock on before testing and expecting upper-case-only text entry are both normal, documented parts of the test, not errors to troubleshoot.
• All selections use a single left mouse click, and a visible marker (often a "blue dot") confirms your choice was registered.
• Practice items are unscored and optional but are your only risk-free chance to confirm a module's input method before points are on the line.
• Scored sections penalize skipped questions by default, and dense screens may hide content behind a scroll bar — check both before submitting an answer.