In NTN's Data Entry of Names task, what are you asked to type, and what help can you request?

The caller's last name, with a repeat or a spelling available on request. NTN says test takers hear a call-taker ask for the caller's name, can have the name repeated or ask for it to be spelled, and type the last name, completing as many names as possible. Copying from a driver's license record is the separate Cross Search and Entry task.

A caller says their plate is "seven B, double four, fifteen." Which entry matches what they said?

7B4415. "Seven B" is 7B, "double four" is 44, and "fifteen" is 15, giving 7B4415. The other entries show common transcription errors: hearing B as D or shifting a digit, hearing fifteen as fifty, and typing "double four" as a single 4.

Which surname is the best candidate for a spelling request during the timed name-entry task?

Reid, because the same sound could be spelled Reid, Reed, or Read. Spelling requests cost time, so save them for names with several common spellings or names you have never heard. Reid can also be Reed or Read, so the spelling matters. Johnson, Williams, and Brown are common names with one usual spelling.

Computer Simulations: Data Entry of License | Free Guide 2026

The Computer Simulations measure a skill every call-taker uses dozens of times a shift: hearing a detail once and typing it correctly. NTN includes them in the Express exam and in the separate Data Entry and Computer Simulations Test (ECOMM National Computer Simulations), which takes about 35 minutes through your NTN candidate account. NTN's instructions for the separate test are practical: use a computer with a keyboard (not a mobile device), work in a quiet room with no help from anyone, and use headphones, because "many questions have a listening component."

This section covers the two typing-from-audio tasks. Section 6.3 covers Listening and Understanding and Cross Search and Entry.

How the Two Tasks Work

Task	What you hear	What you type	Help available	Goal
Data Entry of License Plate Numbers	A call-taker asks for the caller's plate number, and the caller says it	The plate number	You can have the plate repeated	Get through as many plates as possible
Data Entry of Names	A call-taker asks for the caller's name, and the caller responds	The last name	You can have the name repeated or ask for it to be spelled	Get through as many names as possible

NTN does not publish how errors are weighed against speed. Assume both matter. A plate typed wrong in real life sends officers after the wrong car, so build accuracy first and speed second.

Plates: Where Errors Come From

Callers speak plates the way people actually talk: fast, sometimes grouped, sometimes with a phonetic word thrown in. Know the traps before you hear them.

Trap	Example	Defense
The "ee" letters sound alike	B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, Z ("D-four" heard as "B-four")	Listen for a phonetic word ("D as in David"); request a repeat if truly unsure
Nasal pair	M and N	Same: listen for clarification; repeat only if needed
Fricative pair	F and S	Watch for "F as in Frank" or "S as in Sam"
Teen/ty numbers	"Fifteen" vs. "fifty"; "thirteen" vs. "thirty"	Listen for the stressed ending ("fif-TEEN" vs. "FIF-ty")
Grouped numbers	"Four twenty-one" means 4-2-1	Convert groups to single digits as you type
"Double" and "triple"	"Double seven" means 77	Type the repeated character the right number of times
"Oh" for zero	"Seven oh three"	Listen for whether the caller means the letter O or the digit zero; if the caller says "O as in Ocean," it is a letter

Chunking keeps long strings manageable. Hold three or four characters in memory, type them, then take the next chunk. Trying to hold seven characters before typing anything invites a dropped or swapped character.

Names: When to Ask for a Spelling

You type only the last name, and you may ask for a spelling. Spelling requests cost time, so use them when a name has more than one common spelling or you have never heard it before:

Same sound, different spelling: Reid / Reed / Read; Smith / Smyth; Thompson / Thomson; Meyer / Meier / Myer; Gonzalez / Gonzales; Kaye / Kay.
Prefixes and particles: McDonald / MacDonald; O'Brien; De La Cruz / Delacruz.
Hyphenated surnames: Garcia-Lopez.
Unfamiliar names: if you cannot picture how it is written, ask.

Common, unambiguous names such as Johnson or Williams usually do not need a spelling. When the caller spells a name, listen for the phonetic words that settle the rhyming letters ("B as in Boy"), and type each letter as it comes.

Typing Technique Under Time Pressure

Keep your eyes on the screen. Touch typing, or at least not hunting for keys, saves seconds on every entry. Practice the number row and the numeric keypad until neither needs a glance.
Type, then verify once. A quick glance at what you typed catches transpositions such as 7314 for 7341. Don't recheck several times.
Don't freeze on one item. If you are unsure after a repeat, enter your best version and move on. Each entry is one of many.
Settle your audio first. Set a comfortable headphone volume before the timed part begins. Turning it up mid-test costs time.

A Practice Plan

Make audio drills. Record yourself, or have a friend read 30 made-up plates and 30 surnames at natural speed. Include rhyming letters, teen/ty numbers, and grouped digits.
Score accuracy first. For a week, aim for zero errors at any speed.
Then add the clock. Count how many correct entries you finish in five minutes, and try to raise that number without new errors.
Learn one phonetic alphabet (Section 3.3) so you recognize phonetic words instantly when a caller uses them.
Review error patterns. If most of your errors are B/D or 15/50, drill that pair specifically.

Why the Skill Matters on the Job

Plates and names feed searches of vehicle, driver, and warrant records. One wrong character sends a search to the wrong record. That is why agencies that require this simulation treat it as a core call-taker skill rather than a typing formality.

NTN ECOMM (911 Dispatcher)

6.2 Computer Simulations: Data Entry of License Plates & Names

Key Takeaways