6.3 Computer Simulations: Listening & Understanding and Cross Search & Entry
Key Takeaways
In NTN's Listening and Understanding task, you hear a caller's statement, read a written statement about it, and decide whether it accurately reflects what the caller said.
A written statement that changes a number, person, place, time, or negation, or adds a fact the caller never said, does not accurately reflect the call.
In NTN's Cross Search and Entry task, you see a driver's license record on one side of the screen and enter the requested information into text boxes on the other.
Field-label confusion, such as birth date versus issue or expiration date, plus transposed digits and O/0 or I/1 swaps cause most cross-search errors.
NTN says the separate Data Entry and Computer Simulations test cannot be taken on a mobile device and its score is not shown to candidates.
Call-takers constantly check one source of information against another: what the caller said against what was typed, and what a record shows against what an officer needs. The last two Computer Simulations tasks test those checks directly. NTN describes both as "try to get through as many as possible" tasks, so the goal is the same as in Section 6.2: accurate first, then fast.
Listening and Understanding
NTN's description: test takers listen to a caller making a statement, then read a statement about that call, and decide whether the written statement accurately reflects what the caller said.
This is closely related to the Recording Pertinent Information test in the Comprehensive exam (Section 3.4), with two differences. You compare against a statement you just heard rather than against notes taken earlier, and NTN describes the decision as whether the statement is accurate, with no "Unsure" option mentioned. Your job is to notice whether the meaning changed.
What makes a statement inaccurate
| Change in the written statement | Caller said | Written statement | Accurate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Different number | "There are three people hurt." | "Two people are hurt." | No |
| Different person | "My brother fell off the ladder." | "The caller fell off a ladder." | No |
| Different place | "It's in the garage behind the house." | "The fire is inside the house." | No |
| Flipped negation | "He doesn't have a gun." | "The man has a gun." | No |
| Changed order or time | "He left before the police got here." | "He left after police arrived." | No |
| Added fact | "Someone broke my car window." | "Someone broke the window and stole a laptop." | No (the theft was never said) |
| Faithful paraphrase | "My dad's chest hurts and he's sweaty." | "The caller's father has chest pain and is sweating." | Yes |
Technique
- Listen for the five anchors: who, what, where, when, and how many. Most inaccurate statements change one of them.
- Hunt for small words that flip meaning: not, no, never, before, after, left, right, some, all, only.
- Accept honest paraphrase. "Sweaty" and "sweating" mean the same thing. Different words alone don't make a statement inaccurate; a changed meaning does.
- Reject additions. If the written statement includes something the caller never said, it does not accurately reflect the call, even if it is likely to be true.
Cross Search and Entry
NTN's description: test takers see a screen with a driver's license record on one side and text boxes for data entry on the other, and enter the requested information based on the record, getting through as many records as possible.
This mirrors a real task. Officers and call-takers pull details from vehicle and driver records and enter them into incident records or forms. The skill is to find the right field fast and copy it exactly.
Where cross-search errors come from
| Trap | Example | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Similar date fields | Birth date vs. issue date vs. expiration date | Read the box label, then the record label, before copying |
| Similar number fields | License number vs. another document or reference number | Match the exact label wording, not just "number" |
| Name parts | Middle name vs. middle initial; last name first on the record | Copy only the part the box asks for |
| Character swaps | O vs. 0; I vs. 1; S vs. 5 | Check the record's character carefully; license numbers often mix letters and digits |
| Transposition | 4815 typed as 4851 | Copy in chunks and glance once to compare |
| Format mismatch | Height 5-10 vs. 510; dates with or without slashes | Follow any format the entry box shows; otherwise copy as displayed |
A fast, accurate routine
- Read the box label first. Know exactly what you need before you look at the record.
- Find the matching label on the record. Scan for the label, not for something that merely looks like the right kind of value.
- Copy in chunks of three or four characters.
- Compare once against the record, then move to the next box.
- Keep a steady rhythm. Your score depends on how many records you complete, so don't stall on one field.
The Testing Environment for the Online Version
The separate Data Entry and Computer Simulations test is taken at home through your NTN account, at a time you choose. NTN's rules:
- Allow enough time to finish the roughly 35-minute test undisturbed.
- Work in a quiet environment with no help from others. It is a test, not a practice exercise.
- Use headphones. NTN strongly recommends them because many items have a listening component.
- Use a computer with a keyboard. The test cannot be taken on a mobile device.
- You will not see your score, and you can retake the test only by re-applying, and paying, for the job.
It opens with a Personal Self-Assessment, a questionnaire about work-specific attitudes (Section 7.1), before the data-entry, listening, and cross-search tasks.
Practice Ideas
- Listening: Have a friend read short "caller statements" while you read prepared written versions, half faithful and half altered. Decide accurate or not within three seconds.
- Cross search: Make a mock driver's license record with fields such as name, address, birth date, issue date, expiration date, license number, height, and eye color. Time yourself copying five requested fields, then check every character.
- Mix them: Alternate listening and copying drills in one 10-minute block to practice switching between tasks quickly.
A caller says, "My neighbor's dog bit my son on the hand." Which written statement accurately reflects what the caller said?
The caller's dog bit a neighbor's child on the hand
A neighbor's dog bit the caller's son on the arm
The caller's son was bitten on the hand by the neighbor's dog
A neighbor's dog bit the caller's son, who needs stitches
In Cross Search and Entry, an entry box asks for the license expiration date. Which habit best prevents the most common error?
Copying the first date that appears on the record, since license records list expiration first
Typing the date from memory after glancing at the record, to save time
Skipping date fields and returning to them at the end of the test
Reading the box label, then finding the record field with the same label before copying
Which statement about NTN's separate Data Entry and Computer Simulations test is accurate?
It takes about 35 minutes, must be taken on a computer with a keyboard, and its score is not shown to you
It is taken at an NTN test center with a live proctor, and its score appears right after you finish
It can be taken on any phone or tablet, and you may retake it on its own whenever you like
It replaces the CallTaker and Dispatcher subtests for every Emergency Communications job
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.