3.4 Recording Pertinent Information: Correct, Incorrect, or Unsure

Key Concept: The Recording Pertinent Information test measures how well you capture details from the CallTaker videos and then judge statements against them. Success depends on one discipline: evaluate only what was actually stated, and reject assumptions that were never voiced.

How the Test Works

NTN's description is short. Candidates "read statements about the calls they took notes on and use their notes to determine if the statement presented is Correct, Incorrect, or if they are Unsure. Each statement is associated with a call from the CallTaker Video Test."

1. Notes come from the CallTaker videos. You take them while the CallTaker Video Test plays, and the items play without stopping. There is no separate audio segment and no replay.
2. Statements come later. NTN says your notes "will be used to answer questions in a later test segment," so you may judge a statement long after you saw the call. Memory fades quickly; your notes are the record.
3. Use the materials NTN provides. You cannot bring paper or pens into an NTN test center, and NTN does not publish the note format, so follow the instructions given in your session.
4. Three choices per statement: Correct, Incorrect, or Unsure. NTN does not publish how each choice is scored.

The Three Decision Categories

Apply these working definitions:

Category 1: Correct (Directly Substantiated)

A statement is Correct if and only if every factual element within the statement is directly affirmed in the call and supported by your notes. While minor semantic phrasing differences are permissible (e.g., a caller saying "he wore a blue ballcap" and the statement saying "The suspect wore a blue baseball hat"), the core substantive facts must be completely accurate.

Category 2: Incorrect (Direct Contradiction)

A statement is Incorrect if it makes an assertion that directly opposes, conflicts with, or falsifies a fact established during the call. For example, if the caller explicitly states that a robbery suspect fled North on Main Street, and the test statement reads, "The suspect fled South on Main Street," the statement is definitively Incorrect.

Category 3: Unsure (The Crucial Distinguisher)

Choose Unsure when your notes cannot establish a statement as either Correct or Incorrect. The clearest case is a statement that introduces a claim that was never stated in the call. This applies no matter how logical, common, or probable the claim might be in real life.

Consider this critical example: A 911 caller reports a grease fire in their restaurant kitchen, stating, "The deep fryer caught fire and black smoke is billowing into the dining room." A post-scenario statement reads: "The commercial fire caused over $50,000 in property damage." Many test-takers instinctively mark this as Correct or Incorrect based on common sense. However, because the caller never mentioned damage estimates or dollar figures, the answer is Unsure: nothing in the call settles it.

Cognitive Traps & Psychological Failure Modes

Statements like these are easy to get wrong because they exploit natural mental shortcuts. Recognize and counteract four common traps:

1. The Plausibility Trap: Conflating what is likely to have happened with what was actually proven. If a caller reports that an intruder shattered a window and stole jewelry, candidates often assume the intruder entered the home. But if the caller never saw the intruder inside, the statement "the intruder walked through the living room" cannot be settled from the call, so the choice is Unsure.
2. The Extrapolation Trap: Drawing clinical or legal conclusions that exceed the caller's stated words. If a caller states, "My elderly father fell, hit his head, and isn't answering me," test-takers often mark a statement stating "The father was in a comatose state with a fractured skull" as Correct. In reality, the caller never provided a medical diagnosis, so the right choice is Unsure.
3. The Composite Suspect Trap: In calls involving multiple perpetrators or vehicles, test-takers routinely cross-contaminate details. If Suspect 1 wore a red hoodie and wielded a revolver, and Suspect 2 wore a leather jacket and carried a knife, the exam will present: "The suspect with the knife wore a red hoodie." Test-takers relying on vague memory recall both elements from the call and erroneously mark it Correct. Cross-checking notes confirms that this is directly Incorrect.
4. The Assumption of Standard Routine: Assuming standard police or medical procedures took place when they were never voiced on the recording.

The Quadrant Note-Taking System for Public Safety Testing

If your session's note materials allow it, divide your note space into four quadrants before the first video plays:

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| QUADRANT 1: WHERE & CALLER        | QUADRANT 2: WHAT & WEAPONS        |
| - Exact Address / Suite / Bldg    | - Incident Type (Robbery, Crash)  |
| - Cross Streets / Landmarks       | - Weapons (Handgun, Knife, Finish)|
| - Caller Name & Callback #        | - Timeframe (In-prog, Just occurred)|
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| QUADRANT 3: WHO / SUSPECTS        | QUADRANT 4: VEHICLE & TRAVEL      |
| - Sex, Race, Age, Height, Weight  | - CYMBALS (Color, Year, Make, Mod)|
| - Top-to-Bottom Clothing Layers   | - License Plate & State           |
| - Tattoos, Scars, Marks, Limp     | - DOT (Direction of Travel, St)   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

Using concise abbreviations (e.g., W/M/20s for White Male in his 20s, DOT NB for Direction of Travel Northbound, BLKM semi for Black Matte semi-automatic) lets you log critical details in real time without losing track of the video.

Comprehensive Worked Scenario & Verification Matrix

Work through this practice exercise (written for this guide, not an NTN item) to master the three-way decision:

Call Transcript

"911, what is the location of your emergency?" "I need police right now at the Crestview Pharmacy, 1840 West Lincoln Highway, Suite 200! A man just robbed us!" "Is anyone injured, and are weapons involved?" "No one is hurt, but he pointed a black semi-automatic pistol right at my cashier. He demanded cash and prescription painkillers, then stuffed money into a green canvas backpack. He ran out our front door about 30 seconds ago!" "Can you describe him and which way did he go?" "He was a white male, about thirty years old, roughly six feet tall, heavy build. He wore a dark blue hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, faded blue jeans, and dark work boots. He fled on foot heading North along Lincoln Highway toward the grocery plaza!"

Sample Candidate Quadrant Notes

• Where: 1840 W Lincoln Hwy, Ste 200 (Crestview Pharmacy)
• What: Armed Robbery, just occurred (30 sec ago), No injuries
• Weapons: Black semi-automatic pistol, pointed at cashier
• Items Taken: Cash, prescription painkillers, green canvas backpack
• Suspect: W/M, ~30 yo, 6'0", heavy build
• Clothing: Dark blue hoodie (hood up), faded blue jeans, dark work boots
• Flight: On foot, DOT Northbound on Lincoln Hwy toward grocery plaza