1.1 Exam No. 7307 Format, OASys Filing, Fees & Test-Day Rules
Key Takeaways
DCAS Exam No. 7307 for Police Communications Technician (Title Code 71012) lists filing September 2–October 13, 2026 and testing expected to begin November 16, 2026; individual appointments follow the Admission Notice.
The computer-terminal multiple-choice test requires at least 70% and may assess seven named abilities; its notice does not publish item count, duration, or ability weights.
The application fee is $68 plus a nonrefundable 2% card service fee; the 7307 notice adds NYC high school students and first-time test takers to its listed possible fee-waiver categories.
Admission Notices post on the OASys Dashboard 14 days before the first test date, and candidates must bring one valid, non-expired ID containing both a photograph and a signature matching their application name.
Phones, smartwatches, e-cigarettes, and electronics are sealed in a Yondr pouch; calculators and headphones are banned, and any Yondr or device violation triggers score nullification, fee forfeiture, and a ban of up to five years.
1.1 Exam No. 7307 Format, OASys Filing, Fees & Test-Day Rules
Police Communications Technicians are civilian 911 call-takers and police radio dispatchers in the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Communications Section. The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) administers the open-competitive examination for Title Code No. 71012.
Important
Current source check — October 13, 2026: The DCAS current-exams page lists Exam No. 7307, with applications from September 2 through October 13, 2026 and multiple-choice testing expected to begin Monday, November 16, 2026. This expected start is not an individual appointment. Follow your Admission Notice for your assigned date, time, and site. The earlier Exam No. 6329 filed May 7–July 17, 2026 and expected testing from September 8; those dates do not govern 7307.
The official 7307 Notice of Examination is the authority for current qualifications, fees, abilities, and security rules. This is independent OpenExamPrep teaching. All priority tables, directives, memory methods, maps, codes, and quizzes later in the guide are original practice examples; they do not reproduce secure DCAS questions or establish NYPD operating policy.
Computer-Terminal Format, Passing Score & the Seven Tested Abilities
Exam No. 7307 is a multiple-choice examination administered at a DCAS computer terminal. To pass and be placed on the NYPD eligible list, a candidate must achieve a minimum passing score of 70%, and that score (plus any verified preference credits) determines ranking order on the eligible list.
Unlike commercial dispatcher exams, DCAS does not publish an official total question count, total time limit, or percentage weights for the sub-areas on the Notice of Examination. Instead, DCAS specifies that the exam evaluates seven core abilities:
- Deductive Reasoning: Applying general rules to specific problems to arrive at logical answers.
- Inductive Reasoning: Combining separate pieces of information or specific answers to form general rules or conclusions.
- Information Ordering: Following a rule or set of rules to arrange things or actions in a certain order.
- Memorization: Remembering information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Problem Sensitivity: Telling when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, without necessarily solving the problem.
- Written Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in English.
- Written Expression: Using English words or sentences in writing so that others will understand.
Certain questions may require documents or other information supplied on test day. DCAS does not specify their exact formats. This guide uses fictional directives, tables, glossaries, and checklists to practice reading supplied information. Prepare across all seven abilities, then spend additional time on weaknesses identified in your own practice; unpublished weights do not establish equal exam shares.
How the NYC DCAS Exam Differs from NTN ECOMM and CritiCall
NTN ECOMM and CritiCall are separate vendor assessments used by other hiring agencies. Their modules, scoring, timing, and requirements are not evidence about this DCAS examination. The 7307 notice specifies a computer-terminal multiple-choice test; do not import a vendor typing-speed requirement or item count. NYPD appointment also involves an 18-month probationary period requiring successful completion of both call-taker and radio-dispatcher training courses. That training requirement is distinct from the civil-service test.
OASys Online Filing, Fees & Fee Waiver Categories
Applications must be submitted online via the DCAS Online Application System (OASys) at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs:
- Verified Email & Safe-Sender Setup: Create an OASys account with a verified email address and add
OASys@dcas.nyc.govto your email provider's known senders list so confirmations and notices are not blocked as spam. - Application & Service Fees: The application fee is $68.00, plus a nonrefundable 2.00% service fee when paying electronically by credit card, debit card, or gift card (or prepaid debit card with a credit card logo).
- Missing Receipt Inquiries: If your immediate email receipt does not arrive (and is not in your OASys Dashboard under "Notifications"), contact DCAS through
nyc.gov/CivilServiceNowNYCwith your four-digit exam number (7307) and OASys profile number. - Fee Waiver Categories: The 7307 notice says the application fee may be waived for New York City high school students, first-time test takers, veterans, unemployed individuals, and recipients of public assistance or Supplementary Security Income (SSI). Check the OASys Fee Waiver FAQs for eligibility and documentation; membership in a broadly worded category is not a substitute for approval.
Five Borough DCAS Computer-Based Testing & Application Centers (CTACs)
Candidates without home internet access may file online—and all scheduled test-takers will sit for their computer-terminal exam—at the five DCAS Computer-based Testing and Application Centers (CTACs). Filing kiosks operate Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the 7307 notice lists closures on September 7 and October 12, 2026. Check current opening information before traveling; your scheduled test appointment controls test attendance.
| Borough | Official DCAS CTAC Address | Standard Hours & 2026 Holiday Closures |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 2 Lafayette Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10007 | Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (Closed Sept 7, Oct 12) |
| Brooklyn | 210 Joralemon Street, 4th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (Closed Sept 7, Oct 12) |
| Queens | 118-35 Queens Boulevard, 5th Floor, Forest Hills, NY 11375 | Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (Closed Sept 7, Oct 12) |
| Staten Island | 135 Canal Street, 3rd Floor, Staten Island, NY 10304 | Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (Closed Sept 7, Oct 12) |
| Bronx | 1932 Arthur Avenue, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY 10457 | Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (Closed Sept 7, Oct 12) |
Test-Day Admission, Identification & Yondr Pouch Security Rules
DCAS posts your Admission Notice to your OASys Dashboard 14 days before the first expected test date. While DCAS considers your mailing address when assigning a site, assignment to your closest borough CTAC is not guaranteed.
Mandatory Identification Rules
You must present one valid, non-expired identification document bearing both a photograph and a signature, where the first and last name match your OASys application:
- State-issued driver's license or State non-driver ID card
- City or State employee ID card, or IDNYC municipal ID card
- U.S. Passport, U.S. Military ID, or U.S. Alien Registration Card (Permanent Resident Card)
- Employer ID card with photo or Student ID card with photo (if bearing a signature)
Prohibited Devices, Yondr Pouches & Disqualification Penalties
- Yondr Pouch Sealing: Phones, smartwatches, cameras, e-cigarettes, vape pens, and portable media or electronic devices are strictly prohibited. Any such item brought to the site will be placed in a Yondr pouch and sealed until after the exam event (whether an Examination, Protest Review Session, or Test Validation Board [TVB] session).
- Banned Aids & Medical Exceptions: Calculators, headphones, and earbuds are prohibited. Wearable medical assistive devices that vibrate or alert require prior written authorization from
testingaccommodations@dcas.nyc.gov. - No Visitors & No Re-entry After Fingerprinting: Companions and visitors are not allowed inside. Once you are fingerprinted at check-in, leaving the premises before finishing the test prohibits re-entry.
Warning
Five-Year Civil Service Ban for Device Violations: Using a prohibited electronic device or opening/tampering with a sealed Yondr pouch anywhere inside the facility—including the testing room, hallways, or restrooms—results in immediate test score nullification, forfeiture of your $68.00 application fee, and a ban from NYC civil service exams for up to five (5) years.
The DCAS current-exams page and Exam No. 7307 notice list filing September 2–October 13, 2026 and testing expected to begin November 16, 2026. Which statement correctly distinguishes the filing deadline from a test appointment?
A candidate may file on November 16 because it is the expected first testing date.
The filing deadline is October 13; the candidate follows the Admission Notice for the assigned test appointment.
Every applicant is guaranteed a November 16 appointment at the closest testing center.
The older 6329 filing deadline continues to govern applications to 7307.
During a restroom break at the Brooklyn DCAS testing center, a candidate forces open their sealed Yondr pouch to check a text message on a smartwatch. Under official DCAS rules, what is the penalty?
Proctors deduct ten percentage points from the final exam score and confiscate the device permanently.
The candidate is reassigned to a make-up testing session after paying a second $68.00 filing fee.
The candidate receives a written warning on the eligible list and must retake the exam later.
The score is nullified, the fee is forfeited, and the candidate may be barred from civil-service tests for up to five years.
Which statement accurately describes the structure and scoring of the NYC DCAS Police Communications Technician examination compared with commercial dispatcher assessments?
It is computer-terminal multiple-choice with at least 70% to pass; documents may be supplied and ability weights are unpublished.
It measures split-screen keyboard typing speed at thirty-five words per minute alongside live audio transcription drills.
It publishes fixed percentage weights for seven abilities and allows handheld calculators on numeric dispatch items.
It requires a minimum passing score of 75% and guarantees testing at your home borough center.
Which rule governs check-in, identification, medical devices, and building exit on exam day at a DCAS Computer-based Testing and Application Center?
Candidates may present an expired state driver's license if accompanied by a current utility billing statement.
Wearable medical devices that vibrate or beep are permitted without notice if shown to check-in proctors.
Leaving the test center after being fingerprinted but before finishing the exam permanently bars test re-entry.
One family member may wait inside the testing center lobby while the candidate completes check-in procedures.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.