Memory
You hear or read a set of facts — an address, a phone number, a description — then answer questions about it after it is taken away. Group details into chunks (street, number, name) and rehearse them out loud.
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911 Dispatcher Exam Study Guide
Memory, multitasking, map reading, data entry, and situational judgment for emergency communications exams.
12 track practice questions in the bank · Free 25-question practice test included below.
Take Free Practice Test →Overview
911 dispatchers are the first point of contact in an emergency: they take calls, gather the key facts, decide how urgent a situation is, and send the right help to the right place. The work demands a calm voice, a sharp memory, and the ability to do two things at once without dropping a detail.
This guide covers the skills these exams typically test: memory for addresses, phone numbers, and descriptions; map reading; accurate data entry; multitasking; and situational judgment under pressure. Drill the memory and map work daily — those skills improve fastest with short, frequent practice.
DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark, but the Notice of Examination for the exam you are taking is the final authority on its subjects, format, and rules.
What the exam typically tests
Map Reading
You read street maps, find the shortest route, identify the nearest unit or intersection, and work out which direction a caller is describing. Trace routes with your finger and follow the actual streets, not the straight line.
Data Entry
Questions test whether you can copy names, addresses, and numbers exactly, and spot errors in a copied entry. The skill is accuracy under time pressure, not speed.
Multitasking
You may be asked to handle two things at once — for example, listening to a caller while noting an address — or to switch between tasks without losing track. Practice splitting attention deliberately.
Situational Judgment
Scenarios ask what a dispatcher should do first: when to keep a caller on the line, when to dispatch, when to transfer, and how to handle a caller who cannot or will not give information.
Reading Comprehension
You read procedures, call scripts, and memos and answer questions about what they require. Exact wording matters, especially around safety and verification steps.
Topic checklist
Work through this list honestly — drill the items you cannot do yet.
- ☐ Recall a street address and a callback number exactly after hearing them once.
- ☐ Identify the shortest route between two points on a street map.
- ☐ Copy a name, address, and phone number with zero transcription errors.
- ☐ Decide which of three simultaneous calls is most urgent and why.
- ☐ Keep a frightened caller on the line while gathering location information.
- ☐ Use the phonetic alphabet to spell a name or street clearly.
- ☐ Recall a vehicle or caller description after a two-minute study.
- ☐ Choose the correct action when a caller hangs up before giving an address.
- ☐ Explain the order of information to gather on an emergency call.
- ☐ Complete a 25-question mixed set within your time target.
How to prepare
1Listen-and-recall drill
Daily, have someone read you an address and phone number once, wait 30 seconds, then write them down exactly. Good looks like zero errors in digits and spelling after two weeks of practice.
2Map memory drill
Three times a week, study a small street map for two minutes, cover it, and answer questions about the shortest route between two points. Good looks like the correct route on the first attempt.
3Exact copy drill
Daily, do 10 data-entry items: copy names, addresses, and numbers exactly, then check each character. Good looks like zero transcription errors.
4Two-task multitasking drill
Twice a week, listen to a short recorded scenario while copying an address, then answer questions on both. Good looks like both tasks correct — accuracy on the second task is the goal, not speed.
5Timed mixed set
Once a week, do a 25-question timed mixed set from the 911 Dispatcher pool. Review every miss the same day and re-drill the topic it came from.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕ Guessing a digit you forgot: on memory items, a wrong number is worse than a blank — rehearse the number in chunks and check it before answering.
- ✕ Taking the straight-line route on a map: follow the actual streets and turns, including one-way arrows if shown.
- ✕ Jumping to the most dramatic call first: triage by urgency and danger, not by how loud the caller is.
- ✕ Letting a caller hang up without an address: always confirm the location and callback number before anything else.
- ✕ Typing what you expect instead of what you heard: copy exactly, character by character, and check the digits.
Exam day strategy
- ✓ Arrive early with exactly what the admission notice requires.
- ✓ Use the full study time on memory items — do not rush to the questions.
- ✓ On map items, trace the route with your pencil instead of doing it in your head.
- ✓ On multitasking items, answer the most urgent call first, then the next.
- ✓ Mark hard questions, move on, and return to them at the end.
- ✓ Save a few minutes to check every answer, especially numbers you typed from memory.
Sample questions
Try these 3 sample questions from the practice bank. The correct answer is marked — read the explanation even when you get one right.
Sample 1 · Memory and Observation
A caller states the following information once: 'The address is 4820 Flatlands Avenue, Brooklyn, and my callback number is 718-555-0147.' After the information is taken away, which address and number are CORRECT?
- A.4820 Flatlands Avenue, 718-555-0147 ✓ Correct answer
- B.4802 Flatlands Avenue, 718-555-0174
- C.4820 Flatbush Avenue, 718-555-0147
- D.4820 Flatlands Avenue, 718-555-0417
The caller gave 4820 Flatlands Avenue and 718-555-0147. The other options change a digit, swap the street name, or reorder the phone number — exactly the transcription errors dispatchers must avoid.
Sample 2 · Problem Solving
A dispatcher is handling three incoming calls at once. Call A reports a house fire with people inside. Call B reports a car alarm going off on an empty street. Call C reports a person who has fallen and cannot get up. In what order should the dispatcher prioritize these calls?
- A.B, then C, then A
- B.C, then A, then B
- C.A, then C, then B ✓ Correct answer
- D.A, then B, then C
The fire with people inside is the most urgent, followed by the injured person who cannot get up, and last the car alarm with no one in danger. Triage is by danger to life, not by the order calls arrived or how loud the caller is.
Sample 3 · Situational Judgment
A caller reports a burglary in progress and says the intruder is still in the house. The caller is hiding in a closet. What should the dispatcher do FIRST?
- A.Tell the caller to leave the closet and confront the intruder.
- B.Keep the caller on the line, confirm the address, and dispatch police while telling the caller to stay quiet and hidden. ✓ Correct answer
- C.Ask the caller to describe the intruder in full detail before dispatching anyone.
- D.Tell the caller to hang up and call back if the intruder leaves.
The dispatcher should keep the caller on the line, confirm the location, dispatch police, and advise the caller to stay hidden and quiet. Telling the caller to confront the intruder puts them in danger, and delaying the dispatch to gather details wastes critical time.
Official sources
The exam announcement (Notice of Examination) is the final authority for the exam you are taking; check it for the exam number, eligibility, subjects tested, and instructions. DCAS multiple-choice exams generally use a 70% pass mark.
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Important disclaimer
All questions on NYCExamPrep.com are original practice questions written for study purposes. They are not official DCAS questions, and this site is not affiliated with the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) or the City of New York.