Covers the current Police Communications Technician exam, Notice of Examination No. 7307.
If you want an NYC 911 dispatcher practice test, start with the only official outline there is. Notice of Examination No. 7307 says the multiple-choice test may include "questions requiring the use of any of the following abilities" and then defines 7 of them, each with a job example from the 911 floor.
Filing for Exam No. 7307 ran from September 2 to October 13, 2026, and is now closed (the fee was $68, with waivers for first-time test takers and others), and testing is expected to begin on Monday, November 16, 2026 (the notice). The next exam, 7308, is planned for filing from December 2 to 22, 2026 (DCAS exam schedule). The test is given at a computer terminal, you need 70% to pass, and your score sets your place on the eligible list. See how the exam works for the full process.
What the notice says, and what it does not
The notice lists the abilities with a short job example for each. It does not publish the number of questions, the time limit or how many questions test each ability. Because it says the test "may include" these abilities, not every one may appear on your test.
Two more facts from the notice matter for practice:
- Test-day materials: some questions may be answered "on the basis of documents or other information supplied to the candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam." The notice does not describe those documents.
- Memory: the definition mentions pictures as well as words and numbers. Our Memorization example below is a text version. For memory questions that hide the material before you answer, try our 30 free practice questions.
Every practice question below is original. The names, places, codes and rules in them are made up, and they are not real test questions or real City procedures. Try each one before you open "Show answer."
1. Deductive Reasoning
Official definition: "applying general rules to specific problems and coming up with logical answers. It involves deciding if an answer makes sense." (the notice)
What it means: You apply a stated rule to one case. The answer comes from the rule, not from what seems best to you. The notice's job example is deciding what unit to send when a caller reports strange sounds from the apartment next door.
Practice example
Made-up rule: noise calls go to a patrol unit. If the caller also reports a scream, a cry for help or the sound of breaking glass, the call goes to the closest unit as an emergency, even if that unit is on another job of lower priority. A caller says she hears loud music and furniture moving in the apartment next door. She says there is no yelling.
How should this call be handled?
- A. As an emergency, sent to the closest unit
- B. As a noise call, sent to a patrol unit
- C. As an emergency, because furniture is moving
- D. As a noise call, held until the music stops
Show answer
Answer: B. Loud music and moving furniture are noise, and the caller reports none of the three sounds that make it an emergency. Moving furniture is not breaking glass. Holding the call until the music stops is not in the rule.
Tip: Look for the exact words in the rule (scream, cry for help, breaking glass), and do not upgrade a call because a detail sounds worrying.
2. Inductive Reasoning
Official definition: "combining separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. It involves the ability to think of possible reasons for why things go together." (the notice)
What it means: You look at several facts and pick the conclusion they support. The notice's job example is interpreting department guidelines while entering data into the computer-based emergency response system.
Practice example
A call-taker notices that the system rejects her entries in three cases: an address entered as "Main St" with no house number, an intersection entered as "5th and Oak" and a park entered as "near the playground." Entries such as "412 Main St" and "5 Av and Oak St" are accepted.
Which rule best explains what the system accepts?
- A. It accepts any entry that names a street.
- B. It rejects every entry that contains a number.
- C. It accepts a house number with a street, or two full street names.
- D. It rejects every entry for an intersection.
Show answer
Answer: C. The accepted entries are a house number with a street and two full street names. "Main St" names a street and was rejected, "412 Main St" has a number and was accepted, and "5 Av and Oak St" is an intersection that was accepted.
Tip: Test each possible rule against every fact. A wrong option usually breaks on one of them.
3. Information Ordering
Official definition: "correctly following a rule or set of rules or actions in a certain order. The rule or set of rules used must be given." (the notice)
What it means: You follow steps in the order you are given, including any exceptions. The notice's job example is following protocol when reporting an emergency to related departments.
Practice example
Made-up protocol for a gas smell in a building: (1) Transfer the call to the fire dispatcher. (2) Notify the gas company. (3) Enter both notification times in the record. If the caller is still inside the building, tell the caller to leave before doing Step 1. A caller who is already outside on the sidewalk reports a gas smell in her building's lobby.
What should the call-taker do first?
- A. Tell the caller to leave the building
- B. Transfer the call to the fire dispatcher
- C. Notify the gas company
- D. Enter the notification times in the record
Show answer
Answer: B. The exception applies only to a caller who is still inside, and this caller is already outside, so the call-taker starts with Step 1: transfer the call to the fire dispatcher. Telling her to leave is a natural first move, but she has already left. The gas company and the record come later, in Steps 2 and 3.
Tip: Read the exception before you pick, and check whether a step has already happened.
4. Memorization
Official definition: "remembering information, such as words, numbers, pictures and procedures. Pieces of information can be remembered by themselves or with other pieces of information." (the notice)
What it means: You study information, then answer without looking at it again. The notice's job example is recalling the location of a robbery. The notice does not say how these questions are run or how long you can study.
Practice example
This is a text version. Read it for about 30 seconds (our choice, not a known test time), cover it, then answer. Call 2260, 4:15 PM: a man snatched a phone from a woman at the bus stop at Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue. He ran east on Fulton Street. He is wearing a blue cap, a white T-shirt and black jeans. The caller, Ana Lima, is at the corner deli.
Which way did the man run?
- A. West on Fulton Street
- B. East on Nostrand Avenue
- C. East on Fulton Street
- D. North on Nostrand Avenue
Show answer
Answer: C. He ran east on Fulton Street. The other options mix the right direction with the cross street, or the right street with the wrong direction, which are the most common memory slips.
Tip: Link details together as you study: the direction goes with the street, and the clothing goes with the person.
5. Problem Sensitivity
Official definition: "being able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. It includes being able to identify the whole problem as well as elements of the problem." (the notice)
What it means: You spot the detail that changes how serious a call is, or the step that is about to fail. The notice's job example is judging how critical a call is when the caller has trouble describing the emergency.
Practice example
A man calls about his roommate. He says the roommate "had a few drinks" and is "sleeping it off" on the bathroom floor. When asked, he says the roommate's lips look a little blue and that he snores loudly, then goes quiet for a while, then snores again.
Which detail most clearly shows that this may be more serious than someone sleeping after drinking?
- A. The roommate had a few drinks
- B. The roommate is on the bathroom floor
- C. The roommate snores loudly
- D. The roommate's lips look blue and his breathing stops for a while
Show answer
Answer: D. Blue lips and pauses in breathing point to a breathing problem, which needs medical help now. Drinking and lying on the bathroom floor fit the caller's story. Snoring alone is common; the pauses are the warning sign.
Tip: Ask yourself which detail does not fit the caller's own explanation.
6. Written Comprehension
Official definition: "understanding written sentences and paragraphs." (the notice)
What it means: You read a short passage and answer only from what it says. The notice's job example is interpreting department operations and regulations and carrying out the related procedures.
Practice example
Made-up guideline: A call-taker may end a 911 call only after help has been sent and the caller has no more information to give. If the caller is in danger, the call-taker stays on the line until a unit arrives, unless the caller must hang up to stay safe. Calls from children under 12 stay open until an adult or a unit takes over.
According to the guideline, when may the call-taker end a call from a 10-year-old who reports that his grandmother fell?
- A. As soon as an ambulance has been sent
- B. When the boy has no more information to give
- C. When an adult or a unit takes over
- D. When the boy says he wants to hang up
Show answer
Answer: C. The caller is under 12, so the call stays open until an adult or a unit takes over. Sending help and running out of information end most calls, but the guideline adds a separate rule for children.
Tip: When a passage has a general rule and a special case, check whether the special case applies.
7. Written Expression
Official definition: "using English words or sentences in writing so that others will understand." (the notice)
What it means: You choose the call note that is clear, complete and accurate. The notice's job example is recording important information received from a caller.
Practice example
The caller, Dwayne Brooks, says that at about 7:30 PM he saw two teenagers break the side mirror of a gray sedan parked outside 56 Linden Boulevard, then run toward the subway station.
Which call note is the clearest and most accurate?
- A. Caller Dwayne Brooks saw two teenagers break the side mirror of a gray sedan outside 56 Linden Boulevard at about 7:30 PM, they ran toward the subway station.
- B. Caller Dwayne Brooks says that at about 7:30 PM two teenagers broke the side mirror of a gray sedan outside 56 Linden Boulevard and ran toward the subway station.
- C. Caller Dwayne Brooks says that at about 7:30 PM two teenagers from the neighborhood broke the mirror of a gray sedan outside 56 Linden Boulevard and ran away.
- D. At about 7:30 PM outside 56 Linden Boulevard, the side mirror of two teenagers was broken off a gray sedan, and they ran toward the subway station.
Show answer
Answer: B. The second note is complete and states only what the caller said. The first joins two sentences with a comma. The third adds "from the neighborhood" and drops where they ran. The fourth says the mirror belonged to the teenagers.
Tip: Check each option for one flaw: a missing fact, an added guess, a run-on sentence or a confusing word order.
How to practice by ability
- Take a mixed set first. See which abilities cost you the most points.
- Drill the weakest ability. Weights are not published, so a weak ability can cost you on any test.
- Read every explanation. The wrong options show the common mistakes: skipping an exception, mixing up two details, adding a guess.
- Practice without a calculator or notes. That is how test day works.
Frequently asked questions
How many abilities are on the NYC Police Communications Technician exam?
The 7307 notice lists 7: Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Memorization, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension and Written Expression.
Will all 7 abilities be on my test?
Not necessarily. The notice says the test may include questions on these abilities and publishes no weights, so prepare for all 7.
Is there a math or typing section?
The notice lists no math ability and no typing test, and calculators are not permitted.
Do I need to know police codes or 911 procedures?
The notice tests abilities, not job knowledge. Practice questions give you the rule or procedure in the question, and you apply it.
When do I get my score?
DCAS gives immediate, tentative results at the end of the test (DCAS results page). Proposed answer keys can be protested (protest procedures).
Does the City publish official practice questions?
We found no official practice test or sample questions from DCAS for this exam. The examples in this guide are our own.
What score do I need?
At least 70% to pass. Passing candidates are placed on the eligible list in final score order (the notice), so a higher score means a better list number. See your list number explained.
PrepRaven is an independent exam-prep site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of New York, DCAS, the NYC Police Department or any City agency. The practice questions on this page are original and are not taken from any real exam. Facts checked against official sources on October 12, 2026; always confirm dates and rules in the current Notice of Examination.
Last updated October 2026