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NYC Police Communications Technician Practice Test: 30 Free Questions

Free NYC Police Communications Technician practice test: 30 questions on reasoning, reading, memory and writing for Exam 7307, with answers explained. No signup.

These 30 practice questions show the kind of questions and explanations you get with PrepRaven. They cover all 7 abilities from the official notice (Exam No. 7307) for the NYC Police Communications Technician Exam, four or five for each ability, from easy to hard. Every question is original. None of them is a real exam question.

๐Ÿ“‹How to use this page. Answer each question on your own first, then open "Show answer" to see the correct choice and why the other choices are wrong. For the memory questions, open the call record or briefing, study it for the time shown, close it and then answer without looking back.

Deductive Reasoning

Apply a set of general rules to a specific case and pick the logical answer, such as which unit to send.

Question 1 (easy)

Riverside 911 center Text to 911 rule: When a texter reports an emergency, the call-taker asks the texter to make a voice call, unless the texter says that he or she cannot speak, is deaf or hard of hearing, or is hiding from someone nearby.

In which case should the call-taker ask the texter to make a voice call?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. The texter who sees a crash from his office gives none of the three reasons in the rule, so he should be asked to make a voice call. The texter hiding in a closet, the deaf texter and the texter who cannot speak after surgery each give a listed reason, so they stay on text.

Question 2 (easy)

Eastside 911 center dispatch codes: Code 1 is a crime happening now with a weapon seen or mentioned. Code 2 is a crime happening now with no weapon seen or mentioned. Code 3 is a crime that is over, with the suspect gone. Code 4 is noise or a dispute with no crime reported.

A caller says that a man is trying to force open the back door of her neighbor's house right now. She sees no weapon, and the man has not said anything.

Which code should the call-taker use?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The break-in is happening now, and no weapon has been seen or mentioned, which is Code 2. Code 1 needs a weapon. Code 3 is for a crime that is already over, and this one is still going on. Code 4 is for noise or a dispute with no crime, but forcing a door to get into a house is a crime.

Question 3 (medium)

Northside radio rule for choosing a unit: Send the closest available unit. A unit on a meal break counts as available only if no other available unit is within 10 minutes of the call. A unit that is transporting a prisoner is never available.

A caller reports that store security is holding a shoplifter. The units are: Unit 12, 4 minutes away, transporting a prisoner. Unit 7, 6 minutes away, on a meal break. Unit 15, 9 minutes away, on patrol. Unit 3, 14 minutes away, on patrol.

Which unit should the dispatcher send?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. Unit 12 is closest, but a unit transporting a prisoner is never available. Unit 7 is on a meal break, and Unit 15 is available within 10 minutes, so Unit 7 does not count as available. That makes Unit 15 the closest available unit. Unit 3 is available but farther away than Unit 15.

Question 4 (hard)

Westside 911 center fire rule: For any fire reported by a caller, the call-taker transfers the caller to the fire dispatcher. If the caller reports that anyone is trapped or injured, the call-taker also notifies EMS. If the fire is in a building with five or more floors, the call-taker also notifies the patrol supervisor. A notification is made only when its condition has been reported.

A caller reports a fire on the third floor of a six-story apartment building. She says that everyone on her floor got out, and she does not know about the other floors.

What should the call-taker do?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. Every fire goes to the fire dispatcher, and the building has six floors, which meets the five-floor condition for the patrol supervisor. No one has been reported trapped or injured, and the rule says a notification is made only when its condition has been reported, so EMS is not notified. Transferring only to the fire dispatcher misses the supervisor, and the options with EMS add a notification the rule does not call for.

Question 5 (hard)

Southside 911 center priority rule: Priority 1 is for a call where a person's life is in danger now. Priority 2 is for a call where no life is in danger, but property is being damaged now or the suspect is still at the scene. Priority 3 is for every other call. If a call meets more than one priority, use the highest one (Priority 1 is the highest).

Which call should get Priority 2?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The man who broke the display case is still at the scene, and no one's life is in danger, which is Priority 2. The spray-painting call also involves property damage, but a man pointing a knife at a person puts a life in danger, so the highest priority, Priority 1, applies. The stolen bicycle and the overnight crash are over, with no suspect at the scene and no danger, so they are Priority 3.

Inductive Reasoning

Combine separate facts or observations to reach a general conclusion.

Question 6 (easy)

Over one week, call-taker Marcus Bell notices the following. Every call that the computer system marked "location unverified" came from a cell phone. None of the calls from landlines were marked that way. When a cell phone caller spoke a street address, the call stayed marked "location unverified" until Marcus typed the address into the system.

Which conclusion do these facts best support?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. Every marked call came from a cell phone, and the mark stayed until Marcus typed the address, which supports the last conclusion. No landline calls were marked, which rules out the landline option and the "at random" option. A spoken address did not clear the mark by itself, so the option about speaking the address is also contradicted.

Question 7 (medium)

A new call-taker reviews how her trainer coded five medical calls. The trainer coded these as "Medical, Priority A": a man who is not breathing, a woman with chest pain and a child having a seizure. The trainer coded these as "Medical, Priority B": a man with a cut finger and a woman with a sprained ankle.

Which general rule best fits the trainer's coding?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. The Priority A calls involve breathing, the heart and a seizure, and the Priority B calls are a cut finger and a sprained ankle. The children rule fails because two adults got Priority A. The men and women rule fails because a woman got Priority A and a man got Priority B. The accident rule fails because chest pain, an illness, got Priority A while a cut finger, an accident injury, got Priority B.

Question 8 (hard)

Between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM on three nights, a call-taker gets these calls. Monday: a caller on Elm Street reports a car alarm, and the responding unit finds a car with a broken window. Tuesday: a caller on Elm Street reports a man looking into car windows; when the unit arrives, the man is gone. Wednesday: a caller on Pine Street, one block from Elm Street, reports a broken car window and a missing car radio. There were no similar calls from Elm Street or Pine Street at other hours in the past month.

Which conclusion do these facts best support?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. All three calls came between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM on two streets one block apart and involved cars, so they may belong to one pattern. The "all hours" option is contradicted by the lack of similar calls at other hours. The man on Tuesday was gone when the unit arrived, so he was not stopped. The Wednesday break-in was on Pine Street, so the problem is not limited to Elm Street.

Question 9 (medium)

Within ten minutes, a call-taker gets three Text to 911 messages. Each includes a photo of thick black smoke. Each texter gives a different address, but all three addresses are on the same block of Grand Avenue. All three photos show smoke rising from the same orange-brick building with a green awning, and one texter says this building is next door to her.

Which conclusion do these facts best support?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. All three photos show the same building, and the texters are on the same block, so the texts most likely describe one fire. Three separate fires would not all appear as smoke from one building. One texter says the building is next door, so the fire is not several blocks away. The photos all show the same building, so none of them shows a different one.

Information Ordering

Follow a given rule or set of steps in the correct order, such as a reporting protocol.

Question 10 (easy)

Water main break procedure:

  1. (1)Get the exact location.
  2. (2)Ask whether water is getting into any building.
  3. (3)Ask whether anyone is hurt.
  4. (4)Notify the water department.
  5. (5)Enter the call in the system.

A caller reports a water main break and has just given the exact location.

What should the call-taker do next?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. Step 1 is done, so Step 2 comes next: ask whether water is getting into any building. Asking about injuries can feel more urgent, but it is Step 3 in this procedure. Notifying the water department and entering the call come later, in Steps 4 and 5.

Question 11 (medium)

Downed power line procedure: Notify the fire dispatcher first and the utility company second. If the line blocks a road, notify the transportation department third. After all notifications are made, enter the time of each notification in the call record.

A caller reports a power line down across Maple Road, giving off sparks.

In which order should the call-taker act?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. The line blocks Maple Road, so all three notifications are needed in the stated order: fire dispatcher, utility company, then transportation department. The times are entered only after all notifications are made. The first option starts with the utility company, the second enters times between calls, and the last reverses the utility company and the transportation department.

Question 12 (hard)

Missing child procedure:

  1. (1)Get the child's name and age.
  2. (2)Get a description of the child's clothing.
  3. (3)Ask where and when the child was last seen.
  4. (4)Broadcast the description to units.
  5. (5)Notify the patrol supervisor.

Two exceptions apply. If the child has a medical condition, ask about it right after Step 1. If the child is under 8 years old, do Step 5 right after Step 3 and before Step 4. A mother reports that her 9-year-old daughter, who has diabetes, is missing.

Which order is correct for this call?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. The girl has diabetes, so the medical question comes right after Step 1. She is 9, not under 8, so the supervisor is notified in the normal order, after the broadcast. The first option uses the under-8 exception, which does not apply. The second asks the medical question too late, and the third asks it before Step 1.

Question 13 (medium)

Call records are filed by date, oldest first. Records with the same date are filed by call number, lowest first.

Which record is filed third?

10/03/2026, Call 4471

10/02/2026, Call 5120

10/03/2026, Call 3998

10/02/2026, Call 5007

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The two 10/02 records come first: Call 5007, then Call 5120. The 10/03 records follow: Call 3998, then Call 4471. So Call 3998 is third. Call 5120 is second, Call 5007 is first, and Call 4471 is fourth. Choosing Call 4471 or putting 10/03 first comes from sorting by call number before date.

Memorization

Remember words, numbers, pictures or procedures after studying them, such as the location of a robbery.

Show the study material: Call 4417 record (study it for 60 seconds, then close it)

Call 4417, Tuesday, 9:42 PM. Caller: store clerk Priya Nair. Robbery at Lucky Star Pharmacy, 2318 Bayview Avenue, at the corner of Clark Street.

Two men left on foot, running north on Bayview Avenue. Suspect 1: tall, red hooded sweatshirt, black backpack. Suspect 2: short, gray jacket, white sneakers, carrying a small silver handgun.

They took cash from the register. No one is hurt. The clerk is waiting inside with the door locked.

Question 14 (easy)

Based on the call record you just studied, where did the robbery happen?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. The record gives the address as 2318 Bayview Avenue, at the corner of Clark Street. Clark Street is the cross street, not the street of the address, and 2381 swaps two digits of the house number.

Question 15 (medium)

Based on the call record you just studied, which suspect was carrying the handgun?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. Suspect 2 was short, wore a gray jacket and white sneakers, and carried the small silver handgun. Suspect 1 was the tall man in the red hooded sweatshirt with the black backpack. The other two options mix the height of one suspect with the clothing of the other.

Show the study material: Radio Zone 3 start-of-tour briefing (study it for 60 seconds, then close it)

Start-of-tour briefing, Radio Zone 3, 7:00 AM.

Units out of service: Unit 31 (flat tire, back at 10:00 AM) and Unit 36 (officer at court until noon).

The Hudson Street bridge is closed for repairs until 6:00 PM. Send units around by Water Street.

A parade lines up on Lincoln Avenue at 11:00 AM. Missing man: Harold Pierce, age 78, gray coat, uses a cane, last seen near Morris Park. The backup radio channel today is Channel 6.

Question 16 (medium)

Based on the briefing you just studied, which unit will be back in service first, and when?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. Unit 31 has a flat tire and is back at 10:00 AM. Unit 36 is out until noon because its officer is at court. 11:00 AM is the time the parade lines up, not a unit's return time.

Question 17 (hard)

At 2:00 PM, a unit asks how to get to a call on the other side of the Hudson Street bridge. Based on the briefing you just studied, what should the dispatcher tell the unit?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. The briefing says the bridge is closed until 6:00 PM and that units go around by Water Street. Noon is when Unit 36's officer returns from court, and 11:00 AM is when the parade lines up. Lincoln Avenue is the parade street, not the detour.

Problem Sensitivity

Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even when a caller has trouble describing it.

Question 18 (easy)

A caller says, "My mother fell in the kitchen. She says she's fine and just wants help getting up." As the call-taker asks questions, the caller adds that her mother's speech is slurred and that one side of her face is drooping.

Which detail most clearly shows that this call may be more serious than a simple fall?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. Slurred speech and a drooping face are signs of a sudden medical problem that a simple fall does not explain. Where she fell does not change how serious it is. Her saying she is fine and wanting help up make the call sound minor, which is why the new details matter.

Question 19 (easy)

A caller gives his address as 145 West 92nd Street, Apartment 4C. He gives his name as James Ortiz and his callback number as (718) 555-0142. The call-taker's screen shows: "154 West 92nd Street, Apt. 4C. Caller: James Ortiz. Callback: (718) 555-0142."

What is wrong with the entry?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The caller said 145, but the screen shows 154, so the house number has two digits reversed. The apartment (4C), the street (West 92nd Street) and the callback number all match what the caller said.

Question 20 (medium)

A caller speaks quietly: "Yes, I'd like to order a large pizza," and gives an address. The call-taker says, "You have reached 911." The caller answers, "Yes, with extra cheese, please," and stays on the line.

What is the most likely problem?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. The caller keeps talking about an order after hearing that this is 911, speaks quietly and stays on the line, which suggests someone nearby is listening. A person who dialed by mistake would likely end the call once told it is 911. A line check or a bad connection does not explain why the caller answers "Yes" to the call-taker and keeps giving order details.

Question 21 (hard)

Dispatcher Luis Romero's screen shows that Unit 22 was assigned to a car crash at 9:15 PM, with the status "en route." At 9:16 PM, Luis assigns Unit 22 to a burglary alarm 30 blocks away, and the system accepts it. At 9:20 PM, the crash caller calls back to ask where the police are.

What most likely went wrong?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. Unit 22 was still "en route" to the crash when Luis assigned it to the alarm one minute later, and the crash caller is still waiting, so the crash was likely left without a unit. Nothing suggests a wrong address. If Unit 22 had reached the crash, the caller would not be asking where the police are. Whether the alarm was false does not explain why no unit came to the crash.

Question 22 (hard)

A caller reports a minor car crash with no injuries. While giving details, she says the other driver is "acting strange, sweating and confused," and has sat down on the curb. She asks how long it will take for the police to come and take a report.

Which option best describes the problem the call-taker should act on?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. Sweating, confusion and sitting down after a crash suggest the other driver may have a medical problem, even though the call began as "no injuries." The caller's impatience and a possible argument are smaller problems. A driver who has sat down on the curb is not showing signs of leaving.

Written Comprehension

Understand written sentences and paragraphs, such as a guideline or procedure.

Question 23 (easy)

Read the guideline, then answer the question.

Abandoned calls. When a 911 call disconnects before the caller speaks, the call-taker must call the number back within two minutes. If someone answers, the call-taker asks whether there is an emergency and confirms the address. If no one answers the callback, the call-taker does not leave a voicemail message and creates an "abandoned call" record. If the system shows a location for the number, a unit is sent to check that location. If the system shows no location, the call-taker writes "no location" in the record and notifies the supervisor.

According to the guideline, what should the call-taker do if no one answers the callback and the system shows a location?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. With no answer and a location on screen, the guideline calls for an abandoned call record and a unit sent to that location. It says not to leave a voicemail. Writing "no location" and notifying the supervisor is for calls with no location. The two minutes is the deadline for the first callback, not a reason to call twice.

Question 24 (medium)

Read the guideline, then answer the question.

Text to 911 attachments. Texters may send photos, videos or audio clips. The call-taker must open every attachment before closing the text session. Photos and videos that show a weapon, an injured person or a vehicle's license plate must be added to the call record. An audio clip is added to the record only if the texter says that the clip contains a threat. Attachments may not be sent to anyone outside the center except the unit assigned to the call, and only after a supervisor approves.

Under the guideline, which attachment must be added to the call record?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. Videos that show a license plate must be added. The audio clip is added only if the texter says it contains a threat, and this texter calls it street noise. A windshield photo with no plate, or a hallway photo with no weapon or injured person, does not meet any of the listed conditions.

Question 25 (hard)

Read the guideline, then answer the question.

Callback numbers. Every call record must include a callback number. If the caller is using a phone that is not his or her own, the call-taker records the number of the phone in use and, if the caller knows it, the caller's own number. If a caller refuses to give a number and is reporting an emergency in progress, the call-taker does not press further, writes "refused" and goes on with the call. If the call is not about an emergency in progress, the call-taker explains that a callback number is needed before a report can be taken.

A caller using a coworker's phone reports that a man is breaking car windows on the street right now. She knows her own number but refuses to give it.

What should the call-taker record?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The phone in use is always recorded, and because she refuses her own number during an emergency in progress, the call-taker writes "refused" and continues. Leaving her number out with no note skips the "refused" step. Asking for her number before taking a report applies only to calls that are not emergencies in progress. Writing only "refused" leaves out the coworker's number, which the guideline requires.

Question 26 (hard)

Read the guideline, then answer the question.

Gas odors. The call-taker notifies the gas company of every report of a gas smell. If the smell is inside a building, the call-taker also transfers the call to the fire dispatcher and tells the caller to leave without using light switches or elevators. If the smell is outdoors only, the fire dispatcher is notified only when the caller hears a hissing sound or when three or more callers report the smell within one hour.

Which statement is supported by the guideline?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. Every gas smell goes to the gas company, and an outdoor smell goes to the fire dispatcher when the caller hears hissing, so one caller with hissing leads to both. Not every report reaches the fire dispatcher: an outdoor smell without hissing needs three callers in an hour, and two is not enough. The light switch and elevator warning is for smells inside a building.

Written Expression

Use English words and sentences so that others understand what you recorded.

Question 27 (easy)

Caller Angela Ruiz reports at 3:10 PM that a white van hit a parked car in front of 88 Ocean Avenue and then drove away heading south. Which entry records this most clearly and accurately?

Show answer

Correct answer: B. The second entry is complete and states only what the caller said. The first joins two sentences with a comma. The third leaves out the location, which units need. The last adds "speeding," which the caller never said.

Question 28 (easy)

Which sentence is written most clearly and correctly for a call record?

Show answer

Correct answer: A. The first sentence is correct. The second is missing the apostrophe in "neighbor's." The third uses "have" with the singular "dog." The fourth puts an unneeded comma after "said."

Question 29 (medium)

Caller Thomas Reed says that his brother, Kevin Reed, left the house at 8:00 PM after an argument, took Thomas's car keys and has not come back. Kevin has a heart condition.

Which entry is the clearest and most complete?

Show answer

Correct answer: D. The last entry names Kevin, gives the time and includes every fact. In the first, "he" and "his" leave a reader unable to tell which brother left or has the heart condition. The second joins two sentences with a comma and leaves out that Kevin has not come back. The third leaves out the 8:00 PM time.

Question 30 (hard)

Facts: At 11:40 PM, a caller reported a man lying on the sidewalk outside 210 Fulton Street. The caller said the man was breathing but did not answer when spoken to. The caller did not know the man. EMS was notified at 11:42 PM.

Which entry is the most accurate and complete?

Show answer

Correct answer: C. The third entry has the right times and every fact the caller gave, and nothing more. The first calls the man drunk, which no one reported. The second gives the EMS time as the call time and drops the notification time. The fourth calls the man a friend, but the caller did not know him.

What these questions are, and are not

The official notice lists the abilities the test may cover. It does not publish the number of questions, the time limit or how many questions cover each ability, and it does not publish sample questions. These questions practice the listed abilities in 911 call-taking and radio dispatch settings. Every rule, code, name and address in them is made up. They are not copies of the real test, and the real test may look different.

๐ŸŽฏWant a score? Take the free online practice test for your score on each of the seven abilities, with every answer explained. Full access on the exam page adds unlimited practice sets, tests on one ability at a time and targeted drills on your weak abilities.

More free guides: how the exam works, the 7 abilities explained, requirements and your list number.

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Last updated October 2026

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