NYC Police Communications Technician Exam 7307: What to Know

Checked against the official Notice of Examination for Exam No. 7307.

The NYC Police Communications Technician exam is the civil service test New York City uses to rank candidates for 911 call-taker and police radio dispatcher jobs. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) runs it and posts a Notice of Examination for each exam number. The current one is Exam No. 7307. This guide sums up that notice, with sources, and says plainly what the City does not publish.

Exam 7307 at a glance

• Exam: Police Communications Technician, Exam No. 7307, run by DCAS. Title code 71012.
• Filing period: September 2, 2026, to October 13, 2026.
• Fee: $68.00. Paying by card adds a nonrefundable 2.00% service fee. Many applicants can have the fee waived (see below).
• Testing: "expected to begin on Monday, November 16, 2026." No end date is given.
• Format: multiple-choice, on a computer at a DCAS testing center. No calculators.
• Content: 7 abilities listed in the notice.
• Pass mark: 70%. Your score sets your place on the eligible list.
• Source: Notice of Examination, Exam No. 7307 (PDF).

What the job is

DCAS says that over 80% of City civil service positions are "competitive class," and these jobs "require you take an exam to qualify" (DCAS: What is Civil Service?). Police Communications Technician is one of them. Per the notice, Police Communications Technicians work in the Police Department Communications Section. They serve as 911 call-takers, "obtain necessary information from callers in order to initiate emergency assistance," serve as radio dispatchers of police resources, and view pictures and videos and listen to audio sent through "Text to 911." They also do clerical and administrative work.

The notice is direct about the conditions: tours around the clock, including weekends and holidays, some overtime, long periods sitting with a headset while watching a screen, typing, speaking calmly to "a continuous flow of callers under stress," and "making responsible judgments where timing is critical." The current minimum salary is $51,790 a year, subject to change.

Exam dates: 7307 now, then about every three months

These dates come from the notice for Exam No. 7307, as posted on nyc.gov on October 12, 2026, and rechecked on October 17, 2026:

• Filing: September 2, 2026, to October 13, 2026. Applications are not accepted outside this period.
• Admission Notice: on your OASys Dashboard 14 days before the first testing date.
• Testing begins: expected Monday, November 16, 2026.

The DCAS annual exam schedule for fiscal year 2027 plans four Police Communications Technician exams this fiscal year: 7307 (filing from 9/2/26), 7308 (filing planned from 12/2/26 to 12/22/26), 7309 (from 3/3/27 to 3/23/27) and 7310 (from 6/2/27 to 6/22/27). The schedule is a plan, not a notice. It lists 9/22/26 as the end of filing for 7307, while the notice says October 13, 2026, and the notice governs. Filing dates can also move after a notice posts: the exam before this one, Exam No. 6329, had its filing period extended from June 30 to July 17, 2026, by an amended notice. If you missed 7307, the schedule plans filing for Exam 7308 from December 2 to December 22, 2026. Its notice was not posted when we checked on October 17, 2026, and its fee and deadlines will be the ones in that notice.

The $68 fee and who can have it waived

The 7307 notice says the fee "may be waived for: New York City high school students, first-time test takers, veterans, unemployed individuals, and those receiving public assistance or supplementary security income." The first two groups are new this year: "Beginning July 1, 2026, more New Yorkers can apply for DCAS civil service examinations at no cost. Under Local Law 57 of 2025, fee waiver eligibility is expanded to include first-time applicants and New York City high school students" (DCAS: How Can You Find Upcoming Exams?). If this is your first DCAS exam, check the waiver before you pay.

One warning from the notice: you may take the test before DCAS checks your qualifications, and if you are found "Not Qualified," the fee is not refunded. Read the requirements guide before you apply.

How to apply through OASys

1. Go to the Online Application System (OASys) at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs and create an account. You need a valid email address, and new accounts are verified by email.
2. Apply for Exam No. 7307 closed on October 13, 2026. Apply for the next exam (7308, filing planned for December 2 to 22, 2026) during its filing period, and pay the fee or claim a waiver.
3. Look for the emailed receipt. Your status also shows on the OASys Dashboard under "Notifications." Add OASys@dcas.nyc.gov to your known senders.

You can also apply online in person at a DCAS testing center (DCAS: Applying for an Exam).

Where and how the test is taken

The test is given on a computer at one of five DCAS Computer-based Testing & Application Centers, in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. Your Admission Notice names your site. DCAS considers your address, but a nearby site is not promised. Key rules from the notice:

• Bring one valid photo ID with your signature. The name must match the first and last name on your application.
• Phones, smartwatches and other devices are sealed in a Yondr pouch. Headphones and earbuds are not allowed. Misusing a device can void your score and bar you from City tests for up to five years.
• Calculators "are not permitted on this exam," the notice says.
• You are fingerprinted at the site. If you leave after that and before you finish, you cannot come back in.

Requests for testing accommodations are due no later than 30 days before the first testing date (DCAS Special Circumstances Guide).

The 7 abilities in brief

The notice lists abilities, not subjects or sections. It says the test "may also include questions requiring the use of any of the following abilities," described here in short paraphrase:

• Deductive Reasoning: applying general rules to specific problems, such as deciding which unit to dispatch.
• Inductive Reasoning: combining separate pieces of information to reach a general rule or conclusion.
• Information Ordering: following a given rule or set of rules in the right order, such as a reporting protocol.
• Memorization: remembering words, numbers, pictures and procedures, such as the location of a robbery.
• Problem Sensitivity: telling when something is wrong or likely to go wrong, such as when a caller struggles to describe an emergency.
• Written Comprehension: understanding written sentences and paragraphs.
• Written Expression: writing in English so that others will understand, such as recording what a caller said.

"May include" means not every ability is promised to appear. The notice also says some questions may be answered from "documents or other information supplied to the candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam." There is no math ability, which fits the no-calculator rule. For each ability with its job example, read the 7 abilities explained.

Scoring: 70% to pass, then rank decides

"You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass the test," the notice says. DCAS shows "immediate, tentative results at the end of your test" (DCAS: How Do You Get Your Results?).

Passing is only the first step. The notice says passing candidates are placed "on an eligible list in final score order. You will receive a list number and be notified of your test results via email." The list is "usually active for four years." Your list number is your rank. Under the City personnel rules, an agency fills a job by choosing one of the three highest-ranked candidates who are qualified and willing to accept (Personnel Rules, Rule IV). A higher score gets you reached sooner. No official source says what score is "competitive." Our list number guide explains what happens next.

What the notice does not publish

As of October 12, 2026, the notice does not state the number of questions, the time limit, how many questions test each ability, how the Memorization questions are run or the last day of testing. We also found no official sample questions or practice test for this exam. A page that gives a question count, a time limit or section percentages for Exam 7307 is not quoting the notice.

Common myths, checked against the notice

What happens after the exam

A Protest Review Session is held on the first Friday after the week of your test, and you have 30 days to protest an answer. A Test Validation Board reviews protests and can change the key (DCAS protest procedures). Score appeals go to the Committee on Manifest Errors through OASys.

DCAS says an eligible list "may be established within six to nine months from the date of the examination though times vary" (DCAS veterans guidance). When your number is reached, you get a call letter. If you do not respond, "your name may be taken off the list of candidates, even if you passed the exam" (DCAS: What Happens Next). The notice then lists an investigation with a $75.00 fingerprint fee, medical and psychological exams, a drug screening and an 18-month probation with two training courses. See after the exam for each step.

How to prepare

1. Read the notice. It is the only official outline of the test.
2. Learn the 7 definitions and job examples. Each ability is tied to a 911 or dispatch task.
3. Practice by ability. Find the abilities that cost you the most points and spend more time there. Weights are not published, so do not skip any ability.
4. Train your memory without notes. Read a short call record, look away and then answer questions about addresses, times and descriptions.
5. Practice clear call notes. The notice ties Written Expression to recording what a caller tells you.
6. Plan test day. Check OASys for your Admission Notice, and confirm that your ID matches your application.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• DCAS Notice of Examination, Police Communications Technician, Exam No. 7307 (PDF)
• DCAS Notice of Examination, Exam No. 6329, amended June 24, 2026 (PDF)
• DCAS Annual Examination Schedule, FY2027 (PDF)
• DCAS: How Can You Find Upcoming Exams? (fee waivers)
• DCAS Computer-Based Multiple-Choice Test Protest Procedures (PDF)

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. Facts checked against official sources on October 12, 2026; always confirm dates and rules in the current Notice of Examination.

Last updated October 2026