911 dispatcher hiring assessments
ECOMM Dispatcher Practice Test
Practice for National Testing Network's Emergency Communications (ECOMM) exam. The Comprehensive version is a video CallTaker test, a note-taking test you answer from your own notes, and a dispatcher test where you track four police units at once. The Express version uses written call-taker and dispatcher tests plus computer simulations. Our drills train the listening, note-taking, multitasking and data entry underneath both.
DispatchDrills is an independent practice-test provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc., and Emergency Communications (ECOMM) Exam is Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc.'s property. The name is used here descriptively, to identify the assessment our practice material prepares you for. All of our practice questions are original work. Full disclaimer.
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What the ECOMM dispatcher test is
An Ergometrics-developed exam delivered through National Testing Network, in a Comprehensive (video) version and an Express version. Candidates book it themselves, online with a live proctor or at a test center, and NTN sends the scores to each participating agency they choose. It is a different product from the National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST), which is published by Stanard & Associates — the two are frequently confused.
Published by Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc..
Read the full guide: NTN ECOMM Test: Both Versions, Scoring, Retakes and Prep →
The honest answer
What score do you need?
NTN does not set a passing score. Participating departments choose their own scoring standards, and some set a separate minimum for each section.
You will find sites quoting a specific pass mark, and sometimes a specific pass rate, for this assessment. We do not, because we cannot source them. When each agency sets its own minimum for each component it chooses to run, a single universal figure structurally cannot exist — and the numbers that circulate trace back to marketing copy rather than to the vendor or to any agency.
The practical consequence is that the only number worth having is the one your agency uses. It is on the job posting more often than candidates expect, and when it is not, asking the recruiter is a normal question that gets a normal answer. Our guide to dispatcher test scores explains how agencies set and combine them.
Practice drills for the ECOMM dispatcher test
Agencies choose which components to use, so you will not necessarily sit all of these. Each page explains what the skill involves and how to improve at it.
Data Entry
Type caller and incident details into a fixed-field form, accurately, against the clock.
Cross-Referencing
Look a value up in a reference table and report the matching record.
Typing Speed & Accuracy
Timed typing runs with live words-per-minute and accuracy scoring.
Also relevant to this assessment, not built yet
Audio Data Entry. We list these so you know what you're not getting today. Buying now includes them when they ship, at no extra cost.
Want a longer run? The full mock exam strings several drills together under one clock, and free practice lists everything you can use without paying.
How to prepare for the ECOMM dispatcher test
Ordered roughly by how much difference each one makes.
Find out which version your agency uses
NTN offers a Comprehensive and an Express version of the exam, and they are genuinely different: video tests in one, written tests plus data entry and cross-search simulations and a role fitness questionnaire in the other. Check the posting or the agency's NTN job listing before you prepare.
Decide which agencies get your score before you test
NTN sends your scores to each department you designate, and adding a department after you have tested costs a fee per job. Scores are good for a year. Retesting means waiting at least three months, and a retest deletes your previous scores and job applications, so plan your list of agencies first.
Practice taking notes you can still use later
In the Comprehensive version you take notes during the CallTaker videos and then use them to judge statements as correct, incorrect or unsure. The failure mode is notes that made sense while you wrote them and are useless minutes later. Develop a fixed layout, abbreviate consistently, and write the location first every time.
Get used to video that does not stop
NTN says the CallTaker items play without stopping. You cannot scan back the way you can with a written item, and the information arrives at the speed the video plays. Practice listening and noting at pace, not just reading questions.
Train holding several units in your head
The dispatcher test is multitasking: as new calls come in you decide which units to send, whether to send them now and whether medical is also needed, based on where each unit is and what it is doing. That is a working-memory load, and it responds to a consistent mental order for units and updating it the moment a status changes.
If a typing test is required, it is a separate test
NTN's typing test is its own five-minute online test taken through your candidate account. It reports adjusted words per minute, capitalization has to match, and uncorrected mistakes count against you. Build clean keyboard speed early; it improves with weeks of practice, not with cramming.
Guides for the ECOMM dispatcher test
NTN ECOMM Test: Both Versions, Scoring, Retakes and Prep
NTN's ECOMM dispatcher exam from NTN's own pages: the Comprehensive and Express versions, what each test involves, fees, scores, retakes and how to prepare.
911 Dispatcher Test: What's On It and Which One You'll Take
What's on the 911 dispatcher test: CritiCall, NTN ECOMM and California POST compared, how to tell which one you'll sit, and an example of every question type.
Listening and Typing at the Same Time
Type continuously as you listen instead of buffering. Capture location and nature first, and handle accents, noise and callers who change their story.
Why Candidates Fail the Multitasking Sections
Multitasking sections punish slow recovery, not the interruption itself. Here is why candidates who train skills in isolation get a false read on readiness.
911 Dispatcher Typing Test: WPM Requirements and Scoring
How fast 911 dispatchers need to type, net vs gross WPM, how CritiCall, NTN and agency typing tests are scored, and how to practice the strings that matter.
How to Read a Dispatcher Job Posting Properly
How to pull the facts that matter out of a dispatcher job posting: the named assessment, typing gates, closing dates, disqualifiers, and pay steps.
Common questions
What score do I need on the ECOMM test?
NTN does not set a passing score. It says individual departments choose scoring standards based on their needs, and some set a separate minimum for each section. Check with the agencies you are applying to rather than relying on a number quoted online.
How long does the ECOMM exam take?
NTN lists both versions at approximately two hours. Its candidate FAQ says a standard video test can take up to about two and a half hours, and virtual sessions can last up to three hours with no breaks.
Can I take the ECOMM test from home?
NTN offers virtual testing from home with live proctors watching throughout, as well as in-person testing at test centers. Check which options your agency's listing allows.
How much does the ECOMM test cost?
NTN does not publish a single price. Its pricing page says cost varies by test location, type of test and department, and is shown at checkout. Adding a department after testing costs $15 per job, fees are non-refundable, and some agencies cover the cost through vouchers or waivers.
How long is my ECOMM score valid, and when can I retake it?
NTN says written scores are good for one year after the test date, though an agency may only accept more recent scores. You must wait at least three months to retake, and retesting deletes your previous scores and the jobs attached to them.
Is there an official ECOMM practice test?
Not that NTN sells. The practice tests on NTN's site, produced by Ergometrics, are for its police and fire exams. NTN does publish a free test-taking tips sheet, which says there is no penalty for guessing on its tests.
Is this the same thing as the National Dispatcher Selection Test?
No, and the two are confused constantly. The ECOMM exam is developed by Ergometrics and delivered through NTN. The National Dispatcher Selection Test (NDST) is a separate product from Stanard & Associates. If your agency's letter names one of them, that is the one to prepare for.
Is it the same test as the CritiCall assessment?
No — different vendor, different format. CritiCall is a modular keyboard-and-screen battery from Biddle Consulting Group; the Comprehensive ECOMM exam is video and note-based. The underlying skills overlap, which is why our drills train the skills rather than imitating one vendor's presentation.
Dispatcher requirements by state
Which test you sit is an agency decision everywhere. What changes by state is the certification and training layer.
Practice the interruptions, not just the typing
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