National Dispatcher Selection Test Preparation – 2024

The National Dispatcher Selection Test or NDST is a critical part of the recruitment and hiring process for those seeking a position as a dispatcher for emergency lines. The job requirements for this type of job are stringent. The people in these positions are the ones on the line with those calling 911, and they need to be the best fit they can be because people could be seriously injured or end up dying if a poor judgment call is made. So employers use the NDST to help them choose the best person for the job.

What Is the National Dispatcher Selection Test?

The NDST is a test meant for those looking to work as emergency dispatchers. It is designed to focus on the various needed skills and aspects of working as an emergency dispatcher. It forms an important part of the process, and as such, the score thresholds for passing are usually determined by the agency hiring the applicant based upon the rules and requirements they may have of their dispatchers. These requirements and rules vary from state to state, and sometimes even in counties.

Forming Expectations

The NDST has five main sections to cover all of the areas necessary for a graduate or job-seeker to be successful in a position as an emergency dispatcher. The sections are discussed below.

Reading Comprehension: This verbal test examines the candidate’s ability to read and understand written information. The structure for the section is constructed of short pieces followed by a series of questions. All the information and the correct answers are in the passage, though there are questions that make a candidate draw conclusions on the info too. The section has twenty questions and must be completed in twenty minutes.
Listening: This tests the candidate’s ability to listen and recall verbal information. The graduate or job-seeker listened to simulated conversations between dispatchers and callers before answer questions based on that. It is recommended to take notes for this one since the questions are often detail-specific. Usually, the simulations last three to three-and-a-half minutes, contains a total of twenty items, and allows thirty minutes for completion.
Problem Solving: The point here is to test the applicant’s ability to evaluate information and follow through using appropriate responses. Two types of questions are used here. In the first, the candidates are given scenarios and must come to a logical conclusion based off the info. In the second, they direct emergency units to different calls. This section has about seven items and gives fifteen minutes for completion.
Prioritizing: This next one focuses on the candidate’s ability to assess and evaluate information and prioritize. Candidates are provided with a set of calls all at once and must then rank them based on priority. It is based on the following criteria: calls involving loss of life or physical injury first, calls involving loss of property alone second, and calls involving harm in progress, likely to occur, or in the past comes third. This part has six items and ten minutes for completion.
Multi-tasking: This tests a candidate’s ability to accurately manage and organize information presented predominantly in writing and audio form. The focus is on name identification and data checking.

How to Prepare for a National Dispatcher Selection Exam?

The best way to prepare is to practice using online practice materials similar to the material you’ll be looking at. If you struggle in any of these areas, take the time to shore them up. When you get to the test, you won’t feel as nervous because you prepared for that part of the test specifically.

If you can, practice on the listening portion because that can be difficult for some people. Making sure you can listen and understand well in a short span of time will be of use to you in the actual test as well as real life.

Besides that, you just need to practice, practice, practice. Work on it whenever you have the time and make time for it if you find that you haven’t done much with it but need to before the testing. Refresh your mind before you take the test. It will help tremendously.

Conclusion

This test is not nearly as daunting as it sounds. It has many tasks that you would find in an assessment center, though this test does not have to be done at a testing center. It is worth noting that it ordinarily is, so do not worry if you are asked to complete it there. It is not all that uncommon. Overall, just take the time to prepare so you can go ace your assessment.