The CritiCall Memory Recall Test: What It Is and How to Practice

The memory section of CritiCall catches people off guard. It sounds simple: hear a few numbers, type them back. But you only hear them once, through a headset, with no pen and no second chance. Here's what the test actually asks for, straight from the official materials, and how to get good at it before test day.

What "memory" means on CritiCall

CritiCall's own candidate guide lists the abilities the test may measure. Three of them are memory skills:

• Short-term audio recall. Hearing and remembering pieces of information, like telephone numbers or license plate numbers, over a very short period of time.
• Visual recall. Quickly learning and later recognizing written information, like short descriptions (the guide's examples are things like "red car, blue boat, green shirt").
• Story recall. Hearing information told in short story form, then summarizing it or answering questions about it.

The guide says these abilities "may be measured." Agencies don't all run the same set of sections, so ask your recruiter which ones you'll see.

The phone-number test, up close

Scottsdale Police publishes the CritiCall sections its communications applicants take. One is called Memory Recall Numeric (Audio). You listen to a series of seven-digit telephone numbers, then enter each number from memory a few moments later.

That's the whole task. No tricks, no word problems. Which is exactly why it's so unforgiving: there's nothing to reason your way through. You either held the number or you didn't.

Call summarization: memory under load

The harder memory work usually happens inside a longer section. Scottsdale describes a Call Summarization section where you listen to a simulated phone call and type the details into a computer. Then you answer multiple-choice questions about the call, using what you typed and what you remember.

While that's happening, emergency messages can pop up on screen. You have to pick which agency to send: Police, Fire, EMS, or Utility. The official guide says you get 15 seconds to answer each one, and there's no credit for a wrong agency or a late answer. Per Scottsdale, the section score combines your data-entry accuracy, those pop-up decisions, and the multiple-choice answers.

So the skill isn't just remembering. It's remembering while your attention gets pulled away. That's the part worth practicing.

How to practice, the way CritiCall suggests

CritiCall's guide includes a drill for this exact skill. Have someone slowly read you a seven-digit phone number. As soon as they finish, type it from memory, with no hyphen. Keep going, one number after another, with about five seconds between each. Keep at it until you're very accurate.

A few ways to get more out of that drill:

• Use the shape of the number. A phone number already comes in two pieces: three digits, then four. Hear it as two chunks, not seven separate digits.
• Type right away. Don't hold the number longer than you need to. The longer you wait, the more room there is for a digit to slip.
• Mix in plates and names. The guide lists license plates alongside phone numbers. Letters and numbers together are harder to hold, so practice both.
• Add a distraction. Once plain recall feels easy, have your helper ask you a quick question between numbers. That's closer to how the real sections feel.
• Practice story recall too. Have someone read you a short paragraph about an incident. Afterward, write down who, what, where, and any numbers. Then check yourself.

Small things that cost points

The official guide flags a few details that matter more than you'd think:

• You'll wear a headset. Spoken information comes through it, and you'll likely be able to adjust the volume. Set it before the scored items start.
• Num Lock on. The guide says many test takers find it helps to have Num Lock turned on. If you practice on a number pad, practice with it on.
• Use the practice items. Each section starts with practice items that don't count toward your score. You can skip them, but for a memory section, a free warm-up is worth taking.
• Don't skip. The guide says you'll be penalized for skipping questions unless the instructions tell you otherwise. If you're not sure of a number, enter your best recall.
• Learn the four decision rules early. The Police, Fire, EMS, and Utility rules are printed in the guide. If you already know them cold, those pop-ups take less of your memory away from the call.

Where memory fits in the whole test

Memory doesn't sit in its own corner. It shows up in data entry, in call summarization, and in any section where you hear something once and act on it later. Getting better at holding details pays off across the whole battery, and on the job after that.

If you want to see how memory fits with the other sections, our CritiCall practice test overview covers the full battery. The Multitask Interrupt page shows what it's like to hold details while pop-ups compete for your attention.

When you're ready to try it with voiced call audio, you can start with the free practice questions on DispatchPrep.