FREE 911 Operator Test Listening and Memory Recall Questions and Answers

Question 1

A caller reports a robbery, speaking very quickly and providing a suspect description, vehicle details, and direction of travel in a single, frantic sentence.
Which of the following is the most critical active listening skill to use for accurate memory recall?

Accepted Answer

Mentally separating and categorizing the information as it is being delivered.

Answer

Interrupting the caller to ask for their name and phone number immediately.

Answer

Focusing only on the direction of travel to get units started.

Answer

Waiting until the caller has finished speaking completely before asking any questions.

Question 2

You receive a call about a multi-vehicle accident. The caller states, 'A blue truck, license plate Lincoln-Victor-Boy-5-2-3, hit a red sedan at the corner of 5th and Maple. I think someone is hurt!' Then, the call disconnects. While dispatching units, what is the most important detail to recall from short-term memory?

Accepted Answer

The license plate of the truck.

Answer

The color of the sedan.

Answer

The caller thought someone was hurt.

Answer

The intersection of the accident.

Question 3

Which of the following techniques is most effective for improving memory recall of critical details during a high-stress call?

Accepted Answer

Repeating key information back to the caller for confirmation.

Answer

Relying solely on memory without taking any notes to improve focus.

Answer

Using repetitive questioning to confirm every detail multiple times.

Answer

Trying to visualize the caller's face to build a personal connection.

Question 4

An operator is taking a call from a child who is whispering. In the background, there is a television on, a dog barking, and a faint sound of arguing. The child says they are hiding at '1-4-2-5 Park Street' because 'mommy and daddy are fighting.' Which listening skill is paramount for ensuring an accurate response?

Accepted Answer

Selective attention, to filter out distracting background noises.

Answer

Empathy, to understand the child's fear.

Answer

Patience, to allow the child to speak at their own pace.

Answer

Paraphrasing, to summarize the entire situation for the child.

Question 5

A caller is reporting a house fire. They provide the address, state that their elderly father is trapped on the second floor, describe the smoke color, and mention their cat is also missing, all within a few seconds. In terms of immediate memory recall for dispatching the fire department, which two pieces of information are the absolute highest priority?

Accepted Answer

The address and the trapped person.

Answer

The address and the color of the smoke.

Answer

The trapped person and the missing cat.

Answer

The color of the smoke and the missing cat.

Question 6

The cognitive ability to temporarily store, process, and manipulate information during a call, such as holding an address in your mind while hearing a suspect description, is known as:

Accepted Answer

Working memory

Answer

Long-term memory

Answer

Auditory processing

Answer

Situational awareness

A caller reports a robbery, speaking very quickly and providing a suspect description, vehicle details, and direction of travel in a single, frantic sentence.Which of the following is the most critical active listening skill to use for accurate memory recall?

A caller reports a robbery, speaking very quickly and providing a suspect description, vehicle details, and direction of travel in a single, frantic sentence.
Which of the following is the most critical active listening skill to use for accurate memory recall?