Thursday, January 22, 2009

Okay

I'm off to take my Criticall Exam for the 911 Dispatcher position. I'll be starting at around 8:00 PST. Wish me luck, guys. I'll need it!

UPDATE (at 1:00 PM PST): I've got good news, bad news, and more good news.
The good news is I got 95% on the exam. The bad news is I failed anyway. The data entry module of the test is Pass/Fail, and in order to pass you have to type at 4000 keystrokes per hour, while my score was 3689. The other good news is that they definitely encouraged me to apply again after February 11th for the March testing cycle, and they gave me some tips on how to improve my score. And it will also help that I know what to expect, which will lessen my nervousness.

The best news of the day, however, is from after the exam. Instead of heading to the nearest store to buy a pint of Ben&Jerry's ice cream in which to drown my sorrows, I hit the gym for an hour and a half! Win!

13 comments:

Trashman said...

aren't all exams critical?

Buck said...

Good luck, Christina!

Christina RN LMT said...

Trash, it's the CritiCall Exam, it's supposed to be a play-on-words, I guess, but I think the developers were too clever...;)

Thanks, Buck!

Anonymous said...

Win, indeed!

Christina RN LMT said...

Thank you, Tally!

Trashman said...

I dont get it.

Anonymous said...

And you have won! What a great score! Just take a little practice on the typing and you've got it sure as anything next time!!! You've got it, girlfriend!!! I'm proud of that test score! MWAH!

Christina RN LMT said...

Coming from YOU, kvegas911, that's a huge compliment, and I thank you!
Yup, gonna try again for sure. They recommended getting the phone book out and practicing typing that sort of info, names, addressed, etc. What killed me, I believe, is that I stopped even in the middle of numbers I was typing to "dispatch" the proper authorities during "emergencies" on the exam. You have fifteen seconds to do so, and really, that's quite a lot of time. The testers told me to finish what I'm typing next time BEFORE I respond to the alarm. Duh! I can't believe I did that, it really slowed me down, because I'd be right in the middle of typing a VIN or Driver's License number, and when I came back to it, it was like starting all over again. But I'll know better than to do that next time!

Buck said...

Wow. I'd NEVER be able to type... coherently... that danged fast. While I just happen to be among the world's fastest three-fingers-plus-one-thumb typist, I ain't THAT quick!

But... good on ya on all other accounts, Christina! Yup... practice and succeed next time!

Christina RN LMT said...

Thanks, Buck. My biggest problem is typing numbers. I'm just not that comfortable touch-typing them, neither from the keyboard nor the 10-key number pad. I still have to look, and that slows me down.
My daughter Silver uses three fingers on her left hand and her right pointer finger, and she can type much faster than me! I still can't figure that one out...;)

Anonymous said...

I can't either!

Home on the Range said...

You will do fine the next go around. I think it's like the CPA exam both my Dad and my daughter took. They said most people do NOT pass that on the first time, not from lack of skill but from not knowing exactly how to organize the time allotted to make it work.

You are smart, you are savvy. You will get, with or without Ben and Jerry's.

Christina RN LMT said...

Tally, it's a mystery!

Thanks, Brigid. I really think I can do this. 4000 keystrokes per hour is about 25 words per minute...that's truly a snail's pace that I can beat easily...but the numbers and the stopping and starting killed me, so I must practice!