999 Call Handler Typing and Listening Practice
A free, timed copy-typing test that gives your net words per minute and accuracy and a mock 999 call where you type the key details into a call log as the call plays. Then see how your speed compares with the figures police forces publish.
Ready for the calls? The 999 Call Handler Prep Pack
The free test above covers typing speed and two calls. Control room assessments go further: audio typing, simulated calls, role plays and a competency interview. The prep pack (£19.99, 12 months) gives you ten more calls to log, audio dictation in capitals, the phrases call handlers use and 15 practice interview questions we wrote, with guidance on answering them.
How to use it
- Typing test. Pick a passage and a time (one or two minutes). The clock starts when you type the first character. Type the passage exactly, including capitals and punctuation. Pasting is switched off. When time is up you get net and gross words per minute, accuracy, the words you mistyped and a comparison with each force's published minimum.
- Call notes. Pick a call and start it. Each line shows at about speaking pace and earlier lines disappear. Fill in the call log as you go: location, what has happened, descriptions, the caller's details. Then check your notes against what the caller said. Use "Read the whole call" if you want an easier first go.
- Repeat. Try each passage and each call. Your best typing score is kept on this device so you can see progress.
What speed forces ask for
Forces set their own typing standard and many do not publish one. These are the figures forces publish on their own pages, as checked on 18 October 2026:
| Force | Requirement | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire Constabulary | At least 25 words per minute | Careers page; no current vacancies shown |
| PSNI | A typing test score of at least 26 words per minute (spelling and punctuation errors count) | Open; closes 3pm on 9 November 2026 (Greater Belfast, Armagh and Maydown; checked 23 October 2026) |
| Thames Valley Police | At least 27 words per minute with 75% accuracy | Careers page |
| Northamptonshire Police | Average typing speed of 30 wpm and 90% accuracy, typed word for word in capital letters with no spell check | Recruitment open when checked |
| Surrey Police | Minimum 30 words per minute | Closed advert; Surrey's call takers are Contact Centre Officers, a different role |
| West Midlands Police | The page gives both "at least 35 words per minute" and "minimum 25 wpm" | Careers page |
| Leicestershire Police | Keyboard skills (35 words per minute) | Careers page |
| Police Scotland | Minimum typing speed of 35 words per minute | Advert published 10 November 2025, closed 31 January 2026 |
The Met, Nottinghamshire, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, BTP, Sussex, Essex, South Wales, Lancashire and Gloucestershire all test typing (several from audio) without publishing a figure. The full call handler recruitment guide covers each force's tests, training, shifts and pay.
How real tests differ from this one
- Audio typing. Northamptonshire plays a 1 minute 50 second recording to type onto a form; Sussex plays twenty audio clips; Police Scotland and South Wales use audio typing tests. Our call-notes exercise is written, not spoken, but trains the same habit of capturing details as they come.
- Format. Northamptonshire's copy-typing test is in capital letters with no spell check. PSNI counts spelling and punctuation errors.
- Accuracy thresholds. Thames Valley asks for 75% accuracy, Northamptonshire 90%. Our accuracy figure is calculated by word; forces do not publish their method.
- Simulated calls. The Met, PSNI and Devon and Cornwall use simulated calls where you speak to a caller and type at the same time. No written exercise reproduces that fully.
Getting faster without losing accuracy
- Aim for accuracy above 90% first. Speed built on errors does not survive a net-speed test.
- Keep your eyes on the source text, not the keyboard. If you look down to find keys, practise touch typing basics first.
- Practise capitals, numbers and punctuation: addresses, times and registrations are full of them.
- Practise little and often and retest once a week on a passage you have not just typed, so you are measuring skill rather than memory.
- For listening, type from spoken audio such as a news bulletin, then check against a transcript.
Recruitment alerts
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Questions
What typing speed do police call handlers need?
It depends on the force. The published minimums we found on 18 October 2026 run from 25 to 35 words per minute: Derbyshire 25, PSNI 26, Thames Valley 27 with 75% accuracy, Northamptonshire 30 with 90% accuracy, Surrey 30, Leicestershire and Police Scotland 35. West Midlands Police's page gives both 25 and 35. Many forces test typing without publishing a figure.
Is this the real police typing test?
No. Forces do not publish their test passages and this tool does not use them. The passages and mock calls are original PolicePay material written for practice. Real tests differ in length, content and scoring and some are typed from audio or in capital letters, so treat your result as a guide.
How is words per minute worked out here?
A word is 5 characters, including spaces. Net words per minute counts only the words you typed correctly (and one space for each); gross words per minute counts everything you typed. Accuracy is correct words out of correct words plus errors (wrong, extra and skipped words). Your typing is lined up with the passage word by word, so one missed word does not turn the rest of the line into errors.
Do capitals and punctuation count?
Yes. A word with the wrong capital letter or missing punctuation counts as an error, because names, addresses and registrations in a real call log need to be exact. Some forces are stricter: Northamptonshire's test is typed in capital letters with no spell check and PSNI says spelling and punctuation errors count.
How does the call-notes exercise work?
A written mock 999 call plays line by line at roughly speaking pace. Earlier lines disappear, so you have to type the key details into the call log as the call goes, as you would on a real call. When you check, each entry is marked as captured, partly captured or missed against the details in the call and the full call is shown. You can also choose to read the whole call at once, which is easier.
Is anything I type saved or sent?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to PolicePay or anyone else. Your best typing score is saved on this device only, so you can see if you are improving. We record anonymous events (that a test started or finished and the speed and accuracy band) to see whether the tool is used.
Can I use this on a phone?
Yes, but practise on a full keyboard if you can. Force typing tests are taken on a computer keyboard and phone typing speeds are not a good guide to keyboard speed.
What is in the 999 Call Handler Prep Pack?
Ten more mock 999 and 101 calls to log as they play, eight incident-log typing tests, six audio dictation tests typed in capitals, a phonetic alphabet drill, a call handler phrasebook, call grading and THRIVE practice, twelve phone-handling scenarios, fifteen practice interview questions (written by us, not any force's) with guidance on how to answer, five role-play briefs and an assessment checklist. It costs £19.99 for 12 months, one payment, with a 14-day refund. It is original practice material, not any force's test.
Related guides
Sources
Force typing figures were read on each force's own careers page or advert on 18 October 2026. Check the current advert before you apply.
- Derbyshire Constabulary: Contact Management Operator (call handler or dispatch controller)
- PSNI: Call Handler
- Thames Valley Police: Contact Management (999/101 Call Handler)
- Northamptonshire Police: Force Control Room Operative (answers calls and dispatches)
- Surrey Police: Police Control Room Operator (dispatch, not call taking)
- West Midlands Police: Contact Officer (dispatchers are a separate role)
- Leicestershire Police: Contact Handler
- Police Scotland: Service Advisor (C3 Division)
- Nottinghamshire Police: Police emergency call handler
- Avon and Somerset Police: Emergency call handler and dispatcher (one recruitment for both)
- British Transport Police: Communications Officer (London) and Contact Handler (Birmingham)
- Sussex Police: Control and Contact Handler
- Essex Police: Contact Centre Officer
- South Wales Police: Contact Resolution Officer (dispatch: Incident Risk and Resolution Officer)
- Lancashire Constabulary: Police Control Room Operator
- Gloucestershire Constabulary: Force Control Room Call Handler and Radio Dispatcher (dual role)
- Ofcom: telephone numbers for TV and radio drama (07700 900000 to 900999)