I’m in the process of trying to secure a job with my local Emergency Communications Center aka 911. I’ve got to report to their office in two weeks for a Personality Test. That frightens me, as I’ve never had to endure such a test before.
What kind of things will I be asked? What kind of personality do 911 centers usually look for? Advice from anyone who has taken a Personality Test before will be appreciated.
Disclaimer: I’m no expert, I’ve just read some books.
You need to think about what sort of character traits the 911 center is looking for–people skills? trustworthiness? reliability?–and think about what sort of questions they could ask that would test these.
I think there’ll be examples of personality tests on the net. Try some of them out. If you go to the bookstore there’s probably books in the business section (maybe aimed at managers rather than test-takers). I’d look at how the tests they suggest are scored.
Finally, but importantly, many of these tests have a “lie scale” or “faking-good scale” designed into them to try and catch people out who are answering ‘artistically’ rather than being completely honest about themselves.
“The Lie scale includes statements reflecting a high level of virtue and moral values, which, while aspirations for many people, are seldom reached by most people.” (Psychpage.com)
An example of a Lie Scale item would be: “I have never taken anything that didn’t belong to me”
You could do more research on this by googling “MMPI” (the name of the most popular personality test)
I’d just answer truthfully, for the most part, unless the “right” answer is blatantly obvious, and it’s not the true one. For instance, if they ask you, “do you kick puppies on a regular basis,” the answer is “no.”
They’ll probably want to know if you’re the type that flips out when someone else is flipping out (like me, on occasion) or if you remain cool when the rest of the world is going batshit. And maybe how you relate to people (including little kids) who will be calling in a panic.
Be honest and take the test truthfully. If you don’t have the right personality for the job, you probably shouldn’t be taking 911 calls. It’s not you’re stacking boxes; peoples’ lives are at stake.
That’s a trick question!
There’ll be some morality questions, like if oyu found a walet what would you do? There’ll be a lot of stuff to test how you would react to a situation, probably centered on things you’d encounter regularly as an operator. Just be honest and use a little common sense and you’ll be fine.
I had to take a similar test for a job, and 99% of the questions were completely obvious, though I think I missed Angel’s puppy one. Twice.
Finally a thread in my area of expertise!! 
The above posters have hit some of the obvious issues, such as moral questions and honesty, but a 911 center is looking for other things as well. The tests that I am familiar with that are designed for 911 centers also look at how well you will be able to deal with multiple things at one time, if you will be able to work with little or no recognition for a job well done, etc. I wouldn’t recommend trying to fake this test; this job is not for everyone. It takes a certain combination of skills to deal with taking 911 calls.
I see you are in Virginia, I am a 911 Coordinator in Virginia, e-mail me if you want more info, I might be able to give you a little more insight on things.
I’ve taken a few of these sorts of tests for potential employers. One of the most common is the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) which will determine whether or not you come from Minnesota, in which case you’ll be ruled out. OK, that’s not true.
Really, it is a series of about 100-300 MC questions, which attempt to determine your tendancy towards introvertism/extrovertism, optimism/pessimisim, etc, etc, etc. Interspersed among these questions are a few that are designed to tell if you are not answering truthfully. For example, right after a question about your confidence in your abilities to do a good job or how well you handle pressure, there will be a question like, for example, "The boss has called you and wants to see you in his office right away. How would you feel… (a) worried, (b) happy © confident (d) neutral. No one wants to admit that they feel worried or anxious in a personality test, but that’s the ‘normal’ truthful answer. Many are tempted to answer ‘confident’ or ‘happy’[??]. because they’re superman right? But answer too many of those questions with a ‘confident’ and your test results will be red flagged with a ‘possibly untruthful responses’. Of course, its all taken within the context of your other answers.
Personally, most people don’t subscribe to these test as an ultimate indicator of personality, and your face-to-face interview will be much more of a persuasive factor for your potential employers.
I would like to echo what Ethilrist says though, and be truthful. People who answer emergency calls are normal people too and if you want to help both yourself and the test administrators, just answer how you really feel.
rostfrei, why don’t you ask the Communication Center what the test is about?
I was given a “personality profile” as part of the interview process for a previous employer (not 911-related, sorry).
What I experienced was a series of (at-first) benign questions, and a lot of “why aren’t you looking at my eyes when I talk to you”. Then, after that was over, he turned some of my answers against me, in ways that he knew would really piss me off, upset me, etc. And then gauged my reaction. I basically wanted to deck the guy by the time we were halfway through, but I acted civilly and calmly, which counted in my favor, apparently (I got the job).
I imagine that the 911 place will be looking for similar traits, but their methods may differ.