CritiCall Test in Canada and Ontario: Who Uses It and How to Practice
In Canada, the CritiCall test is used by the RCMP for 911 police dispatchers in British Columbia and Alberta and for Telecommunications Operators nationally, and by city services such as the Windsor Police Service in Ontario and the Winnipeg Police Service in Manitoba. It's the same Biddle Consulting Group test US candidates take. Each employer picks the modules and sets its own bar, and every Canadian typing bar we found is 40 words per minute.
New to CritiCall? Start with what's on the CritiCall test. Pass911 is independent: none of these employers, and not Biddle, has anything to do with this site.
Who uses CritiCall in Canada
- The RCMP: 911 police dispatchers in British Columbia and Alberta, and Telecommunications Operators nationally. The national posting calls CritiCall a "self-administered and electronic exam" that "evaluates multitasking and decision-making skills."
- Windsor Police Service, Ontario.
- Winnipeg Police Service, Manitoba.
- Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region EMS, Saskatchewan, which Biddle names on its success-stories page alongside Windsor.
Biddle says "a number of provincial agencies in Canada" use CritiCall; its state and provincial programs page names no province. In Ontario, Windsor is the service we found publishing its CritiCall requirements. Your job posting names the test you'll take; if it says CritiCall, the format and practice advice below apply.
What Canadian employers publish
| Employer | Format | Bars | Results and retakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCMP Alberta | From home, by a link in the Recruiting email. 8 modules: keyboarding, data entry, multitasking, decision making, short-term memory recall, street map reading, spelling, reading and comprehension | — | — |
| RCMP British Columbia | 8 modules, about 60–90 minutes | 40 wpm with less than 5% errors; a pass in every module | Pass or fail within 4 weeks. Retake after a 2-week wait; after a second fail, 3 months before you can reapply |
| RCMP national (Telecommunications Operator) | Self-administered; bilingual positions get separate language testing | 40 net wpm | A fail closes the application; you're told when you can reapply |
| Windsor Police Service (Ontario) | — | 70% in CritiCall; 40 wpm typing | — |
| Winnipeg Police Service (Manitoba) | On site, 2–3 hours; typing is a separate remote test | Typing: 40 wpm over 5 minutes, two points off per error | — |
Two rows deserve a second read. RCMP British Columbia says "over half of all applicants do not pass the CritiCall Exam due to inability to meet typing requirements." It also requires a pass in each module, so one weak module is enough to stop you there.
What to expect on CritiCall test day
The format is Biddle's wherever you sit it:
- Each section opens with optional practice items that don't count.
- Skipping a question is penalized unless that section's instructions say otherwise.
- Many entry fields accept upper case only, and Biddle suggests turning Num Lock on.
- Emergency messages give you 15 seconds each to pick Police, Fire, EMS or Utility. A wrong or late answer earns nothing.
- Audio comes through a headset or headphones with adjustable volume. Test from home, as RCMP Alberta candidates do, and the computer, keyboard and headphones are your own.
- Biddle's candidate guide uses US labels for the data-entry fields (Zip, License Plate, Driver's License). Our drills use the same field order.
- Scores belong to the agency. Biddle's applicant help desk says most agencies don't give out test results; RCMP British Columbia reports pass or fail.
How to practice for CritiCall in Canada
- Start with typing. Every Canadian bar we found is 40 wpm, and the RCMP and Winnipeg both count errors against you. Our free typing test scores net wpm with Winnipeg's published rule: two points off per error.
Five minutes. No account needed.
- Practice your employer's module list. RCMP Alberta publishes its eight. Here's where each one lives on Pass911:
- Keyboarding: the typing test and the keyboarding drill
- Data entry: the written and audio data-entry drills
- Multitasking and decision making: emergency messages over data entry, the closest match we build
- Short-term memory recall: the memory module
- Street map reading: the map-reading module
- Spelling: the spelling module
- Reading and comprehension: the reading module
- Rehearse the multitasking, with sound. RCMP Alberta lists both multitasking and decision making, and the RCMP's national posting says CritiCall "evaluates multitasking and decision-making skills." The free run is audio data entry with emergency messages on a 15-second clock; here's how the emergency messages work.
- Set up the way you'll test. If your link lets you test from home, practice on that computer, keyboard and headset.
Free account. Runs need a computer with a keyboard and headphones.
Pass911 prices for Canadian candidates (USD)
One price list for Canada and the US, in US dollars:
- Free: the typing test (no account), plus the keyboarding drill and one full multitasking run (free account).
- Starter, $39 USD: every module as a drill.
- Elite, $69 USD: adds full timed batteries and an overall result against the bars agencies publish.
- Elite upgrade, $30 USD: for Starter holders.
Paid plans are one-time payments with 12 months of access and a 7-day money-back guarantee. What Starter and Elite include
CritiCall in Canada FAQ
Does the RCMP use CritiCall?
Yes, for 911 police dispatchers in British Columbia and Alberta and for Telecommunications Operators nationally.
Is CritiCall used in Ontario?
Yes. The Windsor Police Service requires 70% in CritiCall plus 40 wpm typing, and Biddle names Windsor on its success-stories page.
What typing speed does the RCMP require?
RCMP British Columbia asks for 40 wpm with less than 5% errors. The national Telecommunications Operator posting asks for 40 net wpm.
Can you retake CritiCall with the RCMP?
In British Columbia, after a two-week wait following a first failure; after a second, there's a three-month wait before you can reapply. Nationally, a fail closes the application and the RCMP tells you when you can reapply.
How much do 911 dispatchers make in Canada?
Job Bank lists a Canada-wide median of $27.00 an hour (CAD) for 911 dispatchers, updated November 29, 2023.
Are Pass911 prices in Canadian dollars?
No. Prices are in US dollars, the same for every candidate.
Written by the Pass911 team. Canadian employer facts checked against the RCMP, Windsor, Winnipeg and Job Bank pages on October 23, 2026.