NYC-PCT Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Exam 7307 Overview: The Current Testing Cycle

Every open round of the New York City Police Communications Technician Exam (911 Dispatcher, DCAS) is tracked under its own examination number. The current cycle is Exam 7307, administered by the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), Bureau of Examinations, on behalf of the NYPD. Unlike a private certification you can schedule on demand, this is a civil service exam tied to a specific filing period, a specific testing window, and a specific eligible list. If you miss the window, you wait for the next notice to open.

Because the schedule is unforgiving, treat the dates below as fixed constraints around which you build your prep - not flexible targets. If you're still unclear on how the exam itself is structured before you start counting down days, the NYC-PCT Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is a useful companion to this scheduling breakdown.

Filing Window: September 2 - October 13, 2026

The application filing period for Exam 7307 opens September 2, 2026 and closes October 13, 2026. This roughly six-week window is when you submit your application, pay the fee (or claim a waiver), and confirm your eligibility documentation is in order.

Filing late, even by a day, typically means exclusion from this specific exam cycle. There is no rolling admission for civil service exams - DCAS works from a published, city-wide monthly exam schedule, and Exam 7307 has its own slot in that calendar.

• Opens: September 2, 2026
• Closes: October 13, 2026
• Testing begins (expected): November 16, 2026

If you're weighing whether this is even the right time to apply, review the baseline eligibility rules in NYC-PCT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before the filing window opens - sorting out documentation after filing closes is not an option.

When the Multiple-Choice Test Actually Happens

The multiple-choice examination is expected to begin November 16, 2026, roughly a month after filing closes. The test is administered on a computer terminal at a DCAS-designated site, not on paper and not remotely. Candidates should expect the actual test date to be assigned individually rather than chosen - DCAS notifies you of your specific date, time, and location once scheduling is finalized.

Because the test is computer-based, there's no calculator use permitted, and the pacing is dictated by the terminal interface rather than a paper booklet you can flip through freely. Understanding that format matters as much as knowing the content - see How Hard Is the NYC-PCT Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 for a breakdown of what makes the format itself demanding.

Deadlines That Can Disqualify You If You Miss Them

Filing dates aren't the only deadlines tied to this notice. Eligibility requirements carry their own cutoffs, and missing them can knock you off the list even if you passed the written test.

Military service members qualifying via two years of active U.S. service with an honorable discharge, or candidates relying on an accepted combination of education and experience, should confirm their documentation against these same cutoff dates. For a full walkthrough of every qualifying path, see NYC-PCT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Fees, Waivers, and How Scheduling Works

The application fee for Exam 7307 is $68. If you pay by card, a nonrefundable 2% service fee is added on top. Fee waivers are available for specific groups: first-time applicants and current NYC high-school students may qualify to file without paying.

These fees are separate from the appointment-stage screening costs, which include a fingerprint-screening fee once you're being considered for hire. For the complete cost picture across the whole process, see NYC-PCT Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Scheduling itself is handled by DCAS, not by the candidate. Once you file within the window, DCAS assigns your test date, time, and location and communicates that assignment electronically - you don't pick a slot from a public calendar the way you might for some other exams.

Admission Notices, OASys, and What to Bring

Admission notices for this exam are issued through OASys, DCAS's online applicant system. That means your test date, time, and location will typically appear in your OASys account rather than arriving solely by traditional mail. Check your account regularly in the weeks following the filing deadline, and make sure your login credentials and contact information are current before filing closes.

On test day, you must bring unexpired photo-and-signature identification that matches the name on your application. Mismatched names - due to a recent marriage, legal name change, or a typo at filing - can create avoidable delays, so double-check this well before your assigned date.

• Monitor OASys after October 13, 2026, for your admission notice
• Confirm your ID matches your application name exactly
• Calculators are prohibited at the test terminal
• Arrive with enough buffer time to clear check-in procedures

For general background on the credential itself, including who administers it and why it exists, see What Is NYC-PCT? and NYC-PCT Certification.

Building a Study Calendar Around These Dates

With roughly a month between filing close and expected testing, and with the actual filing window itself running about six weeks, most candidates have somewhere between six and ten weeks of realistic preparation time depending on when they file. That's tight enough to demand a plan, not loose review.

The exam notice identifies seven ability areas that may be tested: Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Memorization, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, and Written Expression. A smart calendar assigns early weeks to the domains that require the most practice-based skill building - reasoning and information ordering - and saves the final week for memorization drills and full-length timed run-throughs, since memory-based recall degrades fastest under stress and benefits from being freshest closest to test day.

For a domain-by-domain breakdown of what each of these seven areas actually tests, read NYC-PCT Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas. And if you want a fast, printable reference to keep near your desk during this window, the NYC-PCT Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the must-know logistics and content points into one page.

After the Test: Scores, Lists, and Timelines

A passing score on this exam is at least 70%. Candidates who pass are placed on an eligible list ranked in final-score order, and these lists typically remain active for about four years. Where you land on that list - not just whether you passed - directly affects how soon you're likely to be reached for the next stage of hiring.

Being reached from the list leads into appointment screening: medical and psychological assessment, drug screening, a background investigation, and a $75 fingerprint-screening fee. Appointed candidates then serve an 18-month probationary period and complete required 911 call-taker and radio-dispatcher training before working independently. The role itself involves rotating shifts, including weekends and holidays, with the current minimum starting salary at $51,790 annually.

If you want a fuller sense of what happens between "passed the exam" and "working the floor," see NYC-PCT Training and NYC-PCT Jobs. For a candid look at how your score threshold compares to what's actually needed, review NYC-PCT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass, and for broader context on how outcomes tend to break down across candidates, see NYC-PCT Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.

Many candidates also want to know whether the time investment pays off relative to the role - that's covered in Is the NYC-PCT Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NYC-PCT Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.

Whatever stage you're at, running full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform before your assigned date is one of the most direct ways to convert calendar awareness into exam-day readiness. Reviewing missed items after each attempt on the practice platform also helps you rebalance study time across the seven domains before the window closes.

Frequently Asked Questions