How the CritiCall Cross Referencing test works
An address book of names, telephone numbers and addresses sits on screen. Written questions ask for a detail, such as the phone number for a named person, and you type the answer into the space provided. Biddle describes it as testing alphabetic, character recognition and numeric searching skills.
There is also an audio version, where the questions are spoken over the headset instead of written. The score is your percentage correct.
How to find the right entry fast
Search in two passes, then check:
- Read the whole question first. It may give a street as well as a name, because two people share the name.
- Jump to the surname alphabetically, then scan down for the first name.
- Check every detail the question gave you against the entry before you copy anything.
- Copy the answer character by character, and check the last two digits of a phone number twice.
Worked example
The book lists MORALES, ANA at 1180 E PINE ST, 555-0213; MORALES, ANNA at 1810 E PINE ST, 555-0231; and MORALES, ANNA at 422 W ELM AVE, 555-0912.
Question: “What is the telephone number for ANNA MORALES at 1810 E PINE ST?” The first entry is ANA, not ANNA, and its house number has the same digits in a different order. The third is the right name at the wrong street. Only the second matches both, so the answer is 555-0231.
Tips for the real Cross Referencing test
- Try Biddle’s drill: have someone read and spell names from a phone book while you find each address and type it exactly as written.
- Expect near-duplicates on purpose: the same surname, similar first names and digits in a different order.
- If the list scrolls, use the scroll bar to see all of it. Biddle’s guide warns that parts of the screen may be hidden.
- Do not skip a question. Biddle’s guide says skipped items are penalised unless you are told otherwise.
Practise CritiCall Cross Referencing on CogniPrep
Our version gives you a 40-entry address book full of near-duplicates and 20 questions in 10 minutes. You type each answer (capitals are added for you, and phone numbers are digits only), and there is no going back. Some questions are reverse lookups that give a phone number and ask for the name. You get your percentage correct. The list length, question count and time limit are ours.