How the CritiCall Memory Recall test works
Several pairs of words appear on screen, such as red Dodge and yellow Ford, and then disappear. You are then given one word from a pair and choose the word it was paired with. It mirrors the way a dispatcher holds descriptions of vehicles and clothing from a call.
Biddle does not publish how many pairs appear, how long they stay or how many rounds there are. The score is your percentage correct.
How to remember the pairs
Join each pair into one thing:
- Picture each pair as a single object: a red Dodge, not “red” and “Dodge”.
- Go through the pairs once quickly, then spend the remaining time on the ones that look alike.
- Watch for colours or words that share a first letter, such as green and grey. They are the easiest to swap.
- When you answer, rule out any option you do not remember seeing at all.
Worked example
You study six pairs: BLUE PICKUP, GREY SEDAN, RED MOTORCYCLE, WHITE VAN, BLACK JEEP, GREEN TRUCK. Then you see SEDAN, with the options GREY, GREEN, BLUE and SILVER.
SILVER was never shown, so it goes first. BLUE belonged to the pickup. That leaves GREY and GREEN, the pair built to trip you. If you pictured a grey sedan as you studied, the answer is GREY.
Tips for the real Memory Recall test
- Use every second of the study time. Run through the pairs again until they disappear.
- Practise at home by writing six colour and vehicle pairs, looking for 20 seconds, then testing yourself.
- Stay with the current set. Thinking back to an earlier round mixes the pairs up.
Practise CritiCall Memory Recall on CogniPrep
Our version runs six rounds. Each shows six pairs for 20 seconds, then asks you to match each word to its partner from four options, one of which was never shown that round, for 36 answers in all. The word you see may be either half of its pair, and your choice is final when you click. You get your percentage correct. The number of pairs, the viewing time and the rounds are ours.