A dual monitoring test measures how well you can watch two sources of information at once and respond correctly to each. This guide explains how the test works, why dividing attention is demanding, walks through a generic example, and explains what the results tell employers.

Why divided attention matters

Train drivers watch the track ahead and the cab displays. Control room operators track alarms and readings. Plant operators monitor several gauges and a radio. In all of these jobs the risk is that attention narrows onto one source and something important on the other goes unnoticed.

Wickens' multiple resource theory explains why: tasks that compete for the same kind of mental resource, such as two visual displays, interfere with each other more than tasks that use different resources [1]. Research on vigilance also shows that monitoring is hard mental work, not a passive state [2].

How the Viewpoint Dual Monitoring Test works

The Viewpoint Dual Monitoring Test has 80 questions in 8 minutes, with two panels on every screen. Candidates check four lamps and a three-digit reading against two rules, and report a lamp alert, a reading alert, both or neither. The test is speeded, and the report shows misses for each source, so an employer can see whether a candidate tends to neglect one of them.

A worked example

The following is a generic illustration written for this article, not an item from the Viewpoint test.

Rule for the lamps: "Alert if two or more lamps are red." Rule for the reading: "Alert if the reading is above 750."

Screen 1 shows one red lamp and a reading of 812. The lamps are fine, but the reading is high, so the answer is "reading alert". Screen 2 shows three red lamps and a reading of 640: "lamp alert". Screen 3 shows two red lamps and 905: "both". Screen 4 shows no red lamps and 702: "neither".

A common pattern under time pressure is to check the lamps carefully and glance at the reading, or the other way round. The per-source results make that visible.

Reading the results

The report shows overall performance in bands from Very Low to Very High, along with misses for each source. A candidate with balanced, low misses is sharing attention well. One with many misses on a single source may need to build a more systematic scanning habit, which is worth exploring at interview. There is no pass mark; the result is one piece of evidence.

Using a dual monitoring test well

For employers, the test is most relevant to safety-critical and monitoring roles in rail, transport, utilities, control rooms and security. Use it alongside a concentration test, a structured interview and role-specific assessments, and consider a supervised re-test for high-stakes decisions.

For candidates, use the same scan order on every screen (for example lamps first, then reading), apply each rule exactly, and keep going. Don't worry if you don't finish all 80.

See the Dual Monitoring Test page, our guide to the concentration test, or our train driver assessment guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Viewpoint Dual Monitoring Test take?

It has 80 questions and a time limit of 8 minutes.

What do I check on each screen?

Four lamps and a three-digit reading, each against its own rule.

What are the four possible answers?

Lamp alert, reading alert, both, or neither.

What does the report show?

Overall performance in score bands, plus the misses for each source.

References

1. Wickens, C. D. (2008). Multiple resources and mental workload. Human Factors, 50(3), 449–455.
2. Warm, J. S., Parasuraman, R. & Matthews, G. (2008). Vigilance requires hard mental work and is stressful. Human Factors, 50(3), 433–441.