A method and apparatus for quickly acquiring synchronization of a signal in a WCDMA communication system utilizing variable duration sample accumulation, validity testing of decoder estimates, and parallel decoding of multiple synchronization signals within a PERCH channel. The receiver accumulates the samples necessary to reliably determine slot timing. Until slot timing estimates pass a validity test, samples are accumulated for frame timing estimates. Until frame timing estimates pass a validity test, samples are analyzed to determine the pilot offset of the channel.