Firefighter Hiring Process - The Written Examination

Firefighter Hiring Process Components:
The Written Examination

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THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION

The Written Examination is usually one of the first steps in the hiring process for a firefighter. Most fire departments require you to have at least a score of 70% to pass and continue in the hiring process. While most fire departments do not use your score on the written examination as a portion of your overall ranking on the hiring list, they do use it as a way of "weeding out" candidates and making the overall number of candidates in the hiring process more manageable. Regardless, you should still strive to get a score of at least 90% on every written examination, and further strive for scores in the 95% to 100% range.

While scoring well on the written examination does not necessarily mean you will be an excellent firefighter, it does mean that you will be able to continue in the hiring process to the next phase (usually the oral interview), and it does assist your score if the fire department does make the score of your written examination a portion of your overall score (some fire departments have been known to make the written examination 50% of your total score and the oral interview the other 50% of your score, which is why you should be striving for the high 90 percentile). Also, even if 70% is the minimum passing score, some departments only take the highest written examination scores to continue in the hiring process (sometimes 85% to 90% or higher).

TYPICAL WRITTEN TESTS BEING ADMINISTERED:

Typically, when a fire department is offering a written test as part of their hiring process, they will purchase it from a private company that specializes in putting together written tests that are validated and job specific. Purchasing a written test from a company can be cheaper in the long run for a fire department, in both cost and time spent developing such a test.

There are not that many different companies that offer written tests to fire departments. Some of the more common written tests being administered include:

FireTEAM

          Fire departments are always looking at ways to save money, especially when it comes to entry-level
          testing. One way to do that is to eliminate a portion (or more) of the hiring process. FireTEAM testing
          was created to improve accuracy in pre-screening entry-level firefighter candidates and save staff time
          historically spent on multiple hours of oral board interviews. FireTEAM training was developed to
          improve firefighter teamwork skills and provide strategies for maintaining high levels of cooperation
          in the unique firefighter living and working environment. Both FireTEAM Testing and Training focus
          heavily on teamwork and human relations skills - aspects of the job that are critical, yet ordinarily not
          addressed in academies and other firefighter preparation programs.

FireTEAM Test Components:

          Teamwork, public relations skills, mechanical aptitude and reading ability are measured by FireTEAM
          Testing. Although new hires receive specific technical training in the academy, new recruits with
          fundamental teamwork, human relations, or mechanical aptitude deficiencies require more time and
          effort to train and are less likely to be successful on the job than recruits with these competencies.
          FireTEAM Testing can help identify candidates' strengths and weaknesses before they are hired or even
          brought into the interview process, saving tens of thousands of dollars in recruitment, turnover,
          management problems and potential liability.

FireTEAM Video-Based Human Relations Test:

          This is a multiple-choice, video-based test of human relations skills specifically designed for firefighters.
          FireTEAM covers many performance dimensions related to being an exemplary firefighter, including:

          - Teamwork
          - Positive versus negative influence on station internal relations
          - Professional responses in difficult situations
          - Situational judgment
          - Positive relations with supervisors and management
          - Professional behavior and bearing

ErgoMechanical Animated Aptitude Test:

          This groundbreaking test is the most dramatic update in sixty years in assessing candidates for
          mechanical common sense. The paper and pencil approach to mechanical aptitude testing has been the
          only tool available since its development in the 1940's. This new test addresses:

          - Analytical problem solving
          - Adapting and improvising
          - Working with complex systems and sequences
          - Understanding the physical world
          - Anticipating predictable occurrences

FireTEAM Reading Test:

          The FireTEAM Reading Test completes the elements in the testing battery. It is designed specifically
          for firefighters, a job requiring ongoing study of difficult and technical materials. The reading test
          addresses reading competency needed for the job.

FireTEAM Training:

          FireTEAM Training is designed to address common problem areas that arise in a fire station, with a
          primary focus on teamwork. Fire Department managers repeatedly express frustration with human
          relations problems that arise due to uniquely close work and living circumstances experienced by
          firefighters. The FireTEAM training module focuses on internal relations including:

          - Establishing and maintaining good long-term working relationships
          - Constructively communicating with others when they do something that is annoying or offensive
          - Responding appropriately to requests for behavioral changes
          - Participating in and encouraging group initiatives, such as maintaining a clean and organized work
            and living environment
          - Living compatibly with others at work

To take a practice test, and for more information about the FireTEAM Testing and Training
materials, visit their website at: www.ergometrics.org/firefighter_test.htm

This is the same test that has been utilized recently by the Long Beach (CA) Fire Department and
many more I would imagine.

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Cooperative Personnel Services (CPS)

When I was testing for firefighter positions in the early 1990's, the CPS written test was the most common test I encountered. I would venture that over 90% of the fire departments that I tested for administered a CPS written test. At the time (just like today), they only had about five (5) different written tests to offer. So, by taking every test you qualify for, you run a high chance of seeing the same written test again and again. Why is that important? Because practice makes perfect. Seeing the same test over and over again can increase your scores, assuming you are learning from your mistakes and obtaining the answers to the questions you could not answer the first time you saw that test.

Presently, the most common CPS written tests you will see today are:

          - #2129: Entry Firefighter
          - #2150: Entry Firefighter
          - #2158-A: Entry Firefighter (EMT / Paramedic requirements only)
          - #2179: Entry Firefighter
          - #2199: Entry Firefighter

The above tests typically contain 100 multiple-choice questions, and you are allowed no more than
two (2) hours to complete them.

In addition to the above tests, a fire department may also administer a supplemental test, specific to a
specialty the require to apply, such as:

          - EMT
          - Paramedic
          - Firefighter Essentials
          - Ground Ladder Practices

The above mentioned supplemental tests typically contain 30 questions pertaining to their related
subject.

CLICK HERE to view more about the above information on their website.

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CWH Management Solutions: Selection Solutions Entry-level Firefighter Written Test:

          Selection Solutions is an entry-level written exam developed by CWH Management Solutions
          specifically for Fire Departments. It has been nationally validated in fire departments across the country
          and provides the most powerful selection process available.

          This test incorporates the research on multiple intelligence (see further description below) and
          conditional reasoning to assess a broader range of job related abilities than traditional written tests.
          In fact, while most entry-level written tests simply measure cognitive (knowledge) skills, Selection
          Solutions assess several other dimensions (in addition to cognitive skills) that are critical for success in
          the fire service arena: Interpersonal Skills, Self-Awareness and Emotional skills and Practical Skills.
          Accordingly, there is no better selection tool for identifying well-rounded, motivated, and qualified
          individuals who have the intellectual, emotional, and personality characteristics necessary to represent
          a fire department.

For more information about CWH Management Solutions, visit their website at www.cwhms.com

It is my understanding that this written test is being utilized by numerous Southern California Fire
Departments.

WHAT SUBJECTS ARE THE WRITTEN TESTS COVERING?

Written tests can cover a variety of different subject areas. However, the most common areas (also known as dimensions) that you are being evaluated on include:

1. Understanding oral directions
2. Reading and understanding written information
3. Numerical skills
4. Mechanical aptitude
5. Memory and understanding oral information
6. Teamwork / Public Relations / Community living

WRITTEN TEST RESOURCES: Preparation Books

One of the best resources I have found for written examination assistance is the Don McNea Fire School. Their website is www.fireprep.com and it has a wealth of valuable information relating to written examinations, among other things.

Some of the items they offer to help increase your written score include:

A book titled "Reading comprehension and mathematics."

CLICK HERE to view this book and find out how to purchase it.

A book titled "The Encyclopedia of Firefighter Examinations." This book contains 500 questions of various subjects including mechanical ability.

CLICK HERE to view this book and find out how to purchase it.

A book titled "Firefighter Selection Inc. 8th Edition Workbook." This book has 640 questions on areas such as tools and equipment, homeland security, fire chemistry, EMT, and standard operating procedures.

CLICK HERE to view this book and find out how to purchase it.

MORE WRITTEN TEST PREPARATION BOOKS:

Another awesome resource for fire and EMS related books is the Firefighters Bookstore in Huntington Beach, CA. I have been purchasing books there since 1993 and they always seem to have an excellent selection of all types of fire and EMS books, all at competitive prices. To go to their website, CLICK HERE.

They are the best source of fire and EMS related books that I have found!

I have showcased below some of their books that will help you best prepare for the written examination:

FIREFIGHTER'S ENTRANCE HANDBOOK

By:Davis Publishing

All-purpose preparation guide for entry-level firefighters. Provides guidance on the many steps that must be taken to earn a job with a fire department. This guide helps tackle the entrance exam: hundreds of multiple-choice, civil-service type questions and answers.