How to prepare for a firefighter written exam:
Many firefighter candidates go into their firefighter written exams underprepared because they only give themselves a few weeks or days to study before they write their exams.
As a result, they fail their firefighter written exams not because they don’t have the ability to pass them but because they don’t give themselves enough time to lean how.
First, let’s debunk the idea that firefighter candidates aren’t given enough warning.
Fire recruitments are like Christmas. They come every year. For most cities, they come every other year. Knowing this, budget enough time and money to become a competitive fire candidate in time for your next firefighter recruitment.
Here’s How…
Understand How Much Time It’s Going to Take
Take mathematics, for an example.
Written firefighter exams asses the fire candidate’s ability to apply mathematical concepts to firefighter scenarios (word problems). These math skills were taught in elementary and high school. For most firefighter candidates, it has been a while since they were in high school and they need to refresh their math skills in order to answer firefighter math test questions.
Refreshing your math skills takes time, so budget wisely. On average, it takes firefighter candidates 3-6 months to properly prepare for the mathematics component on a firefighter written exam.
Unless you have passed the stage of writing firefighter aptitude tests, you are still in it! Firefighter aptitude test-takers should prepare as such – and study regularly – instead of studying only a few weeks before a city opens its firefighter recruitment.
Schedule Time for Firefighter Exam Preparation
In the same way you schedule and commit your time to going to the gym to prepare for your firefighter fitness test, schedule and commit your time to regular weekly study sessions.
You will need time to learn new academic concepts and test-taking strategies. You will also need time to
- memorize facts and formulas
- answer practice test questions
- practice your test-taking approach
The closer you are to your firefighter test date, the longer your study sessions should be to a maximum of two-three hours.
Train Your Brain Like You Train Your Body
Most firefighter candidates take a “full-body” approach to their firefighter written exam preparation. They often write full practice tests and then review the answers to those questions in one study session. Thus, they cover all testing components in one sitting.
As an alternative, try incorporating a “split training” approach to your firefighter written exam preparation. Focus on specific testing components on different days across the week.
Sample Firefighter Written Exam Study Schedule for CPS Test
- Firefighter Oral Comprehension – Monday
- Firefighter Reading Comprehension – Tuesday
- Firefighter Mathematical Reasoning – Wednesday
- Firefighter Mechanical Reasoning – Thursday
- Firefighter Human Relations – Friday
By the end of the week, you will have studied all of the testing components in a more concentrated manner.
Assess Your Areas of Strength and Weakness
Practice answering sample test questions that are similar to what you will see on an actual firefighter written exam. Identify the testing components that you struggle with and then focus your study efforts in those areas.
Spend more time developing the skills and strategies required to answer questions correctly and improve your scores in your weaker areas. This includes learning how to identify the specific types of questions that give you difficulty and what is required to answer them.
Aim to achieve 85% or greater in each testing component to be competitive in a city’s firefighter candidate recruitment pool.
If you are on the Firefighter Mailing List, I am helping you do this every week! Join today to receive free firefighter test questions and answers, so that you can assess your test-taking skills and abilities.
Simulate Your Firefighter Written Exam Experience
In most cases, you will be put out of your comfort zone in a firefighter testing situation.
In this way, the testing process itself also mimics the job of a Career Firefighter. Cities hire fire-candidates who can demonstrate that they are prepared and ready to do what is asked of them under difficult and/or stressful conditions.
Alleviate feelings of nervousness and test anxiety by preparing for your firefighter written exam in advance. Try these study strategies in your next firefighter exam preparation session:
- Time your firefighter practice tests.
- Wear an analogue watch to track your time answering firefighter exam questions.
- Workout before writing a full firefighter practice test to simulate completing a firefighter fitness test before a written firefighter exam.
- Study at the library to simulate test-taking in a public space with distractions that are outside the norm for you.
- Practice transferring the numbers from a firefighter test question on to paper and using them in a calculation.
- Practice transferring your answers on to an answer sheet to simulate using a scannable answer sheet.
- Practice answering questions online to simulate online firefighter tests.
Get Help Sooner than Later
Unless you actively take steps to learn how to answer challenging firefighter test questions correctly, your scores will likely stay the same.
The cost of lost opportunity and wasted time far outweighs the cost of seeking academic support and professional test preparation services: “You could continuously keep failing and be thousands of dollars in debt or just not make that benchmark.” (M.K., Professional Firefighter).
Another successful fire recruit says, “It’s a matter of trying to achieve your goals too. If this is where you’re failing, then why wouldn’t you invest the money? You’re never going to get any better unless you work on the particular part that you’re failing.” (F.S., Professional Firefighter)
If you struggle while studying for firefighter aptitude tests on your own, consider working with me to prepare for your next Written Firefighter Exam!
