Firefighter written tests: numeracy, reasoning and SJT

What the written and online stages usually contain

Firefighter recruitment often begins with an application form followed by online assessments, then progresses to an assessment centre, fitness tests and medical checks. The online stage exists to assess whether you can handle the information tasks of the job: reading instructions, doing quick calculations and understanding how equipment behaves. It also gives the service a manageable way to reduce a large number of applicants to a pool it can bring to in-person days.

Published candidate information from several services describes a combination of a behavioural style questionnaire, a situational judgement test and ability tests in numerical, verbal and mechanical reasoning. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has described a first assessment stage that combines a fitness assessment with a numerical calculation test. Devon and Somerset, recruiting fire control operators, lists typing, aptitude, verbal reasoning and practical scenarios. The diversity of format is the point: your job is to prepare for the pack in front of you.

London Fire Brigade states that its online tests must be completed at home and will be verified at the assessment centre. In practice that means you cannot ask someone else to sit the test for you, and you should expect to face similar questions again in person if your online performance looks out of line with your live performance.

Numerical reasoning: what to expect and how to practise

Numerical reasoning tests check whether you can extract figures from tables or charts and do basic calculations quickly. One candidate guide published by a fire service describes firefighters needing to make basic mathematical calculations, with scenarios presented as tables and graphs, and gives 18 minutes for the section. There is normally no calculator or a basic one; check the instructions. The maths itself is GCSE level, so the challenge is speed and accuracy.

The skills that turn up repeatedly are percentages, ratios and fractions, rates such as litres per minute, averages, unit conversions between metric units and reading tables. The examples below illustrate each. Notice that the difficulty comes from pace and from choosing the right numbers out of a table, not from advanced mathematics.

Verbal reasoning: reading fast and answering precisely

Verbal reasoning tests present a passage and ask you to judge statements about it. The candidate guide referred to above describes the test as measuring your ability to interpret and make sense of written information, with 15 minutes to complete it. The usual answer format is True, False or Cannot Say, where the last option means the passage does not give enough information. The trap is bringing outside knowledge into your answer.

Here is an illustrative passage of our own writing: 'A retained station is staffed by on-call firefighters who must reach the station within a set response time when alerted. Weekly drill nights are used to maintain skills. Some stations also crew additional appliances during the day.' Statement: 'All on-call stations run drill nights on Tuesdays.' The correct answer is Cannot Say, because the passage says drill nights are weekly but names no day.

Practise by reading short technical passages and writing one-sentence summaries without adding opinion. Watch out for absolute words such as always, never, all and only, which usually make a statement false or unsupportable. Slow down on negatives, which flip the meaning of a sentence. Timing wise, aim to spend about 30 to 45 seconds per statement so that you leave time to check flagged items.

Mechanical reasoning: gears, levers, pulleys and pressure

Mechanical reasoning questions are mostly pictures with very little text. The example guide describes them as applying cognitive reasoning to mechanical, physical and practical concepts and gives 17 minutes. They ask how forces, gears, levers and fluids behave, and you need to know the principles rather than to have worked on machinery. Firefighters use pumps, ladders and cutting equipment, so the tests probe whether you can reason about how such devices work.

Illustrative gear question: gear A has 20 teeth and turns at 60 revolutions per minute. It drives gear B, which has 40 teeth. How fast does B turn, and in which direction relative to A? B has twice the teeth, so it turns at half the speed, 30 revolutions per minute, in the opposite direction. Illustrative lever question: a load of 90 kg sits 0.5 metres from a pivot. How much effort is needed at a point 1.5 metres from the pivot on the other side to balance it? The turning effects must be equal, so effort = (90 x 0.5) divided by 1.5 = 30 kg.

Other staples include pulley systems where the mechanical advantage equals the number of supporting rope sections, pressure and water flow through wider and narrower pipes, and simple circuits and springs. Study these principles from a general physics revision guide or from your provider's practice tests; if you have not studied physics for years, half an hour on each topic before you attempt practice questions saves a lot of frustration.

Situational judgement tests and behavioural questionnaires

A situational judgement test presents a workplace scenario and asks how you should respond, usually by ranking options or choosing the best and worst. Published candidate material describes them as measuring your judgement and decision-making in situations you may face as a firefighter. A behavioural questionnaire, where used, asks about your preferences and typical behaviour. Neither has a hidden trick; the right approach is to answer consistently with the values your service publishes.

In England, services work to the Core Code of Ethics: putting our communities first, integrity, dignity and respect, leadership, and equality, diversity and inclusion. Our guide to the Core Code of Ethics in interviews explains each principle. When you meet an SJT scenario, ask which option shows integrity, respects colleagues and the public, and takes responsibility rather than avoiding a problem.

Illustrative scenario: you notice a colleague using equipment incorrectly during a drill and the watch manager is not around. Best options generally involve safely stopping the activity or speaking up promptly and reporting concerns through the proper route; worst options involve ignoring it, gossiping or confronting the colleague aggressively in front of others. Because scenarios are relatively short, be careful to read every option before deciding.

Time management and test-day technique

Every ability test is a race against the clock, and the best candidates are not necessarily the best mathematicians but the best at deciding when to skip. On a numerical section of 18 minutes, for example, do not spend three minutes on one difficult chart question. Mark it, move on and return if time permits. Answering every question with a reasonable guess is usually better than leaving several blank, unless the instructions state a penalty for wrong answers.

Set up your environment as if for an exam. If tests are at home, use a quiet room, a reliable connection, a charged laptop and any permitted calculator and rough paper. Read the instructions and try any practice questions on screen before the timer starts. Sit the test at the time of day when you think best if the service gives you a choice.

Also prepare for the emotional side of the process. It can feel discouraging to receive a rejection at the online stage, because you do not get to show your fitness or personality. Most services will not release detailed scores, so use the experience as information: which type of question consumed most of your time? Then practise that type before the next campaign.

An eight-week practice plan

You do not need to attend a course to prepare for these tests; you need consistent short practice. The schedule below assumes 20 to 30 minutes on most days. Begin by taking one full timed practice paper from your named provider so you know your baseline, then concentrate on your weakest area rather than repeating strengths.

1. Week 1: take a baseline test in each of numerical, verbal and mechanical reasoning under timed conditions and record scores and unfinished questions.
2. Weeks 2 and 3: numerical drills. Revise percentages, fractions, ratios and unit conversions, then practise reading tables and charts against a timer.
3. Weeks 4 and 5: verbal drills. Read short technical texts, practise True, False, Cannot Say with attention to absolute words, and time yourself at 30 to 45 seconds per statement.
4. Week 6: mechanical reasoning. Revise gears, levers, pulleys and pressure, and work through picture-based questions, explaining each answer aloud.
5. Week 7: situational judgement. Practise scenarios against the Core Code of Ethics principles and read your service's published values.
6. Week 8: full mock sessions at the real time of day, then rest before the real thing. Spend the last two days on light revision only.

How the written stage fits the wider process

Written tests are one filter among several. In a typical wholetime campaign they precede an assessment centre with interview and exercises, and then fitness, medical and reference checks. Our firefighter selection process stages guide lays those stages out in order with typical timelines, and the firefighter application process guide explains what services look for on the form itself.

It is also worth knowing that pass marks and scoring differ. Some services score each test separately and require a minimum in each; others combine scores; and some use tests to rank candidates for the next stage. Do not assume that a 'good' score in one campaign means you will be invited in another. Read your pack and ask the recruitment team about scoring policy if it is unclear.

When the tests are behind you, the physical stages follow: see firefighter fitness tests explained and the bleep test calculator, then prepare for the interview with firefighter interview questions. Finally, keep your motivations straight. The written tests are not a measure of your worth or of your ability to be a good firefighter, but a job-related screen for skills that matter, such as working out how much water a tank holds or following a written procedure under pressure. For an overview of routes and requirements, read how to become a firefighter in the UK and firefighter entry requirements. If you want to bundle your preparation, the Candidate Bundle and the Firefighter Career Suite are built for that.