The Fire Service Assessment Battery (FSAB) is provided by PSI and helps various fire departments to determine whether you possess the necessary skills to become a firefighter. When taking this exam, you will encounter a series of different assessments, including:
Section 1 – The Ability Test
This is a multiple-choice exam aimed at evaluating your skills in six key areas. You will encounter a total of 75-80 questions.
Written Comprehension – This section requires you to read a somewhat lengthy passage. Once you read this passage, you must answer questions by recalling information, through analyzing material or drawing conclusions based on the facts and statements found in the passage.
Written Expression - This section of the test includes spelling, grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and English usage. Fire departments use this test to determine your ability to communicate effectively.
Information Ordering – You will need to follow a set of rules/procedures to deal with a certain scenario. In some instances, procedures will be shown in the order in which they must be performed. You will need to use these rules and procedures to determine which step should come next for each situation you encounter.
Problem Sensitivity – This section of the test evaluates your ability to recognize/identify when issues are present. You do not need to solve the problem but do need to recognize that one exists. Questions in this section come in two forms. The first form is identifying inconsistencies in victim and witness testimonies, and the second is to identify issues with how a problem was handled based on the necessary protocols for dealing with said problem.
Deductive Reasoning – This section of the test measures your ability to take information from a set of given premises and draw conclusions from them.
Inductive Reasoning – This section of the test measures your cognitive and problem-solving abilities. Each question includes diagrams, pictures, and symbols and need to identify the pattern to complete various sequences.
Section 2 – Work Styles Questionnaire
At its core, the Work Styles Questionnaire (WSQ) portion of the FSAB is a personality test. This section contains 200 questions in the form of short statements. You will choose from options for each statement from a scale of “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”. Remember that the point of this personality test is to get to know how you behave while on the job, not in your everyday life. It can also show whether you are a good fit for the role of firefighter and for the department or departments you have chosen to apply to. The most sure-fire way to pass this section is to practice beforehand.
Note: You run the risk of being disqualified from the selection process if a pattern of dishonesty is detected in your answers.
Section 3 – Life Experience Survey
This portion of the FSAB exam should take around 45 minutes to complete. You will answer questions pertaining to your work history and experience. A few examples of questions you will encounter during this portion of the test are:
Within the past two years, how many times have you taken a day off because you did not want to go to work?
Since completing high school, how many days a month do you take part in some form of community-based activity (e.g., community service, athletics, clubs, drama) outside of work or school.
Note: Keep in mind that if any information you provide in this questionnaire does not match up with information obtained during your background check, you run the risk of being disqualified from the selection process altogether.
It is crucial that you pass each section of the Fire Service Assessment Battery to become a firefighter. Luckily for you, our team of experts has created this exclusive FSAB PrepPack™ to get you well on your way to a successful outcome.
The EB Jacobs Firefighter exam is administered during the recruitment process by several Fire Departments across the country. The cities where you can expect to encounter the FSAB include:
Washington
Omaha
Rockville
Takoma Park
Buffalo
Saint Croix Falls
Saint Charles
Below you will find some tips for passing your FSAB written exam:
a. Valid picture identification (e.g., driver’s license, passport).
b. Your social security card.
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