Firefighter Written & Civil Service Exam Directory - Find Your Test
Want to become a firefighter but not sure where to begin? JobTestPrep is here to help you on your journey. Preparing for your firefighter aptitude exam is a great first step. JobTestPrep offers you online practice tests and sample questions so that you pass your exam with ease on your way to becoming a firefighter.
Fire departments across the USA and Canada use various versions of this written exam, which are made by different test suppliers. Despite their difference, they are very similar to each other, typically containing numerical, verbal, and mechanical reasoning, as well as memory and spatial orientation.
Not sure where to start? Browse our most popular firefighter exam courses or find your specific test by assessment company or state.
You can find out which test you are slated to take by calling or sending an email to your recruiter or checking their website. Once you know your test, you can start practicing by following the relevant link below.
Couldn't find which test you are taking? Try our general-purpose Firefighter Written Exam Course, which includes question types from all firefighter tests.
Becoming a firefighter can be a long and intensive process. Learning everything there is to know about the recruitment process will help you succeed on your way toward becoming a firefighter. One of the first steps of the firefighter recruitment process is taking an exam. This exam is usually comprised of two parts: a written exam and a physical exam. The firefighter aptitude exam tests basic abilities, such as reading comprehension, math, grammar, and spelling. It also has components that relate to the job, such as memory and spatial orientation. Learn more about the firefighter written test.
We customize our practice resources to echo the concepts of each of the leading firefighter test providers. These providers collaborate with US fire departments to design their testing and selection processes. Here's a list of popular firefighter assessment companies that provide selection tests. Follow the links to review JobTestPrep's customized preparation packs.
| Supplier | Test Name | Usage Area* |
|---|---|---|
| CPS HR Consulting | Cooperative Personnel Service Test (CPS) | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| Ergometrics | FireTEAM | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| City of New York | FDNY Test | New York City |
| Fire and Police Selection, Inc. | Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test (FACT) - OFAI Stage One | Ontario, Canada |
| Fire and Police Selection, Inc. | National Fire Select Test (NFST) | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| Gledhill/Shaw Enterprise Ltd | Occupational Skills (OS) Test, Gledhill Shaw OS Test | Canada |
| EB Jacobs | Fire Service Aptitude Battery (FSAB) | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Cal-JAC) | Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) | California |
| City of LA and Psychological Services, Inc. (PSI) | Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA) | Los Angeles, CA |
| CWH Management Solutions | CWH Next Generation Firefighter/EMT (NGFF) | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| IPMA-HR | IPMA-HR Entry-Level Firefighter Exam | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| Industrial/Organizational Solutions (IOS) | Firefighter Selection Tool (FST) | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| Morris & McDaniel | Morris & McDaniel Entry Level Firefighter Exam | U.S. fire departments nationwide |
| City of Chicago and IOS | CFD Firefighter Exam | Chicago, IL |
*Prominent usage areas using this test. This table cannot cover every fire department.
We can prepare you for the popular firefighter exams in the United States that are provided by assessment companies, as well as for local exams, with our practice packs. We offer firefighter practice tests and personality practice tests. These help you to become familiar with and ultimately excel on the exam.
Before you start preparing for the firefighter exam, try our free sample questions to familiarize yourself with the types of questions you will encounter. We provide sample questions for six different sections commonly found on the exam: memory, reading comprehension, math, writing skills, spatial reasoning, and mechanical reasoning.
Each state or city/department may choose its own exam or select an exam provided by an assessment company. Because different states can choose exams produced by various assessment companies, firefighter tests may be the same in different states.
Click here to learn how to become a fireman in Canada.
| Alabama | Hawaii | Massachusetts | New Mexico | South Dakota |
| Alaska | Idaho | Michigan | New York | Tennessee |
| Arizona | Illinois | Minnesota | North Carolina | Texas |
| Arkansas | Indiana | Mississippi | North Dakota | Utah |
| California | Iowa | Missouri | Ohio | Vermont |
| Colorado | Kansas | Montana | Oklahoma | Virginia |
| Connecticut | Kentucky | Nebraska | Oregon | Washington |
| Delaware | Louisiana | Nevada | Pennsylvania | West Virginia |
| Florida | Maine | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Wisconsin |
| Georgia | Maryland | New Jersey | South Carolina | Wyoming |
If you are interested in a specific fire department, please check the following prep courses-
FDNY
LAFD
CFD
Phoenix Fire Department
Each state or territory fire service may choose its own exam or select an assessment provided by an external testing agency. Because different states and territories can choose assessments from the same provider, firefighter tests may be similar across different jurisdictions.
Each state's Fire Marshal's Office or fire training academy administers its own Firefighter I, Fire Officer I (Lieutenant), and Fire Officer II/III (Captain) certification exams. Because all states build their exams around the same underlying NFPA standards (NFPA 1010 for Firefighter I, NFPA 1021 for the officer-level exams), exam content is often similar across different states, even though the exact question count, time limit, and passing score are each set independently by the certifying state.
Firefighters that fall under the civil servant category are employed by a municipality, state, or federal government department. Some may be employed by private firms or non-governmental agencies, but most positions are part of the firefighter civil service, requiring potential candidates to take and pass the civil service firefighter exam. Prepare with our firefighter civil service exam practice test.
Cognitive ability gets you to the interview - but firefighter personality traits determine whether you get hired. Departments aren't just looking for candidates who can read a map or solve a math problem under pressure. They're looking for people who will act with integrity in a burning building, take ownership when something goes wrong, and earn the unconditional trust of their crew and their community.
The framework that maps most directly to what departments are assessing is known as HEART - five values that define professional conduct in the fire service:
These aren't soft ideals. They map directly to the competencies formally tested in firefighter selection assessments - including integrity, dependability, emotional stability, service orientation, and sound judgment under pressure. In SJT scenarios, the wrong answer is almost always the one that looks socially easy rather than professionally correct. Knowing the HEART framework helps you recognize which response reflects the firefighter personality profile departments are screening for. Our firefighter PrepPacks cover the behavioral competencies, scenario types, and response strategies you'll need to perform confidently on this section of your exam.
The firefighter exam is just one element of the process to become a firefighter. Before taking the exam and submitting an application, you must meet certain requirements. If you meet all of the requirements, you can then start to prepare for the firefighter recruitment process. Another major part of the recruitment process is the personality test. Prepare for the firefighter personality exam here.
