Firefighter Exam Practice Test: Free Civil Service Firefighter Written Test Questions
251 practice questions for the written firefighter exam the New York State Department of Civil Service gives for fire departments across the state, built on the four subjects in its free Firefighter Series test guide. You study a Training Lesson on equipment that does not exist (a breathing apparatus, a thermal camera, a portable pump, a foam eductor) and answer with the lesson open. You fill in missing values in tables of calls, hose, pump tests and fuel, with a calculator. You read notices, memos and reports, and you rate how well each response would work in a firehouse scenario. No firefighting knowledge is needed: every lesson, table and scenario is made up. Every answer explains the method with a Remember line, and your score report shows the skills you miss.
The real test: The New York State Department of Civil Service's Firefighter Series test is multiple choice and needs no firefighting knowledge. Its guide lists four subjects: learning and applying a Training Lesson you can refer back to, basic arithmetic (missing values in a table; a hand-held calculator is allowed, a phone is not), reading comprehension, and situational judgment, where you rate each response from Highly Ineffective to Highly Effective. Your examination announcement sets the subjects and the passing score. Our practice test is 60 questions in 90 minutes across the four subjects, passing at 70% (42 of 60).
Here: 251 questions. Our own practice questions on the four subjects in the NYS Department of Civil Service Test Guide for the Firefighter Series. Training lessons, equipment, tables, departments and scenarios are made up; not any agency's test questions. Free.
"On the test" is the rough share of a 60-question test for each topic, following the exam's published weights.
10 sample questions
Training Lesson: The AirKeeper 45 breathing apparatus
The AirKeeper 45 is the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) carried on every engine and truck in the Harbor Falls Fire Department. It is not a real product; it was made up for this lesson. Each unit has a numbered harness, an air cylinder, a regulator that clips to the facepiece, and a Status Module on the left shoulder strap.
THE CYLINDER
A full cylinder holds 4,500 psi. A cylinder may go on a rig only if its gauge reads 4,050 psi or more. A cylinder below 4,050 psi goes to the refill rack, and a full cylinder takes its place on the unit.
THE STATUS MODULE
The Status Module has one light and a two-character display. It turns on when the cylinder valve is opened.
- Green, steady: more than half of the air is left.
- Yellow, steady: between one-quarter and one-half of the air is left.
- Red, flashing, with a bell: one-quarter of the air or less is left. Leave the hazard area with your partner now.
- Blue, flashing: you have not moved for 15 seconds. Move to cancel it.
- Blue, steady, with a loud tone: you have not moved for 25 seconds, or you pressed the orange ALERT button. This is the full alarm.
DISPLAY CODES
E1: Low battery. Replace the four AA batteries in the module before the unit goes back on the rig.
E2: The module's air reading and the cylinder gauge differ by more than 300 psi. Take the unit out of service.
E3: The facepiece has lost its link to the module. Hold the MODE button for 5 seconds to link it again. If E3 stays on, take the unit out of service.
DAILY CHECK (start of every shift, in this order)
1. Read the cylinder gauge. It must read 4,050 psi or more.
2. Look over the harness straps and the hose for cuts, burns or fraying.
3. Open the cylinder valve all the way. The module beeps twice and shows a light or a code.
4. Compare the module's air reading with the cylinder gauge.
5. Press the ALERT button to test the tone, then hold MODE for 2 seconds to reset it.
6. Close the valve. Write the unit number, the cylinder pressure and your initials in the SCBA log.
TAKING A UNIT OUT OF SERVICE
Hang a red tag on the harness with the unit number, the problem and your name. Put the unit on the repair shelf in the SCBA room, put a spare unit on the rig, and tell your company officer before the end of the shift.
A firefighter's Status Module shows a steady yellow light. How much air is left in the cylinder?
A.Between one-quarter and one-half
B.One-quarter or less
C.Less than 300 psi
D.More than half of the air in the cylinder
Show answer
A. Between one-quarter and one-half
FL-01 · 1. Ability to Learn and Apply Information
Engine 7 calls, 2022 to 2025
Calls answered by Engine 7, by type of
call and year. All is each row's total
for the four years. Total is each
column's total.
2022 2023 2024 2025 All
Structure 8 20 15 19 AAA
Vehicle 14 13 7 12 46
Brush 14 21 4 23 62
Alarm 28 36 45 35 144
Medical 87 66 BBB CCC 285
Other DDD 8 16 25 63
Total 165 EEE FFF 179 662
What number belongs in place of AAA in the table?
A.61
B.62
C.64
D.82
Show answer
B. 62
FA-01 · 2. Basic Arithmetic
Notice: Charging batteries safely at home
E-bikes, scooters, power tools and phones run on lithium-ion batteries. When these batteries are damaged, overcharged or used with the wrong charger, they can overheat and catch fire. Unlike most household fires, a battery fire can start suddenly, burn very hot and give off toxic smoke, and it can flare up again after it seems to be out.
The Carver Fire Department asks residents to follow a few simple steps. Use only the charger that came with the device, or one its maker approves. Charge on a hard surface, not on a bed or couch, and never block a doorway or hallway with an e-bike or scooter while it charges. Unplug the charger when the battery is full, and do not leave a device charging while you sleep or are away from home.
Stop using any battery that is swollen, leaking, very hot to the touch or giving off a strange smell. Do not throw it in the household trash, where it can start a fire in a garbage truck. Take it to the battery drop-off at the town transfer station, which is open every Saturday.
If a battery catches fire, leave the room, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside. Do not try to put it out yourself.
Which statement best expresses the main point of the notice?
A.Lithium-ion batteries should not be kept in homes with e-bikes or scooters
B.Residents should learn to put out battery fires themselves before calling for help
C.Battery fires are the most common kind of household fire in Carver
D.Lithium-ion batteries can start dangerous fires, and simple habits lower the risk
Show answer
D. Lithium-ion batteries can start dangerous fires, and simple habits lower the risk
FR-01 · 3. Reading Comprehension
Scenario: The facepieces
Setting: Firefighter Kim has been on the job for four months. A sign in the station says SCBA facepieces must be cleaned and sanitized after every call. After a car fire, Kim starts cleaning the crew's facepieces. Firefighter Walsh, who has 15 years on the job, walks over.
Walsh: "Leave those. We do them all at the end of the shift."
Kim: "The sign on the wall says after every call."
Walsh: "That sign has been up forever. Nobody follows it. Relax."
Rate how effective each response would be.
How effective would this response be? Kim says nothing, waits for Walsh to leave the room, and cleans the facepieces anyway.
A.Highly Ineffective
B.Somewhat Ineffective
C.Somewhat Effective
D.Highly Effective
Show answer
C. Somewhat Effective
FJ-01 · 4. Situational Judgment
Training Lesson: Hose loads on Engine 12
Engine 12 carries four hose loads. All of its hose comes in 50-foot sections, except the supply hose, which comes in 100-foot sections. These loads were made up for this lesson.
TABLE 1. ENGINE 12 HOSE LOADS
- Crosslay 1: 200 feet of 1¾-inch hose, red jacket, combination nozzle. Pump at 150 psi.
- Crosslay 2: 250 feet of 1¾-inch hose, blue jacket, combination nozzle. Pump at 160 psi.
- Bumper line: 100 feet of 1½-inch hose, yellow jacket, smooth-bore nozzle. Pump at 110 psi.
- Supply bed: 800 feet of 5-inch hose, gray jacket, no nozzle. Laid from the hydrant to the engine.
PRESSURE FOR UPPER FLOORS
When a crosslay is stretched to a floor above the ground floor, add 5 psi for each floor above the ground floor. Example: Crosslay 1 stretched to the third floor is pumped at 150 + 10 = 160 psi.
WHICH LINE TO PULL
- Car fires and dumpster fires: the bumper line.
- Fires in a house or an apartment: Crosslay 1 if the entry door is within 150 feet of the engine; Crosslay 2 if it is farther.
- The officer may order a different line at any time. The officer's order comes first.
REPACKING A CROSSLAY AFTER A FIRE (in this order)
1. Drain the hose by walking it toward its low end.
2. Check every section for cuts, burns and loose couplings. A damaged section gets a yellow tag and goes to the hose room, and a spare section takes its place.
3. Load the hose flat, back and forth, packing the nozzle end last so it sits on top.
4. Set the nozzle on the top fold with its bail closed.
5. Tell the engine officer the crosslay is back in service.
How much hose is on Crosslay 2?
A.100 feet
B.150 feet
C.250 feet
D.200 feet
Show answer
C. 250 feet
FL-10 · 1. Ability to Learn and Apply Information
Smoke alarms installed
Smoke alarms installed in homes by the
fire prevention office, by district
and quarter of the year. All is each
row's total. Total is each column's
total.
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 All
District 1 32 22 32 30 116
District 2 54 30 60 42 186
District 3 15 AAA 29 25 101
District 4 BBB 18 51 24 124
District 5 13 38 26 36 CCC
Total DDD 140 EEE FFF 640
What number belongs in place of AAA in the table?
A.32
B.33
C.37
D.47
Show answer
A. 32
FA-07 · 2. Basic Arithmetic
Letter to residents: Hydrant flushing
Dear Resident,
From May 4 through May 22, crews from the Lyle Fire Department and the Water Department will flush the fire hydrants in your neighborhood. Flushing sends a strong flow of water through the water mains to clear out rust and sediment, and it lets firefighters make sure each hydrant opens, closes and drains properly. A hydrant that does not work is repaired before it is needed at a fire.
Flushing takes place between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. While crews work on your street, your tap water may look cloudy or brown. This water is safe to drink, but it can stain laundry. Before you start a load of wash, run your cold water tap for a few minutes until the water runs clear. If it is still discolored after an hour, call the Water Department at the number below.
Please do not park within 15 feet of a hydrant during these weeks; crews need room to attach their hoses. Cars parked too close will be ticketed by the police.
Thank you for helping us keep your neighborhood ready.
What is the main purpose of the letter?
A.To tell residents about hydrant flushing and what to expect while it happens
B.To ask residents to report hydrants that do not work properly
C.To warn residents that their tap water is no longer safe to drink
D.To explain why the town is replacing its old water mains and hydrants this spring
Show answer
A. To tell residents about hydrant flushing and what to expect while it happens
FR-06 · 3. Reading Comprehension
Scenario: The ladder drill
Setting: At a drill, Lieutenant Ortiz tells Firefighter Banks to raise a ground ladder using a method that is different from the one Banks learned at the academy. The lieutenant's method is safe, but Banks thinks the academy method is quicker.
Ortiz: "Raise it the way I showed you."
Banks: "At the academy we did it another way."
Ortiz: "This is how this company does it. Let's go."
Rate how effective each response would be.
How effective would this response be? Banks keeps arguing in front of the crew until the lieutenant agrees to watch the academy method.
A.Highly Ineffective
B.Somewhat Ineffective
C.Somewhat Effective
D.Highly Effective
Show answer
A. Highly Ineffective
FJ-06 · 4. Situational Judgment
Training Lesson: The Vantage 24 ground ladder
This lesson covers the Vantage 24, a two-section extension ladder carried on Truck 3. The Vantage 24 was made up for this lesson.
PARTS
The bed section is the lower section. The fly section slides up out of the bed section, pulled by a rope called the halyard. Two locks on the fly section, called dogs, hook over a rung of the bed section to hold the fly in place. The bottom of the ladder is the butt; the top is the tip. Each beam has a sticker called the angle guide, with a green band. When the ladder is at the right climbing angle, the bubble in the angle guide sits inside the green band.
RAISING THE LADDER
- One firefighter may carry a Vantage 24, but it is always raised by two.
- Set the butt 1 foot out from the building for every 4 feet of height where the tip will rest. Example: for a tip resting at 16 feet, set the butt 4 feet out.
- Before anyone climbs, both dogs must be locked over a rung and the bubble must be inside the green band.
- One firefighter heels the ladder (stands at the butt and holds the beams) while another climbs.
WHERE TO PLACE THE TIP
- Rescue from a window: tip just below the window sill.
- Venting a window: tip beside the window on the upwind side, level with the top of the window.
- Getting onto a roof: tip at least 3 rungs above the roof edge.
LOAD LIMIT
No more than two firefighters on the ladder at once, and no more than one on each section.
COMMANDS
The firefighter at the butt calls "Ladder up" before raising and "Locked" when both dogs are over a rung. The climber calls "Climbing" before going up. Nobody climbs until the firefighter heeling the ladder answers "Heeled."
What holds the fly section in place once it is raised?
A.The halyard
B.The angle guide
C.The butt
D.The dogs
Show answer
D. The dogs
FL-19 · 1. Ability to Learn and Apply Information
Hydrants inspected
Hydrants inspected by the department,
by zone and month. All is each row's
total. Total is each column's total.
Jun Jul Aug Sep All
Zone A 49 AAA BBB 59 CCC
Zone B 47 31 37 50 DDD
Zone C 21 23 35 15 94
Zone D EEE 46 28 FFF 141
Zone E 34 39 23 16 112
Total 181 197 158 177 713