ICS 200 Practice Test: ICS for Initial Response

45 practice questions on delegation of authority, action planning, resource status, demobilization and how an incident organization grows. We wrote them ourselves from FEMA's own NIMS and NRF documents, so you learn the material instead of memorizing an answer list. Practice tests are 25 questions at FEMA's 75% pass mark.

The real test: 25 questions. 19 right (76%) passes.

Here: 45 questions. Our own practice questions, written from FEMA's National Incident Management System (Third Edition, 2017) and National Response Framework (Fourth Edition, 2019), both U.S. government works. Not FEMA's exam questions. Free.

What's on the test

10 sample questions

1. What is a delegation of authority?

   • A.A statement from the authorized official that assigns the Incident Commander specific responsibilities and authorities
   • B.The list of radio frequencies
   • C.A badge that lets you enter the scene
   • D.A request for federal help
   Show answer

   A. A statement from the authorized official that assigns the Incident Commander specific responsibilities and authorities

   200-1 · Delegation of authority

2. What does an Incident Action Plan capture?

   • A.Only the weather forecast
   • B.The agency's annual budget
   • C.Incident objectives, tactics and assignments for operations and support
   • D.Media talking points
   Show answer

   C. Incident objectives, tactics and assignments for operations and support

   200-3 · Planning and objectives

3. Under modular organization, who is responsible for a function nobody has been assigned?

   • A.The leader above it
   • B.The Safety Officer
   • C.No one until someone is assigned
   • D.The state
   Show answer

   A. The leader above it

   200-7 · Organization and titles

4. What does the resource status "Assigned" mean?

   • A.Checked in and waiting in staging for a tactical assignment
   • B.Checked in and given work tasks on the incident
   • C.Requested but not yet arrived
   • D.Broken down or resting
   Show answer

   B. Checked in and given work tasks on the incident

   200-16 · Resource status and kinds

5. When should resources deploy to an incident?

   • A.Whenever they are nearby
   • B.As soon as they hear about it
   • C.Only when appropriate authorities request and dispatch them
   • D.Only after the media reports it, so they know the incident is real and needs help
   Show answer

   C. Only when appropriate authorities request and dispatch them

   200-28 · Command and accountability

6. What does a delegation of authority typically describe?

   • A.Only the budget ceiling and the cost codes the incident must charge against
   • B.The names and qualifications of every responder who will work under the IC
   • C.The media schedule
   • D.Priorities, expectations, constraints and other considerations
   Show answer

   D. Priorities, expectations, constraints and other considerations

   200-2 · Delegation of authority

7. What is an "operational period"?

   • A.The time set to carry out a given set of actions in the Incident Action Plan
   • B.A responder's full work shift, including travel to and from the incident and required rest
   • C.The time the media may visit
   • D.The whole length of the incident
   Show answer

   A. The time set to carry out a given set of actions in the Incident Action Plan

   200-4 · Planning and objectives

8. When an Area Command is set up, what does it oversee?

   • A.One incident's Operations Section
   • B.Several incidents, each with its own ICS organization
   • C.Only federal resources
   • D.Only the media
   Show answer

   B. Several incidents, each with its own ICS organization

   200-8 · Organization and titles

9. Where is an "Available" resource normally located?

   • A.At its home station
   • B.In a staging area
   • C.At the Incident Command Post
   • D.Out on a tactical assignment
   Show answer

   B. In a staging area

   200-17 · Resource status and kinds

10. On the radio during an incident, ICS calls for:

    • A.Ten-codes
    • B.Plain language and clear text, not codes
    • C.Each agency's own ten-codes, so crews stay familiar
    • D.Code words only, to keep the public from listening in
    Show answer

    B. Plain language and clear text, not codes

    200-29 · Command and accountability

What the study guide does

• Short study rounds and flip cards.
• A practice test built like the real one: 25 questions, 19 to pass.
• Pass Meter: your chance of passing if you sat the test today, worked out from your own answers.
• An explanation for every answer.