ICS 100 Practice Test: Introduction to the Incident Command System

43 practice questions on the basics of the Incident Command System: who does what, span of control, unified command and the ICS sections. 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: 43 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 are the incident management priorities NIMS names?

   • A.Notifying the media, then the public
   • B.Saving lives, stabilizing the incident, and protecting property and the environment
   • C.Restoring utilities, then reopening roads
   • D.Protecting property and critical infrastructure first, then saving lives, then stabilizing the incident
   Show answer

   B. Saving lives, stabilizing the incident, and protecting property and the environment

   100-1 · ICS basics

2. What is "unity of command"?

   • A.All agencies merge into one agency
   • B.The Incident Commander must be from the federal government
   • C.Everyone on scene reports directly to the Incident Commander
   • D.Each person reports to only one designated supervisor
   Show answer

   D. Each person reports to only one designated supervisor

   100-9 · Command and the Command Staff

3. Which section plans and performs the tactical activities to meet the incident objectives?

   • A.Logistics
   • B.Planning
   • C.Finance/Administration
   • D.Operations
   Show answer

   D. Operations

   100-18 · The General Staff sections

4. In ICS, what is a "single resource"?

   • A.Any resource from a single agency
   • B.An individual, a piece of equipment and its crew, or a crew or team with an identified work supervisor
   • C.A resource assigned to only one shift
   • D.One radio channel
   Show answer

   B. An individual, a piece of equipment and its crew, or a crew or team with an identified work supervisor

   100-24 · Resources and titles

5. Which of these is one of the NIMS management characteristics that ICS is built on?

   • A.Unlimited span of control
   • B.Management by Objectives
   • C.Agency-specific radio codes
   • D.Self-dispatching
   Show answer

   B. Management by Objectives

   100-2 · ICS basics

6. What does "chain of command" mean in ICS?

   • A.The radio channel plan
   • B.A list of phone numbers for elected officials
   • C.An orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident organization
   • D.The order in which agencies arrive on scene, which sets who outranks whom for the rest of the incident
   Show answer

   C. An orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident organization

   100-10 · Command and the Command Staff

7. Which section collects, evaluates and shares incident information and helps build the IAP?

   • A.Logistics
   • B.Operations
   • C.Planning
   • D.Finance/Administration
   Show answer

   C. Planning

   100-19 · The General Staff sections

8. What is the difference between a Strike Team and a Task Force?

   • A.A Strike Team is the same kind and type of resource; a Task Force mixes different kinds or types
   • B.A Task Force is always federal
   • C.There is no difference
   • D.A Strike Team is always larger, and a Task Force is a smaller unit made up of only one kind of resource
   Show answer

   A. A Strike Team is the same kind and type of resource; a Task Force mixes different kinds or types

   100-25 · Resources and titles

9. Why does ICS use common terminology?

   • A.So only certified staff understand the radio
   • B.So each agency can keep its own codes private
   • C.So diverse organizations can work together across many functions and hazards
   • D.Because federal law bans abbreviations
   Show answer

   C. So diverse organizations can work together across many functions and hazards

   100-3 · ICS basics

10. When should a Unified Command be used?

    • A.Only when the federal government takes over
    • B.Never on a single-jurisdiction incident, even when several agencies there share responsibility for it
    • C.When the Incident Commander goes off shift
    • D.When more than one jurisdiction or agency has incident responsibility, so they can manage together
    Show answer

    D. When more than one jurisdiction or agency has incident responsibility, so they can manage together

    100-11 · Command and the Command Staff

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.