Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A Brief Guide To The Firefighter Entry Level Exam

By Essie Osborn


People may think of fire fighting as a purely physical skill. They tend to think of people running up ladders and operating hoses or climbing up trees in order to pick up a cat that got stranded up there. However there is more to it than people think and it requires a lot of intelligence in order to think quickly during a stressful emergency situation. This is why the firefighter entry level exam in order to gauge whether or not people are suited to the job.

A lot of children dream of working in the fire fighting service. While it may seem like a cool job as you get to operate equipment and help people the reality can be difficult and stressful. Before getting involved you should talk to people involved in the job to see if it is something that you would personally wish to do.

The test consists of around 113 questions. It takes two hours to complete. Before you start the test you will be given a booklet to look through. It contains all the information you need to complete the test. Check through as carefully as possible as you are not able to write in the booklet.

The exam is a multiple choice test. When taking the test you can only mark one answer and mark it clearly, filling in the bubble to clearly show your answer. Do not writer in more than one answer as you will be marked down. The test takes two hours with around 113 questions. If you do not know the answer it is better to think through and guess in order to give yourself the best chance of a higher grade.

There are various skills that are tested in the exam. Mathematical computation is one element. Spatial scanning and mechanical reasoning are two crucial parts for the simple fact that in an emergency situation you need someone who is instantly aware of their environment and able to make snap decisions as necessary.

The exam also tests other theoretical aspects involved in fire fighting. It is about more than being able to physically operate a ladder or a hose. A big example is spatial and mechanical awareness. Spatial awareness is vital because if you are in an emergency situation you will not have time to explore the environment. You have to be able to make a snap judgement of where things are and how to get people to safety.

Before the exam takes place you will be given a booklet. This will give you all the information you need. You will have around 25 minutes to learn this information and then be able to use it in the test. It is a high pressure situation but then the job often involves a lot of pressure and it is a good way to gauge whether or not you could handle the pressure on a regular basis. Remember do not write in the information booklet!

It is worth looking online to find out where you can take the exam. Furthermore you can get more advice on further qualifications that you need as well as information on vacancies in your local area. In short with the right approach and dedication you can get a rewarding career in the fire service.




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