Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NATIONAL FIREFIGHTER
Selection Inventory
Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................1
Examination Specifications..............................................................................................................................2
Number of Examination Questions .........................................................................................................2
Time Limit......................................................................................................................................................2
General Strategies for Taking the National Firefighter Selection Inventory .......................................4
Personality Attributes................................................................................................................................... 17
Stress Tolerance........................................................................................................................................ 18
Team Orientation ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Motivation/Attitude .................................................................................................................................. 18
Introduction chances of being hired. Although you are
not required to read or use this NFSI Study
This NFSI Study Guide has been developed to Guide, we encourage you to do so. The
introduce you to the National Firefighter more you prepare for the test, the more
Selection Inventory (NFSI). The examination likely you are to improve your score.
consists of a series of multiple-choice
questions and rating scales designed to test General Examination Information
important cognitive abilities and personality
attributes that are necessary for effective Objectives of the NFSI Study Guide:
job performance as a firefighter. 1) To help you become acquainted
In developing the NFSI, a group of fire with the types of questions
service experts identified many of the tasks included in the examination.
essential to the performance of the job of a This NFSI Study Guide will provide you
firefighter. From these tasks, 11 essential with a better understanding of the
areas for entry-level testing were nature and format of questions that will
determined. These 11 areas are as follows: appear on the NFSI. The examination is
♦ Verbal comprehension designed to measure your job-relevant
cognitive abilities and personality
♦ Verbal expression
attributes. You will be tested on eight
♦ Problem sensitivity
separate cognitive abilities and three
♦ Deductive reasoning personality attributes. A definition of
♦ Inductive reasoning each of these areas and an explanation
♦ Information ordering of how they apply to the job of an
♦ Mathematical reasoning entry-level firefighter will be given in this
♦ Number facility guide. In addition, sample test questions
♦ Stress tolerance are also provided in each measurement
♦ Team orientation area to give you a good idea of the
♦ Motivation/attitude types of questions to expect. We
encourage you to become acquainted
These 11 test areas have been clustered or with the different measurement areas
grouped into two sections on the examination. and question formats that will appear on
The cognitive section, which includes 105 the examination.
items, consists of verbal comprehension,
verbal expression, problem sensitivity, 2) To inform you of the rules
deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, governing the testing process.
information ordering, mathematical
reasoning and number facility items. The This guide will provide you with
personality section, which includes 50 items, information about what you will be
consists of stress tolerance, team orientation allowed to bring with you when you
and motivation/attitude. take the examination. Also included in
this section is information about what is
The selection process for firefighters is very expected of you and what you can
competitive, and higher scores on the expect from the test proctors. It is a
entrance examination will increase your good idea to be aware of the testing
It is important to note that all the questions Verbal comprehension is the ability to
presented in this area are designed to understand language, either written or spoken.
measure your basic cognitive abilities. While This ability involves both the understanding
these questions are presented using firefighting of individual words as well as patterns of
and emergency medical scenarios, words (sentences and phrases). This is the
no prior knowledge of firefighting ability to hear a description of an event and
or emergency medical services is understand what happened. This is also the
required to answer any question on ability to read a sentence or series of
this examination. Some questions will sentences and understand the meaning. This
present specific firefighting and EMT ability might be used in reading narrative
procedures. You should answer all questions in material such as an incident report or the
this section solely on the basis of the information fire safety code, listening to descriptions of
presented in the question. Further, it should events, places or people, receiving radio
be noted that procedures and definitions communications, or following verbal work
contained in test questions are not orders.
Firefighters are not only taught how to The answers to questions 11 and 12 are as
extinguish fires, they are also taught how to follows:
treat those injured in a fire. It is important
that they learn to treat serious injuries such 11. e
as burns, broken bones, cuts and abrasions, 12. b
heart failure, and breathing problems. Questions 11 and 12 address the order of
Because these medical emergencies are treatment for medical conditions based on
likely to occur at the site of a fire, basic first information presented in the passage. It
aid is an essential part of the job. may be helpful to reread the passage and
Surprisingly, firefighters do not commonly write down the order of the medical
deal with burns. The more common injuries conditions as they are presented to you.
at a fire site involve respiratory problems,
heart failure and shock.
Definition 15. e
16. c
Number facility is the ability to manipulate
numbers in numerical operations such as Both questions 15 and 16 rely on your
addition, subtraction, division and knowledge of and accuracy with
multiplication. This ability also involves the computation, specifically multiplication. If
speed and accuracy of computation. An you are having difficulty answering these
example is determining the size of a hole questions, refer to information on basic
needed to ventilate a burning building. computation such as addition, subtraction,
division and multiplication.
Sample Questions