Tips to Pass the Firefighter Cognitive Test
Increase Your Aptitude Score- GuaranteedWhen you apply to become a firefighter, there are several tests which you will have to take before you are accepted. As you can imagine, it is not a very quick process as it is of utmost importance that only those that are most qualified will be chosen to be firefighters. The main firefighter exam contains three different parts. They are:
- A written firefighter cognitive test
- A test where you will have to make your judgment in order to assess situations
- A physical fitness test
The cognitive test does not assume any previous knowledge of being a firefighter but is used to measure a firefighter's general knowledge and general intelligence. The firefighter cognitive test is a written exam which is taken under controlled conditions. It will test a number of skills and abilities which are important to be able to qualify as a firefighter. The exam is very much based on mathematics and language. If you have the ability to do basic mental arithmetic such as adding, subtracting, multiplication and division then you shouldn't have a problem with the mathematical side of this test.
In terms of the language part, you will need to have a fairly fluent understanding of the English language and be able to differentiate between correctly and incorrectly structured sentences. If you have been through the school system, then this shouldn't be a problem for you. The cognitive examination is not meant to catch people out, but meant to check that the right people will be recruited in order to be firefighters. It is necessary to take this test at the beginning of the recruitment process as if you don't pass this test then you will not be able to become a firefighter.
Where most people fail on the firefighter cognitive test is from nerves. When you are in a state of nerves, you tend to doubt yourself that you have answered the questions correctly and make silly mistakes. So, one of the biggest tips for the exam is to relax. Have an early night the night before and leave plenty of time to get to the examination center.
The other area where people fail is by a lack of preparation. Although the questions are not necessarily hard, it is a good idea to prepare yourself for the test by doing practice examinations. By inspecting the questions, you will soon see that there is a certain style of question that is asked. Once you have spotted this pattern in a conscious manner, then you will have a much better chance of being able to answer the questions in the live examination.
In order to become a fully-fledged firefighter, you must pass the cognitive exam. Although it is only one of three parts, it is compulsory that you do achieve a passing score. If you don't then you may have a chance to take it again at a future date, but this could seriously hamper the time that it takes you in order to become a firefighter.
The cognitive test will consist of 70 questions which will test your reasoning abilities. Ten of these questions will not be counted towards your final score. However, you will be graded on the other 60 questions. Unfortunately, you will not find out during the exam which of the questions are the important ones in order to be graded.
It is extremely important that when you sit down to take the test that you read through all of the questions first. Don't try to answer any until you have read them all. This is a great strategy as it means that when you start answering the test that your mind will already be thinking about which the correct answers are.
It is also important that you answer all of the questions. Even if you are not sure of one of the answers it is fine to take a guess as there is not negative scoring in the exam. In addition, make sure to watch the time to make sure that you do have enough time to finish all of the 70 questions. This is the kind of mistake that you would kick yourself for if it happened to you. Overall, don't panic. As long as you practice, you will be fine!