Firefighter Competency Testing

Unlike the physical tests and interviews, many candidates are not familiar with psychometric testing and may be nervous about completing this part of a hiring process. The following information provides an overview of the BLA firefighter competency testing process and what a candidate can expect to experience during a testing session. This testing may be done in person or online.
In-person test administration

Information about what to expect during the testing and how to prepare is provided below and also here in a downloadable PDF.

Testing takes place over 3.5 hours. Most candidates are able to complete the questionnaires in about 3 hours but, as not all questionnaires are timed, some candidates take longer to complete the questionnaires than others. When candidates arrive at the testing location, they are checked-in by representatives of the municipality to which they have applied. (Candidates should contact the municipality directly if they have questions about the documentation to be presented at check-in.) Candidates are tested in groups of up to 150 people. Candidates are encouraged to arrive early to ensure they have enough time to find parking and to check in.

All the materials candidates will need to complete the testing is provided during the administration.

Depending on the municipality for which candidates are being tested, they will complete 5-6 separate questionnaires. The demands placed on firefighters are not the same from department to department and this fact is reflected in the questionnaires completed by candidates for any given administration.

At the beginning of a testing session but before responding to the actual questionnaires, candidates are required to read and sign a form that gives consent for BLA to submit their personal information and test results to the municipality to which they have applied.

The problem-solving questionnaires are administered earlier in the session, followed by the more lengthy questionnaires focused on character and interests. The problem-solving questionnaires have time limits for completion ranging from 5 to 25 minutes each. The questionnaires focused on character and interests are not timed but can be completed in 30 to 40 minutes each.

There are no scheduled breaks during a testing session.  However, once the problem-solving questionnaires have been completed and the character-interest questionnaires have been started, candidates are free to leave the room and return. During such breaks, candidates must leave all test materials at their testing station/seat. There is no restriction on the amount of time a candidate may be absent from during such a break, but all questionnaires must be completed and returned to the administrators within the time frame set for the session.

Obtaining results

After candidates have completed psychometric testing for a fire department, their responses are processed and scores are generated for each candidate on each of the 13 firefighter competencies.

Based on the results, the municipality decides which candidates will proceed to the next stage of the hiring process and notifies candidates of their status going forward. Once notified by a municipality of their status, candidates may contact BLA via email at info@blassociates.ca to schedule a feedback session to discuss their individual test results. These conversations focus ONLY on candidates’ test scores and will NOT touch on other aspects of the hiring process – such as interviews, physical testing, ride along, etc.

Online test administration

Information about what to expect during the testing and how to prepare is provided below and also here in a downloadable PDF.

The test battery is the same as with the in-person administration, however, the exam is completed online and is proctored remotely by a proctor organisation.

Candidates will be emailed information about the exam and how to schedule the exam usually around 10 days prior to the test date. In order to take the exam online, candidates must have access to stable internet and have a working webcam and microphone. Candidates will create an account with the proctor company and will schedule their exam at their preferred time on a designated date of the department’s choosing.

At the start of the exam, candidates will be connected with a proctor via videoconference who will establish their identity and confirm that the test environment conditions have been met (such as no-one else being present in the room and no resources being used). The exam will then commence and must be completed within 3.5 hours. Most candidates complete the online exam in about 2.5 hours.

At the beginning of a testing session but before responding to the actual questionnaires, candidates are required to read and sign a form that gives consent for BLA to submit their personal information and test results to the municipality to which they have applied.

The problem-solving questionnaires are administered earlier in the session, followed by the more lengthy questionnaires focused on character and interests. The problem-solving questionnaires have time limits for completion ranging from 5 to 25 minutes each. The questionnaires focused on character and interests are not timed but can be completed in 30 to 40 minutes each.

There are no scheduled breaks during a testing session. However, after the first 60 minutes have passed, candidates are free to leave the room and return. There is no restriction on the amount of time a candidate may be absent from during such a break, but the exam must be completed within the 3.5 hours.

Obtaining results

After candidates have completed psychometric testing for a fire department, their responses are processed and scores are generated for each candidate on each of the 13 firefighter competencies.

Based on the results, the municipality decides which candidates will proceed to the next stage of the hiring process and notifies candidates of their status going forward. Once notified by a municipality of their status, candidates may contact BLA via email at info@blassociates.ca to schedule a feedback session to discuss their individual test results. These conversations focus ONLY on candidates’ test scores and will NOT touch on other aspects of the hiring process – such as interviews, physical testing, ride along, etc.

Score transfer program

BLA now allow score transfers between departments. Candidates who have completed the BLA testing process with a fire department may request to apply their previously obtained psychometric testing results to an upcoming competition. The results must meet certain eligibility criteria as outlined below and the department to which the scores will be applied must be enrolled in the score transfer program.

Eligibility criteria:
  • Scores to be applied must have been obtained within the 12 months immediately prior to the date of the upcoming competition
  • Scores must be above the minimum threshold set by the receiving department
  • The upcoming competition needs to be held at least 14 calendar days after the previous competition in order for scores to be able to be transferred from the previous competition
  • Scores will not become available until one full calendar week after an online test and 10 business days after an in-person test
  • Eligibility inquiries should be sent through as soon as possible following an exam. Requests must be received at least three business days prior to a competition in order to be processed

Please note that most departments require registration and exam sign up two weeks prior to exam date, therefore candidates will still likely need to sign up for a competition that is within four weeks of a previous competition. They may then cancel the exam if their scores turn out to be eligible for transfer.

If candidates are not sure their results meet the eligibility criteria, they should contact BLA by email at nstinton@blassociates.ca.

Departments who are currently enrolled in the score transfer program include*:
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Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service

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Coquitlam Fire/Rescue Services

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Fort St. John Fire Department

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Fredericton Fire Department

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Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue

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Langley City Fire Rescue

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Nanaimo Fire Rescue

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Oak Bay Fire Department

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Port Moody Fire Rescue

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Prince George Fire Rescue

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Richmond Fire-Rescue

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Surrey Fire Service

*Please note: if the department to which you are applying is not on the above list, contact BLA by email at nstinton@blassociates.ca to find out if it is enrolled in the program.

How to Prepare for the Testing Session

The best way to prepare for a firefighter competency testing session is to have a good sleep the two nights prior and to come to the testing session well rested! The problem-solving questionnaires, in particular, are susceptible to fatigue effects because of the time limits and it is important that candidates be fresh and alert to perform at their best.  Moreover, the testing takes place over a 3.5 hour period and candidates need to focus their attention for the entire time. The level of energy required to maintain concentration for the session is equivalent to that needed for a full day at work.

Once candidates know their testing date and time, they should plan their day to optimize their performance during testing time. For example, a substantial, healthy meal (i.e., containing protein and complex carbohydrates) within two hours of the start of the session in order to maintain their blood-sugar levels. Physical exercise the morning of the session will boost blood flow and increase oxygen flow to the brain. Also, candidates are encouraged to keep their day before the testing as stress free as possible.

Preparing for Specific Questionnaires

The BLA firefighter competency testing process was developed to provide municipalities with a method of screening candidates that does not unfairly advantage candidates who have prior knowledge of firefighting or experience as a firefighter over those who do not.  Instead, it is focused on the skills, abilities, and other characteristics candidates need to bring to job in order to become proficient and perform effectively. Where other approaches will test candidates for their knowledge of firefighting techniques, our approach tests candidates for their ability to learn what they need to know to fight fires effectively. Other approaches will evaluate candidates based on the length of time they have spent as a firefighter, whereas our process evaluates candidates on the extent to which they possess the characteristics needed to execute firefighting tasks effectively. There are two broad categories: Character/Interest, and Intellect. Information on how to prepare for these areas is outlined below.

Character and Interest:

We encourage candidates prepare to write the character and interest questionnaires by (a) reflecting on their personal qualities and (b) resolving to portray their personal qualities honestly and accurately. When asked a question like, “I would like to belong to a book club,” candidates are encouraged to reflect on how they feel about joining a book club and respond in line with how they genuinely feel. Some candidates will answer questions like this based on how they think firefighters would answer instead of how they, themselves, feel. Answering on the basis of how one thinks a firefighter would answer is a bad strategy and candidates who use it tend to receive lower scores than candidates who respond in accord with how they really feel.

Examples of personality test items (true or false response):

  • I like to play practical jokes on people.
  • When things go wrong, I sometimes blame the other person.
  • The most important things to me are my duties to my job and to other people.
  • Even when I have got into trouble, I was usually trying to do the right thing.
Intellect:

Study and review can help candidates to prepare for the problem-solving questionnaires. These questionnaires measure thinking skills that can be improved through effort and practice.

Types of Intellect assessed:

Verbal: Ability to read, write, understand spoken messages, and speak fluently. The best way to build verbal skills is to read.

The following videos and websites may be helpful for verbal ability practice:

Mathematical: Ability to perform mathematical computations. The best way to build math skills is to do lots of computations that require different kinds of operations (i.e.: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).

The following videos and websites may be helpful for mathematics practice:

Reasoning: Ability to think logically in order to arrive at sound conclusions. A good way to build reasoning skills is consistently to apply formal logic to problems without allowing attitudes and feelings to affect the conclusions. If searching online, look for practice materials labelled “symbolic reasoning,” “abstract reasoning,” and “syllogisms”.

The following videos and websites may be helpful for reasoning practice:

Mechanical: Ability to understand mechanical systems and how they work. A good way to build mechanical understanding is to study the mechanics of gears and pulleys together with a review of the mechanical principles of force and motion.

The following videos and websites may be helpful for mechanical reasoning practice:

The following video tutorials provide information on how to prepare for problem solving tests in general:

Note: the preceding links are provided as a courtesy to assist with candidates’ preparation. We are not responsible for the content of the sites linked to and do not provide additional assistance with the materials presented on the sites. Other methods of preparation can also be helpful.

Sample Problem Solving Questions:

Example 1: The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today?

Example 2: Five people were eating candies. A finished before B, but behind C. D finished before E, but behind B. What was the finishing order?

Example 3: All of the following are ways to write 25 percent of N EXCEPT

  1. 0.25 N
  2. 25N / 100
  3. ¼ N
  4. 25 N

Example 4: Sarah is twice as old as her youngest brother. If the difference between their ages is 15 years. How old is her youngest brother?

  1. 10
  2. 15
  3. 20
  4. 25
  5. 30

Example 5: Choose the pair of words that best completes the sentence:   The -------- of the timetable caused some ----------

  1. rivision/inconvenience
  2. revision/inconvenience
  3. revission/inconvenience
  4. revition/inconvenience