General Pre-Firefighter Written Test Tips

General Pre-Firefighter Written Test Tips

1. Be sure you know the location of the examination. It is a good idea to make a test run and determine the amount of time it will take you to reach your destination.  Find out where you can park.  Remember that if the exam date is on a weekday at 9:00 a.m., you must factor in rush-hour traffic.  It never fails that someone will get into an accident the day that you are taking the most important exam of your life.  Allow yourself an additional 45-50 minutes if you will be driving during a busy time period.  Plan to arrive at the examination sight at least 30 minutes ahead of time. 

2. Relax the night before the examination. Allow both your mind and body to rest.  Don’t study at all that night. You will be nervous the day before and the day of the examination.  Much of this nervousness and high anxiety will cause you to use your stored energy.  The night before the exam, it is recommended that you have a pasta dinner to load up on carbohydrates to give you that extra energy you will need for the test. 

3. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep. It is also recommended that you have a friend or fellow firefighter call you to make sure that you don’t oversleep. 

4. On the day of the examination, be sure to eat a good breakfast. However, do not eat in such quantities that you feel bloated or stuffed. 

5. Get up early enough to allow for a leisurely trip to the examination sight. It is also suggested that you meet someone at a set location where you can then follow each other in your own cars. This way, in the event that one of your cars breaks down, you can ride in the other car and make it to the examination on time. 

6. Dress comfortably. Unless you have to go directly to the examination from an on-duty status or have to report for duty immediately after the test, dress in a relaxed, but not sloppy, style.  Remember that the written examination is not a style show. 

7. Avoid the use of stimulants or depressants, either of which may affect your ability to think clearly during the test. 

8. Approach the test with confidence and the determination to do your best. 

9. Think positively. Concentrate on what you know rather than on what you think you do not know.