Your Guide to Acing the New Jersey Firefighter Exam: Prep & Tips
If you have a Firefighter training certificate, then you are in a position to apply for a role with the New Jersey Firefighting Department.
However, being a Firefighter is an important role and carries a level of responsibility that goes beyond being able to put out a fire. For that reason, the New Jersey fire department will ask you to complete an assessment to ensure your personality and competencies match what is required for the role.
Having submitted your application, you will first be called upon to do a two and a half hours written exam. Acing the exam will allow you to progress further in the recruitment process and attend an interview. Having performed successfully at the interview, you will have to undergo physical and psychological testing as well as background tests.
When you get the job, you will have to do a 6-12 month probationary period before you can consider yourself a fully fledged New Jersey Firefighter. But to reach this stage, you will first of all have to prove yourself in the written assessments.
What is the format of the New Jersey Firefighter Test?
The written exam lasts for 2.5 hours and consists of the following sections:
- Behavioral testing where you do a personality test to assess your suitability for the work
- Competency testing where your cognitive skills are assessed.
Table of Contents
What Is on the New Jersey Firefighter Test?
Some sections of the competency test may be new to you and will require practice. However, it is also advisable to do some revision on the topics you have covered already and to become familiar with the style of questioning.
This section of the assessment takes over two hours, and you will be questioned on the following areas:
- Written comprehension. You will be asked to answer multiple-choice questions on a short passage. Try your hand at this free sample written comprehension test.
- Written expression. Working with the Fire Department, you may have to present written information. In this section, your ability to write in clear, accurate English will be tested.
- Math. Math and numeracy skills will. Test your skills with the following free sample Math test.
- Visualization.
- Inductive Reasoning. This is another complicated test, but you can get a headstart on your preparation with this free sample inductive reasoning test.
- Deductive Reasoning. This may also be new to you but get a headstart by practicing on a free sample test.
- Spatial Orientation. Expect to be presented with a map and asked to select the shortest/ longest route between two points. Remember that as a prospective Firefighter, you need to show that you are capable of finding your way about in very highly charged situations.
- Information Ordering.
Behavioral Testing/Personality Testing
In the 30 minutes devoted to this section of the assessment you will do 120 questions. The purpose of the test is to decide if you have the personal qualities necessary to work for the New Jersey Fire Department.
Your personality test is designed to build a profile of the type of person you are and of how you are likely to behave in the workplace.
When doing the assessment, bear in mind they will be looking for evidence that you are capable of working as part of a team, that you are willing to help people, and have a good work ethic. Naturally as a state department, they also like their employees to have integrity.
Also, remember they are checking your workplace personality, not your downtime one. By practicing on sample personality tests, you will learn how to adjust your answers to display those qualities. The following question is an example of what you can expect.
Example question:
Read the statement and pick the response that best applies to you.
“I am not perceived as a sensitive or highly strung person.”
Strongly Disagree/ Disagree/Neutral/Agree/ Strongly Agree
Try selecting each answer in turn and then deciding what type of personality you are showing in the answer. Then ask yourself if that is the type of personality that is likely to get a position in the Fire Department.
How Can I Prepare for the New Jersey Firefighter Exam?
When preparing for pre-employment testing, it is advisable to use the services of a job test preparation company. For this, we recommend using Job Test Prep.
A leader in the field of preparing jobseekers for pre-employment testing, the company will provide you with a test prep pack prepared for the 2023 exams and containing:
- Accurate information about the format of the assessments
- Sample test papers modeled on the real exam
- A scoring system to track your progress as you work through the papers
- Detailed information about questions and answers
- Helpful study guides and videos
To get an idea of the type of tests they give you, try the following free sample personality test.
Study Tips
Begin your preparation as early as you can. The tests are demanding and many of them may be quite new to you. To make your preparation more effective, try the following tips:
- Work to a timetable, ensuring you leave the day before the tests free for last-minute reviews and to get a rest before the assessments.
- Use good study techniques. Taking a 10-minute break after 50 minutes of study will help you retain information more easily.
- Ensure you get adequate sleep and nutrition while preparing. Your brain will work better as a result.
- Last-minute cramming or all-night study marathons will sabotage your best efforts. Avoid them if at all possible.
Use Your Sample Papers
Use your sample papers as the backbone of your preparation. This will ensure that:
- You are working on relevant material at all times
- You are becoming familiar with the style of questioning
- You are learning to work within the timescale allowed
- You can monitor your progress by checking your scores and quickly identify areas that might need more attention.
Are the Firefighter Assessments Hard?
All pre-employment testing is hard. The prospective employer aims to select the best applicants for the job, and the assessments are the first step in selecting the most suitable people from what is often a high number of applicants.
Not alone will you have to prove your own value to the fire department, but you will also have to prove you are better than a great many other applicants.
But with thorough preparation, there is no reason not to succeed in the assessments.
The NJ fire department uses tests developed by IO Solutions. You can expect competency-based tests and personality testing. Given the challenging job you are applying for, you can expect the assessments to be demanding.
How to Approach the Exam
Remember you will spend two and a half hours doing the exam and will be working across a number of different areas. You can expect to find this quite demanding and need to be well-rested before doing the exam. But, you can also approach the exam with the confidence that comes with having done the work.
Go in there knowing you deserve this, and aim to ace your first step to being a New Jersey Firefighter! If you are preparing for the New Jersey Firefighter Exam, you will find all the resources you need to ace the exam here.
Written by Elizabeth O Mahony
With 25+ years’ experience as a teacher and state examinations corrector, Elizabeth now writes for the education and careers industry. Her experience preparing students for examinations and running an academy for supplementary education give her invaluable insights into what it takes for job seekers and graduates to succeed in assessments.
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Sarah is an accomplished educator, researcher and author in the field of testing and assessment. She has worked with various educational institutions and organisations to develop innovative evaluation methods and enhance student learning. Sarah has published numerous articles and books on assessment and learning. Her passion for promoting equity and fairness in the education system fuels her commitment to sharing insights and best practices with educators and policymakers around the world.
