Free Firefighter Practice Test: 50 Questions to Test Your Knowledge

Before you walk into that testing room for your firefighter written exam, you need to know where you stand. Not where you think you stand, but where you actually stand. The difference between those two things is where people fail.

This practice test covers the same topics you will see on most firefighter certification and hiring exams nationwide. The questions are drawn from NFPA 1001, IFSTA Essentials, and the core competencies that every firefighter needs to know cold.

No sign-up. No paywall. Just 50 questions and honest feedback.

Fire Behavior (Questions 1 through 10)

1. What are the four components of the fire tetrahedron?

The answer is heat, fuel, oxygen, and the chemical chain reaction. The fire tetrahedron adds the chemical chain reaction to the classic fire triangle. Remove any one element and the fire goes out. This is the foundation of all suppression tactics.

2. During which stage of fire development does flashover occur?

Flashover occurs during the growth stage, when radiant heat raises all combustible materials in the compartment to their ignition temperature simultaneously. This is the transition point between a survivable and non-survivable environment.

3. What is the primary indicator of a potential backdraft?

Smoke-stained windows with pulsing or breathing smoke. Backdraft indicators include pulsing or breathing smoke at openings, heavy dark smoke with no visible flame, and a pressurized feel to the building. The key indicator is that the fire is ventilation-limited. It has fuel and heat but needs air.

4. What temperature range generally indicates flashover conditions?

Flashover typically occurs when upper gas layer temperatures reach 900 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, radiant heat from the thermal layer ignites all exposed combustibles in the compartment.

5. Which class of fire involves energized electrical equipment?

Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment. Once de-energized, the fire becomes whatever class the burning material falls under, usually Class A. Never use water on an energized electrical fire.

6. What is rollover?

Rollover, also called flameover, occurs when unburned fire gases accumulate at the ceiling level and ignite. Flames roll across the ceiling of a compartment. It is an indicator that flashover may be imminent. If you see flames rolling across the ceiling above you, get low and get out or get water on the ceiling fast.

7. The rate of heat release is measured in BTUs or kilowatts. Modern furnishings have dramatically higher heat release rates than legacy furnishings. A modern living room can reach flashover in under 4 minutes compared to 30 plus minutes with legacy contents. This is the research from UL and FSRI that is reshaping fire attack tactics.

8. Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of materials that produces flammable gases. These gases are what actually burn in a structure fire. The solid fuel breaks down and releases combustible vapors. Understanding pyrolysis helps you understand why ventilation affects fire behavior so dramatically.

9. All three mechanisms of heat transfer contribute to fire spread. Conduction transfers heat through materials like a steel beam heating adjacent wood. Convection carries hot gases upward and outward. Radiation transfers heat through electromagnetic waves without direct contact. It is radiation from the hot gas layer that causes flashover.

10. Flaming combustion generally ceases around 15 percent oxygen concentration. Normal atmosphere is 20.9 percent. However, smoldering combustion can continue at much lower concentrations, and a ventilation-limited fire can reignite violently when fresh air is introduced. That is the backdraft risk.

Building Construction (Questions 11 through 15)

11. Type V building construction is wood-frame construction with combustible structural elements throughout. This is the most common residential construction type in the U.S. Modern Type V uses lightweight engineered lumber like trusses and I-joists that can fail in as little as 5 to 10 minutes of fire exposure.

12. The primary collapse concern with lightweight truss construction is that connection points, the gusset plates, fail rapidly under fire conditions. Lightweight trusses use small-dimension lumber connected by stamped steel gusset plates. Under fire conditions, the gusset plates lose holding strength quickly, and the small lumber members burn through faster than dimensional lumber.

13. Type I construction, also called fire-resistive, has the highest fire-resistance rating. It uses non-combustible materials with the highest fire-resistance ratings for structural elements, typically 2 to 4 hours. Think high-rise buildings with reinforced concrete and protected steel.

14. In Type III ordinary construction, exterior walls are made of non-combustible or limited-combustible materials, typically brick or block, with wood-frame interior structural elements. The key tactical consideration is that fire can spread rapidly through the wood interior while the masonry exterior remains standing, creating a false sense of structural stability.

15. A parapet wall is the portion of an exterior wall that extends above the roofline. It is common in Type III ordinary construction, the classic Main Street commercial buildings. Parapets can collapse outward during a fire, posing a serious threat to firefighters operating below. This is why collapse zones are measured at 1.5 times the height of the building.

SCBA and PPE (Questions 16 through 20)

16. NFPA 1981 requires a minimum rated service time of 30 minutes for SCBA used in structural firefighting. However, actual working time is typically 15 to 20 minutes due to increased breathing rates under exertion and stress. Air management, knowing how much air you actually have, is critical.

17. The PASS device activates automatically when the wearer remains motionless for approximately 30 seconds, emitting a loud audible alarm to help rescuers locate a downed firefighter. It can also be activated manually. Per NFPA 1982, it must produce 95 dB at 3 meters.

18. The two-in, two-out rule means that before interior operations begin, at least two firefighters must be positioned outside the IDLH atmosphere, equipped and ready to conduct rescue if needed. Per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 and NFPA 1500. The exception is a known life hazard where immediate action could prevent loss of life.

19. NFPA 1971 sets the standard for the protective ensemble used in structural firefighting and proximity firefighting. This includes your coat, pants, helmet, gloves, boots, and hood. Each component must meet specific thermal protection, moisture barrier, and flame resistance requirements.

20. OSHA requires annual fit testing for all employees required to wear tight-fitting respirators, including SCBA facepieces. Both qualitative and quantitative fit testing methods are acceptable.

Hose Operations and Hydraulics (Questions 21 through 30)

21. The standard flow rate for a 1 and 3/4 inch attack line with a combination nozzle is typically 150 GPM at 100 PSI nozzle pressure. Some departments run 125 or 185 GPM depending on their nozzle selection. Know your department's standard flows.

22. The friction loss coefficient C for 1 and 3/4 inch hose is 15.5 in the friction loss formula FL equals CQ squared L, where Q is flow in hundreds of GPM and L is length in hundreds of feet. For 2 and 1/2 inch hose, C equals 2. These numbers need to be automatic in your head.

23. Standard elevation pressure is 5 PSI per floor, based on approximately 10 feet of elevation per floor. Add 5 PSI for each floor above the pump. For below-grade operations, subtract 5 PSI per floor.

24. Smooth bore handline nozzles operate at 50 PSI nozzle pressure. Smooth bore master stream devices operate at 80 PSI. Combination fog nozzles operate at 75 to 100 PSI depending on the manufacturer. These pressures are non-negotiable.

25. Using the formula GPM equals 29.7 times d squared times the square root of NP, a 15/16 inch smooth bore tip at 50 PSI nozzle pressure flows approximately 185 GPM. This is a common handline smooth bore setup.

26. Standard practice is to flake at least one full working length of hose on the floor below the fire floor before advancing up the stairwell. This provides the slack needed to navigate the stairwell turn and advance down the hallway. Getting stuck short of the fire room because you did not bring enough hose is a preventable mistake.

27. Smooth bore nozzles provide better reach and stream penetration, especially important in wind, and operate at lower nozzle pressure, 50 PSI versus 75 to 100 PSI, making them easier to handle. The tradeoff is no adjustable pattern. Many departments are moving back to smooth bore for initial attack.

28. A gated wye splits one supply line into two independently controlled discharge lines, each with its own gate valve. This allows you to run two attack lines from a single supply without needing two separate pump discharges.

29. Residual pressure is the pressure remaining at the hydrant while water is flowing. Static pressure is the pressure when no water flows. The difference between static and residual tells you how much additional capacity the water main has. If residual drops below 20 PSI, you are approaching the system's limit.

30. The National Fire Academy fire flow formula, length times width divided by 3, gives approximately 100 to 150 GPM for a 2,000 square foot single-story structure. A single 1 and 3/4 inch line flowing 150 GPM is typically adequate for initial attack on a room-and-contents fire in this size structure.

Hazmat Awareness (Questions 31 through 35)

31. The NFPA 704 diamond uses four colors. Red on top for flammability, blue on the left for health hazard, yellow on the right for reactivity and instability, and white on the bottom for special hazards. Each colored section uses a 0 to 4 scale, with 4 being the most severe.

32. Awareness level personnel can recognize a hazmat incident, initiate protective actions like evacuation and isolation, and call for trained responders, but they do not perform any offensive mitigation actions. This is the baseline level all firefighters must have per NFPA 1072.

33. The Emergency Response Guidebook recommends an initial isolation distance of 330 feet, or 100 meters, in all directions for an unknown hazardous material. This is a starting point. Actual distances depend on the specific material, quantity, and conditions.

34. SDS Section 5 covers fire-fighting measures including suitable extinguishing media, specific hazards arising from the chemical, and special protective equipment for firefighters. The 16-section SDS format is standardized under GHS.

35. DOT hazmat placards are diamond-shaped, a square rotated 45 degrees, and placed on all four sides of transport vehicles, containers, and rail cars. The placard color and number identify the hazard class.

Search and Rescue (Questions 36 through 40)

36. In zero visibility, crawl low where there is better air and visibility near the floor, and maintain wall contact using a consistent left-hand or right-hand search pattern. This ensures you cover the entire room and can find your way back to the entry point. Search systematically, do not wander.

37. VEIS stands for Ventilate, Enter, Isolate, Search. This technique allows targeted search of specific rooms from the exterior without committing to the interior. Critical for searching bedrooms in residential fires.

38. A PAR check is a Personnel Accountability Report where each company officer confirms the location and status of all crew members and reports to Command. PARs are taken at regular intervals, at benchmarks, whenever the strategy changes, and after any emergency event.

39. The evacuation signal, typically 3 long blasts on the apparatus air horn repeated, is sounded when the IC determines that conditions have deteriorated to the point where interior operations are no longer safe. All personnel must immediately exit the structure and report for PAR.

40. The collapse zone should extend at least 1.5 times the height of the building in all directions. No personnel or apparatus should be positioned within the collapse zone during defensive operations.

Ventilation and Suppression (Questions 41 through 45)

41. Vertical ventilation releases accumulated heat and smoke from the highest point of the structure, typically through the roof. This improves visibility, reduces temperatures, and makes the interior environment more survivable. It must be coordinated with the interior attack.

42. PPV fans should be placed 4 to 6 feet back from the entry opening to create a cone of air that covers the entire opening. Too close and air escapes around the edges. Too far and the air pressure drops.

43. Transitional attack involves flowing water from the exterior into the fire compartment, typically through a window, to knock down the bulk of the fire before transitioning to an interior attack. UL and FSRI research has shown this does not push fire onto victims and significantly improves interior conditions before entry.

44. Direct attack applies water directly to the base of the fire. Indirect attack applies water to the ceiling or hot gas layer, where it converts to steam and absorbs heat throughout the compartment. Most modern interior attack starts with a combination approach, cooling the overhead gases while advancing toward the seat of the fire.

45. Never ventilate without a coordinated fire attack. Ventilation introduces oxygen, which can intensify the fire. If an attack line is not in position and ready to advance when ventilation occurs, you are feeding the fire without suppressing it.

Ladders and Forcible Entry (Questions 46 through 50)

46. The proper climbing angle for a ground ladder is 75 degrees from the ground. A quick field check: stand at the base with your toes touching the beams and extend your arms straight out. If your palms rest comfortably on the rung, you are at approximately 75 degrees.

47. Extension ladders placed for roof access should extend 3 to 5 rungs above the roofline. This provides a visible target and handhold for firefighters transitioning from the roof to the ladder, especially in low visibility conditions.

48. Through-the-lock forcible entry involves removing or manipulating the lock cylinder to access the latch mechanism and unlock the door without damaging the door or frame. It is faster, less destructive, and works on most residential and commercial locks.

49. A 24-foot extension ladder has a maximum extended usable working height of about 21 feet after accounting for the overlap between sections and the 75-degree climbing angle. Always check the manufacturer's specifications.

50. The standard irons technique: place the fork end of the halligan near the lock area with the bevel toward the door. The firefighter with the axe drives the halligan into the gap between the door and frame using controlled strikes. Once set, the halligan is used as a lever to force the door inward.

How Did You Score?

If you got 45 to 50 correct, you are ready. Walk in with confidence. If you scored 35 to 44, you have a solid foundation but should review your weak areas. Between 25 and 34, you need more study time. Focus on the topics you missed. Below 25, hit the books hard and consider a structured study plan.

50 questions is a start, but your actual exam will pull from a much larger pool. First Due Co. has over 23,000 firefighter and EMS exam questions with instant scoring, topic-by-topic breakdowns, and timed practice exams that simulate real testing conditions. Start your free trial at firstdueco.com and find out exactly where you stand.