FireTEAM Test Preparation Strategies
Aspiring firefighters are advised to use comprehensive study guides for the FireTEAM cognitive test, which covers reading, math, spatial reasoning, and situational judgment. Timed practice tests using scenario-based questions are recommended to build accuracy and stamina for test day. These guides help candidates identify and improve upon weak areas.
- The FireTEAM test, developed by Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc., is a video-based exam approximately 2.5 hours long that evaluates candidates in four main areas: Human Relations, Mechanical Reasoning, Reading Ability, and Mathematics. Calculations for the math section must be done mentally, as no pen and paper are permitted. - While a passing score is often considered 70-80%, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) invites the top 1,500 candidates who pass both the FireTEAM and the Public Safety Self-Assessment 1 (PSSA1) to the Oral Board Exam. - For the Seattle Fire Department, candidates have the option to take a new FireTEAM test or transfer a valid score taken within the last year. The 2025 application period closes on November 25, 2025, with the eligibility list being established around March 1, 2026. - In addition to a numerical score, fire departments receive dimensional scores that evaluate traits like safety orientation, adaptability, communication, and integrity based on a candidate's response patterns. - EMT certification is not required to apply to the Seattle Fire Department, but it is a condition of employment; SFD may offer an EMT course to selected candidates who need it. - The SFD hiring process following the written exams includes an oral board, a background investigation, additional interviews, a physical agility test, and psychological and medical exams. - In 2024, the Seattle Fire Department responded to 112,320 incidents with over 1,000 uniformed firefighters operating out of 33 fire stations. - The starting salary for an SFD firefighter is listed as $98,124 annually, and there is no residency requirement to apply or be employed by the department.
