Firefighter Maths Test: Free Practice Questions & Tips – 2024

Firefighters use basic maths skills every day on the job. They need to be able to calculate information such as the length of hose required to fight a fire, the volume of water remaining in a tank, or whether a ladder will be tall enough to reach a high window. To measure these skills, most fire departments include a maths test, also known as numerical test, as part of the hiring process when assessing job candidates. The maths test is typically one of three or more aptitude tests that you’ll take when applying for a firefighter position.

 

What Is the Firefighter Maths Test?

There are different companies that offer maths tests, but the required skills and the format are similar. The test may be referred to as a Working with Numbers test. For this particular test, you have 45 minutes to answer 32 multiple-choice questions. Calculators are not allowed, but you may use a pencil and paper for calculations.

 

How to Prepare for the Firefighter Maths Test?

Begin by making sure you understand the following functions:

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Percentages and ratios
• Fractions
• Averages
• Area and volume of a shape

There are study guides available to help with any of the above topics if you need to refresh your knowledge.

Next, take a practice test. There are tests online that are designed to help you get ready for the firefighter maths test, which use firefighting-related scenarios for the questions. However, any test of basic maths understanding will be helpful. Make sure to use a timed test or time yourself, as you don’t have unlimited time for the real test. This will help you with practicing time management while answering the questions.

Give yourself plenty of time ahead of test day to work on your practice test(s). Practicing several times until you’re happy with your score and feel comfortable with the questions will boost your confidence. In turn, you’ll increase your chances of passing the real test and moving on to the next step of the hiring process.

There are some sample questions included below to help you get started.

 

Firefighter Maths Sample Questions

Use the following information to answer the questions.

Incidents which were attended by FRS (fire and rescue services) in England in 2018 included the following:

• 159,685 fires
• 226,466 fire false alarms
• 170,733 non-fire incidents (such as medical emergencies and accidents)

 

1. What was the total number of incidents that FRSs attended?
   1. 346,849
   2. 556,884
   3. 654,432
   4. 718,943
2. What was the total number of incidents that were not false alarms?
   1. 330,418
   2. 386,151
   3. 397,199
   4. 654,432
3. Of the total number of incidents, what percentage were false alarms? (Round to the nearest percentage point)
   1. 10%
   2. 25%
   3. 41%
   4. 49%

Answer

1. B
2. A
3. C