Human Relations
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Mechanical Aptitude
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Math
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Reading
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Fill-in-the-BlankGauges & InstrumentsMain IdeaFollowing Procedures
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NTN FireTEAM
- Sections
- 4 timed sections
- Questions
- 170 total
- Total time
- About 2 hr 20 min
- Human Relations
- 76q, 57 min
- Mechanical
- 36q, 43 min
- Math
- 31q, 25 min
- Reading
- 27q, 15 min
- Passing score
- Agency-set cutoff
- Score validity
- About 12 months
- Retake wait
- 90 days minimum
- Calculator
- Not permitted
Best-Response Memory
Report honestly, stay calm, use channels.
ReportHonestCalmProper channels
Best vs Worst Response
Best-rated
- Professional and honest
- Uses proper channels
- Solves problem directly
Worst-rated
- Passive or aggressive
- Skips chain of command
- Ignores or covers up
Channels and honesty win
Best-Response Picker
- Unsafe order, no emergency→Raise concern via channels
- Coworker breaks policy→Report through chain of command
- Own mistake happened→Admit it, stay transparent
- Peer conflict on a call→Finish task, then talk privately
- Harassment or slur heard→Address it, then report
- Public in crisis→Stay calm, empathetic, in-role
FireTEAM Format Basics
- Total questions
- 170 items
- Total time
- About 2 hr 20 min
- Sections
- 4 timed sections
- Delivery
- Computer-based testing
- Scratch paper
- Not allowed
- Score validity
- About 12 months
- Retake wait
- 90 days minimum
- Retest rule
- Newest score replaces prior
Human Relations Format
- Format
- 28 video scenarios
- Questions
- 76 total items
- Time limit
- 57 minutes
- Response type
- Multiple-choice best action
- Two parts
- Scenario pick, character rating
- Skills tested
- Teamwork, communication, judgment
Best-Response Picks
- Supervisor's unsafe order
- Raise concern via channels
- Coworker misconduct seen
- Report through chain of command
- Own mistake made
- Admit it, stay transparent
- Peer conflict on scene
- Finish task, address privately after
- Harassment or slurs heard
- Address directly, then report
- Hostile bystander at scene
- Stay calm, prioritize safety
Weak Response Patterns
- Ignoring the problem
- Always scores as weak
- Skipping chain of command
- Handling alone informally
- Matching hostile emotion
- Arguing back, escalating
- Covering up an error
- Shifting blame instead
- Laughing along
- At offensive remarks, weak
- Giving unauthorized advice
- Medical or legal, out-of-scope
Lever Class Memory
First fulcrum, second load, third effort in middle.
1st: fulcrum middle2nd: load middle3rd: effort middle
Fixed vs Movable Pulley
Fixed pulley
- Changes direction only
- MA equals 1
- Anchored in place
Movable pulley
- MA equals 2 or more
- Travels with the load
- Reduces needed effort
MA counts rope segments
Mechanical Problem Picker
- Force multiplier needed→Second-class lever or pulley
- Speed multiplier needed→Third-class lever, small gear
- Direction change only→Fixed pulley or single gear
- Torque question asked→Longer lever-arm wins
- Fluid force question→Apply Pascal's principle
- Stability question asked→Check center of gravity
Mechanical Format
- Format
- Animated video scenario
- Questions
- 36 total items
- Time limit
- 43 minutes
- Scenario
- Brick-making factory machinery
- Topics
- Gears, valves, pressure
- Calculator
- Not permitted
Second vs Third-Class Lever
Second-class
- Load between fulcrum, effort
- Multiplies force
- Wheelbarrow example
Third-class
- Effort between fulcrum, load
- Multiplies speed
- Fishing-rod example
Force gain vs speed gain
Levers & Pulleys
- First-class lever
- Fulcrum between effort, load
- Second-class lever
- Load between fulcrum, effort
- Third-class lever
- Effort between fulcrum, load
- Lever MA
- Effort arm / resistance arm
- Fixed pulley
- Changes direction only, MA 1
- Movable pulley
- MA of 2, halves effort
Gears, Inclines & Screws
- Meshed gears direction
- Always rotate opposite ways
- Gear size vs speed
- Smaller gear spins faster
- Gear ratio
- Driven teeth / driving teeth
- Inclined plane
- Trades distance for less force
- Wedge
- Two inclines joined back-to-back
- Screw
- Incline wrapped around a cylinder
Hydraulics & Tools
- Pascal's principle
- Fluid pressure transmits equally
- Hydraulic force gain
- Larger piston area, more force
- Hydraulic tradeoff
- Force gained, distance lost
- Torque
- Force times lever-arm length
- Longer wrench
- Loosens bolts with less effort
- Center of gravity
- Low and wide is stable
Order of Operations Memory
Parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add, subtract in order.
ParenthesesExponentsMultiply/DivideAdd/Subtract
Ratio vs Rate
Ratio
- Same-type quantities
- Simplify by GCF
- Example: red to blue
Rate
- Different-unit quantities
- Miles per hour example
- Still simplifies by GCF
Units same or different
Math Strategy Picker
- Fraction operation shown→Common denominator or reciprocal
- Percent of number asked→Convert to decimal, multiply
- Missing ratio term→Cross-multiply the proportion
- Area or volume asked→Recall the exact formula
- Two rates combine→Add the individual rates
- Multi-step expression shown→Follow PEMDAS in order
Math Format
- Format
- Video-presented, mental math only
- Questions
- 31 total items
- Time limit
- 25 minutes
- Calculator
- Not permitted at all
- Scratch paper
- Not permitted either
- Context
- Hose flow, ladder problems
Fractions, Decimals & Percents
- Add/subtract fractions
- Common denominator first
- Multiply fractions
- Multiply numerators and denominators
- Divide fractions
- Multiply by the reciprocal
- Fraction to percent
- Divide, then multiply by 100
- Percent of a number
- Decimal times the number
- Example
- 20% of 150 equals 30
Ratios, Proportions & Geometry
- Solving a proportion
- Cross-multiply, then solve
- Ratio vs rate
- Same units vs different units
- Rectangle area
- Length times width
- Triangle area
- Half base times height
- Circle area
- Pi times radius squared
- Box volume
- Length times width times height
Word Problems
- Distance formula
- Rate times time
- Rearranged rate
- Distance divided by time
- Combined work rate
- Add each worker's rate
- Order of operations
- PEMDAS, left to right
- One-variable equation
- Isolate the variable, solve
- Hose flow context
- GPM times minutes used
Reading Strategy Memory
Skim first, read questions, then hunt details.
SkimQuestionsHunt detailsCheck wording
Fact vs Inference Question
Fact question
- Directly stated in text
- Locate exact sentence
- No outside knowledge needed
Inference question
- Logical conclusion from facts
- Strongly text-supported
- Avoid unwarranted assumptions
Stated versus implied
Reading Strategy Picker
- Blank in a passage→Match tone and logic
- Gauge or dial shown→Read the exact marked value
- Whole-passage question asked→State the main idea
- Beyond-text question asked→Draw a supported inference
- Exact-detail question asked→Locate the exact sentence
- Procedure steps given→Track order and conditions
Reading Format
- Format
- Text-based, two components
- Questions
- 27 total items
- Time limit
- 15 minutes
- Component one
- Fill-in-the-blank passages
- Component two
- Gauge and instrument reading
- Word choices
- Given as answer options
Video vs Text Sections
Video sections
- Human Relations scenarios
- Mechanical factory scenario
- Math shown on video
Text sections
- Reading passages only
- Fill-in-the-blank format
- Gauge and instrument items
Reading is the only text section
Gauges & Instrument Reading
- Pressure gauges
- Dual scale, psi and kPa
- Thermometers
- Read the exact marked line
- Rulers
- Count marked increments carefully
- Speedometers
- Match needle to nearest mark
- Dual-scale traps
- Confirm which scale is asked
- Estimation
- Read between two marked lines
Comprehension Skills
- Main idea
- Usually first or last sentence
- Inference
- Conclusion drawn from stated facts
- Author's purpose
- Inform, instruct, persuade, or warn
- Fact/detail questions
- Directly stated in the text
- Vocabulary in context
- Meaning shifts with surrounding words
- Distractor pattern
- One word or number changed
Following Written Procedures
- Step order
- Track sequence and conditions exactly
- Conditional words
- Must, may, should, unless
- Applying a rule
- Match facts to each condition
- Skim first
- Then read questions, then details
- Wrong-answer trap
- Reordered steps or dropped condition
- Re-check wording
- Before picking a close answer
Common Traps
Channel-Skipping Trap
Handling issue alone ≠ Report through chain of command
Force vs Speed Trap
2nd class multiplies force ≠ 3rd class multiplies speed
MA Miscount Trap
Count rope segments carefully ≠ Guessing without segment count
No-Calculator Trap
All math done mentally ≠ No scratch paper allowed
Fraction/Percent Slip Trap
Convert before comparing values ≠ Skipping the conversion step
Detail-Distractor Trap
One number or word changed ≠ Matches passage almost exactly
Gauge Dual-Scale Trap
Confirm psi versus kPa ≠ Reading the wrong scale
Last Minute
- 1.170 questions across four sections total
- 2.Human Relations: 76 questions, 57 minutes
- 3.Mechanical: 36 questions, 43 minutes
- 4.Math: 31 questions, 25 minutes
- 5.Reading: 27 questions, 15 minutes
- 6.No calculator allowed on Math
- 7.Scores valid about 12 months
- 8.Retake wait is 90 days
- 9.Retest replaces all prior scores
- 10.Passing score is agency-set, not fixed
- 11.Reading has fill-in-the-blank and gauge items
- 12.Best HR answers use proper channels
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