Two people sit on a seesaw (a Class 1 lever). A 200-pound adult sits 3 feet from the pivot. To balance a 100-pound child on the other side, how far from the pivot must the child sit?
Fctc Written Mechanical Reasoning
Question · Medium
Gears: which way and how fast?
Short
Civil Service Basic Skills Exam Guide 2026
A 2026 Civil Service Basic Skills guide covering verbal, reading, math, logic, grammar, ranked eligibility lists, official hiring links, and free practice.
Blog
Synonym question strategy
Verbal Reasoning & Vocabulary
Flashcard
A firefighter uses a 6-foot pry bar to lift the edge of a heavy beam. The fulcrum is placed 1 foot from the beam, leaving 5 feet of bar to push on. Approximately how much does this lever multiply the firefighter's effort force?
Chapter 1: Introduction, Exam Structure & Test-Day Logistics
1.1 FCTC Written Test Format, Scoring & the Statewide Eligibility List (SEL)
Study guide
A single fixed pulley mounted to a ceiling is used to raise a load. What does this pulley primarily do?
Question · Easy
Government Exam Prep Podcast
Listen on Spotify
Podcast
Antonym question trap
A block-and-tackle system has two pulleys supporting a movable block, so two rope segments share the load. To lift a 400-pound load (ignoring friction), about how much force must be applied to the rope?
Two gears are meshed together. The driver gear has 10 teeth and the driven gear has 30 teeth. If the driver gear turns at 60 revolutions per minute, how fast does the driven gear turn?
Small gear fast, big gear slow
Analogy: name the relationship
Two meshed gears turn. If the first gear rotates clockwise, in which direction does the second meshed gear rotate?
1.2 Test-Day Sequence, Room Rules & the 30-Minute Essay Period
Two pulleys are connected by an open (uncrossed) belt. If the left pulley turns clockwise, the right pulley turns:
Professional-to-person-served analogy
A small pulley (4-inch diameter) is connected by a belt to a large pulley (12-inch diameter). The small pulley spins at 300 rpm. About how fast does the large pulley spin?
Question · Hard
Water flows through a pipe that narrows from a wide section to a narrow section. As the water moves into the narrower section, its speed:
Diligent
Two water tanks are connected at the bottom by an open pipe. Tank A is filled to 10 feet and Tank B to 4 feet. What happens when the connecting valve opens?
Chapter 2: Technical Reading Comprehension & Fire Service Information
2.1 Technical Reading Strategy: Annotating the Essay Packet & Working the Booklet Essays
Pressure at the bottom of a column of water depends mainly on:
Impartial
A hydraulic system uses a small piston and a large piston connected by fluid. Pushing the small piston with a small force produces a much larger force at the large piston. This works because:
A wheelbarrow is an example of which class of lever, where the load sits between the fulcrum (wheel) and the effort (the handles you lift)?
Prudent
An idler gear is placed between a driver gear and a driven gear, all the same size. Compared to having no idler, the idler gear:
2.2 Fireground Tools, Equipment & Technical Nomenclature
A ramp (inclined plane) is used to move a heavy barrel into a truck instead of lifting it straight up. The main benefit of the ramp is that it:
Mitigate
Three meshed gears are in a row: Gear A drives Gear B, and Gear B drives Gear C. If Gear A turns clockwise, Gear C turns:
A firefighter must loosen a stuck bolt. Which tool change would apply the greatest turning force (torque) to the bolt?
Onerous
Air is pumped into a sealed, rigid container, increasing the amount of gas inside while the temperature stays constant. The pressure inside the container will:
2.3 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Incident Command System (ICS) & Safety Protocols
A movable pulley is attached directly to a load, and the rope's free end is pulled straight up. Ignoring friction, this single movable pulley gives a mechanical advantage of:
Candid
When a fire hose is charged with water, it becomes stiff and hard to bend. This is mainly because:
A diagram shows a load hanging from the center of a horizontal beam supported at both ends. Where is the bending force on the beam greatest?
Main idea vs. supporting detail
Reading Comprehension
Two ropes hold up a heavy sign. One rope hangs straight down (vertical) and the other is at a steep angle. Which rope carries more of the load's weight?
2.4 Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Identification, Placards & Initial Response Guides
A screw is a simple machine. Turning a screw with many closely spaced threads compared to one with widely spaced threads requires:
Stated detail questions
A pump moves water up to a rooftop tank. If the rooftop tank is raised higher above the pump, the pump must work:
A large gear with 40 teeth drives a small gear with 10 teeth. Compared with the large gear, the small gear turns:
Inference questions
Loading more…