Free NTN FireTEAM Exam Flashcards

A video-based situational-judgment section: candidates watch realistic workplace video scenarios (28 scenarios, 76 questions, about 57 minutes) and choose the BEST — and sometimes WORST — course of action from multiple-choice options. No essay or spoken response is required.

Favor the option that is professional, direct, honest, and resolves the situation through appropriate channels (e.g., calmly raising a concern, reporting through the chain of command). Avoid passive, aggressive, dishonest, or channel-skipping responses.

When a scenario involves the public (patients, bystanders, residents), the best-rated response is patient, empathetic, and informative while staying within your role — avoid giving unauthorized medical/legal advice or making promises you can't keep.

Effective de-escalation responses acknowledge the other person's concern, keep your tone calm and low, and focus on solving the immediate problem — arguing or matching the other person's emotional intensity is rated as a weak response.

When a scenario shows unsafe, dishonest, or unethical behavior by a coworker, the best-rated response reports it through the proper chain of command or established policy — not ignoring it, retaliating, or handling it informally alone.

Situational-judgment items consistently reward admitting a mistake and being transparent, even when it is personally costly, over covering up an error, shifting blame, or minimizing what happened.

If an order seems unsafe or improper and there is no immediate life-safety emergency, the best-rated response raises the concern respectfully through the chain of command rather than ignoring it, refusing outright, or silently complying with a known hazard.

Best-rated responses to conflict between coworkers on a call complete the immediate task safely first, then address the interpersonal issue privately and professionally afterward — not arguing in front of the public or letting the dispute delay the response.

The best-rated response directly but professionally addresses inappropriate jokes, harassment, or discriminatory remarks and/or reports them through proper channels — staying silent or laughing along scores as a weak response.

Situational-judgment scenarios reward responses that treat all coworkers and community members equally and respectfully regardless of background, and penalize responses built on stereotypes or assumptions.

On high-stress items (mass-casualty scenes, hostile bystanders, equipment failure), the best-rated responses show calm, methodical prioritization of safety and task completion over emotional reactions.

First-class: fulcrum is BETWEEN effort and load (seesaw, crowbar). Second-class: load is BETWEEN fulcrum and effort — always multiplies force (wheelbarrow). Third-class: effort is BETWEEN fulcrum and load — multiplies speed/distance, not force (fishing rod, broom).

MA = length of the effort arm ÷ length of the resistance (load) arm. An effort arm longer than the resistance arm gives an MA greater than 1, multiplying the input force.

A pulley anchored to a fixed point. It changes only the DIRECTION of the force needed (e.g., pulling down to lift up) — mechanical advantage is 1, so it does not reduce the effort required.

A single movable pulley gives a mechanical advantage of 2 (halves the effort needed). For any pulley system, MA equals the number of rope segments supporting the load.

Two directly meshed gears always rotate in OPPOSITE directions. The smaller gear (fewer teeth) turns faster than the larger gear it's meshed with — gear speed is inversely related to gear size.

Gear ratio = teeth on the driven gear ÷ teeth on the driving gear. A larger driven gear (higher ratio) increases torque but decreases speed; a smaller driven gear increases speed but decreases torque.

A ramp reduces the FORCE needed to raise a load by increasing the DISTANCE over which the force is applied. A longer, shallower ramp requires less force than a short, steep one to move the same load.

A wedge is two inclined planes joined back-to-back, converting force into a splitting or lifting action (axe, chisel). A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder, converting rotational force into linear force (bolt, jack).

Pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all directions throughout the fluid. This is the basis for hydraulic jacks, lifts, and brakes.

In a hydraulic system, output force increases with the AREA of the output piston: a larger-area piston produces more force than the input piston, but moves a shorter distance — force is gained at the expense of distance.

Turning force (torque) increases with a longer handle or lever arm for the same applied force — this is why a longer wrench or breaker bar makes it easier to loosen a tight bolt or nut.

An object is most stable when its center of gravity is LOW and its base of support is WIDE. Raising the center of gravity or narrowing the base makes an object easier to tip over.

Convert to a common denominator first, then add or subtract the numerators and keep the denominator. Example: 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12.

To multiply, multiply the numerators together and the denominators together. To divide, multiply by the reciprocal of the second fraction. Example: 2/3 ÷ 4/5 = 2/3 × 5/4 = 10/12 = 5/6.

Fraction to decimal: divide numerator by denominator. Decimal to percent: multiply by 100. Percent to decimal: divide by 100. Example: 3/4 = 0.75 = 75%.

Convert the percent to a decimal and multiply by the number. Example: 20% of 150 = 0.20 × 150 = 30.

In a/b = c/d, cross-multiply so a × d = b × c, then solve for the unknown. Example: 3/4 = x/20 → 4x = 60 → x = 15.

A ratio compares two quantities of the SAME type (3 red to 2 blue). A rate compares two quantities of DIFFERENT units (miles per hour). Both simplify by dividing both terms by their greatest common factor.

Rectangle = length × width. Triangle = 1/2 × base × height. Circle = π × radius². Memorize these — area questions test direct formula recall and application.

Rectangular box = length × width × height. Cylinder = π × radius² × height. Volume is always expressed in cubic units (e.g., ft³).

The core formula for motion word problems. Rearrange as needed: Rate = Distance ÷ Time, or Time = Distance ÷ Rate.

When two workers or machines work together, ADD their individual rates (job per unit time). Example: a job that takes 4 hours alone (rate 1/4) and 6 hours alone (rate 1/6) combine to a rate of 1/4 + 1/6 = 5/12 job per hour.

Solve in this order: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division (left to right), Addition/Subtraction (left to right). Example: 2 + 3 × 4 = 2 + 12 = 14, not 20.

Isolate the variable by performing the same operation on both sides. Example: 3x + 5 = 20 → 3x = 15 → x = 5.

The main idea is a passage's central point, usually stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Ask 'What is this whole passage mostly about?' rather than fixating on one supporting detail.

An inference is a logical conclusion drawn FROM stated facts, not something written outright. The correct answer must be strongly supported by the text — avoid choices that require outside knowledge or unwarranted assumptions.

Identify why a passage was written (to inform, instruct, persuade, or warn) and its tone (neutral, urgent, cautionary) by examining word choice and structure, not just the topic.

These questions ask what the passage explicitly states. Locate the exact sentence or phrase — the correct answer is directly supported by the text, not by memory or prior knowledge.

Wrong answers often restate a passage detail with one changed number, condition, or qualifier (e.g., 'always' swapped for 'usually'). Re-check the exact passage wording before picking an answer that looks almost right.

Skim the passage first for structure and main idea, read the questions, then return to the specific sentences needed for detail questions — this is faster than reading word-for-word before knowing what will be asked.

For procedure passages, track the exact ORDER of steps and any conditions attached to each one (e.g., 'only if,' 'before,' 'after'). Wrong answers often reorder steps or drop a condition.

Qualifying words like 'must,' 'may,' 'should,' and 'unless' change whether a step is mandatory, optional, or conditional — test items frequently hinge on this distinction.

Some reading items give a rule or policy, then ask you to apply it to a new example. Match the scenario's facts precisely against each condition in the rule before deciding whether it applies.

Determine a word's meaning from how it's used in the surrounding sentence, not from its most common dictionary definition — context can shift a word's intended meaning.

Look for definition, contrast, or example clues near an unfamiliar word (a restating phrase, or 'unlike X, Y is...') to determine its meaning without outside knowledge.

Four sections: Human Relations (video-based, 76 questions/57 min), Mechanical Aptitude (36 questions/43 min), Math (31 questions/25 min), and Reading (27 questions/15 min) — 170 questions total in roughly 2 hours 20 minutes.

National Testing Network (NTN) administers the FireTEAM, but each hiring department sets its own cutoff score and decides how much weight to give each section — some departments weight Human Relations as much as 70% of the composite score.

FireTEAM scores are generally valid for about 12 months. NTN requires a minimum 3-month (90-day) wait before retesting, and retesting deletes your previous scores and department designations — only the newest score counts.

Candidates who clear a department's cutoff typically move to the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) or equivalent, an oral board interview, a background investigation, and medical/psychological evaluations before a conditional job offer.