CPS Firefighter cheat sheet

Main idea = topic + the author's point about it; test each option by asking whether the whole passage, not one sentence, supports it.

Detail answers are stated in the passage, often paraphrased; extreme wording such as always, never, or only usually signals a wrong option.

An inference must be forced by the text; if it requires outside facts or a guess, it is not supported.

For EXCEPT questions, verify three options against the passage; the unverified fourth option is the answer.

Resolve a pronoun by matching number and gender with the nearest preceding noun that makes the sentence logical.

Contrast signals (however, although, but, yet, despite) mark the author's key point; cause signals (because, therefore, since) mark reasons.

Sequence markers (first, then, after, finally) establish chronology; dates and ordinal words anchor the timeline.

Tone is judged from adjectives and verbs, not from the topic; choose the mildest option the wording actually supports.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a 20% decrease followed by a 20% increase yields 96% of the original, not 100%.

distance = rate × time; rearrange as t = d ÷ r or r = d ÷ t, and keep units consistent (minutes versus hours).

1 gallon of water weighs about 8.34 lb; 1 cubic foot holds about 7.48 gal and weighs about 62.4 lb.

1 psi supports about 2.31 ft of water column, so feet of head = psi × 2.31.

Friction loss: FL = C × Q² × L, where Q is flow in hundreds of gpm and L is hose length in hundreds of feet.

Area of a rectangle = L × W; area of a circle = πr² (π ≈ 3.14); volume = base area × height.

Average = sum ÷ count; weighted average = Σ(value × weight) ÷ Σ weights.

Order of operations: parentheses, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.

First-class lever: fulcrum between effort and load; mechanical advantage = effort arm ÷ load arm and may be above or below 1.

Second-class lever: load between fulcrum and effort, as in a wheelbarrow; mechanical advantage is always greater than 1.

Third-class lever: effort between fulcrum and load, as in tongs or a shovel; mechanical advantage is always less than 1.

Fixed pulley changes direction only (MA = 1); a movable pulley halves the effort (MA = 2); each additional supporting rope adds 1 to MA.

Meshed gears rotate in opposite directions; the larger gear turns more slowly and delivers greater torque.

Pressure = force ÷ area; applying the same force over a smaller area produces proportionally greater pressure.

Fluids flow from higher pressure to lower pressure; a check valve permits flow in one direction only.

Metals expand when heated and contract when cooled; a bimetallic strip bends because the two metals expand at different rates.

Priority order at any incident: scene safety, then notify or request help, then patient care, then documentation.

Route information and problems through the immediate supervisor; bypass the chain only for immediate safety or criminal matters.

Conflict sequence: listen without interrupting, restate the concern, ask what outcome the person wants, then agree on one next step.

Share case or personal information only with people who need it to perform their duties; casual discussion is a violation.

When two instructions conflict, follow the lawful direct order from the higher authority and report the conflict afterward.

Report your own errors immediately with facts and the corrective action taken; concealment is treated more severely than the error itself.

If a task is ambiguous, ask a specific clarifying question and repeat the answer back before beginning work.

Documentation records time, place, people present, action taken, and outcome, stated as facts without opinion or blame.

Working memory holds roughly four to seven items; chunking into groups of three or four increases effective capacity.

Spaced review on the same day, the next day, and one week later outperforms a single long study session.

Primacy and recency effects mean first and last items are recalled best; middle items need deliberate rehearsal.

A fixed observation order (left to right, top to bottom, near to far) prevents skipped details during a scan.

Recite an order verbatim before starting; this catches misheard numbers, names, and addresses.

Store digits in pairs or triples (address, plate, phone) and rehearse the grouped pattern aloud.

Link locations to a mental route (method of loci) to recall where equipment, exits, or evidence were positioned.

Recall accuracy drops under stress; write key facts down as soon as it is safe instead of relying on memory.