CPS Firefighter study guide
CPS Firefighter · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CPS HR Consulting firefighter examination is an entry-level written test that public fire agencies - cities, counties, and fire districts - use to screen applicants for firefighter recruit positions. Candidates rarely register with CPS HR for a single open test date. The CPS Firefighter study guide has 5 sections and about 1,488 words.
01Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension on a firefighter exam asks you to extract meaning from policies, training bulletins, incident reports, and code excerpts. You must identify the main idea, locate supporting details, follow a sequence of events, interpret vocabulary in context, recognize cause and effect, and draw only the inference the text supports.
320 words, about 2 min02Mathematical Reasoning
Mathematical reasoning items test practical arithmetic: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions, averages, elapsed time, unit conversion, perimeter, area, volume, and simple fireground formulas such as flow rate (gallons per minute × minutes = gallons), tank volume, and hose capacity. You should be comfortable setting up a proportion and converting units before calculating.
285 words, about 1 min03Mechanical Reasoning
Mechanical reasoning questions ask how simple machines and physical systems behave. Know the three lever classes, pulley systems, gear trains, mechanical advantage, friction, pressure (force ÷ area), and the trade-off between force and distance.
311 words, about 2 min04Situational Judgment and Human Relations
Situational judgment and human relations questions test whether you can act safely, professionally, and within policy when people and pressure complicate a situation. Expect scenarios involving chain of command, teamwork, conflict with a coworker, an angry member of the public, ethical pressure, cultural difference, stress, and reporting.
286 words, about 1 min05Memory and Observation
Memory and observation items test whether you notice details and recall them accurately after a short delay. You may be asked to remember a scene, a person description, a vehicle, an equipment layout, a set of instructions, or a sequence of events.
286 words, about 1 min