FCTC Written Test case studies
FCTC Written Test · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The FCTC Written Test is a multiple-choice examination used by the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center as part of the hiring process for firefighter candidates in participating California agencies. It is a screening tool, not a certification: a strong score helps a candidate move forward in an agency's hiring sequence, but each department sets its own standards, eligibility rules, and next steps. The FCTC Written Test case studies are 5 cases and about 4,581 words.
1Reading Comprehension - Applying SOG 4.3 at 02:10
The following excerpt appears in the Riverton Fire Department study packet you were issued before the promotional exam: 4.3.1 No member shall enter an IDLH atmosphere unless at least two members are positioned outside the structure and able to initiate rescue. 4.3.2 The incident commander may set aside 4.3.1 only when a known life hazard exists.
906 words, about 5 min2Numerical Reasoning - Staffing Recommendation From 84 Days of Call Data
Chief Alvarez hands you a one-page staffing summary for Station 7 covering the last 12 weeks (84 days) and asks for a recommendation on adding a second transport unit: Incidents run by Station 7: 1,260. Medic 7, the ALS ambulance, was dispatched on 735 of them; Engine 7 ran the other 525.
761 words, about 4 min3Mechanical Reasoning - Finding Force at a Dashboard with a Pry Bar
During an extrication drill, a training manikin is pinned behind the dashboard of a junked car. The crew has a 60-inch pry bar, a 1-ton come-along, a 3:1 rope pulley system, and wooden cribbing.
903 words, about 5 min4Situational Judgment - The Check Sheet You Did Not Perform
You are 14 months into the job at Station 12. Senior Firefighter Doyle has 19 years in, is the station's most experienced driver, and is well liked.
1,053 words, about 5 min5Workplace Safety - Heat Illness on the Live-Fire Ground
It is 14:20 on the third day of live-fire training. The temperature is 91°F with 68% relative humidity, and recruits are in full turnout gear with SCBA, rotating through 20-minute burn evolutions in a concrete burn building.
958 words, about 5 min