Written Examination: Cognitive Ability, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, and Reasoning
Domain 1 tests how you extract facts from a procedure, solve fireground arithmetic, and apply logical rules under time pressure. Every answer must be supported by the passage or the stated conditions-not by outside assumptions.
Reading comprehension
- Identify the main idea, sequence, and specific reference: who does what, when, and with which tool.
- Distinguish what the text says from what you expect. If an answer adds a detail not in the passage, reject it.
- For “most nearly” questions, compare every option to the stated rule, not to your department’s habit.
Mathematics
- Translate words into a setup before calculating: rate × time = quantity; part ÷ whole = percent.
- Keep units consistent; convert minutes to seconds only when the question asks for seconds.
- Estimate to eliminate impossible choices, then compute exactly.
Reasoning
- For deductive items, use the stated rule exactly: “All ladders are inspected; this is a ladder; therefore it was inspected.” Do not reverse it-inspected does not prove it is a ladder.
- For spatial items, rotate only the stated direction and track one fixed reference point.
Worked example
A 750-gallon tank is 80% usable. A 150-gpm line is flowing. Usable water = 750 × 0.80 = 600 gallons. Time = 600 ÷ 150 = 4 minutes. The trap is using 750 ÷ 150 = 5 minutes, which ignores the reserve.
Traps that cost marks
- Answering from memory when the passage gives a different local rule.
- Using total capacity instead of usable water, or gpm instead of gallons.
- Selecting a number that appears in the problem but answers a different question.
- Over-inferring: “likely” is not “stated.”