Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension on a firefighter aptitude exam tests whether you can extract the main idea, supporting details, sequence, and the writer's purpose from a short passage, often written in the procedural or technical register of a manual. Read the passage once for the gist, then read the question and return to the text to locate the sentence that answers it. Distinguish the main idea (what the whole passage is about) from a supporting detail (one fact inside it). Watch for sequence words (before, after, once, until) because procedure questions hinge on order. Traps include: an answer that is true in real life but not stated in the passage; an answer that repeats exact words from the passage but reverses the meaning; and a too-broad or too-narrow summary. Never import outside knowledge-answer only from the text.
Worked example: Passage: "Before entering a burning room, firefighters check the door for heat with the back of the hand. If the door is hot, they use a different entry point." Question: What should a firefighter do if the door is hot? The passage says use a different entry point. An answer like "open the door slowly" sounds reasonable but is not supported, so it is wrong. Rule of thumb: the correct answer can be pointed to in the text.
Also note tone and purpose-whether the writer is instructing, warning, or explaining-since questions often ask why the author included a detail.