UK firefighter recruitment tests: stages and practice questions
There is no single national firefighter exam in the UK: each fire and rescue service runs its own recruitment. London Fire Brigade, for example, asks candidates to complete online tests at home, then attend an assessment centre with an interview, role play, written exercise and online test. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service uses online assessments, a maths and English (Functional Skills) assessment and an assessment centre. Both include physical tests. Always read your chosen service’s own guidance.
UK firefighter tests at a glance
- London Fire Brigade stages
- Outreach Programme, application, online tests, assessment centre, fitness tests, medical and eye test, references
- LFB assessment centre
- Interview, role play, written exercise and online test
- GMFRS written assessments
- Online assessments plus a Maths and English (Functional Skills) assessment
- Physical tests
- Include ladder climb, ladder lift, casualty drag or evacuation, enclosed space or BA crawl, equipment assembly and equipment carry
From the official source listed at the bottom of the page.
Stages of the process (two example services)
- Before applying (LFB)London Fire Brigade requires a three-step Outreach Programme – an Outreach event, an information session and an Outreach Experience Day – before you can apply.
- Online tests (LFB)London Fire Brigade’s online tests are completed at home and verified at the assessment centre.
- Assessment centre (LFB)An interview, a role play, a written exercise and an online test. Successful candidates move on to the physical tests.
- Recruitment day and online assessments (GMFRS)Greater Manchester’s recruitment day includes a bleep test, a values and behaviours assessment, a group exercise and a personality test; its online assessments use gamified and personality tests.
- Assessment centre and Functional Skills (GMFRS)A structured interview, role play, presentation and group exercise may be used, plus a Maths and English assessment unless you already hold Level 2 qualifications.
- Physical tests, medical and checksBoth services test job-related physical tasks. London Fire Brigade adds a medical exam, eye test and references; Greater Manchester makes a conditional offer subject to pre-employment checks.
UK firefighter tests practice test — 50 questions
Original questions written to prepare for the UK firefighter tests; they are not official test questions. Answer them without an account and see an explanation for each one.
A crew attends 18 incidents in week one and 24 in week two. What is the mean number of incidents per week?
A hose length is 25 metres. How many metres do 7 lengths make when joined end to end?
A water tank holds 1,800 litres. It is 40% full. How many litres are in it?
A pump delivers 450 litres per minute. How long does it take to deliver 2,700 litres?
A shift starts at 18:00 and lasts 14 hours. When does it end?
How many centimetres are in 3.2 metres?
A station has 12 firefighters on a watch. One quarter are on a course. How many remain at the station?
A ladder costs £960 and the price rises by 5%. What is the new price?
A fire engine travels 6 km in 8 minutes at a steady speed. How far does it travel in 20 minutes?
Foam concentrate is mixed with water in the ratio 3 : 97. How much concentrate is in 500 litres of mixture?
What to practise for the UK firefighter tests
- Everyday numeracy: percentages, ratios, units and time
- Reading short passages and drawing only the conclusions they support
- Reading tables, rotas and safety notices
- Teamwork and communication in practical situations
- Safety-first decision-making
- The stages of your chosen fire and rescue service’s process
Type any of these topics into the quiz generator to make a practice quiz. Quiz templates
How to prepare for the UK firefighter tests with SimpleQuizMaker
- Work through the 50 practice questions below in sets of ten and read each explanation when you get one wrong.
- Type a topic such as “firefighter numeracy: percentages and unit conversion” to make your own quiz of up to 10 questions – the free plan gives you 5 AI generations a month.
- Paste a fire safety leaflet or your service’s recruitment page and turn it into a comprehension quiz.
- On the Student plan you can upload PDF, Word or image files and create up to 100 questions per quiz.
UK firefighter tests tips
- Read your chosen service’s recruitment pages first – the stages and tests differ between services.
- Practise mental arithmetic without a calculator: percentages, fractions and converting units.
- In reading tests, choose only what the passage actually says, not what seems likely.
- Start training for the physical tests early; strength and stamina take weeks to build.
Make your own UK firefighter tests practice quiz
Free account, no card needed. Type a topic or paste your notes and the AI builds the quiz in seconds.
{short} FAQ
Are these real fire service test questions?
No. The 50 practice questions are original items written by SimpleQuizMaker, not official fire and rescue service or national selection test items. They practise skills the services’ own pages describe.
Does every fire and rescue service use the same process?
No. Each service runs its own recruitment. London Fire Brigade, for example, requires an Outreach Programme before you apply, while Greater Manchester starts with an expression of interest. Check the service you apply to.
What written tests are there?
It depends on the service. London Fire Brigade uses online tests at home and a written exercise and online test at its assessment centre. Greater Manchester uses online assessments and a Maths and English (Functional Skills) assessment.
What physical tests should I expect?
Services list job-related tests such as a ladder climb, ladder lift, casualty drag, an enclosed space or breathing apparatus crawl, equipment assembly and equipment carry, plus a fitness test such as a treadmill or bleep test.
What can I do with a free account?
On the free plan you enter a topic or paste text and get 5 AI generations a month, with up to 10 questions per quiz. The Student plan ($2.99 a month or $29.99 a year) adds PDF, Word and image uploads and up to 100 questions.
Do people need an account to take my quiz?
No. You share a link, and anyone can take the quiz without an account.
Official sources
- London Fire Brigade – Firefighter selection process
- London Fire Brigade – Fitness tests
- London Fire Brigade – Who we’re looking for
- Greater Manchester FRS – Recruitment process
- Greater Manchester FRS – Fitness tests
SimpleQuizMaker is not affiliated with any police service, fire department, recruiting body or government. Our questions are original practice items, not official test questions. Always check the current rules with the official source.