Fire Services Examinations Board

About the Examinations

Contents

• Overview
• The Written Examinations
• The Practical Tests *UPDATED*
• Certificates and the Top Candidate
• Reports
• Disabilities
• Dyslexia
• Dangerous Practices
• Appeals Procedure

Overview

The examinations are currently held once a year as follows:

Qualification for promotion to the ranks of Leading Firefighter and Sub-Officer is only obtained on completion of BOTH the written and practical parts of the examination.

The Written Examinations

Each of the written examinations consist of four papers:

Paper 1 - Operations
Paper 2 - Fire Safety, Education and Enforcement
Paper 3 - Human resource Management
Paper 4 - Business Administration. 

The subject areas of each paper are summarised in Section 1 of each Handbook with the detailed bibliography covered in Section 2.

All questions are compulsory and will be set in the kind of scenario in which candidates might find themselves in the rank for which they are to be examined. This is aimed at helping the candidate to understand the nature of the question more easily and in assessing the candidates ability to apply their knowledge and understanding in a more practical way.

Candidates are required to pass all four papers over a period of THREE consecutive years. However, candidates must take a minimum of TWO papers in the first of these three years. If candidates fail all papers in the first year, then they must take a minimum of two again in the second year. If at the end of the three years candidates have failed to pass all of the papers, they must start Part 1 again. Any papers passed within that three-year period become null and void.

Candidates who are absent from the examination are still expected to complete the examination within the three-year period from the date of entering the examination, and their absenteeism will be counted as one of these years.

However, candidates who have entered for the examination, but are subsequently absent for any paper, have the right to appeal to the FSEB for an extra year. Details of the procedure are outlined in Section 1 of the Handbook.

Similarly, where candidates have been forced to withdraw from the examination or perhaps been unable to enter and the circumstances can be considered 'exceptional', such as long term illness, injury or maternity leave, a one-year deferral of the entry can also be considered. Again, full details of the procedure are outlined in Section 1 of the Handbook. 

The Practical Tests

Each of the two practical tests comprise of three sections:

The detail for each section of the practical tests are summarised in Section 5 of the Handbook with the detailed bibliography covered in Section 6.

Candidates are required to pass the Part II Practical Test within three years of successfully completing the Part I examination. This is important as failure to enter in the first year will still count as one of the three years.

Failure to pass the Part II within this three year period will mean a candidate's pass in the Part I examination becomes null and void, and the candidate must then re-enter the Part I examination.

After June 2004 there will be NO further practical examinations.

Certificates and the Top Candidate

For the written examinations, a special framed certificate is awarded to the candidate who obtains the highest marks in the examination, subject to achieving at least 70% in each paper in a single sitting. Candidates are invited to receive their special framed certificates at Fire Conference, with the presentation made by the Minister. 

Reports

Disabilities

Dyslexia