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National Firefighter Selection Inventory (NFSI)
The National Firefighter Selection Inventory (NFSI) is Industrial/Organizational Solutions' (IOS) flagship entry-level firefighter selection examination: 155 items in two sections — 105 cognitive ability items and 50 behavioral-orientation (personality-type) items — administered in 2 1/2 hours plus 15 minutes of instructions, with five parallel forms, delivered to candidates either through IOS Remote Testing (live-proctored from home) or agency-arranged administrations; IOS provides certified results to the using fire department, and no universal passing score is published.
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Questions155 items total: Section I — 105 cognitive ability items; Section II — 50 behavioral-orientation (personality-type) items
Testing time2 hours 30 minutes for the NFSI, plus 15 minutes for instructions (department test sessions add about one hour for check-in, instructions, and candidate support)
ScoringNo universal passing score is published; IOS provides certified test results to the using fire department, and candidates receive their results from the department they applied with (IOS does not discuss test results with candidates)
Exam feeNo fixed candidate fee is published for the NFSI itself; IOS sets up each using agency's application or testing fee on its e-commerce website for that administration (fees therefore vary by department). Optional IOS preparation materials are sold separately (e.g., NFSI Standard Study Guide USD 9.99, Interactive Online Practice Test USD 17.50, Enhanced Study Guide USD 24.99, Elite Study Package USD 39.99).
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- IOS
- Category
- Fire Service Recruitment
- Current version
- Five parallel forms (Form 1 through Form 5); no dated edition or blueprint label is published
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- IOS (self-administered via IOS Remote Testing and its PS3 online administration platform); Pearson VUE test centers available for participating agencies
- Format
- Computer-based: IOS Remote Testing from home (Safe Exam Browser on a computer plus a phone/tablet video meeting with a live IOS proctor) or agency-arranged administrations; IOS entry-level exams can also be deployed at Pearson VUE testing centers for large-scale or out-of-state testing
- Availability
- Scheduled per using department: IOS Remote Testing sessions run weekdays at 8:30am and 1:00pm CST, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm CST, and Saturdays at 8:30am CST (excluding holidays), with registration closing 72 hours before each exam; departments set their own test dates
- Results
- Results are certified to the using agency after testing is complete ('based on an established time frame or intervals'); candidates receive their results from the department they applied with
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
Two sections in one exam: Section I is a 105-item cognitive ability measure covering verbal comprehension, verbal expression, problem sensitivity, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, information ordering, mathematical reasoning, and numeric facilitation; Section II is a 50-item non-cognitive behavioral-orientation (personality-type) measure covering stress tolerance, team orientation, and motivation/attitude
Where rules vary
A U.S. firefighter selection examination purchased and administered by individual U.S. fire departments and regional testing programs; the exam content is uniform nationwide (five parallel forms), while administrations, scheduling, and result reporting are run per using agency
Eligibility
Open to candidates applying to a fire department that uses the NFSI in its hiring process; testing is arranged through the using agency's IOS administration