Firefighter Cognitive Tests An Interview With Brent C – PODCAST
Fire Recruitment Australia Podcast
Aptitude & Cognitive Testing : How to get the edge
This episode, Brent takes a seat in the guest’s chair and journalist and fellow podcast Ginni Saraswati takes the host’s spot. Brent discusses some tips around:
- How to ensure you place yourself in the best position to succeed
- Practicing for the test
- Ideal time to give yourself before taking the test
- Common Traits of those who pass and those who don’t
- Key Take Aways
1:43 How to Get into the Top Percentile of Results
A lot of the time you will be told you that you can’t really improve on these tests as there is a psych component of this testing. This isn’t necessarily true if you have the right training. As far as improving on your aptitude and cognitive score, this is what Brent train’s people to do every day of the week in the quickest possible format with the least amount of effort required.
If you look at the stats of what most people do and what you should do – you need to be in the top 1-5% to get the attention of recruiters. What most people do is what you shouldn’t do. If we are trying to get into the extra ordinary range, you have to be doing something different to what everyone is doing.
Some ways to do this are:
1. Set this as a goal and absolutely commit to getting your score to where it needs to be to pass. This involves setting aside some time in advance to actually practice or put thought to it.
- Don’t take the easy way. Some people google free mechanical tests – this is what everybody is doing which is probably going to put you in the “everybody else” pile.
- Get the Specific questions that your service is asking for currently. This is so you’re not wasting your time learning things that you won’t be tested on. Improve on the things you need to improve on to progress through what you need to.
5:48 Training for the Test
If you’re studying in front of the TV and you’ve never been exposed to the environment, your performance on the day will most likely be effected with an increase in stress levels because you are not familiar with it. Try to recreate how it will be on the day. The more familiar you can be with the environment that you’re going to be under the most stress.
Every part of life demonstrates how when stress takes over, it effects productivity. The more familiar you are with that environment, the more easier it is. A lot of people don’t consider this.
9:04 The Common Traits of Winners and Losers
Common pitfall is people doing the same thing and expecting a different result. You hear this a lot. You really need to step bac and have a look at what you’re doing. If you’re doing the same thing – you’re going to get the same result. Most people just google free tests which isn’t an entirely poor strategy, but if you looking to be competitive quickly and in a shorter period of time, it’s not the best one for you. There is no point practicing the wrong questions and not having a mechanism to not improve your weaknesses. If you know you’re not good at something, you can have a way to improve.
13:18 Being in the Elite Percentile
If you want to be in the elite percentile, this simply means you can’t do what everyone else is doing. You have to kick it up and do extra. You need to do more than average to get a job that is more than average. It’s a really good thing to think about if you’re on the road to get a job that’s really competitive.
14:15 Restrictions to Failure and Re-Testing
Different services at different times come up with different rules. Certain states have a limit as to how many re-tests you can do and how often you can do it. What we do is train people to give them the best chance first up. This way you can concentrate on other more fruitful things in the recruitment process. This can be life changing if you get in or you miss out. You are going to have a different sort of life moving forward.
16:02 Ideal Lead Time for Preparation
Everybody is at different levels of requirements to preparation– overall, if somebody comes and we’ve got at least a couple of months, that would be good but three months is the ideal lead time, which will help you if you’re struggling in a fundamental area. Brent talks bout how he gets inundated the day that recruitment opens. Some people have a week or 10 days which is a big ask, if you have the right questions or right mechanisms in place.
17:54 Key Take Aways to Prepare for this test
- Decide that you something that you actually can and want to commit to
- Get the right question and the right system so you can increase your ability and pass the test
- Have a mechanism for improving on those questions.
- Reach out for help if you need if, before it’s too late
- Make sure you have the time to do the work – book that time in advance like it’s an activity and treat it seriously
