Firefighter Recruitment NSW Requirments
Tests You Need to Pass in Order to Become a Firefighter in NSW
Here we go more in-depth on the firefighter recruitment NSW requirements. At the time of writing this article, Revelian is the test provider for NSW. The Revelian suite of tests is the KEY to becoming a firefighter in NSW.
The reason for this is that there is more than just a simple cognitive component to the Revelian tests for the NSW fire and rescue recruitment process.
Revelian is one of the more comprehensive test providers for fire services around Australia, and FRNSW uses one of Revelian’s most comprehensive testing regimes. Fire & Rescue NSW tests preparation is an absolute must if your looking at being competitive.
Revelian Test for NSW Fire and Rescue Recruitment
– Revelian classic cognitive ability assessment
This assessment examines your verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, and your ability to acquire, retain, organise and apply information. This assessment has a time limit.
The Key – With any cognitive assessment the key is to make sure you are using relevant test questions for your practice, there is a bit more to it but that’s the big one. Unfortunately a lot of the practice stuff you will find via web search is NOT what you will experience on the day. I have seen every mistake under the sun related to this issue.
– Cognify ( game based assessment ) forms part of the cognitive testing NOTE: Cognify has been removed for the last intake
This assessment examines your reasoning ability, and your ability to acquire, retain, organise and apply information. This assessment has a time limit. You can access example tests for cognify in the Membership Area
The Key – The thing you need to understand about the “cognify” game based assessment is that you want to get exposure to the test before the day, “cognify” gives the recruiters a deeper insight into your actual reasoning ability as it records not only your answers but also your behaviour whilst attending the test.
– Work Safety Test – NSW Fire & Rescue Recruitment
This assessment contains a variety of statements about beliefs and attitudes regarding safety requiring a response along a 5 point scale. This assessment is not timed but should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
The Key – With the work safety test you need to develop an understanding around the beliefs and attitudes of the preferred candidate profile Revelian and FRNSW have come up with. Once you understand this it allows you to avoid mistakes thousands of people make each year
– Emotional Intelligence Test – Emotify
This assessment will require you to complete two engaging, interactive assessments that ask you to correctly identify emotions based on facial expressions, and to understand the emotions people feel in different situations. This assessment is has two “mini-games” that are timed and will require approximately 20 minutes in total to complete.
The Key – With emotional intelligence although you may consider yourself emotionally mature I beleive it’s best to gain some exposure to this test and ensure you are familiar with it. This also allows you the opportunity to close the gaps if there are any before the actual test.
– Work Reliability Scale
This assessment considers beliefs and attitudes regarding honesty and integrity based on your responses. . The assessment is not timed but should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The tests above are usually accompanied by some strategic questioning as the beginning of firefighter recruitment in NSW.
This is where nearly everyone gets knocked out of the game
TIP: Simply searching “revelian test frnsw” “nsw firefighter test” or “free test firefighter” “nsw fire and rescue recruitment” will prove a waste of your time and may even lead you down a path of being locked out for 12 months
PAT Test – Physical Aptitude Test – NSW Fire Service
The NSW Fire & Rescue recruitment process has a significant physical testing component that should be taken seriously.
Honestly most applicants don’t pay a lot of attention to the PAT test which is a mistake unless you take into account the fact most of the people that take it for granted are the same ones who will never actually make it to the PAT anyhow.
Here’s the thing about the PAT, It’s specific so at a minimum familiarise yourself with it. The PAT is not something you want to fail after going through all the effort to get through the initial testing, it’s also the most transparent test you will face as in you know the benchmarks you’re required to meet.
My motto is always “control the outcome of what you can” and the PAT definitely falls into this category so why wouldn’t you make sure you can control the outcome of something so simple.
When I’m working with a client on the PAT we boil it down into a training method of the “minimum effective dose” so that absolutely every minute of effort is propelling you towards the goal and zero effort is wasted doing things that will not contribute.
Listen to this podcast for more on NSW fire service fitness tests: 2 minutes
Interview Process – NSW Fire Service
Format: Candidates will face questions from four different two-person panels to ensure divergent opinions determine the best candidates for the role.
The interview process is easily your biggest opportunity in the entire process to beat your competition.
See this podcast for a free debrief with our in-house interview coach
The Interview is actually the least competitive aspect of the process as usually at interview they have culled hundreds or even thousands of applicants. NSW fire and rescue recruitment is super competitive but by the time you reach this hurdle you have gotten past most of your competition
Do not assume that if you reach this stage the interview is simply a formality; more candidates will be brought to interview than there are positions available. It is a critical part of the selection process and is subject to rigorous assessment.
So at this stage you might only have to be better than 20-40 other applicants.
It is at this stage of the process I get really excited for the guys I work with because I know if they simply follow my training and show up to their coaching sessions they are almost guaranteed a job.
Group Activity – 7 Tips on How to Deal with the Different Activities in Group Activities
The NSW fire and rescue recruitment process has a group exercise to assess your effectiveness at working within a team.
Here’s a brief video on group activities & Tips
This guide was made for FRV but the fundamentals apply across the board including
Written Task
Your last activity will be a written task to assess your communication skills.
