Assessment Requirements and FRV Practice Test
Tests You Need to Pass in Order to Become a Firefighter in Victoria
There has been significant change with firefighter recruitment in Victoria in recent times with MFB and CFA amalgamating into one service being FRV or Fire Rescue Victoria.
At the time of writing, this article Pearson VUE is the test provider for FRV. The Pearson VUE suite of tests is the KEY to becoming a firefighter in VIC.
Be careful not to mistake Pearson VUE with Pearson VUE. What I mean by this is Pearson VUE does provide tests for other fire services in Australia so you might think “I have done a Pearson VUE test before so it will be the same”. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. In my experience, there can be some similarities but not enough to bet on. A recent example of this was the current QFES test is Pearson VUE but it is much simpler than the Fire Rescue Victoria test which has caught a lot of people out.
DON’T BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE
If you wish to lean more about the overall requirements for FRV Recruitment, check out our core page which is packed with expert tips and advice.
Pearson Vue Test for FRV Firefighter Selection
The Pearson VUE WST Firefighter assessment examines your reasoning abilities in the following areas.
Pearson Vue Practice test firefighter
Abstract reasoning – measures your ability to identify and complete sequences and patterns
Example:
Numerical reasoning – measures your ability to recognise relationships among numbers to determine the pattern and come up with the next logical number in the sequence.
Example:
Verbal reasoning – measures how well you understand and interpret written passages.
Example:
Mechanical reasoning – measures your ability to understand basic functioning of mechanical devices
Example:
The Key with any cognitive assessment 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.
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 Pearson Vue practice tests in the Membership Area.
This is where nearly everyone gets knocked out of the game.
To progress to the next stage of the selection process, you must achieve a pass at the Written Selection Test. Only the highest ranking 750 candidates will progress to the next stage of the selection process. This is a method Fire Rescue Victoria has only adopted in more recent years and could be likely to change but better to err on the side of caution and understand you need to be in the top 750.
TIP: Simply searching “pearson vue test firefighter” “frv firefighter test” or “free test firefighter” will most probably prove a waste of your time. This is usually what the masses do and then expect above average results.
Group Activity – Fire Rescue Victoria
This exercise will assess your effectiveness at working within a team.
Here’s a full post & video on group assessment activities for firefighter recruitment in Victoria.
PAT Test – Physical Aptitude Test – Practice Session & PAT Test
TIP: Go to the practice session even if you think you’re all over the PAT. This does a few things including familiarising yourself with the environment, the tasks, and how you are likely to perform on the day. It also shows your character in how you are approaching the process.
Most applicants are either frightened of the PAT OR they don’t pay a lot of attention to the PAT test.
Not paying attention to this part of the process is a mistake.
You need to 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.
Below is a PAT Demonstration Video from Fire Rescue Victoria, a bit drawn out but worth a watch.
At a bear minimum, use the training programs that FRV have supplied, they aren’t that bad. The reason they aren’t that bad is because they have identified a cohort were failing at this stage and they wanted to change the outcome. This is one of the ways the are trying to address it. So if you do nothing else, follow that.
Shuttle Run – Fire Rescue Victoria
As part of the application process, you will be required to do a Shuttle Run or Beep test.
You must achieve a score of 9.6 on a 20 meter shuttle course.
TIP: Train past 9.6 so if you have any ailments on the day you can still easily pass.
Here is a helpful course dedicated to the Beep Test
PERSONALITY PROFILE – Firefighter Psych Test
You will be required to undertake a psychological questionnaire or Psych Test, which takes just over one hour and consists of a series of true/false questions. This is scheduled on the same day as another of the assessments.
TIP: The best thing about the Firefighter Psych test for FRV in Victoria is they tell you the type of test. This is extremely helpful if you have struggled with this in the past.
