If you are serious about taking a promotional exam and getting promoted then you cannot just wing it. A firefighter in this day and age will need some solid strategies to get ahead of the competition in the promotional process. Very few firefighters are gifted enough to take a promotional test with no planning and pass it with good scores. We have compiled some of the strategies we have found useful over the years for passing Fire Service Promotional Prep exams. These strategies apply to any promotional test whether it is for a driver/operator position or a chief officer level promotion.  Use the strategies below today to start on the path to promotion and to achieve success in your journey.          

1. Know your learning style and use it

There are several different types of learning styles and knowing yours is important so you can use it to learn the study material better for your test. If you don’t know your learning style already there are some techniques you can use to help you out.  It is easy to find plenty of self-assessment tools online that can help you with identifying your learning style. You can also do some research and read about all the different learning styles to see if one strikes a chord with you. Also, think back to school and when you were studying in your past. Is there a method of studying that helped you remember material more effectively? With the knowledge of your learning style you are armed with the information to take advantage of your learning style and study more effectively.

• Develop a study plan

Like any other major elements of life, having a plan is the key to execution. You have the goal and vision of getting promoted, but how are you going to get there?  Are there classes you need to take to qualify or improve your knowledge in a certain area? How much and what type of study material is required to prepare for the test. Where are you going to study so you can focus? Do you have all the study materials and tools you need?  Developing a study plan is just like a strategic or project plan. You need to know your goal then work backwards from there to build out your plan. Be specific and realistic when setting your milestones, perhaps using a method similar to SMART goals. Setting a timeline to stick to is key and can be used to organize your studying on a daily basis. It is going to be overwhelming when you begin studying, so be sure to break large tasks down into smaller more manageable tasks. Lastly write, graph, spreadsheet or whatever you need to make a visual representation of your plan so you can see it and stick to it.

• Set a schedule and stick to it

This is where you can set yourself apart from others. Have a well thought out and organized study schedule to works in conjunction with your study plan. We prefer to create a schedule for the entire study time frame you will be studying. Pick the number of days you want to study each week and set the amount of time you want to study. Write this out in a calendar and time block your studying. It is recommended not to study for more than 90 minutes at a time without taking a break to rest your mind. So set time blocks for 60-90 minutes in your schedule. You can break down the different subjects or books that are included in your study material so you are sure to study all the material and don’t miss anything. As you get closer to your test date you may want to add more study time. You need to prioritize and plan your study time in advance so life doesn’t interrupt your studying and leave you with no time to study. 

• Get a study group to prepare with

Two brains are better than one and three brains are better than two. It is highly recommended to find a small group of like-minded people to study with while preparing for a fire department promotional exam. It may seem counterintuitive in the competitive fire service atmosphere of promotional testing, but we highly believe in having the support system of other firefighters taking the exam. With a group you can discuss topics and challenge each other in a way that helps everyone learn. You may have missed a detail that someone else in the group brings to your attention. Working in a group will hold you accountable to someone besides yourself to keep studying. There are numerous benefits to having a study group, so get one.  Even if it is only you and one other person, get a group and get to work.   

• Use different mediums to study the material

Knowing your learning style is key so you can spend a large portion of your time learning the material through that means. In addition, it is helping to look at the same material through a different lense to help ensure understanding of the material.  You can even go through the same study material in different ways using the same learning style. For example, if reading/writing is your primary learning style you can read the book, write an outline, make note cards, and take practice tests all to learn the material is slightly different formats. You are still using your primary learning style, but just is slightly different formats.  And it’s not like you won’t learn anything usings a learning style that is not your primary learning style. Be sure to use your primary learning style, but there is no harm in listening to an audiobook in addition to using reading/writing learning methods.   These are just some test preparation methods that we have found useful in our experience. Do not limit yourself to these strategies, but be sure to incorporate as many of them as possible into your fire service promotion test preparation.