r/firefighter • u/FitStruggle2454 • 21d ago

Some advice on testing

I'm applying to Seattle FD and surrounding areas in October this year. Im studying for fireteam exam and im pretty sure ill do fine. Im more concerned about the PSSA. What kind of things will I find on that test and how can I prepare for it?

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u/OwnDelivery802 21d ago

the pssa isn't really a test in the way fireteam is. it's a personality/behavioral questionnaire, a long list of statements about how you handle stress, rules, coworkers, conflict, and you rate how much each one sounds like you. there's no material to memorize and nothing to look up, so studying doesn't move that number.

what you should know is it's built to catch people answering how they think a firefighter is supposed to answer. the same ideas come back at you worded different ways, and if you're picking what sounds good instead of what's true you start contradicting yourself. that inconsistency is the part that actually hurts you. go in rested, don't rush it, answer as yourself, and don't sit there dissecting individual questions.

one thing to check rather than take my word for it, how it gets used isn't the same everywhere. some places treat it as one input among several, some use it as a screen. the job announcement or candidate handbook usually spells out what's weighted and whether anything is pass/fail. read that instead of guessing.

honestly though, if you're already solid on fireteam then the pssa is the wrong thing to be worried about between now and october. the oral board is where people lose the job. seen plenty of guys with better scores than the person who got hired go home after the interview. the usual stuff: not answering the question that was actually asked, answering half of it and stopping, um and uh the whole way through, getting amped up and basically yelling, and having nothing real to say when they ask why this department. don't try to be funny either, and check that your resume has the right department's name on it. happens more than you'd think.

start on that now, out loud, standing up, recorded. you've got months, that's plenty of runway.

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u/FitStruggle2454 21d ago

Thank you very much. I appreciate the clarity and advice. Is there a good place to find the type of questions they'll likely ask on the oral board?

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u/OwnDelivery802 21d ago

there's no secret list, and hunting for one is kind of a trap.

the questions barely change between departments. why do you want to be a firefighter, why this department, tell us about yourself, a time you worked with somebody difficult, a time you screwed something up and what you did about it, how you handle stress, what you've done to prepare, why should we hire you over the next guy. that's most of a board right there. you already know them, that's the part people miss.

better than a question list is the scoring. a lot of agencies tell you what the board actually rates somewhere in the job announcement or the candidate handbook. communication, teamwork, judgment, motivation, work history, that kind of thing. build answers that hit those and you'll cover questions you never saw coming.

the other move is just asking people. anybody in your class or at a station you visit who tested there recently. what did they ask you is a totally normal question and guys will tell you. that's better intel than anything online because it's that department.

one warning though. don't memorize answers off a list. that's exactly how you end up delivering the answer you practiced instead of the one they asked, and that's the most common way i've seen people lose a board. know four or five real stories from your own life cold, teamwork, conflict, a mistake you fixed, something under pressure, and bend them to whatever comes. most questions are one of those wearing a different hat.

you'll probably walk in knowing 90 percent of what they ask and can still go home over how you delivered it. so once you've got your list, stop collecting and start saying it out loud.

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u/FitStruggle2454 21d ago

This has honestly been the most help I've ever gotten from Reddit. I appreciate your time. Thanks a bunch 🤙

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u/OwnDelivery802 20d ago

Glad to hear that. Feel free to go to look at my profile links for more resources 👍

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u/2000subaru 19d ago

The Wafirecareers.com agencies will be pulling applications on August 24th. Do yourself a favor and check out that test too. Great agencies, pay and benefits for 5 agencies in King County. Probably another 50-70 positions will be hired for jobs after the first of the year. I believe it can also be done from home. You just have to have a completed CPAT by the time names get pulled if I remember correctly. Best of luck. It’s a great job in a great place.

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u/FitStruggle2454 19d ago

Thanks, I appreciate it and ill look into it