Fire & Rescue Service Mechanical Reasoning Test

Fire & Rescue Service looks for employees with a high mechanical ability. Applicants have to pass a mechanical test before being offered a position.

Ben Hopgood Updated: 20 May 2024

About Fire & Rescue Service Mechanical Reasoning Tests

Mechanical reasoning tests are a fair and objective way for Fire & Rescue Service to assess a wide range of applicants, each having different experiences and different qualifications. By analysing the results of a standardised mechanical reasoning test, Fire & Rescue Service are able to quickly see which candidates are suitable for the role and which are not. This sort of information about candidates’ skills is difficult to glean from interviews and qualifications alone, so they use professional psychometric tests.

Often, Fire & Rescue Service will ask applicants to take a mechanical test online, which you can take from home. When the mechanical test is used early on in the application process like this you will have to achieve a minimum score before you progress to the next round (typically a score in the top 50% of applicants is required however this does vary role to role). Further along in the selection process you might be asked to attend an assessment centre or interview where you will be asked to sit a mechanical test again. This is so Fire & Rescue Service can verify the person scoring highly in the test is indeed the person applying for the job.

Assessment section	Recommended Practice Pack
Fire & Rescue Service mechanical test	Mechanical Test Pack Suitable for preparing for Fire & Rescue Service
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Fire & Rescue Service Application Process Stages

Here is the typical process for your application to Fire & Rescue Service.

Stage 1

Application	The whole application process will vary depending on the Fire & Rescue service you are applying to. Some of the stages may not apply, and some may appear in a different sequence. However, all will require that you complete an application form. This can either be completed online, or you may be able to obtain a paper copy.

Stage 2

Online Aptitude Test	At some stage of the process online assessments will be employed. Once again, each fire service will operate under their own system, but you can expect to take part in a Numerical reasoning test, a Verbal reasoning test, and a Mechanical reasoning test. These are all administered by Test Partnership.

Stage 3

Physical Ability Assessment	A firefighter must be physically fit to ensure they can keep up with the demands whilst in service. Some of the physical tests used may be a: Ladder Climb Casualty Evacuation Ladder Lift / Lower Enclosed Spaces Assembling Equipment Carrying Equipment

Other Stages

Various	Other stages of the recruitment process may involve various eligibility to work checks: Written assessments Interviews References Medical Assessments Eye tests Hearing tests Step test Lung function test Blood pressure and pulse Height, weight, BMI Grip test Drugs & alcohol test

Buy Mechanical Reasoning Tests

Our mechanical reasoning test pack is suitable for preparing for the Fire & Rescue Service mechanical reasoning test.

Excellent variety of practice tests ranging in difficulty levels. Really helped me feel prepared for, and pass, my actual online tests.

Fire & Rescue Service Mechanical Reasoning Test Questions

Like most mechanical tests, the one used by Fire & Rescue Service look at your ability to interpret a situation from a visual representation and any written information and answer questions which require analysis of the data provided. The mechanical test will be assessing your speed and accuracy. The answers are multiple choice and you should try to work quickly within the time limit, but also accurately. Negative marking is unlikely to be used but do not guess answers, as this will show up in your accuracy score. Sometimes you will find that you can make a best guess estimate by deducing that some of the answer options are incorrect. This approach to mechanical tests will come with practice, and you will become familiar with the type of mechanical tests used by companies such as Fire & Rescue Service.

Mechanical reasoning tests and who uses them

Companies are using mechanical reasoning tests more and more in their application process that candidates must go through. Mechanical reasoning tests are favoured when the role being recruited for requires interpretation and manipulation of the physical world on a regular basis. A person's score in a mechanical reasoning test is a good indicator of their general intelligence and ability to assess physical aspects of the situation they find themselves in. This is of particular importance to the Fire & Rescue Service.

Fire & Rescue Service use mechanical reasoning tests as part of their recruitment process to help them select the best candidates for a particular role.

So as a graduate or senior candidate applying for a job at Fire & Rescue Service you might feel like the mechanical reasoning test is an unnecessary hoop to jump through. But you should bear in mind that Fire & Rescue Service are asking you to complete the mechanical test as much for your own benefit as theirs; if you are not suitable for the role, a psychometric test will usually identify this. Research has shown that psychometric tests, such as those used by Fire & Rescue Service, are a better predictor of job performance than traditional selection metrics such as level of degree achieved.

What you should know before taking your mechanical reasoning test

The mechanical operations required in standardised mechanical tests are of a level which most applicants can achieve. The difficult aspect comes with carrying out the calculations quickly and accurately within the time limit. Here is a list of the most common operations you can expect in your mechanical test:

Different types of mechanical tests

Most questions in most mechanical reasoning tests follow a standard format displaying a situation, the question and answer options on screen. These can be arranged differently, but each test will stick to the same layout throughout. The question text may contain extra information which adds to what's already given in the image, this might also be necessary to answer the question correctly. Lastly, the answer options are almost always multiple choice. Multiple choice answers can vary, however. You may have 4 options to pick from, 5, maybe 10, or more. The more answer options to pick from, the slimmer the chances are that you can obtain the correct answer by guessing.

Answered questions

Are these tests suitable for Fire & Rescue Service?

Yes. Fire & Rescue Service use Test Partnership's reasoning tests to assess applicants in the recruitment process. The practice tests we provide have been designed to mimic Test Partnership's style to create an environment similar to the real assessment. This provides you with confidence that the questions you practice with us now are an accurate reflection of the real assessment.

How difficult are your tests?

The same difficulty as real tests. Generally real employer selection tests don't differ that much in terms of difficulty which is why they compare your score against norm groups. Our practice tests are pitched roughly at graduate level, but this means they are actually suitable for preparing for all levels of job: entry; apprentice; graduate; senior; director.

Are they compatible with my Mac / Tablet / Phone?

Yes, and PC, and Linux and smartphone and Android and...everything. Our practice tests will run on all systems and they are responsive so they will work well on tablets and smartphones too!

How many times can I take the tests?

Unlimited. You can take our practice tests as many times as you like; there is no limit. But to be honest, after taking the same test a few times you start to remember the answers, so that’s why we have lots of tests.