Which firefighter test does my department use?

It depends on the department. Some Canadian departments, such as Kelowna, use the FireTEAM battery through the National Testing Network. Ontario departments commonly use the OFAI FACT, a few use a CPS-style exam, and many run their own test. Confirm the exact test on your target department's current posting before you prepare.

Is FireTEAM the same as the OFAI FACT?

No. They are different tests from different providers, with different sections and scoring. FireTEAM is an Ergometrics battery, often taken through NTN, that includes a video-based human relations component, while the OFAI FACT is Ontario's aptitude battery. Preparing for one does not fully prepare you for the other.

Can I prepare for more than one firefighter test at once?

Yes. The underlying skills overlap heavily: mechanical reasoning, math, reading, and judgment. If you are applying across regions, practise the shared skills and then practise the specific format each department uses.

How do I find out which test a department uses?

Start with the department's own hiring page and current job posting, which usually name the test and the provider. If it is not stated, a department that registers candidates through OFAI is pointing you at the FACT, but NTN runs more than one test, so check the NTN job listing for the test name, and contact the recruiting office to confirm before you pay for anything.

Does the OFAI FACT include a physical test?

The aptitude stage and the physical evaluation are separate parts of Ontario's process. The FACT measures cognitive aptitude, while the physical fitness component is assessed on its own. Confirm the current stages and sequence with OFAI or the department, since requirements can change between hiring cycles.

What is the video-based section on FireTEAM?

FireTEAM's human relations section presents short video scenarios and asks you to choose the best response. It measures judgment and interpersonal reasoning rather than recall, so it may be unfamiliar if you have only taken written tests. Practising with scenario questions ahead of time makes the format familiar.

FireTEAM vs OFAI FACT vs CPS: Which Firefighter Test Do You Need?

Which firefighter test you need depends on the department: Canada has no single national firefighter test. FireTEAM, the OFAI FACT and CPS-style exams are three different written tests, so confirm which one your department uses before you start preparing. This guide compares the three, shows how to find out which test your target department uses, and explains how to prepare once you know.

What is the difference between FireTEAM, the OFAI FACT, and CPS?

They are three separate written tests from three different providers. FireTEAM is an Ergometrics battery that some Canadian departments, such as Kelowna, deliver through the National Testing Network, and it includes a video-based human relations section. The OFAI FACT is Ontario's aptitude battery. CPS-style exams are written entry-level tests used by some departments. They overlap in the skills they measure, but they differ in format, sequencing and scoring. The first question to answer is which one your department requires, because that is the test your score is measured on.

The three tests have similar-sounding sections, and study material online does not always say which test it is written for. If you spend weeks preparing for one battery and your department uses another, you lose that study time. Identify the test first, then prepare.

How do I find out which test my department uses?

Start with the department's own hiring page and its current or most recent job posting, which usually name the test and the provider directly. If the posting does not say, look at how the department asks candidates to register. Registering through the National Testing Network tells you who administers the test, not which test it is. NTN runs more than one battery: Calgary, for example, uses NTN's Fire Express Exam plus the Public Safety Self-Assessments, and a previous NTN score does not transfer to it. Check the NTN job listing or the posting for the test name. Ontario departments that reference OFAI are pointing you at the FACT.

When it is still unclear, contact the recruiting office and ask two questions: what written test do you use, and who administers it. Do this before you buy anything, because the requirement is set by each department and can change between hiring cycles. If you are comparing several municipalities, our department-by-department guides are a useful starting point, but always check them against the current posting, since the process can change from one hiring cycle to the next.

What does the FireTEAM test measure?

FireTEAM is a battery of four areas: human relations (often presented as video scenarios where you choose the best response), mechanical aptitude, mathematics, and reading ability. It is designed to measure how you reason through the everyday cognitive and interpersonal demands of the job. It does not test firefighting knowledge.

The human relations section differs from a traditional written question: it is judgment-based and presented on video. You watch a short scene, then choose the response that best fits how a professional should act, and more than one option may seem reasonable. The mechanical, math and reading sections are closer to a standard written aptitude test, but they are timed, so pacing matters. Practise under timed conditions before test day; a full-length FireTEAM-style mock times each section. Treat any specific section counts, timing or scoring you read online as subject to change, and confirm the current structure with NTN or your department before test day.

What does the OFAI FACT measure?

The OFAI FACT is the aptitude stage many Ontario departments use. Alongside reasoning, math, reading and problem solving, it includes a substantial section on personal and behavioural characteristics: how you describe your own conduct, motivation and interpersonal style. That section is the main difference from the other two tests.

Preparing for the FACT therefore includes learning the format of the personal-characteristics portion and answering it consistently and truthfully, as well as practising calculation and comprehension. Ontario's process also includes a separate physical evaluation assessed on its own, so the FACT is one stage of a larger testing process. You can practise the aptitude stage with an OFAI FACT-style mock, and you should verify the current areas, stage order and any changes directly with OFAI, since the process can be revised between cycles.

What about CPS exams?

Some departments use a CPS-style written entry-level firefighter exam. Like the others, it measures the reading, math and reasoning skills the job requires, and it is generally a more conventional cognitive and mechanical battery without FireTEAM's video component or the FACT's large personal-characteristics section. Its structure is its own, so if your department uses it, practise in that format and confirm the current details from the department's posting rather than assuming it matches another test you have seen.

Before you choose a study guide, confirm which test your specific department uses. The requirement is set by each department and can change between hiring cycles.

How do the tests overlap, and which skills transfer?

The three tests draw on the same core skills: reading comprehension, applied math, mechanical reasoning, and sound judgment under time pressure. Those skills help on whichever test you sit, which is why it is realistic to prepare for more than one at a time if you are applying across regions.

Familiarity with the format does not transfer as easily. FireTEAM's video-based human relations questions, the FACT's personal-characteristics section and a CPS-style exam's own sequencing each need practice in that specific style. The shared skills carry across tests, but learning the question types and managing the clock has to be done for the exact test you will face. Plan time for both.

How do you prepare for the right one?

Prepare in three steps: the shared skills, the specific format, then a final check.

Build the shared skills first. Mechanical reasoning, math, reading and situational judgment appear in all three. Strengthening them helps wherever you apply, so start with them.
Then practise the exact format your department uses, under real time pressure, because pacing and question style differ between tests. Do full-length practice so the timing becomes familiar as well as the content.
Re-confirm the format close to test day. Providers and departments update their processes, so check the current posting or the provider's information to make sure you are not preparing for an outdated structure.

Summary

FireTEAM, the OFAI FACT and CPS test overlapping skills in different formats, and they are not interchangeable. Confirm which one your target department requires, build the shared skills, then practise in that test's format under time pressure. If you are applying to several departments across regions, prepare for the shared skills once and adapt to each format as you go. Verify the current details for each test before you sit it, including anything on this page.