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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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