What are the recruitment stages for Ottawa Fire Services?

Ottawa Fire Services runs 6 stages: Online application with one PDF of documents, Aptitude testing, Screening and panel interview, CPAT, Post-interview clearance, Selection committee and job offer. Stage details must be confirmed against the department's current posting.

How should I prepare for the Ottawa Fire Services process?

Train the cognitive categories used in aptitude testing, build aerobic capacity and grip endurance for the physical evaluation, and prepare evidence-based answers for the competency interview.

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OTTAWA FIRE SERVICES

Official careers page

Recruitment watch

Ottawa no longer keeps a two-year ranked list: each posting is run separately and opened only when staffing requires it. The last career posting we saw closed 21 November 2025, and the City's jobs board showed no open firefighter competition when we checked. An aggregator has reported a posting closing 4 October 2026 that we could not confirm on ottawa.ca, so check the City's jobs site and sign up for its career alert.

Not accepting applications right now

Last checked September 23, 2026Source

A bilingual urban and rural service covering a very large geographic response area.

Try a free practice test

Written / aptitude test

Verified against the official posting — confirm before applying

OFAI FACT

Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test (OFAI Stage One)

Fee: $75 + HST
Format: 110 multiple-choice questions, single sitting up to 3 hours, proctored at FESTI in Mississauga
Scoring: Weighted 45% aptitude / 55% character. Pass/fail only — OFAI releases no numeric score and publishes no cutoff
Sections: Reading Ability (15), Mathematical Reasoning (15), Map Reading (10), Writing Ability (10), Personal Characteristics (60)
Validity: 24 months
Retake rule: 15-day wait after a first fail, 30 days on later attempts
Administered by: Ontario Fire Administration Inc. (OFAI), published by FPSI

Prep priority

Personal Characteristics is 60 of 110 questions and 55% of the result — do not neglect it for the math sections

Source: Toronto and Ottawa officially require OFAI Stage One certificates. Verified against publicly published information as of July 2026 — always confirm against the current job posting before booking.

Practice tagged to this exam

… questions for the OFAI FACT

Every question in our bank is tagged with the exam families it prepares you for, so you can practise only what applies to this department. Some questions also carry a section prefix — MAP READING, WRITING ABILITY, HUMAN RELATIONS or MENTAL MATH — matching real exam sections.

Practise OFAI FACT questions Timed OFAI FACT practice mock OFAI FACT format & scoring Browse the full bank (…)

Not sure this is the right exam? See which test every department in our database uses.

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Recruitment roadmap

Stages are stored per department. Anything not yet confirmed against an official source is marked as requirements to be verified.

Step 1 of 6

Physical requirements

Candidate Physical Ability Test

Eight consecutive events performed as one continuous, timed sequence with a walking transition between stations. The pass standard is a total time of 10 minutes 20 seconds.

Gear: 50 lb (23 kg) weighted vest, plus an additional 25 lb (11 kg) for the stair climb only.

CPAT total time standard: 10:20

Circuit: Stair Climb · Hose Drag · Equipment Carry · Ladder Raise & Extension · Forcible Entry · Search · Rescue Drag · Ceiling Breach & Pull

Source: IAFF/IAFC Candidate Physical Ability Test

Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)

Note: Confirmed on ottawa.ca as an additional requirement during the process, taken after the panel interview and paid by the candidate. The City publishes a CPAT preparation guide with workouts.
Format: 8 timed events completed continuously in a weighted vest
Time limit: 10 minutes 20 seconds

Source: ottawa.ca career firefighter recruitment pages, checked September 2026

Questions candidates ask

Does Ottawa Fire Services use CPAT?

Yes. Ottawa requires the CPAT, but you take it only when invited after the panel interview, and you pay for it. The written side is different: Ottawa accepts the OFAI Stage One FACT certificate instead of its own aptitude test.

How far in advance should I start preparing?

Being test-ready and fitness-ready before a posting opens matters more than intense preparation after it opens.

Are the practice questions here real exam questions?

No. Every question is original training content written to reflect common recruitment task types. No legitimate provider has access to live exam material.

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We watch official recruitment pages for Ottawa Fire Services and record the status here as soon as we see a posting open.

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