CPS entry-level exam

CPS FIREFIGHTER ENTRY-LEVEL EXAM PREP

The CPS HR Consulting entry-level firefighter exam is used by departments across Canada and, in Ontario, is administered by Firefighter Services of Ontario. Everything factual below is drawn from our researched department records.

Practise CPS entry-level exam questions (2031)Which test does my department use?

Free CPS entry-level exam practice — 15 questions, no signup

Random free questions from our bank tagged for the CPS entry-level exam. Our own practice questions, not real exam items. Your practice score is not a prediction of your exam result.

Exam simulation

CPS / FSO simulation

100 questions · 2 hours. The equal split is our assumption — FSO names the four areas but not the counts; CPS HR's catalogue lists 100 questions / 2 h.

Open the simulation (free 10-question preview)

Exam format and scoring

Length: CPS HR Consulting's 2026 catalogue lists the metric Canadian version at 100 questions in 2 hours. FSO does not publish the count itself, so treat this as indicative
Scoring: Official pass mark 70%
Content areas: FSO officially names four areas: understanding oral information (listening), reading comprehension, mathematical ability, and mechanical aptitude
Administered by: Firefighter Services of Ontario (FSO / FireOntario), fireontario.com
Cost and validity: Aptitude exam $90, certificate valid 1 year. All materials provided; scrap paper allowed; no calculators, phones or smartwatches; you may not leave the room during the test
Listening warning: The oral information passage is played once with no replay. This is the section candidates most often underestimate and the one you cannot re-read on the day
Other fso components: FSO runs seven components: CPAT $200, Clinical $130, Medical $100, Aptitude $90, Acrophobia $40, Tread Water $40, Emotional Stability and Resiliency $130. Several departments use a Core Four day (Clinical, CPAT, Tread Water, Aptitude). All costs fall on the candidate

Prep priority

Reading, mathematical ability and mechanical aptitude are directly covered by our bank. Listening is a separate skill - practise with the passage hidden, not on screen

Source: From fireontario.com service and FAQ pages, 2026. If a posting still names Gledhill Shaw or the OS test, that provider has no current presence and those departments now test through FSO. A certificate from OFAI does not transfer to FSO or the other way round - confirm which one your posting requires before paying

Departments recorded as using this exam

Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue ServicesChatham · Ontario Edmonton Fire Rescue ServicesEdmonton · Alberta Hamilton Fire DepartmentHamilton · Ontario Thorold Fire and Emergency ServicesThorold · Ontario Windsor Fire & Rescue ServicesWindsor · Ontario

This list reflects what we verified from published information in July 2026 and is not a complete list of every service that uses this exam. Confirm against the department's current job posting.

Free sample questions

218 of our 2031 questions tagged for the CPS entry-level exam are free to practise. These are our own practice questions written to the published format — they are not real exam items.

Sample 1

Excerpt: "Firefighters shall not return to active duty until heart rate is below 100 bpm and two consecutive readings 10 minutes apart show a stable or declining trend." A firefighter's heart rate reads 96 bpm, then 102 bpm ten minutes later. Can they return to duty?

A. No, the second reading is above 100 and the trend rose, not declined ✓
B. Yes, the requirement is satisfied because the first reading was below 100
C. Yes, because the average of the two readings sits close to 100
D. The excerpt sets a heart rate rule but does not cover return-to-duty timing

Both conditions must be met: the current reading must be below 100 bpm (102 is not) and the trend must be stable or declining (it rose from 96 to 102). Neither condition is satisfied.

Sample 2

Excerpt: "Ventilation operations shall be coordinated with, and shall not precede, the initiation of fire attack, except in cases of confirmed life-safety need." Crew arrives and begins ventilating the roof before the attack line is charged, with no confirmed occupants reported. Does this follow the excerpt?

A. No, ventilation is to be coordinated with, not run ahead of, fire attack ✓
B. Yes, ventilation should always be completed before fire attack begins
C. Yes, since no occupants had been confirmed inside the structure
D. The excerpt covers ventilation but does not address its sequencing

Without a confirmed life-safety need, the excerpt requires ventilation to be coordinated with fire attack rather than beginning before it — starting ventilation first does not follow this excerpt.

Sample 3

Excerpt: "Any incident lasting more than 60 minutes shall have a formal rehabilitation area established, and crews shall rotate through it before their second cylinder change." An incident has run 75 minutes and a crew is on its second cylinder change with no rehab area established. Does this follow the excerpt?

A. Yes, establishing a rehab area at all times remains discretionary
B. Yes, since the crew in question still has air remaining in their cylinders
C. No, both the 60-minute threshold and the rotation requirement have been missed ✓
D. The excerpt names a rehab requirement but sets no time threshold for it

At 75 minutes the 60-minute threshold requiring a formal rehab area has passed, and the crew has reached its second cylinder change without rotating through rehab — both requirements are unmet.

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CPS entry-level exam questions candidates ask

What sections does the CPS firefighter exam have?

Our records list understanding oral information (listening), reading comprehension, mathematical ability and mechanical aptitude.

How long is the CPS firefighter exam?

Per the CPS HR Consulting 2026 catalogue referenced in our records, metric (Canadian) versions run 100 questions with a two-hour limit, with no calculators, phones or smartwatches.

What is the pass mark?

Our records list a 70% pass mark where the exam is administered by Firefighter Services of Ontario. Other administering bodies may set their own criteria.

What catches candidates out?

Our records flag that the oral/listening passage is reported to play once with no replay, so practise single-pass listening rather than reading a transcript.

Firefighter Ready Canada is an independent preparation platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by OFAI, FPSI, ErgoMetrics, the National Testing Network, CPS HR Consulting, Firefighter Services of Ontario, BL Associates or any fire department. Exam names are used only to describe what we help you prepare for. Always confirm requirements against the department's current job posting.