CPS entry-level exam
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.
Prep priority
The oral/listening passage is reported to play once with no replay — practise single-pass listening, not transcript reading
Source: City of Edmonton appears on published CPS client organization lists as of July 2026. Edmonton runs its own recruitment; confirm the current written test directly in the posting before preparing.
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.
21 of our 176 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
A single fixed pulley is used to raise a hose bundle to an upper floor. Compared to lifting the bundle by hand with no pulley, a single fixed pulley:
A single fixed pulley provides no mechanical advantage — the force required is unchanged — but it redirects the pulling force, which is often more convenient (e.g., pulling down instead of up).
Sample 2
A pumper's tank holds 1000 gallons. It discharges water at 250 gallons per minute during initial attack. How many minutes until the tank runs dry if no supply line is connected?
1000 ÷ 250 = 4 minutes. This is the kind of tank-duration calculation used in numerical batteries and matters operationally for knowing when a supply line must be established.
Sample 3
Excerpt from a standard operating guideline: "Upon arrival at a reported structure fire, the first-arriving officer shall complete a 360-degree size-up where conditions safely permit, and shall transmit an initial radio report including building type, visible conditions and the chosen strategic mode before committing crews to interior operations." Based on this excerpt, when should the initial radio report be transmitted?
The excerpt states the report must be transmitted "before committing crews to interior operations," making the sequence explicit.
Our records list understanding oral information (listening), reading comprehension, mathematical ability and mechanical aptitude.
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.
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.
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.