The NTN FireTEAM Test: What Is on It and How It Is Scored

By Ryan Coffey, firefighter at the Port of Seattle Fire Department. Six years on the Everett Fire Department hiring panel. Updated November 2026.

I coach oral boards, not written tests. But for most fire departments, the written test decides whether you ever get to an oral board. Seattle invites the top 1,000 FireTEAM scorers to its board for the 2026 to 2027 cycle. Salt Lake City has said it expects to invite the top 50 to 100. If your score is not high enough, the interview you prepared for never happens.

So here is what the FireTEAM test is, what is on it, how departments actually use the score, and the part of it that has more to do with your interview than you might think.

What the FireTEAM test is

FireTEAM is an entry-level firefighter exam developed by Ergometrics. Salt Lake City describes it as "a video-based testing system that assesses critical skills necessary to be a firefighter." You register and pay through the National Testing Network (NTN), and you choose which departments receive your score.

Depending on the department, you may be able to test in person at a test center or online. Seattle's 2026 to 2027 cycle allows either. Hillsboro, Oregon says virtual or on-site testing is available. Some departments have listed on-site testing only, so check the department's posting when you register.

One thing to avoid: NTN also offers a separate Firefighter (Express) exam. It is not the same test. Make sure you register for the one your department asks for.

The four sections

NTN lists four sections: Human Relations (in two parts), Mechanical, Reading and Math, about two hours in total. Madison Fire's 2024 candidate study guide gives the most detailed breakdown I found:

Times can vary. An older Denver handout lists different times for each section, so treat these as a guide and check what your department tells you.

Human Relations

This is the big one. You watch short video scenarios of situations a firefighter might face, with coworkers, officers and the public, and choose the best and worst way to respond. The video plays without stopping, and you have about 10 seconds per question.

It matters more than the others at some departments. In Seattle's 2026 to 2027 cycle, the Human Relations video counts for 50 percent of the exam score, while math, mechanical and reading are pass/fail only.

Here is how this connects to the oral board. These are the same kinds of judgment calls that show up on oral boards as situational questions: what you do when a crew member is unsafe, when you disagree with an officer, when a bystander is filming you on a call. I do not know Ergometrics' scoring key, and anyone who claims to is guessing. But the values a panel scores on those questions are the same ones the fire service runs on: safety first, respect for the chain of command, dealing with problems directly and early, and keeping your composure in public. I break down how panels score those questions in my oral board guide.

Mechanical

Mechanical reasoning, delivered on video in an animated brick-making factory setting. The official practice tests are the best way to see the question style before test day.

Math

Delivered on video, and done in your head. You cannot work problems out on paper, so mental arithmetic speed matters more than advanced math.

Reading

A short, fast section where you choose the word that best fits a blank in a passage.

How FireTEAM is scored

• Blanks count as wrong, and guessing is not penalized. Madison's guide says unanswered questions are scored as incorrect. Never leave one blank.
• Marking more than one answer counts as wrong, per Denver's handout.
• There is no universal passing score. Salt Lake City sets its cutoff after the exam, based on department needs, and says all or only parts of the test may be used. Hillsboro requires you to pass every section at the pass points listed in its job posting.
• Your score report shows how you compare nationally. Seattle explains that NTN's feedback marks top national performers in green.

Sending scores, validity and retesting

• One test, several departments. Seattle says scores can be sent to other departments through NTN's "Department Add" feature.
• Scores expire. Seattle and Franklin, Tennessee treat scores as valid for one year. Hillsboro says it is your responsibility to know when your score expires.
• Retests have a waiting period, and your newest score counts. Seattle requires a 90-day wait and uses only your most recent score. Hillsboro says the same with a three-month wait.

That last point catches people. Retesting can lower your score as easily as raise it, and at those departments the lower one is the one that counts. Retest when you are actually better prepared, not just because a window opened.

If FireTEAM keeps holding you back

If you have taken FireTEAM several times and your score is not getting you invited to oral boards, look at departments that use a different written test. Many departments, including a lot of Washington departments, test through Public Safety Testing instead of NTN. The tradeoff: the department you most want to work for may only accept FireTEAM, so this widens your options rather than replacing your plan.

What the FireTEAM test costs

Seattle lists the fee as $65, and Franklin says approximately $65. NTN says pricing varies by test location, type of test and the departments you apply to, and Hillsboro notes a base fee plus an additional fee for each department. Seattle offers a hardship fee waiver through NTN. Hillsboro does not.

How to prepare

• Use the official practice tests. NTN points candidates to fireteamtest.com for practice. Salt Lake City says there is no study guide, but two practice sets are sold: Basic and Extended, with the same content and more questions in the Extended set.
• Practice mental math out loud and on a timer. You will not have paper.
• Practice judging scenarios quickly. Ten seconds goes fast. Get used to deciding what is safest and most professional on the first read.
• Read each department's posting before you register. Some use the whole test, some use parts, and pass points differ.
• Track where your score goes and when it expires. Put it on the same sheet as your CPAT and EMT dates.

Common questions about the FireTEAM test