What this product does not cover

The physical ability test

Candidates who pass the written test take a qualifying physical ability test. Dutchess County publishes an eight-event protocol — a stair climb in a weighted vest, a hose drag, an equipment carry, a ladder raise and extension, a forcible entry simulation, a search through a darkened maze, a rescue drag and a ceiling push and pull — and requires medical clearance before taking it.

It is rated pass or fail rather than scored into your position on the eligible list, and its standards are set by the jurisdiction rather than by the state. Westchester County allows one deferral and will waive the test for a CPAT passed within the previous twenty-four months. RankHigh does not train for it and does not publish a fitness program.

Medical and other appointment requirements

A medical examination, which in Dutchess County includes substance abuse screening, is given when a candidate is being considered for appointment. Some agencies also require a fingerprint-supported background investigation.

Emergency Medical Technician certification is required at the time of appointment by some employers and not others. Monroe County requires a New York State EMT certification at any level; Dutchess County requires it for four named fire districts. Where it is required it is a certification you obtain, not something a written test prepares you for.

And one thing only your announcement can tell you

Which of the four subject areas your particular examination will use. The guide says the Examination Announcement specifies them under "Subjects of Examination", so that is the document to check. RankHigh prepares all four precisely because it cannot know which yours names.

Everything else on this page is a real part of becoming a firefighter in New York. It is simply not the part a written-test preparation product can honestly claim to cover.

Related guides

• The four subject areas on the New York firefighter written test
• When the exam is held, and how to apply
• Situational judgment, and why this one can be prepared for