I/O Solutions NFSI test

[agavegrove]

Does anyone know anything about this NFSI test? It's that test that comes from http://www.publicsafetyrecruitment.co m. 50 of the questions are over personality. How do you get those right? What are they looking for (other than 'be honest)?

I've got the enhanced study guide and the online test but neither of those address the personality portion.

My reason for asking: I applied at Fort Worth and this is what they use.
Also, does anyone have an idea about how long the whole process at FWFD takes? Written is Oct. 7. No idea when everything else is. I've got a baby due in January so hopefully that won't be a problem.

Any info from those of ya'll that took FW's last year or have done well with the IO Solutions test will be appreciated.

Thanks
Alan

[CaptBob]

Prepare

Alan,

This and many other written tests have added psych questions to eliminate you early on in the process. Check out www.fireprep.com

[agavegrove]

Capt Bob-

Thanks for your reply. However, please give us some real information, not a link to purchase your wares. I've checked out that website. I've also purchased some of their products to study. They're good products but are useless in regards to the subject of this thread.

I posted this thread because I couldn't find information anywhere else - including fireprep.com!

Please purchase some ad space from firehouse.com for your sales pitches.
Let's save the forums for useful discussion.

Thank you again,
Alan

[AZCadet33]

Alan,

By no means am I an expert, and I'm still in the testing process like you. But as far as the personality test goes - I've heard that it nearly always varies from department to department. They get to select what traits/characteristics they want. Personally, I'd answer it honestly. If you've had this test before, you may not pass it one place, and pass it in another by answering the same way. Let me tell you that I've had my beef with the personality tests too - I had one, and didnt do so hot. I've asked countless people and they all tell me what I've told you.

Best of luck. Hope what I said helps. Most importantly, be honest.

- Kyle

[ffbam24]

Does anyone know anything about this NFSI test? It's that test that comes from http://www.publicsafetyrecruitment.co m. 50 of the questions are over personality.

Thanks for your reply. However, please give us some real information, not a link to purchase your wares.
Please purchase some ad space from firehouse.com for your sales pitches.
Let's save the forums for useful discussion.

Alan,
I'm not out to go on the personal attack here, but two things:
1. You asked for some help about the "personality" portion of the test and when a Captain pointed you in a direction (that wasn't even his website mind you) you replied with a perceived personal attack.

2. Your link in your first post for PSR needs to have the "m" included or else the link doesn't work. For some reason it didn't get in the whole URL.

Good luck,
bam

[Outlet05]

First of all, that test is a breeze, I've taken it a few times and its been the same word for word everytime. If you can read, know basic math, and have a good grasp on spelling and sentence structure you will be fine.

Second, with the personality tests, the main thing is just answer consistantly. Its usually not hard to figure out what things they are looking for but many times they will ask you the same question 5 different ways.

For example: Do you prefer to work in a team?
-your answers will range generally from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

-Lets say you answer saying strongly agree.

A few questions later you may see: Do you prefer to work alone?

-To be consistant you would want to answer with strongly disagree or simply just disagree.

[mtnfireguy]

Capt Bob-

Thanks for your reply. However, please give us some real information, not a link to purchase your wares. I've checked out that website. I've also purchased some of their products to study. They're good products but are useless in regards to the subject of this thread.

I posted this thread because I couldn't find information anywhere else - including fireprep.com!

Please purchase some ad space from firehouse.com for your sales pitches.
Let's save the forums for useful discussion.

Thank you again,
Alan

Alan,

Please dont take this wrong, but dont you think there is a reason you cant find much information about the test?

If information was readly available, what would we be testing? We would be testing your ability to study or memorize test materials rather than your actual answers to a personality test.

If you read the directions, answer the questions honestly you will do fine.


And for Capt Bob's referral... he didnt even send you to his web site... give the guy a break. He offers a fair amount of free advice as well.

[agavegrove]

I'll admit I was wrong. I should not have unleashed on Capt Bob on a public forum. My reply to his post should have at least been private. I was frustrated at that post because I searched for this topic in previous posts and found similar, if not the same posts by Capt Bob. I figured I was just getting spammed.
Capt Bob: my apologies if I was mistaken.

Kudos to the rest of you for correcting me without being the ***hole I was.

[Slidepole]

Outlet O5 gave good advice. I took this test a couple of years ago in Tulsa and it sounds like it is pretty much the same. Everyone who has the equivalent of an 8th grade education will do well on the non-psych part of the written. My academy had 40 cadets and we figured out in general good scores were in the low 80's with the psych included! The questions are laid out like outlet 05 stated. It is pretty obvious how you need to answer each question, however one difficulty I noticed was in deciding the "strength" you should mark grey area questions.

ex. You notice a coworker is acting strange; you should immediatley tell your supervisor you think your coworker is under the influence of drugs/alchohol.

a. strongly disagree b. disagree c. don't know d. agree e. strongly agree

I think I marked a question like this d.

My rationale (which may be completely wrong) was this; if I have a coworker that is acting strange (a highly relative and subjective term) I would probably tell my company officer, however I wouldn't include the drug/alchohol accusation. So since I agreed with a portion of the statement, I marked "agree" instead of "strongly agree".

I also did not answer the "don't know" option on any of the questions (I think). I took the test with a few guys from my old department and over a thousand or so other applicants. Two of the guys from my old department failed it because of the psych, and they are both solid, honest firemen. Other than answering the questions with the "don't know" thing we really couldn't narrow down what they had done wrong and I did right. I can also say that the highest score I know of the guys that were hired in my academy was mid 90's. I think Outlet 05 is probably on to something with the "consistency" thing. Also keep in mind that this test is really about narrowing the candidate field and not about evaluating you psychologically, they'll do that later if you successfully jump through the rest of the hoops. Let me also say in reference to the example I gave above that in eight years and two departments as a paid fireman if I and everyone else reported everything to their company officer that they thought was strange they saw in a firehouse they'd spend alot of time in the chief's office..ha..ha! Good luck,Ft. Worth's photo website looks like they make alot of good fires.

[ffbam24]

Alan, I commend you on the public apology there too.

I figured you were a little frustrated there.

If you enable your PM, I'll follow up with my perspective.

bam

[CaptBob]

Accepted

Capt Bob: my apologies if I was mistaken.

Accepted. You're a stand up guy for making it right.

Captain Bob

[agavegrove]

Alan, I commend you on the public apology there too.

I figured you were a little frustrated there.

If you enable your PM, I'll follow up with my perspective.

bam

I think it's enabled now. Give it a try.

[agavegrove]

For future reference

I took the test and got the results so I thought I"d put my experience with these type questions for anybody that searches for this subject in the future.
************************************************** *********'''

There should be 55 questions. Some of the questions I remember are:
Nice guys always finish last
I'm usually a nice guy
I get nervous when I'm stressed
I'm afraid of dying in a car accident.

My strategy as recommended by others:
Never put "not sure" as an answer.

Try to use "strongly agree" and "strongly disagree" as much as possible.

When I come across a certain type of question the first time I went with my gut instinct of how I felt. Example: "I like working with a team." I put "strongly agree"

I moved on down the test and when I came across a question that was similar or opposite a drew a line connecting the two. I did this all the way through until I had lines connecting similar and opposite questions.

I made sure all the answers between connected questions correseponded so that there was consistency. Example: strongly agree with "working with a team", "being around other people"; strongly disagree with "working alone", and "working with machines more than people."

I double checked to make sure my answers on one group of similar questions didn't conflict with others.

This ain't foolproof and I won't guarantee a perfect score. I made a 94 on the test (missed 10 questions) and I know some of that was in the technical part so by and large I think I did well on the personality part. It's not perfect but maybe it'll help. If anyone has any other advice feel free to add it.

[AlKalineTrio]

Outlet and Slidepole are right, this test is easy

[MTGillinois]

mispost

dissregard: mispost