LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
LAFD FCA - FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT | VERIFIED EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT (LAFD)
FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT (FCA)
Page 1
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
1. How long is the LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)?
A. About 90 minutes, taken on paper
B. About four hours, taken on a computer
C. About 30 minutes, taken orally
D. A full day of in-person drills
B. About four hours, taken on a computer. The FCA is a computer-based
test that runs roughly four hours, with separate timers on its sections.
2. What does the FCA primarily measure?
A. General aptitude, including learning ability, reasoning, reading and
listening comprehension, and basic math
B. Maximum lifting strength and endurance
C. Memorized knowledge of Los Angeles street names
D. Advanced algebra and calculus
A. General aptitude, including learning ability, reasoning, reading and
listening comprehension, and basic math. The FCA is an aptitude
assessment, not a physical or technical-knowledge test.
3. In the video-based reasoning section, how many times may a
candidate view each instructional video?
A. Only once
B. Up to five times
C. No more than twice
D. As many times as needed
C. No more than twice. Each video may be viewed a maximum of two
times, so notes must be taken while watching.
4. After watching an instructional video on the FCA, a candidate
answers the related questions. What is the rule?
A. The video can be replayed during each question
B. The video is shown again after every wrong answer
C. Notes are not allowed but replay is
D. The questions must be answered without returning to the video
D. The questions must be answered without returning to the video.
Candidates rely on their notes and memory once the video ends.
Page 2
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
5. Which earlier FCA administration year was accepted as a valid prior
score for the 2026 process?
A. 2014
B. 2019
C. 2021
D. 2022
D. 2022. Prior scores from 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, or 2023 remained
valid, so those candidates did not need to retest.
6. Does the FCA require prior firefighting experience or fire-technical
knowledge?
A. No, it measures general aptitude and the ability to learn
B. Yes, candidates must know NFPA standards in detail
C. Yes, candidates must know all LAFD apparatus types
D. Yes, candidates must hold a state fire certification
A. No, it measures general aptitude and the ability to learn. The FCA
tests how well a person can learn and reason, not what firefighting facts
they already know.
7. Which best describes the basic arithmetic portion of the FCA?
A. Trigonometry and geometry proofs
B. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing without advanced math
C. Statistics and probability modelling
D. Calculus-based rate problems
B. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing without advanced math.
The arithmetic section stays with the four basic operations.
8. Why is pacing important during the FCA?
A. One four-hour clock covers the whole test with no section limits
B. Unanswered questions carry over to the next section
C. Each section is timed separately, so time must be managed within
each one
D. Extra time from one section rolls into the next
C. Each section is timed separately, so time must be managed within
each one. Sections have their own timers, so time saved or lost in one
does not transfer.
Page 3
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
9. On multiple-response FCA items, what should a candidate do?
A. Select only the single best answer
B. Select every correct answer to earn full credit
C. Select exactly two answers every time
D. Leave the item blank if more than one seems right
B. Select every correct answer to earn full credit. Multiple-response
items can have more than one correct choice, and all of them must be
chosen.
10. The self-description portion of the FCA is mainly made up of which
type of items?
A. Timed arithmetic drills
B. Equipment identification photos
C. Physical ability checklists
D. Biographical data, situational responses, and work-attitude questions
D. Biographical data, situational responses, and work-attitude questions.
This section asks about background, how you would react in situations,
and your attitudes toward work.
SECTION 2: LAFD SELECTION PROCESS STEPS
11. How many steps are in the LAFD firefighter selection process
described by the department?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Twelve
D. Eight
D. Eight. The process runs from meeting minimum requirements
through drug and alcohol screening in eight steps.
12. Which step includes submitting the online Firefighter I application
and registering for the FCA?
A. Step 1
B. Step 5
C. Step 8
D. Step 2
D. Step 2. Step 2 is the online application and FCA; Step 1 is confirming
minimum requirements.
Page 4
LAFD FCA - FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT | VERIFIED EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT (LAFD)
FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT (FCA)
Page 1
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
1. How long is the LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)?
A. About 90 minutes, taken on paper
B. About four hours, taken on a computer
C. About 30 minutes, taken orally
D. A full day of in-person drills
B. About four hours, taken on a computer. The FCA is a computer-based
test that runs roughly four hours, with separate timers on its sections.
2. What does the FCA primarily measure?
A. General aptitude, including learning ability, reasoning, reading and
listening comprehension, and basic math
B. Maximum lifting strength and endurance
C. Memorized knowledge of Los Angeles street names
D. Advanced algebra and calculus
A. General aptitude, including learning ability, reasoning, reading and
listening comprehension, and basic math. The FCA is an aptitude
assessment, not a physical or technical-knowledge test.
3. In the video-based reasoning section, how many times may a
candidate view each instructional video?
A. Only once
B. Up to five times
C. No more than twice
D. As many times as needed
C. No more than twice. Each video may be viewed a maximum of two
times, so notes must be taken while watching.
4. After watching an instructional video on the FCA, a candidate
answers the related questions. What is the rule?
A. The video can be replayed during each question
B. The video is shown again after every wrong answer
C. Notes are not allowed but replay is
D. The questions must be answered without returning to the video
D. The questions must be answered without returning to the video.
Candidates rely on their notes and memory once the video ends.
Page 2
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
5. Which earlier FCA administration year was accepted as a valid prior
score for the 2026 process?
A. 2014
B. 2019
C. 2021
D. 2022
D. 2022. Prior scores from 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, or 2023 remained
valid, so those candidates did not need to retest.
6. Does the FCA require prior firefighting experience or fire-technical
knowledge?
A. No, it measures general aptitude and the ability to learn
B. Yes, candidates must know NFPA standards in detail
C. Yes, candidates must know all LAFD apparatus types
D. Yes, candidates must hold a state fire certification
A. No, it measures general aptitude and the ability to learn. The FCA
tests how well a person can learn and reason, not what firefighting facts
they already know.
7. Which best describes the basic arithmetic portion of the FCA?
A. Trigonometry and geometry proofs
B. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing without advanced math
C. Statistics and probability modelling
D. Calculus-based rate problems
B. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing without advanced math.
The arithmetic section stays with the four basic operations.
8. Why is pacing important during the FCA?
A. One four-hour clock covers the whole test with no section limits
B. Unanswered questions carry over to the next section
C. Each section is timed separately, so time must be managed within
each one
D. Extra time from one section rolls into the next
C. Each section is timed separately, so time must be managed within
each one. Sections have their own timers, so time saved or lost in one
does not transfer.
Page 3
, LAFD Firefighter Candidate Assessment (FCA)
9. On multiple-response FCA items, what should a candidate do?
A. Select only the single best answer
B. Select every correct answer to earn full credit
C. Select exactly two answers every time
D. Leave the item blank if more than one seems right
B. Select every correct answer to earn full credit. Multiple-response
items can have more than one correct choice, and all of them must be
chosen.
10. The self-description portion of the FCA is mainly made up of which
type of items?
A. Timed arithmetic drills
B. Equipment identification photos
C. Physical ability checklists
D. Biographical data, situational responses, and work-attitude questions
D. Biographical data, situational responses, and work-attitude questions.
This section asks about background, how you would react in situations,
and your attitudes toward work.
SECTION 2: LAFD SELECTION PROCESS STEPS
11. How many steps are in the LAFD firefighter selection process
described by the department?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Twelve
D. Eight
D. Eight. The process runs from meeting minimum requirements
through drug and alcohol screening in eight steps.
12. Which step includes submitting the online Firefighter I application
and registering for the FCA?
A. Step 1
B. Step 5
C. Step 8
D. Step 2
D. Step 2. Step 2 is the online application and FCA; Step 1 is confirming
minimum requirements.
Page 4
