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TCFP Fire Investigator Exam – Actual
2025 Exam Questions and Verified
Answers for Full Certification Prep
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? ANSWER: It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? ANSWER: Recognize the need
Define the problem
Collect the data
Analyze the data
Develop a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
What step of the scientific method is inductive reasoning? ANSWER: Analyze the
data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? ANSWER: Test the
hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? ANSWER: Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
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What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction?
ANSWER: Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? ANSWER: Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? ANSWER: Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? ANSWER: Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? ANSWER: A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles.
What is ventilation controlled fire? ANSWER: A fire that is limited by the amount
of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth?
ANSWER: Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
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What is a flashover? ANSWER: The transition phase from growth to fully
developed, where all surfaces reach ignition temperature almost simultaneously.
What is ignition of the underside of the hot gas layer called? ANSWER:
Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? ANSWER: Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? ANSWER: The physical manifestation of the affects of fire
on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? ANSWER:
Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? ANSWER: The separation of chunks of concrete with explosive
force caused by the expansion of water (moisture) trapped in the concrete as it
turns to steam
What is char? ANSWER: Pyrolized carbonaceous material
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What is oxidation? ANSWER: Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? ANSWER: Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change
their properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? ANSWER: When there was enough heat to burn away all
carbon deposits (soot) on a surface leaving a "clean" surface. Occurs on non-
combustible surfaces.
What is soot? ANSWER: Elemental carbon produced during incomplete
combustion.
What is calcination? ANSWER: When chemically bound water is driven out of
gypsum walls by the heat of the fire.
Does a 25 Watt light bulb expand towards the fire or pull inward away from it?
ANSWER: Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will
expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? ANSWER: An object blocking the travel of
radiated heat.
What is a dead load? ANSWER: The weight of things attached to the building,
like flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
TCFP Fire Investigator Exam – Actual
2025 Exam Questions and Verified
Answers for Full Certification Prep
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? ANSWER: It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? ANSWER: Recognize the need
Define the problem
Collect the data
Analyze the data
Develop a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
What step of the scientific method is inductive reasoning? ANSWER: Analyze the
data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? ANSWER: Test the
hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? ANSWER: Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
,2|Page
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction?
ANSWER: Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? ANSWER: Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? ANSWER: Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? ANSWER: Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? ANSWER: A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles.
What is ventilation controlled fire? ANSWER: A fire that is limited by the amount
of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth?
ANSWER: Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
,3|Page
What is a flashover? ANSWER: The transition phase from growth to fully
developed, where all surfaces reach ignition temperature almost simultaneously.
What is ignition of the underside of the hot gas layer called? ANSWER:
Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? ANSWER: Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? ANSWER: The physical manifestation of the affects of fire
on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? ANSWER:
Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? ANSWER: The separation of chunks of concrete with explosive
force caused by the expansion of water (moisture) trapped in the concrete as it
turns to steam
What is char? ANSWER: Pyrolized carbonaceous material
, 4|Page
What is oxidation? ANSWER: Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? ANSWER: Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change
their properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? ANSWER: When there was enough heat to burn away all
carbon deposits (soot) on a surface leaving a "clean" surface. Occurs on non-
combustible surfaces.
What is soot? ANSWER: Elemental carbon produced during incomplete
combustion.
What is calcination? ANSWER: When chemically bound water is driven out of
gypsum walls by the heat of the fire.
Does a 25 Watt light bulb expand towards the fire or pull inward away from it?
ANSWER: Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will
expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? ANSWER: An object blocking the travel of
radiated heat.
What is a dead load? ANSWER: The weight of things attached to the building,
like flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
