You just finished the last question on your firefighter promotional exam, and your first instinct is to hand it in. But hold it right there. You’ve worked so hard on all that firefighter promotional exam prep - don’t blow it now! Follow these five best practices before handing in your firefighter promotional exam to see this through to the end.

1. Double Check that you Answered Every Question

If you followed these tips and skipped answers while going through your exam, double check that you circled back to work on the tough questions. It’s so easy to skip one of those little bubbles and throw off the whole scantron with incorrect answers. And you don’t want to leave a question blank.

2. Verify the Answer is Correct

I recommend marking your answers on the exam form itself as you go. Once you have finished the entire exam, you can go back and make sure all of your answers on your test sheet correspond to the answers you bubbled on the scantron. Taking the time to double check your scantron is filled out correctly can save you a lot of potential disappointment.

3. Review Your Work

As you go through your scantron making sure everything is bubbled in properly, take the time to review your answers. Remember to trust your first instincts, but don’t be afraid to change answers if you suddenly remember something. According to the American Psychological Association, trusting your gut instinct doesn’t always yield the best results. Do your best to remember what you studied, be logical, and use context clues to narrow down your options.

4. Make Sure Your Scantron is Clean

Failing a test is bad enough, but failing because of a dirty scantron form that was graded improperly is next level. Most people taking firefighter promotional exams haven’t taken tests in years and may have forgotten the basics when it comes to scantron forms. Fill in your bubbles completely with the correct type of pencil. Once you have finished your test, look over your scantron and make sure there are no imperfections such as rogue pencil marks and smudges. It’s so easy to smudge an answer and smear the pencil mark all around, and both can set you up for trouble. Take a minute or two to clean up your scantron form before you turn it in. 

The Takeaway

You’ve worked so hard on your firefighter exam practice tests, so don’t rush things at the finish line. Take the time at the end of your exam session to review your scantron itself and your answers. This is the final step in your promotion written test process, so don’t rush! Follow these best practices to help you on the last leg of your journey and keep in mind, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t pass your test.