Pass Your Captain Promotional Exam
Master the material you need to know with 15,266+ practice questions covering fire officer leadership, incident command, personnel management, and more.
Officer-Focused Content
Questions from Fire Officer, Chief Officer, and leadership sources designed for captain-level promotion exams.
Adaptive Learning
Our AI identifies your weak areas and focuses your study time where it matters most.
Track Your Progress
Monitor your improvement with detailed analytics and know when you're ready for test day.
Study Sources
Sources for Captain Exam Prep
FiredUp includes practice questions from the most commonly used sources on Fire Captain promotional exams.
The Fire Chief's Handbook
Fire Engineering Books
Fire Command: The Essentials of Local IMS
NFPA
Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer
IFSTA
Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics
Fire Engineering
Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer
Fire Engineering
Chief Officer
IFSTA
From Buddy to Boss: Effective Leadership Principles
Fire Engineering
Company Officer
Delmar Cengage Learning
Be Prepared
What to Expect on Your Captain Exam
Captain promotional exams vary by department, but most include several of these components. Knowing what to expect helps you focus your preparation.
Written Exam
Most Captain exams include a written multiple-choice test with 100-150 questions. Topics include fire officer leadership, incident command, personnel management, building construction, and strategy & tactics. You'll typically have 2-3 hours.
Oral Interview / Board
Many departments require an oral board where you answer scenario-based questions. Common topics include handling personnel conflicts, incident command decisions, and administrative responsibilities.
Assessment Center
Some departments include assessment center exercises such as in-basket exercises, tactical simulations, and subordinate counseling scenarios. These evaluate leadership and decision-making skills.
Personnel Management
Expect questions on supervising crews, conducting performance evaluations, handling discipline, and managing labor relations. Captains are expected to be mentors and leaders.
Incident Command
Captain-level ICS questions focus on multi-company operations, division/group supervision, and managing complex incidents. You may be tested on NIMS/ICS structures for Type 3-5 incidents.
Administration & Budgets
Many Captain exams include questions on budget preparation, report writing, record keeping, and department policies. Understanding fire prevention and public education programs is also common.
Study Smarter
Study Tips for Captain Exam Prep
Proven strategies to help you make the most of your study time and walk into test day with confidence.
Start 4-6 Months Early
Captain exams cover more material than Lieutenant. Give yourself enough time to thoroughly review all sources on the reading list, especially leadership and management content.
Focus on Leadership Scenarios
Captain exams heavily emphasize decision-making. Practice applying principles from your readings to real-world scenarios rather than just memorizing facts.
Use Adaptive Testing
FiredUp's adaptive quizzes identify your weak areas automatically. Spend 70% of your study time on topics where you score below 80%, and 30% reinforcing your strengths.
Study in Blocks, Not Marathons
Research shows 45-60 minute focused study sessions are more effective than 3-hour marathons. Take short breaks and review previously studied material regularly.
Form a Study Group
Partner with 2-3 other candidates. Teaching concepts to others reinforces your own understanding, and group discussion helps with scenario-based preparation.
Simulate Test Conditions
Take practice exams in a quiet environment with a timer. This builds endurance and reduces test-day anxiety. FiredUp's timed quiz mode makes this easy.
Why FiredUp
Why Firefighters Choose FiredUp for Captain Prep
FiredUp was built specifically for firefighters preparing for promotion. We understand the challenges of studying while working shifts, and we've designed every feature to make your study time as effective as possible.
With over 50,000 practice questions across all ranks, FiredUp offers a deep library of officer and leadership-specific content tailored for Captain candidates. Every answer includes a page reference to the source textbook, so you can verify and deepen your understanding.
Our AI-powered adaptive testing identifies your weak areas and creates personalized study plans that evolve as you improve. Built by active firefighters who have gone through the promotion process themselves, FiredUp is the tool we wish we had when we were studying.
Page-Referenced Answers
Every question links to the exact page in the source textbook. No guessing whether the answer is right -- verify it yourself.
Adaptive AI Technology
Our algorithm tracks your performance across every topic and adjusts question difficulty to keep you in your optimal learning zone.
50,000+ Questions
The largest library of firefighter promotion practice questions available, from all major fire service publishers.
Built by Firefighters
We're active firefighters who understand the promotion process firsthand. Our platform is designed around how firefighters actually study.
Testimonials
Firefighters Who Earned Their Captain Promotion
"I spent six months studying with FiredUp before my Captain's exam. The question bank covered every topic on my reading list, and the progress tracking kept me accountable. Walked into the exam feeling like I'd already seen every scenario."
"FiredUp's platform helped me efficiently prepare for my Captain exam. The realistic practice tests and detailed progress tracking were game-changers for my study process. I knew exactly where I needed to focus."
"After failing my first attempt, I found FiredUp. The adaptive testing feature identified my weak areas in leadership and ICS. Passed on my second try with confidence."
Frequently Asked Questions
Fire Captain exams typically cover fire officer leadership, incident command, personnel management, building construction, fire behavior, strategy and tactics, and department administration. FiredUp provides practice questions on all these topics from trusted sources like IFSTA Fire Officer and Chief Officer.
FiredUp offers 15,266+ practice questions specifically relevant to Fire Captain promotional exams, covering leadership, management, fire officer duties, and tactical operations from trusted fire service publishers.
FiredUp uses industry-standard sources including IFSTA Fire Officer: Principles and Practice, Chief Officer, Fire Department Company Officer, and other leadership and management texts commonly used in fire captain promotional exams.
Most firefighters study for 3-6 months before their Captain promotional exam. With FiredUp's adaptive testing and progress tracking, you can efficiently focus on areas where you need the most improvement, making your study time more effective.
Absolutely. FiredUp is designed for firefighters' schedules. Our mobile-friendly platform lets you study during downtime at the station, and our adaptive quizzes work in sessions as short as 10-15 minutes. Many firefighters study 30-60 minutes per shift.
Structure your answers using a clear framework: acknowledge the problem, outline your approach, explain the rationale, and describe follow-up actions. Practice answering questions out loud, not just in your head. FiredUp's written questions help build the knowledge base you'll draw from during orals.
Captain exams often share some sources with Lieutenant exams but typically add leadership, management, and chief officer texts. FiredUp lets you filter by source and rank so you can focus on exactly what's on your reading list.
Traditional flashcards test recall but don't adapt to your progress. FiredUp's adaptive testing focuses on your weak areas automatically, tracks your improvement over time, and provides page-referenced answers so you can verify understanding. Most users find they study more efficiently compared to flashcards or reading alone.