How to Pass the NFA Working with Numbers Test
Quick answer
Working with Numbers was the numerical test in the older National Firefighter Ability (NFA) battery: multiple-choice questions using fire-service tables, charts and floor plans, set without a calculator. Recent recruitment material we've reviewed describes newer numerical reasoning tests instead (often with a calculator), but NFA-style practice still builds the same skills. Our practice version has 32 questions in 45 minutes.
Working with Numbers was one of the three National Firefighter Ability (NFA) tests used in the older National Firefighter Selection process. It assessed how well you interpret and work with numerical information in fire-service contexts. Most services now describe different numerical tests, so check your candidate pack — but the skills below are exactly what today's numerical reasoning tests reward too.
Applying to a fire service? Try a free practice testWorking with Numbers sample · about 5 minutes · no sign-upStart →Related: Are the NFA tests still used? Read our National Firefighter Ability tests guide.
What the test involves
Our NFA-style practice version lasts 45 minutes and contains 32 multiple-choice questions. Each question presents a scenario with numerical data — typically a table, chart, floor plan or written description — and you select the correct answer from the options.
The numerical operations involved are not complex. You are not expected to know calculus, trigonometry, or advanced maths. What the test assesses is your ability to extract the right numbers from a data-heavy presentation, apply straightforward arithmetic (percentages, ratios, areas, averages), and do so accurately under time pressure — without a calculator.
Question types you will encounter
Questions typically fall into several categories. Data table questions present a table of figures — perhaps staffing rosters, equipment quantities, or incident statistics — and ask you to calculate totals, averages, differences, or percentages from the data. Chart questions present information as a bar chart or pie chart and ask you to read off or calculate values.
Floor plan questions show a scale drawing of a building and ask you to calculate areas, perimeters, or distances. These require you to read the scale carefully and convert between units. Word problem questions embed numerical information in a written paragraph — you must extract the relevant figures and apply the correct operation.
Ratio and proportion questions ask you to scale quantities up or down, or to split a total into given proportions. Percentage questions ask you to calculate percentage increases, decreases, or of a given total.
- ✓Data tables — extract and calculate from rows and columns
- ✓Charts and graphs — read values and compute differences
- ✓Floor plans — calculate areas using scale
- ✓Ratio and proportion — scale quantities
- ✓Percentages — increases, decreases, of totals
- ✓Word problems — identify relevant numbers from text
Preparing for the tests
Practise the tests this article describes
Reading about them only goes so far — the tests are timed, and the pace is the part that catches people out.
One payment of £14.99 unlocks all 9 practice tests — verbal, numerical and mechanical reasoning, situational judgement, the behavioural styles questionnaire, the three NFA-style tests and the NFQ-style questionnaire — plus NFCC-style interview preparation. Over 700 questions in total, every one with an explanation, and unlimited attempts.
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No calculator — how to manage this
Working with Numbers is practised without a calculator. The numbers are chosen to be manageable with written working. Note that many newer numerical reasoning tests do allow a calculator — check your invitation — but practising without one builds speed and a feel for whether an answer is sensible.
What you should practice: mental arithmetic for simple operations (times tables, percentage of round numbers, doubling and halving), written long multiplication and division for anything more complex, and working with fractions and ratios without a calculator. The rough working paper you are given is there to use — do not try to do everything in your head.
Time, not difficulty, is the real pressure. In our 45-minute practice version you have about 84 seconds per question. That is enough if you are practised and focused, but tight if you get stuck — learn to move on and come back.
How to prepare effectively
The most valuable thing you can do is practise timed numerical questions. Reading about the format helps, but only timed practice builds accuracy under pressure. If your service uses a different numerical test, practise that format as well.
Start by doing a full practice test without any time pressure to understand the question types and your own strengths and weaknesses. Then introduce the timer and work on pace. Review every question you got wrong — understanding why you made an error is more valuable than simply repeating the test.
In the two weeks before your actual test, aim to complete at least three or four full timed practice sessions. This ensures the format is familiar, your pace is calibrated, and you feel confident rather than anxious when the real test begins.
On the day — strategy
Read each question carefully before looking at the answer options. It is easy to misread a question under time pressure and pick an answer that answers a slightly different question than the one asked.
Work through the questions in order, but do not get stuck. If a question is taking more than two minutes, mark it and move on. Most candidates who run out of time do so because they spent too long on one or two difficult questions rather than running out of time overall.
Check your working, not just your answer — arithmetic errors are the most common cause of incorrect responses. A quick sanity check (does this answer seem reasonable?) catches many mistakes that a second read of the calculation would miss.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Working with Numbers test still used?
We haven't found it in the recent (2024–26) recruitment material we've reviewed; services now describe other numerical tests. The skills — reading tables and charts and working accurately with percentages and ratios — carry over directly.
How many questions do I need to answer correctly to pass?
Pass marks vary by service and recruitment round. Services do not typically publish the exact pass mark in advance. Aim to answer as many questions correctly as possible rather than targeting a specific number.
Should I practise with or without a calculator?
Both. Our NFA-style practice is set without a calculator, which builds speed. Many newer numerical reasoning tests allow a calculator, so if yours does, practise with one too.
How long do I have per question?
In our 45-minute, 32-question practice version, about 84 seconds per question. Other tests vary — some services describe numerical tests of 10–20 minutes, and some time each question individually.