The National Firefighter Questionnaire (NFQ): What It Is and How to Approach It
Quick answer
The National Firefighter Questionnaire (NFQ) is a behavioural assessment used in UK firefighter selection. It presents statements about attitudes and behaviour and asks how strongly you agree or disagree with each. It measures how closely your natural style matches qualities important for a firefighter — including working with others, confidence and resilience, commitment to excellence, commitment to diversity and integrity, openness to change, situational awareness, and commitment to development.
Unlike the ability tests, the National Firefighter Questionnaire has no right or wrong answers in the usual sense — which is exactly why candidates find it unsettling. It is a personality-style behavioural assessment designed to build a picture of how you naturally think and act, and how well that fits the firefighter role. This guide explains what the NFQ measures, how the format works, and how to approach it in a way that is both honest and considered.
What the NFQ Is For
The NFQ is designed to provide objective information about your personal style and behaviour, so that selection decisions are fair and consistent across all candidates. Rather than testing what you know, it assesses how closely your attitudes match those considered important for a firefighter.
Your responses are not viewed in isolation. They are considered alongside the rest of your selection results — the ability tests, fitness assessment, and interview — to help the service decide whether you are suited to the role.
The Qualities It Measures
The questionnaire centres on a set of core qualities that map closely onto the firefighter Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQAs). Understanding these helps you recognise what the statements are getting at.
- ✓Working with others
- ✓Confidence and resilience
- ✓Commitment to excellence
- ✓Commitment to diversity and integrity
- ✓Openness to change
- ✓Situational awareness
- ✓Commitment to development
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How the Format Works
Each item is a statement, and you indicate how strongly you agree or disagree using a rating scale — typically running from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The statements describe attitudes, preferences, and typical behaviours, such as how you respond to pressure, how you work in a team, or how you approach learning and feedback.
There is usually no strict time limit in the way there is for the ability tests, but you should work at a steady pace and answer instinctively rather than agonising over each item. Over-thinking tends to produce inconsistent answers.
How to Approach It
The best strategy is to answer honestly while keeping the qualities of a good firefighter in mind. These questionnaires are designed with consistency checks, and answers that are obviously engineered to look perfect, or that contradict each other, can stand out. Trying to present yourself as flawless on every dimension can actually work against you.
That said, it is reasonable to answer thoughtfully. If a statement genuinely could go either way for you, consider which response reflects the professional, safety-focused, team-oriented behaviour the role demands — because if those values do not come naturally, the role may be a difficult fit, and the questionnaire is partly there to surface exactly that.
- ✓Answer honestly and consistently — avoid contradicting yourself
- ✓Do not try to look perfect on every quality
- ✓Work at a steady pace; answer instinctively
- ✓Keep the firefighter values (teamwork, safety, integrity) in mind
How It Fits the Wider Process
The NFQ is one input among several. A strong questionnaire will not by itself secure you a place, and the ability tests, fitness, and interview all carry weight. But an inconsistent or poorly considered questionnaire can raise flags, so it is worth taking seriously rather than rushing.
Because the qualities it measures are the same ones assessed at interview through the PQAs, preparing for your interview — reflecting on real examples of teamwork, resilience, integrity, and development — also deepens your understanding of what the NFQ is looking for.
Frequently asked questions
What is the National Firefighter Questionnaire?
It is a behavioural assessment used in UK firefighter selection. You rate how strongly you agree or disagree with statements about attitudes and behaviour, and it measures how closely your natural style matches the qualities important for a firefighter.
Are there right or wrong answers in the NFQ?
Not in the conventional sense — it is a personality-style assessment. However, honesty and consistency matter, and answers that obviously try to look perfect or that contradict each other can stand out. Answer truthfully while keeping firefighter values in mind.
What qualities does the NFQ measure?
It centres on working with others, confidence and resilience, commitment to excellence, commitment to diversity and integrity, openness to change, situational awareness, and commitment to development — closely matching the firefighter PQAs.
Can you fail the National Firefighter Questionnaire?
Your responses are considered alongside the rest of your selection results rather than producing a simple pass/fail in isolation, but inconsistent or poorly considered answers can count against you. It is worth taking seriously and answering honestly and consistently.
How should I prepare for the NFQ?
You cannot revise for it, but you can reflect beforehand on how you genuinely behave around teamwork, pressure, integrity, and learning — the same areas assessed at interview through the PQAs. Then answer honestly and consistently on the day.