Applying to London Fire Brigade?
What London Fire Brigade says about its firefighter selection process, and how to prepare — with practice for reasoning tests, situational judgement, questionnaires and interviews.
London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade (LFB) covers all of Greater London. When we checked its careers pages in September 2026, LFB said firefighter recruitment was paused while it reviews its selection process, with enough applicants to fill its training school places until April 2027. The process below is the one its pages describe, and it may change when recruitment reopens.
LFB's selection process starts with a three-step Outreach Programme (an outreach event, an information session and an experience day), which it says is required regardless of previous experience. After the application come online tests completed at home, which LFB says will be verified at the assessment centre. LFB does not name the specific tests on its public pages.
The assessment centre is described as an interview, a role-play, a written exercise and an online test. Fitness testing then runs over two days: the Chester Treadmill Walk Test on day one (a 12-minute graded walk at 6.2 km/h with the gradient rising every two minutes, to a minimum aerobic standard of 42 ml O2/kg/min), and on day two a ladder climb, ladder lift, casualty evacuation, enclosed space test, equipment assembly and equipment carry.
The remaining stages are a medical and eye test, references (including an enhanced DBS check) and training. LFB describes a 15-week training course followed by around 18–24 months of development on station, and says the whole selection process can take anything from 4 to 12 months.
Because LFB does not publish its test names, the best preparation is broad: practise verbal and numerical reasoning, situational judgement and questionnaire formats, and prepare for a values-based interview and role-play. Our guide to the London Fire Brigade application process covers each stage in more detail.
What full access includes
Fire services use different tests, so one £14.99 payment covers all 9 practice tests on the site — over 700 questions with answer explanations, and unlimited attempts.
New to selection? Read our guide to the online firefighter tests or the National Firefighter Ability tests.
Reasoning tests
Verbal · numerical · mechanical
Timed practice in the style of the online reasoning tests many services use.
Judgement & questionnaires
SJT · behavioural styles · NFA-style
Situational judgement scenarios, questionnaire practice and the NFA-style tests.
Interview preparation
Leadership Framework · Code of Ethics
Model STAR answers plus guidance on written questions, role-plays and presentations.
London Fire Brigade — common questions
Is this page official?
No. Firefighter Tests is independent and not affiliated with London Fire Brigade. This page summarises what the service's own recruitment pages said when we checked them (September 2026); processes change between campaigns, so always follow the official information linked below.
How much does it cost to practise?
Full access to every practice test — verbal, numerical and mechanical reasoning, situational judgement, the behavioural styles questionnaire, NFA-style tests and interview preparation — is £14.99, one-time. That is 9 full-length tests and over 700 questions with explanations. No subscription, and access never expires.
Is London Fire Brigade recruiting firefighters?
When we checked in September 2026, LFB's how-to-apply page said recruitment was paused while it reviews its selection process, and that it had enough applicants to fill training places until April 2027. Check the official LFB careers pages for the latest position.
What are the London Fire Brigade eligibility requirements?
LFB's pages list being over 17½ at the time of application (with no upper age limit), having the right to live and work in the UK without restriction, holding a full UK or EU driving licence and being willing to gain an LGV licence within 18 months of joining, being clean-shaven so a breathing apparatus mask seals, and having no unspent convictions. Formal qualifications are not required, but applicants without GCSE English and maths at grade C/4 complete Functional Skills during the apprenticeship.
What fitness tests does London Fire Brigade use?
LFB describes the Chester Treadmill Walk Test (12 minutes at 6.2 km/h, with the gradient increasing by 3% every two minutes up to 15%, to a minimum of 42 ml O2/kg/min) followed on a second day by a ladder climb, ladder lift, casualty evacuation, enclosed space test, equipment assembly and equipment carry.
What is the London Fire Brigade firefighter salary?
LFB's own careers pages quote different trainee and competent salary figures on different pages, so check the current vacancy or LFB's pay information when recruitment reopens rather than relying on a single figure.
Official sources
Checked September 2026. Recruitment processes change, so the official pages always take priority over this summary.
Preparing for London Fire Brigade
Practise every test they could set you
London Fire Brigade sets its own selection tests and they change between campaigns, so full access covers every type — one payment, no subscription.
No subscription. Access never expires. Unlimited attempts.
What you get — 9 full-length practice tests, over 700 questions with explanations:
- Mechanical Reasoning177 diagram questions on gears, levers, pulleys and pressure — 20 per timed test
- Numerical Reasoning9 fire-service data scenarios, freshly generated each attempt — calculator allowed
- Verbal Reasoning30 passages and 120 True / False / Cannot Say statements
- Situational Judgement25 scenarios and 100 rated actions, each explained
- Behavioural Styles Questionnaire66 statements with a full reflective profile — no pass or fail
- Working with NumbersNFA-style — 12 scenarios and 96 questions; each sitting draws 32, 45 minutes, no calculator
- Understanding InformationNFA-style — 25 passage questions, 35 minutes
- Situational AwarenessNFA-style — 30 questions, 35 minutes
- National Firefighter QuestionnaireNFQ-style — 77 statements across the 7 PQA areas, with feedback
- Interview Preparation28 NFCC-style questions with model STAR answers, plus 6 preparation guides
14-day money-back guarantee · secure payment via Stripe · instant access
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