FDNY’S EASY PASS
Applicants for the current FDNY firefighter entrance exams have been coached how to answer questions in the “personality” section — which is worth half their score.
The Vulcan Society, a group of black firefighters, and private testprep companies tell candidates how to respond when asked about their character traits such as motivation, teamwork and attitude about drugs.
“We want you to be honest taking your FDNY exam,” says a Vulcan test-prep book obtained by The Post. But then it spells out specific responses the test-taker should give “that we feel are important in determining how well you will do on this examination.”
The coaching alarms critics who say candidates can give the correct answers — whether true or not — to portray themselves as ideal firefighters.
“They’re teaching you what to say to pass,” one first responder said. “If you know the answers they’re looking for, it defeats the purpose of screening out people not suited for the job.”
More than 70,000 applicants signed up for the firefighter exams that kicked off this month — the city’s first since 2012, when the FDNY revised the test under court orders to boost minority hiring. The Vulcan Society took part in revamping the exam and invited black applicants to prep sessions.
Of 100 possible points, applicants can score up to 15 for reading comprehension, 35 for answering multiple-choice questions on videos they can watch three times and 50 on personality questions, documents show. (Up to 35 bonus points can be awarded for military service, NYC residency and if a parent or sibling was a firefighter killed on duty.)
The personality section gives applicants a series of statements and asks them to choose a response: Strongly Agree, Agree, Not Sure, Disagree or Strongly Disagree.
The Vulcan Society gives specific answers on topics such as handling stress, stealing, dependability and teamwork —“the number one area of failure for firefighter applicants.”
For instance, the tutorial gives this statement: “When I am working on a task, I often feel annoyed when other people come up to me and ask me for my opinion or advice.” The right answer, the Vulcans say, is “Strongly Disagree.”
On honesty and sobriety, the tutorial says, applicants should “Strongly Disagree” to all of these statements: “1) Everyone knowingly overdraws his/her bank account. 2) I have bought an item when I know it was stolen. 3) I have cheated on my income tax. 4) It is all right for a person to use illegal drugs at home provided he/she doesn’t use them at work.”
The Vulcan Society urges testtakers to pick “strongly” answers to look decisive: “We highly recommend that you never, ever answer ‘Not Sure!’ This gives the appearance of wavering, being wishywashy and being unsure of your decisions.”
A commercial test-prep company, JobTestPrep.com, likewise describes many desirable firefighter traits the FDNY exam will seek but gives slightly different advice: “The ideal profile shouldn’t be extreme.” It warns to tone down some responses to avoid raising red flags.
Gideon Segev, a JobTestPrep vice president, said his company — which charges $39.99 for online FDNY study guides and practice questions — is a valuable service.
“It’s a survival game,” Segev said. “If you don’t have a job, you cannot make it in the modern world. Why shouldn’t an applicant know what the personality test will look for?”
Another test-prep company sell- ing study guides for civil-service exams, Network4Learning, has a YouTube video on the FDNY “psychological section.” It instructs applicants to “strongly agree” with statements such as: “I never become angry at work” and to “strongly disagree” with statements such as “Work is a huge stressor.”
Saying firefighters must be trusted not to steal when entering people’s homes, it warns that “questions should not be answered with any indication of past dishonest behavior.”
A veteran firefighter noted, “This video tells people to be honest, yet to only answer questions a certain way, which may very well be dishonest.”
The FDNY’s official online tutorial does not address the personality section.
“Candidates should answer personality and trait questions to the best of their own abilities and judgment,” said spokesman Frank Dwyer.
As a result of the Vulcan Society’s federal race-discrimination lawsuit, the FDNY entrance test no longer includes questions on firefighting so not to give an edge to those familiar with the work, The Post has reported.