NFSI "personality" inventory

[weaselferret]

Anyone out there like me who has taken the National Firefighter Selection Inventory created by an I/O firm in Illinois? They're getting more and more popular... PublicSafetyTesting.Com uses them. What's my problem with them? Welll.... I know I have scored at least a 93% every time I have taken just the aptitude test, and the two times I have taken the combined aptitude/personality test, I score below an 86%.
The kicker is that I'm already a firefighter, and I'm loving my job, and I get along great with my coworkers. I've never received anything below stellar job reviews! So... what on earth am I doing wrong on these "personality" tests?
By the way, I have already bought and studied the psychological advice CD and workbook created by Don McNea, and it actually lowered my score! (Don't get it!)
So, anyone do well on this darn thing? How frustrating... I'd like to relocate to a bigger fire department elsewhere in the country, but this is making it difficult.

Here are some links to various things I've mentioned here:
http://www.PublicSafetyTesting.Com

and the company that makes the test (and their online test)
http://www.ifpra.com/candidate/tests/nfsi_test.asp

[White104]

I share your frustration with the test. I took Lincoln Nebraska's test (Not a NFSI user)last year and scored 100% on the personality section and a 93% on the aptitude section and missed the cutoff.
I took NFSI for the first time last year as well and did not do too well. I was wondering if you would be open to sharing some questions and answers that you might have remembered from the test.
I have been a professional firefighter for 4 1/2 years and would like to move up and play with the "Big Boys" like you.

[Sandles2Sidearm]

Took a test like this recently and I found out I didn't have a personality, so I am going into law enforcement.

[nyfop]

where is the CD for sale on that sight? you felt it lowered your score, did it suggest how you answer the personality questions?

[Sandles2Sidearm]

Honestly?

[nyfop]

yeah of course

[weaselferret]

The CD I bought (from the Don McNea site) was useless... it was very common-sense based. Still, I took their advice ... which was to NEVER answer anything on the NFSI personality section as "Not sure". You have the option of "strongly agree/ agree/ not sure/ disagree/ strongly disagree" on the test, and the Don McNea CD was supposed to help with that aspect of it.

HOWEVER, the Don McNea program really only had recommendations for which questions you should answer "true" and which ones you should answer "false." They barely addressed the "strongly" agree versus "plain old ordinary agree". Actually, the ONLY indication they gave about answering "strongly" was having asterisks by the ones they felt were "stronglys". No explanation. Nothing.

Some of my other firefighter friends and I sat around and looked at this stuff, and we couldn't figure out what method the Don McNea people were using for these answers. If it was just true and false it would be simple, but the "strongly agree" versus "agree" is where it gets weird. We all had different ideas about that, by the way, and we've all been career firefighters for at least 3 years.

And in the end, it lowered my score by 10 points. (Remember, I was taking exactly the same test the second time.)

[nyfop]

do the firefighter people use the same I/O solution test maker that the police use like new york state troopers?

[weaselferret]

I don't know if it's the same test. Probably is not graded the same, at the very least, since they look for different personality types for firefighters and police officers.

I believe the same I/O company does make (separate) tests for both.

[Sandles2Sidearm]

I really think you guys should simply answer the questions as you would, rather than the recommended format.

These tests are designed to pick up patterns in aberant thinking and should you answer the way some CD-Rom thinks you should you may put forward a battery that is inconsistent with the interview with the psychologist. I think some Red Flags would go up there.


These tests are not 100% relied upon and if your perspective department takes 100% pass/fail stock in a test as problematic as the MMPI or others like it, run for the hills.

Be yourself. Answer the way you think YOU should and be consistent with your thoughts and you will be fine.

[nyfop]

unfortunately these questions count as a MAJor part of your grade, just look at the amount of lawyers and master degree types that failed the nassau exam as well as countless current cops.

[Sandles2Sidearm]

Which is funny if you look at if from an objective point of view. If current LE personnel are failing the personality test, the culture that dictates their world perspective may not be what the powers that be want as LE personnel.

Good on you and God Speed.

[nyfop]

thats so true,
so many people complain about these stupid questions the current cops, then the minorities, im suprised this testing format hasnt been thrown out, it has nothing to do with poilce work