The New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission mandates entrance testing which is described below:

THERE WILL BE NO WRITTEN ENTRANCE TEST!
NOTE: NH fire departments are allowed to hire new firefighters who are not yet certified in Firefighter II; new hires have up to a year from the date of hire to obtain their Firefighter II certification. However, most NH fire departments prefer to hire firefighters who have already obtained their Firefighter II certifications.

Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT):

Date of Test	Date of Application Deadline	Location of Test	Orientation Available
April 26, 2023	April 17, 2023	Merrill Fay Ice Arena, 468 Province Road Laconia NH 03246	YES
May 16, 2023	May 5, 2023	Merrill Fay Ice Arena, 468 Province Road Laconia NH 03246	YES
June 12, 2023	June 2, 2023	Merrill Fay Ice Arena, 468 Province Road Laconia NH 03246	YES
September 18, 2023	September 8, 2023	98 Smokey Bear Boulevard, Concord NH 03301	NO

NOTE: CPAT is a pre-hiring requirement! New candidates cannot be hired as full time firefighters without a valid CPAT certificate, dated 26 months or less prior to the hiring date.

Acrophobia Test: This portion of the test is administered by the hiring fire department and is NOT included in the State Entrance Test. The Acrophobia Test is assessed by climbing (on belay) of a 100-foot aerial, set between 65-75 degrees. The candidate must climb up and down the aerial without stopping for more than a total of 30 seconds.

The NH State Entrance Test application process is advertised over social media outlets Facebook and Instagram, as well as the FSTEMS Email List Serve.

Below is a list containing all the documents needed to successfully understand and apply for the State Entrance Test:

• Fully completed Application
• Payment indicated and recieved
• Student Medical Release

Important Information Regarding the 2023 CPAT Test
Cost: $235.00
The application, with payment and Medical Release must be returned to the NH Fire Academy in order for your application to be processed. Once completed application, med release and payment has been processed (for further details see Application Packet), the application is considered complete. In order to recieve the test date and time, online consent forms must be submitted. An email will be sent to you with instructions on this mandatory process. Applicants will be notified of their test date and time via email 30 days prior to test time. Applications received less than 30 days prior to the desired month of testing are not guarenteed a spot in that exam. Please plan accordingly.

CPAT Application ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION ONLY

• Login to your account OR create an account
• Navigate to the "Applications" tab on the left-hand menu
• Select "View My Applications"
• Select "CPAT - Application for State of NH CPAT Exam" - Apply Now
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your enrollment

CPAT Orientation Video

CPAT Orientation Guide 

CPAT Preparation Guide

CPAT Department Agreement Form

Frequently Asked Questions about State Entrance Testing.

Please refer to the Documents & Forms section of this Web site for a complete listing of all publications.

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