Alabama Fire College

TESTING INFORMATION

Please direct inquiries to the Testing Division at testing@alabamafirecollege.org

No scores are released by phone. Results are released after processing in order as received by the Division (approx 7-10 days after receipt) IF all course paperwork is also received. Please send an email to the Testing Division if you have not received your test results.

TEST ADMINISTRATION
COURSE PREREQUISITES
ATTENDANCE
TEST ELIGIBILITY
AUDIT
TEST PREPARATION
WRITTEN EXAMINATION
SKILLS EXAMINATION
TEST SCORES
RETEST POLICY
APPEALS/RESCORE
TEST DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY & ANALYSIS
PRIVACY/CONFIDENTIALITY
ADA
CERTIFICATION
ACCREDITATION
STANDARD OF TRAINING - NFPA

TEST ADMINISTRATION

Written examinations are routinely administered at the end of each certification course at the training location by an official Alabama Fire College proctor. Written examinations are administered only to individuals that have met all course requirements, including all prerequisites, course hours and skills requirements. Proctor procedures are followed in a uniform manner regardless of testing site.

Open Testing (Initial and Retest) is conducted on the Alabama Fire College Campus on the first and third Fridays of each month at 2 pm. Students should contact the Testing Division to schedule test at least one week prior to the desired test date. DoD and Out-of-State students that need testing arrangements should contact the Testing Staff. Individual initial and retests can also be scheduled by calling or emailing the Regional Division Director/Coordinator in your area (please see the Regional Map for contact info).
Students will receive an email containing the certification eligibility results (hard copy mailed if individual does not have an email address). This email is the first step in the notification process and if applicable a certificate will be processed within approximately 30 days if appropriate prerequisite, paperwork and skills information have also been provided.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

For certification, individuals may attend certification courses upon registration accompanied by proof of prerequisites. A student must meet all prerequisites and forward the appropriate documentation to the Testing Division prior to attendance.

Prerequisites are listed on our website under the Training Program Course Description, Prerequisite Listing, and syllabi. Prerequisite Listing, http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/Prerequisites.aspx

When a course requires certification as a prerequisite, accepted proof is a certificate from an agency accredited by either Pro Board or IFSAC.

When the prerequisite is proof of training, a completion document signed by the agency who conducted the training or other verifiable documentation of that training is required.
Proof of Training requirements:
-First Responder is a prerequisite for the FFI/II, Volunteer and Rescue Technician courses. This requirement can be met by one of the following:
a. A certificate that can be verified from a prior course that meets or exceeds the DOT Medical First Responder course
b. A copy of EMT-Basic, Intermediate or Paramedic license.

-Introduction to Technical Rescue (Chapter 5 of NFPA 1006) is a prerequisite for Rescue Technician courses. This requirement can be met by one of the following:
a. Successfully completing the AFC’s previously taught Introduction to Technical Rescue Course (will require certification testing in addition to specific Rescue Technician exam).
b. A certificate or completion document that can be validated that states that the JPR’s required in Chapter 5 of NFPA 1006 have been successfully completed.

ATTENDANCE

Certification courses have a zero tolerance absence policy. Individuals must attend all class sessions in a course that leads to state/national certification.

TEST ELIGIBILITY

A student must complete all portions of a certification course, both classroom and practical, to be eligible for testing and certification. It is the responsibility of the host fire chief/course coordinator/instructor to ensure that every student meets ALL attendance and skill requirements for certification courses and relay that information to Proctor before administration of the written test.

A student may sit for the exam once eligibility has been established. Any student completing a course must complete his/her initial certification examination within 90 days of the date of course completion and provide all required documentation. Students unable to comply with the 90-day rule must submit an appeal in writing to extend the time allowed to complete the certification exam.

Certification candidates with incomplete certification files where certification testing has occurred but the certifying agency certificate is pending, the candidate may sit for the certification exam but will not be processed for certification until all documentation has been received by the Testing Division. Candidates with pending prerequisites have 90 days from the date of the exam to submit the required documentation or eligibility at the requested level will be rescinded.

AUDIT

A student may choose to audit (no certification testing) a course at the Alabama Fire College and receive a Certificate of Attendance. Once the declaration for audit has been filed and processed the student will not be allowed to recant and test.

TEST PREPARATION

In order to avoid the need for a retest, students are urged to purchase the required textbooks and begin reading prior to the start of the first class.

Course syllabi containing pertinent course information help guide students on what to begin studying prior to the class. Skill sheet packages are also available. See our Course Resources page for the syllabus and skill sheet packages: http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/CourseResources.aspx

Additional study each night between classes further prepares students for the written exam. Students should also pay close attention to the instructor’s teaching outline, power point presentation and take notes during class.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION

The written examination is administered at the end of each certification course by an official Alabama Fire College test proctor only to individuals who have met all the course requirements, including prerequisites, all course hours, and successful skills examination. Written examinations allow one minute per question. An overall final written exam score of 70% is required for the successful completion of a course.

SKILLS EXAMINATION

The skill/practical examination is administered at the end of each certification course by an official Alabama Fire College test proctor or designee. Skills evaluations are administered and must be passed in their entirety in order for a student to sit for the state written examination. The instructor/program coordinator must provide verification of successful completion of all required skills in order for student’s certification to be processed.

TEST SCORES

The actual score of the written examination is mailed or emailed to the student within approximately ten to fourteen days of the exam date (dependent upon receipt of the exam). GRADES ARE NOT RELEASED OVER THE PHONE.

If you have not received your test score, please email Testing@alabamafirecollege.org with contact and specific course information.

Please note that final scores for project-based courses (Fire Instructor II & III, Fire Inspector III, Fire Officer III & IV) will take additional time to receive due to the evaluation of the projects by the Testing Division.

RETEST POLICY

Students have the opportunity for a retest to be taken after 30 days from the original test date and within one year of the course completion date. Any student who fails to complete the required examinations within 12 months of course completion must complete the course again in order to sit for another test. Students appearing to take a retest must show a drivers license or other acceptable photo identification.

Retests may be given in conjunction with other regularly scheduled field certification tests. If a retest is requested in a field location (in Alabama), the request should be routed through the appropriate regional personnel. Regional Map & contact information: http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/docs/RegionalMap.pdf.

APPEALS/RESCORE

Students may request an appeal in writing within 30 days of the testing event (written or skills). As a result of procedures in place to score and verify scores, students are not encouraged to request hand-scored answer sheets, as the equipment is checked for accuracy on a regular maintenance schedule.

TEST DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY & ANALYSIS

Every question on the written examination is cross referenced to the appropriate teaching outline and to the national standard to ensure it is covered in depth in the course. Test questions are taken from nationally accredited test bank system or developed in-house by subject matter experts. Multiple versions of the written examination are developed for each certification level. Security checks are in place to ensure the accuracy of the scoring process. Analysis of exam questions is completed routinely after test administration.

PRIVACY/CONFIDENTIALITY

The Alabama Fire College has established policies and procedures to comply with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The examination scores are confidential. No actual scores will be given by telephone.

Certificate information is deemed as public record and can be conveyed to officials of a fire fighter’s department unless the College is notified in writing on a yearly basis not to issue this information.

A student desiring his/her grade to be released to another entity must indicate in writing which scores can be disclosed and the organization to which the scores can be revealed. Please use the Certification Record (Transcript) Release form located under the Forms section of this website. http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/docs/CertRelease.pdf

Student Record Policies and Procedures can be obtained from our website or by contacting our offices.

ADA

Anyone needing special accommodations for certification programs and/or testing shall request such provision no less than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled event. Requests must be submitted by the student along with the appropriate disability documentation on official letterhead and verified by an appropriate physician. Services and reasonable accommodations are provided pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

CERTIFICATION
Certification requirements for each certification course are any specified pre-requisites and successful completion of the written and skills examinations. All testing/certification paperwork must be completed and ALL required signatures, dates, hours, scores, topics, etc. received by the Testing Division before certification can be awarded.

Upon successful completion and receipt of the required paperwork, a certificate with the Alabama and applicable Pro Board seal and/or IFSAC seal will be mailed within a few weeks after testing. This certificate is automatically registered with these entities with no further application or fees needed for this recognition.

Duplicate or replacement certificates can be obtained by written request and a $15.00 fee.

A Certification Record Listing (Transcript) can be obtained by written request only. http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/docs/CertRelease.pdf

Certificates may be mailed to the student’s home address upon written request to the Certification Office.

ACCREDITATION

The accreditation of Alabama Fire College’s certification processes by Pro Board and IFSAC assures complete compliance with the procedures and criteria established by these accrediting entities. The Alabama Fire College is proud to act as a certifying agent under their sponsorship. Currently the Alabama Fire College issues certification automatically and at no further charge for the individual upon successful completion. Please visit the websites at www.TheProBoard.org (individual accessible certification look-up); and www.IFSAC.org for more information.

STANDARD OF TRAINING - NFPA

The Alabama Fire College uses the Fire Service Professional Qualifications Standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for the basis for all certification training. The complete current standards are on file in the Alabama Fire College’s Curriculum Division. Visit www.nfpa.org for current standards and updates.

Revised 07/14/2011