NFSI NFSI Mechanical Aptitude and Spatial Reasoning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Two firefighters carry a 180-pound victim on a stretcher. Firefighter A is at the head end and Firefighter B is at the foot end. The victim is centered on the stretcher. Each firefighter carries approximately:
- 90 pounds (Correct answer)
- 180 pounds
- 60 pounds
- 45 pounds
Correct answer: 90 pounds
With the load centered, each firefighter bears half the weight, which is 180 ÷ 2 = 90 pounds.
Question 2: A firefighter looks at a mirror image of a map. In the mirror, the exit marked on the east side of the building appears to be on which side?
- North
- South
- East
- West (Correct answer)
Correct answer: West
A mirror reverses left and right (east and west), so what appears east in reality appears west in the mirror.
Question 3: A water tank is filled through a 2-inch pipe at 60 gallons per minute and drained through a 1-inch pipe at 30 gallons per minute. The net fill rate of the tank is:
- 90 gpm
- 60 gpm
- 30 gpm (Correct answer)
- 15 gpm
Correct answer: 30 gpm
Net fill rate = inflow minus outflow = 60 - 30 = 30 gallons per minute.
Question 4: Which tool would a firefighter most likely use to cut through a padlock shackle during forcible entry?
- Halligan bar
- Bolt cutters (Correct answer)
- Flat-head axe
- Pike pole
Correct answer: Bolt cutters
Bolt cutters are specifically designed to cut through metal shackles and chains with high mechanical advantage.
Question 5: A firefighter descending a ladder faces the building. Their left hand grips the left rail. If the firefighter rotates 180 degrees to face away from the building, the left hand now grips the:
- Left rail
- Right rail (Correct answer)
- Both rails
- The rungs
Correct answer: Right rail
Rotating 180 degrees swaps left and right orientation relative to the ladder, so the original left rail is now gripped by the right hand, and vice versa.
Question 6: Three containers of water weigh 15, 22, and 33 pounds. A firefighter must carry all three in one trip using two hands. The most balanced way is to hold the 22-pound container in one hand and which combination in the other?
- 15 lbs only (Correct answer)
- 33 lbs only
- 15 + 33 lbs
- None — impossible to balance
Correct answer: 15 lbs only
Balancing 22 lbs in one hand against 15 lbs in the other is the closest equal split; holding 33 lbs would be 33 vs. 37 lbs, which is slightly less balanced.
NFSI NFSI Mechanical Aptitude and Spatial Reasoning 2
Two firefighters carry a 180-pound victim on a stretcher.
Firefighter A is at the head end and Firefighter B is at the foot end.
The victim is centered on the stretcher.
Each firefighter carries approximately: