Candidate FAQs Frequently Asked Questions How much does the testing process cost? When are tests offered? How do I schedule and purchase a test? How do I add a department after I have scheduled a test? What kind of tests are they? Where can I find out more about the standard video-based tests? Can I test for two different job types at the same time? What computer skills do I need to take the tests? How long are the tests? Are the computer administered and the physical ability tests on the same day? When can I test again? How do Departments check my scores? How do I find out my rank with the departments? What will departments do with my scores? When will my scores expire? How do I apply for Reasonable Testing Accommodation? How long does a department keep my score? How do I contact Support for help with the NTN website? What about my veteran's preference points? Can I reschedule or get a refund for a test? What if a department I want to apply to becomes a National Testing Network Department after I test? What do I need to bring to the test session? When will my Testing Date be confirmed? Does NTN accept CPAT results from other organizations? Do I need to schedule my Law Enforcement Physical Abilities Test (PAT) on the same day as my Standard Test? I cannot afford the testing fee. Is there some way I can get my test paid for? Can I get more detailed information about my score? Can I take a Written and Physical exam on the same day? Do I have to be 18 years of age to test for National Testing Network? Will I be admitted if I am late for my exam? When should I arrive at the site? What should I wear to my Physical test? How much does the testing process cost? There is base fee for testing and an additional cost for each department where you indicate you want to apply. The prices vary based on the type of job you are seeking (fire, police, emergency communication, etc). All costs are outlined in NTN's Cost Table. When are tests offered? Testing date availability is different for each testing center location. The best way to find out when tests are available is to start the application process. You will not be asked for any payment or identifying information before you review the testing schedule. How do I schedule and purchase a test? Click on the profession button (Firefighter, Law Enforcement, or select a profession from the drop down menu of Find Jobs) and follow the instructions. You will be able to select department jobs you are interested in, select a test center location, date, and time for your test, register, and pay. Please be sure to add any and all department jobs you are interested in. Once you test, you will only be eligible to add new department jobs that have opened after taking your test. How do I add a department after I have scheduled a test? Candidates are eligible to add any department jobs to their test results as long as they do so before taking the test. After a candidate tests, the only jobs they are eligible to add are new jobs or departments that have opened since the completion of their test. It costs $15.00 for each job added. To add a new department job to your list, log in to your account at www.nationaltestingnetwork.com and click on the “Add Departments for (Your Career Path)” button, choose the department jobs you want and pay the fee. What kind of tests are they? The standard tests are video based tests and written tests administered at a computer workstation or in a group setting. Police and corrections officer tests include physical ability tests. The Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) is separate from the standard firefighter test. CPATs are available every week and must be scheduled on their own. Where can I find out more about the standard video-based tests? There are several resources for learning more about the tests you will take at National Testing Network Center. The first resource is this website. Firefighter Police and Sheriff Corrections Officer Juvenile Corrections Emergency Communications Transit Operator Physical Abilities Test (PAT) CPAT There are also practice tests available for police and fire applicants. FireTEAM Test (Firefighters) FrontLine Test (Law Enforcement) REACT Test (Corrections Officers) START Driver Test (Transit Drivers) Cosmetology Test (Cosmetology Professionals) Can I test for two different job types at the same time? No, candidates must schedule separate test sessions for each job category. NTN offers tests that are job specific and therefore candidates need to take different tests for each job. The tests for each job may take several hours and some jobs require an additional physical ability test. What computer skills do I need to take the tests? At some testing locations, the standard tests are administered on computer workstations. You will need to know how to use a mouse and keyboard to take each of the tests. You will need to enter your username and password to log in to your test and use the mouse to select the answers to each question. Administrators and technical assistance will be available to answer any questions you have. How long are the tests? This varies by job category. Each standard video test can take up to approximately 2.5 hours. Police, corrections and juvenile corrections candidates may also be required to participate in a physical test. At some locations, police and corrections applicants can schedule their physical abilities exam on the day of their choice. For some locations, the Physical Abilities Tests (PAT) will be on the morning of or follow directly after the standard video test. A WAPAT usually takes less than 30 minutes. You may be at the site longer depending on the schedule. Firefighter applicants who are required to have a CPAT result need to schedule the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) separately from the standard video test. For more detailed information about the physical abilities tests, choose the Exam you are looking for under the Exams area on our website. Are the computer administered and the physical ability tests on the same day? At some locations, police and corrections candidates will complete the entire testing process during their scheduled time, both the Standard Test and the Physical Abilities Test (PAT). At some of testing centers, the PAT will be in the morning of their testing day, their standard test will be later in the day. At other NTN locations, police and corrections candidates can schedule their PAT any time. On the day of their Standard Test, or at another time. At some locations, candidates that fail the Physical Abilities Tests (PAT) for Law Enforcement and Corrections will be allowed to retake the PAT as often as they would like. If a candidate wishes to re-take the PAT, they must schedule it for a separate time. Each attempt at the physical abilities test will require the same payment as the initial testing process. Not all departments accept re-test PAT results. Some departments require 6 months between submitting PAT results. Check the department requirements on this site or contact the departments you are applying to. Firefighter candidates will have to schedule both the video test and the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) separately. If you choose to schedule both on the same day it is important to leave enough time between your video test session and the CPAT. When can I test again? Candidate's scores are kept for one year. Candidates must wait for a minimum of three months to retake the standard computer administered tests. One year after your last testing date, your score will expire and you will have to retest to continue being referred. When you choose to retest after 3 months, your previous test scores and all department jobs from the original application are deleted. At the time you purchase your new test you will need to again select any and all department jobs you are interested in, even if any of the jobs were on your previous application. Candidates that fail the Physical Abilities Tests (PAT) for Law Enforcement and Corrections will be allowed to retake the PAT as often as they would like at some locations. Each attempt at the physical abilities test will require the same payment as the initial testing process. Not all departments accept re-test PAT results. Some departments require 6 months between submitting PAT results. Check the department requirements on this site or check with the departments you are applying to. Firefighting candidates can re-take the Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) as often as they like. How do Departments check my scores? Departments have instant access to scores. Upon completion of the test your scores will be stored in our secure database. Departments will then be able to access your score. How do I find out my rank with the departments? Once you have completed the testing process, NTN provides each department you designate with your test scores. Individual departments choose scoring standards based on department needs. Departments will contact you if you have made it into other phases of their selection processes. What will departments do with my scores? This is determined by each individual department. When will my scores expire? Your written scores are good for one year after your test date. After one year, they will retire and not be visible to you or your department choices. Your scores must be active when a department job closes for you to be eligible for the job. You can retest after 3 months. How do I apply for Reasonable Testing Accommodation? All accommodation requests will require documentation from a medical professional. To apply for Reasonable Accommodation related to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) for your exam(s), you must complete Form A and provide supporting documentation and then submit them by fax or mail to National Testing Network (NTN). If you do not have supporting documentation please submit Form B, to be filled out by a physician. NTN will consider all requests for Reasonable Testing Accommodation. Candidates will be informed of the decision in writing within 5-7 business days of receipt of completed paperwork. Please follow these steps: Do not schedule your exam. Your accommodations must be approved before you can schedule your exam. Download Accommodation Request forms here and then print. Fill in the forms completely Form A Form B (optional) Fax or Mail completed forms and supporting documentation to National Testing Network: Fax number 425-977-0566 Mailing Address National Testing Network Accommodation Request 2122 164th St. SW, Suite 300 Lynnwood, WA 98087 NTN will inform you of their decision. Once you have approval NTN will help you schedule your exam. All sections of the forms must be completed; if a section does not apply, please complete it as "not applicable”. Additional information may be required if forms are not filled out completely. Things to check before you submit your forms: Any submitted documentation needs to clearly state the nature and extent of the limitations the candidate possesses due to the diagnosed disability. Paperwork must be current and dated within the last 3 years. How long does a department keep my score? We will provide Departments with your scores for one year. Departments will ultimately choose how long they use your scores. Departments may choose to generate a list for one year with optional extension periods. If provided by the department, NTN will post information about department specific polices in the department section. How do I contact Support for help with the NTN website? NTN Support can be contacted by submitting a request from our Contact NTN support form at http://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/contact.cfm or by calling 206-428-3265. What about my veteran's preference points? Veteran's preferences are determined by individual departments. If a department provides this information to National Testing Network, it will be listed in the job description. Can I reschedule or get a refund for a test? Exam fees are non-refundable. You can request an exam reschedule up until one week before your exam date. A schedule change within one week of an exam is not allowed. If your request for a reschedule is more than 7 days in advance, you may reschedule the test yourself by logging into your account and using the reschedule feature located under View/Reschedule Exams. We do not accept rescheduling requests over the phone. What if a department becomes a National Testing Network Department after I test? Any time a new department becomes a part of National Testing Network you will have the opportunity of having your results be made available to that department. NTN will send out email notifications of new departments to candidates who opt into receiving notices. You will be charged the standard price for adding departments. What do I need to bring to the test session? You need to bring a valid government issued photo ID. Your name on the ID will need to match your name in the NTN system. Example List of Original Identification with Photo: U.S. or Foreign Driver's License valid, or expired within one year U.S. Armed Services ID Card with photo and signature Department of Veterans Affairs Identification Card U.S. or Foreign Passport valid, or expired within one year Federal or State Employee ID Card valid, shows your signature and photo State issued ID Card with photo valid, or expired within one year Immigration ID valid, with signature from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization with signature and photo U.S. Permanent Resident Card valid, with your signature and photo You will need to bring all of your NTN Usernames and Passwords. You will not be allowed to take bags, coats, cell phones, electronics of any sort, writing implements, paper, or anything else, into the testing area. We recommend you leave such items in your car. Open shelving will be provided but security is not guaranteed. Any person who takes prohibited objects into the testing room, will be considered to have failed the test and will not be admitted to testing at NTN Centers in the future. When will my Testing Date be confirmed? As soon as your payment is accepted by the credit card company, your testing dates will be confirmed. You will need to bring a photo ID, your Username and Password with you to the testing session. Your username is the email associated with your NTN account and the password is the one you created for your NTN account. Be sure and save your Username and Password in a secure place. Does NTN accept CPAT results from other organizations? Each certified department decides what CPAT results they will accept. IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED A CPAT AT A TESTING CENTER OTHER THAN NTN, you must contact the departments on your list to confirm that they will accept your CPAT results. There is a place on the application form to list your CPAT certification. A CPAT certification from NTN will automatically be available to the departments you apply to. Do I need to schedule my Law Enforcement Physical Abilities Test (PAT) on the same day as my Standard Test? The NTN Physical Abilities Test (PAT) includes four components: push-ups, sit-ups, 300 meter run and 1.5 mile run. Some departments may not require all components. All Law enforcement candidates will take the PAT. At some locations, law enforcement candidates will complete the entire testing process during their scheduled time, both the Standard Test and the Physical Abilities Test (PAT). At some testing centers, the PAT will be in the morning of their testing day, their standard test will be later in the same day. At other NTN locations, police and corrections candidates can schedule their PAT any time, on the day of their Standard Test, or up to 30 days later. Come prepared with the shoes and clothing you will need to participate in the PAT. If a candidate fails their first attempt at the PAT and wishes to re-take the test, they must schedule and pay for the re-test at a separate time. All PAT tests, either first attempts or 2nd attempts must be completed within 1 year of the candidate's Standard/Video test date. If you are signed up for a PAT exam and do not show up to it, the following are your options: Log into your account and go to the "Tests and Scores" link. Click the "Retake P.A.T." button (there is a $40 fee for this retake). Retake your written exam in 3 months and schedule a new PAT at that time. If you are signed up for a PAT and do not show up to the written exam that is attached to it, the following are your options: Schedule a new written exam and take a new PAT exam. Contact Customer Support and let them know you would like your PAT score attached to your new/upcoming written exam account. (This is not an immediate process and will entail escalation). I cannot afford the testing fee. Is there some way I can get my test paid for? Some client agencies at National Testing Network might provide a fee waiver for applicants who cannot afford the testing fee. Download the Fee Waiver Form Here. Scan and email the waiver request to support@nationaltestingnetwork.com or start a Customer Support ticket using the "Contact Support" link at the bottom of the page with the scan attached. It will be forwarded to the department who will make the final decision. The process may take several weeks. Submitting a fee waiver request does not exempt the candidate from meeting testing deadlines Candidates will be notified by both email and telephone of the departments' decision. A number of agencies participate in our Fee Waiver Program. If you have questions about a certain agency and their participation please contact our customer support team. Can I get more detailed information about my score? National Testing Network employees cannot discuss specifics about your score or details on how the examination is scored. Can I take a Written and Physical exam on the same day? Yes, you can as long as there is sufficient time to do both. It is your responsibility to make sure the schedule allows for both exams to be taken. You will not receive a refund for testing fees if you fail to attend the exams. Do I have to be 18 years of age to test for National Testing Network? Candidates must meet the requirements of the job at the time of scheduling their exam. Currently, all of our jobs posted require an applicant to be at least 18 years of age. Will I be admitted if I am late for my exam? When should I arrive at the site? We recommend arriving at your exam site 30 minutes ahead of the exam start time. If you arrive later than the time of your exam you may not be allowed to test. What should I wear to my Physical test? PAT/WAPAT: Shirt Shorts/Pants Close toed shoes No watches or loose jewelry are permitted. CPAT: You must wear long pants and footwear closed at the heel and toe. Jewelry is not allowed. All other equipment (hard hat, gloves, etc.) will be provided. You will not be allowed to participate without proper clothing and footwear. Firefighter Mile/Medic Mile: Shirt Long pants Close toed shoes No watches or loose jewelry are permitted.
