Author Topic: PQA's (Read 67838 times)

Kaiser · « **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2007, 09:21:33 PM »

The systems was supposed to be introduced in order to allow firefighters who suffer from exam nerves, dyslexia and many other conditions to be able to get promoted by proving that they are the right people for the job, what has happened instead is that the system is now more able to be abused than the old system. I know of a senior officer who was doing interviews and gave mock interviews to candidates in order to train his interview skills. Funnily enough, every single person from his cronies and hangers on who had a mock interview passed the adc. When my mate asked if he could have a mock interview with this particular senior officer, he was told that he should "Just get on with it, if you're good enough you'll pass anyway, if not you won't" Guess what, he never passed.

Same **** , different process (only now open to even more abuse)

Cut Fire Service Pay · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2007, 07:40:44 PM »

Kaiser, your spot on! Thats my experience of the new system

toidi · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2007, 09:16:24 PM »

Kaiser

Sounds like the fault is not with the system but with your mates senior Officer.
If he had been given guidance and help with what to expect, it sounds like he would have also passed.

TheRedMax · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2007, 02:12:24 AM »

Does anyone know what's going on with the PQAs at the moment? I don't know if it's something to do with the changeover to rolling recruitment, but I recently applied for retained fire fighter position in the surrey area. They sent me through an application that was part retained questions (i.e. "do you live within 4 minutes of a station" etc) but was also all 6 150-word questions (a wholetimers-PQA standard) - and has now resulted in me apparently getting an interview on March 2nd for wholetime !?

fireftrm · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2007, 01:02:29 PM »

The Natioanl firefghter selction tests are compulsory for all duty systems from April. Surrey have obvioulsy applied them now. How do you know your interview is for a WDS post and not RDS? If it is, well done and look forward to a fulfilling full time career, many would be very jealous of this success. Either way there should be written and practical tests beforee the interview, so it may be that they haven't fully applied the new tests and this is RDS interview and the only part they have so far implemented is the application form?

Tom Sutton · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2007, 09:55:31 PM »

If you need info on National firefighter selection tests try www.hantsfire.gov.uk/southeastguidance.pdf and http://www.fireservice.co.uk/recruitment/newtests.php you may find it of some use.

Cut Fire Service Pay · « **Reply #21 on:** March 17, 2007, 06:36:06 PM »

As a matter of interest myself and a workmate sent an application form for the East Mids recruitment. We got a friend of ours who is a recruitment consultant to read over the PQAs (as that is basicly all the form consists of)she approved them and said that they matched the required standard.

Guess what? We didn't get a response!! PQAs are the way forward are they? God help us all. More like selection by diversity forms. Next time I'll submit the same PQAs but put down that I am a gay foreign ethnic minority and see what result I get?

I also know of several people that have applied for Retained jobs in the East Mids brigades and got fed up very quickly with it all. No wonder they are so dangerously short

The Lawman · « **Reply #22 on:** July 15, 2007, 04:02:48 PM »

I'm facing death by PQAs this week.

Any up to date advice?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Pip · « **Reply #23 on:** July 16, 2007, 11:00:20 AM »

What you hav'nt done convincingly make up-embellish the truth-but it must be believable,have at least 3 examples of what you have done for each PQA.If it was a 'team effort' make sure you tell them about your part.Make sure you say 'I did' not 'we did'
Remember,PQA's require you to know nothing about the fire service so no matter what you have done before it is worthless,unless you can relate it to a PQA!

Cut Fire Service Pay · « **Reply #24 on:** July 16, 2007, 05:24:28 PM »

I recently had to sit through another PQA 'brief'. (trying to get Ffs to apply for ADCs) I left no more the wiser than before (and bored to tears). I have now given up all hope of ever getting promoted by answering PQA questions there just nonsense. The vast majority of Ffs on my station now feel the same way as me.

Speaking to other Ffs around the brigades it would appear we are not alone! Is there any proof yet that these ADC/PQAs are actualy working and encoraging development or is it just the case that some superb Ffs have given up on promotion because they have had enough of PQAs!

Even if you can put up with attending an ADC or answering PQAs your ADC ticket only lasts for a year so if there are no sutible vacancies you have to go through it all again!

As for: 'if you haven't got the right answers then you haven't got the necessary PQAs' Well I realy am lost with that comment. If there is no 'model' answer to a PQA then they are a waste of time. I was subjected to an explanation of BARs. My god what a load of piffle. These are supposed to help the person marking your comments to see if you have the right PQAs? Give me strength, who thinks of the stuff?

The Lawman · « **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2007, 01:27:45 PM »

Ach well, there's always next time! That was an awful experience indeed.

Pip · « **Reply #26 on:** July 19, 2007, 05:02:22 PM »

grim future-lots of promotions over last few years-of relatively young people- because of the retirement of all those additional staff taken on in the 70's.those people now in middle/senior positions can now stay even longer-don't have to retire- can add up to 15 years on their retirement date
not only dead man shoes,loads of people elegible for few jobs,now have to also compete with the 'tesco's manager' because of PQA's.Result-less 'career' fire fighters/officers-no incentive to stay because of lack of prospects.No secret on how that will effect the moral/effectiveness of your future fire service.

Pip · « **Reply #27 on:** July 20, 2007, 02:03:46 PM »

Quote from: Pip

grim future-lots of promotions over last few years-of relatively young people- because of the retirement of all those additional staff taken on in the 70's.those people now in middle/senior positions can now stay even longer-don't have to retire- can add up to 15 years on their retirement date
not only dead man shoes,loads of people elegible for few jobs,now have to also compete with the 'tesco's manager' because of PQA's.Result-less 'career' fire fighters/officers-no incentive to stay because of lack of prospects.No secret on how that will effect the moral/effectiveness of your future fire service.

apologies-should have said 'dead persons ' shoes.

firefightercw1 · « **Reply #28 on:** August 07, 2007, 09:06:27 AM »

Hi all, im new to this site. Im coming out of the RAF, currently been working there as a Firefighter for nearly 4 years. i have an interview with the MOD DFS fire service very soon and was wondering if you guys had any advice?? i am currently looking and reeading through the PQA list i got from ipds.co.uk, Any additonal help from guys that have just passed or had interviews would be gratefully accepted. thanks

The Lawman · « **Reply #29 on:** August 07, 2007, 09:02:01 PM »

You can expect questions on "hot" topics such as Diversity, change, development etc. It's not an easy thing to study for but the best advice I was given actually came from posts on here.

If you can get two or three scenarios for each PQA topic and apply "STAR" to it ie:

This was the situation
This was my task
This is what action I took
This was the result

Concentrate most on the action taken as this is where you will demonstrate your "qualities" and "attributes".

I hope this helps, it worked for me, although if you follow my posts you will see that I had no idea that I was going to be successful!

Best of luck......

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Author Topic: PQA's (Read 67838 times)