If you’re preparing for a fire marshal or fire warden assessment, the practice questions below will give you a sense of the kind of material a typical UK course covers. The questions are pitched at the level of accredited workplace fire safety training — the same ground covered in IFE, RoSPA and IOSH-recognised courses.
Take the quiz, check your answers, and use the explanations to fill in any gaps. None of this replaces actual training, but it’s a useful self-check before booking a course or going into a refresher.
What the real assessment looks like
There is no single statutory fire marshal exam, question count, time limit or pass mark. Assessments vary by provider and qualification. These15practice questions test the factual guidance on this page and are not an official awarding-body paper.
In-person courses often combine the written assessment with continuous trainer observation throughout the session, particularly during practical extinguisher use. Online courses usually rely entirely on the multiple-choice element, sometimes split into shorter section-by-section quizzes rather than one final test.
If the multiple-choice format puts you off, it’s worth knowing that the questions are pitched to test understanding, not memorisation. You’re not asked to recall the exact wording of articles in the Fire Safety Order; you’re asked whether you’d do the right thing in a realistic scenario. The questions below are written in the same spirit.
Practice quiz: 15 questions
1. The three elements that must be present for a fire to start are heat, fuel and:
- A) Carbon dioxide
- B) Oxygen
- C) Nitrogen
- D) Smoke
Answer: B. The fire triangle represents heat, fuel and oxygen. Removing one can control combustion; some extinguishing agents also interrupt the chemical chain reaction, represented in the fire tetrahedron.
2. What does the acronym PASS stand for when using a fire extinguisher?
- A) Pull, Aim, Spray, Stop
- B) Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
- C) Press, Aim, Squeeze, Spray
- D) Pull, Approach, Squeeze, Sweep
Answer: B. PASS means Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. It is a reminder for many common units, not a universal method: follow the particular extinguisher’s instructions, training and safe-use limits.
3. Under the Fire Safety Order in England and Wales, who is the main duty-holder in an employer-controlled workplace?
- A) The fire marshal
- B) The most senior employee on site
- C) The “responsible person”, usually the employer
- D) The fire and rescue service
Answer: C. The employer is the Responsible Person where the workplace is under their control. Other people may also have relevant duties; delegating practical tasks does not remove the employer’s responsibilities.
4. A fire marshal arrives at a small fire in a wastepaper bin. What is the priority?
- A) Tackle the fire immediately with the nearest extinguisher
- B) Raise the alarm, then tackle the fire only if it can be done safely and they’re trained to do so
- C) Evacuate the area without attempting to do anything else
- D) Call the fire and rescue service first, before anything else
Answer: B. Raise the alarm and ensure 999 is called from safety under the emergency plan. Only trained, designated people should consider suitable equipment where conditions and escape remain safe; the alarm may not automatically summon firefighters.
5. Which class of fire involves cooking oils and fats?
- A) Class A
- B) Class B
- C) Class D
- D) Class F
Answer: D. Class F covers cooking oils and fats. Use only equipment specifically rated and suitable for that hazard; ordinary water jets, foam, powder and CO2 must not be assumed suitable. At home, leave a burning pan and call 999.
6. How often should fire alarms be tested in most workplaces?
- A) Daily
- B) Weekly
- C) Monthly
- D) Annually
Answer: B. Weekly testing is the standard, with the call point used rotated each week so all are tested over time. The test is logged.
7. During an evacuation, you find a colleague using a lift to leave the building. What should you do?
- A) Let them — lifts evacuate people faster
- B) Direct them to the stairs immediately, unless the lift is specifically designated as an evacuation lift
- C) Wait for them on the next floor
- D) Tell them off afterwards
Answer: B. Do not use an ordinary passenger lift during a fire. A lift may form part of evacuation only under a suitable, specifically planned arrangement with the necessary protection, controls and trained assistance.
8. What does PEEP stand for?
- A) Personal Evacuation Emergency Plan
- B) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
- C) Premises Emergency Evacuation Procedure
- D) Public Evacuation Emergency Procedure
Answer: B. A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan describes agreed arrangements for a person who needs assistance. Marshals may help develop or carry it out if competent and assigned to do so. Refuges need planned onward evacuation, not reliance on fire-service rescue.
9. A fire warden carrying out a sweep finds a colleague in a meeting room who refuses to leave because they’re “in the middle of a call”. What’s the right response?
- A) Leave them and continue the sweep
- B) Insist firmly that they evacuate immediately, by law and for their own safety
- C) Let them finish the call quickly
- D) Stay with them until they’re ready
Answer: B. Give a clear instruction to leave by a safe route. Do not use force, argue at length or put yourself at risk; if they refuse, leave and report their last known location to the emergency coordinator and fire service.
10. A workplace’s fire risk assessment is the duty of:
- A) The fire marshal
- B) The fire and rescue service
- C) The responsible person (or someone competent appointed by them)
- D) An external consultant only
Answer: C. The responsible person under the Fire Safety Order must ensure a fire risk assessment is carried out. They can do it themselves if competent, appoint someone competent internally, or appoint an external assessor. Fire marshals can support the assessment with on-the-ground observations but aren’t, by virtue of their role, qualified to carry out the formal assessment.
11. The minimum number of fire marshals you need is determined by:
- A) A fixed legal ratio set by the Fire Safety Order
- B) The fire risk assessment, taking into account workplace size, layout, occupancy and risk level
- C) A flat one marshal per ten employees
- D) Whatever the insurance company specifies
Answer: B. Assess the required duties, premises, occupants and available competent people, including shifts and absence cover. There is no statutory ratio or verified HSE one-per-50, 20 or 15 formula.
12. After arriving at the assembly point during an evacuation, the most important task is:
- A) Making sure nobody is on their phone
- B) Carrying out a roll call to confirm everyone is accounted for
- C) Counting the number of cars in the car park
- D) Waiting for the fire and rescue service before doing anything
Answer: B. The roll call is the point of having an assembly procedure. The marshal uses whatever record the workplace relies on — signing-in book, in/out board, employee list — and reports any missing people to the fire and rescue service when they arrive.
13. A fire warden discovers their sweep route is blocked by smoke. What should they do?
- A) Push through the smoke quickly
- B) Stop the sweep, leave the area by the nearest safe exit, and report the blockage to the senior warden or fire service
- C) Wait for the smoke to clear before continuing
- D) Open windows to ventilate the route
Answer: B. The sweep stops at the point it becomes unsafe. The marshal exits via the nearest safe route and reports what they saw. Going deeper into smoke is a quick way to become a casualty rather than a rescuer.
14. Which statement correctly describes the legal position on fire marshal certificate expiry?
- A) Every certificate expires after one year
- B) Every certificate expires after two years
- C) There is no fixed statutory expiry; training must remain adequate
- D) Every certificate expires after five years
Answer: C. Provider certificate policies vary. The Fire Safety Order requires adequate training, adapted to new or changed risks and repeated where appropriate; a certificate date alone cannot establish competence.
15. The correct UK colour conventions for fire safety signs include:
- A) Red rectangles for fire equipment, green for safe condition (exits, assembly points)
- B) Yellow rectangles for fire equipment, blue for safe condition
- C) Green rectangles for fire equipment, red for safe condition
- D) Blue rectangles for fire equipment, yellow for safe condition
Answer: A. Under BS 5499 and the harmonised BS EN ISO 7010 standard, fire equipment signs are red rectangles (extinguisher locations, alarm call points). Safe condition signs — fire exits, assembly points, refuge areas — are green rectangles.
Where to take genuine accredited training
Self-testing has its limits. To take the role properly, you need an accredited course that includes legal context, evacuation procedure, sweep technique, equipment use and assessment.
Our Fire Warden Training course is the practical next step. £18 per learner, RoSPA approved and CPD accredited, 60 to 90 minutes online, instant certificate on passing, and free unlimited retakes if you don’t pass the assessment first time. Group bookings get bulk discounts from 10 delegates upwards. Suitable for individuals booking themselves on or for whole workplace teams training together.
If you want more depth on any of the topics covered in the questions above:
- Fire marshal responsibilities — full duties breakdown
- How long does a fire marshal certificate last — refresher timing
- Fire marshal checklist — daily, weekly and emergency procedure
- Fire marshal signs and posters — BS 5499 and BS EN ISO 7010 explained
Related guides
- Fire marshal signs and posters: symbols, visibility and practical examples
- Fire marshal checklist: daily, weekly and emergency procedure
- Fire marshal responsibilities: a full duties breakdown
Sources & references
Official guidance checked on 15 October 2026. Requirements vary by UK nation and premises.
- Legislation — Fire Safety Order, including articles 13, 15, 18, 21 and 23
- Government — duties under fire safety legislation
- Government — office and shop fire precautions, checks and training
- Government — assisted evacuation and refuges
- HSE — safety-sign colours and shapes
- Government — workplace training and drills
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, fire warden training and accredited online courses for Fire Warden Training, part of Online CPD Academy.