I have found a site that purports to have actual examples of the types of questions found on the New Haven firefighter test. As you will see, they have no relation to firefighting, but could be considered to favor a candidate with a privileged education. Here is one of the questions:
Questions 5 - 8 refer to the following reading passage.
The emotional abilities children acquire in later life build on those of the earliest years. And these abilities are the essential foundation for all learning. Successful learning is not predicted by how many facts a person knows or the ability to read so much as by emotional and social measures: being self-assured and interested; knowing what kind of behavior is expected and how to rein in the impulse to behave poorly; being able to wait, to follow directions, and to turn to others for help; and expressing needs while getting along with others.
A child's emotional abilities depend on the most basic of all knowledge, how to learn. There are seven key ingredients of this crucial capacity - all related to emotional intelligence:
Confidence. A sense of control and mastery of one's body, behavior, and world; the child's sense that he is more likely than not to succeed at what he undertakes, and that adults will be helpful.
Curiosity. The sense that finding out about things is positive and leads to pleasure.
Intentionality. The wish and capacity to have an impact, and to act upon that with persistence. This is related to a sense of competence, of being effective.
Self-control. The ability to modulate and control one's own actions in age-appropriate ways; a sense of inner control.
Relatedness. The ability to engage with others based on the sense of being understood by and understanding others.
Capacity to Communicate. The wish and ability to verbally exchange ideas, feelings, and concepts with others. This is related to a sense of trust in others and of pleasure in engaging with others, including adults.
Cooperativeness. The ability to balance one's own needs with those of others in group activity.
5. According to this passage, which of the following is
true?
1) The ability to read is not important to a child's successful learning.
2) A child's level of emotional intelligence is highly related to how well she can control her impulses.
3) Emotional intelligence is learned early in life and does not change once adulthood is reached.
4) A child's level of emotional intelligence is independent of the child's ability to learn in school.
Signs of the Times - David RePass Comments on The New Haven Firefighters Test