Overview
The National Comprehensive Fire and Rescue Force (国家综合性消防救援队伍) recruits firefighters (消防员) through public recruitment run under a joint measure of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部). The Ministry of Emergency Management organises it. Each year an annual recruitment plan sets the number of places and the regions. Selection is a sequence of checks and tests, not one written exam.
The rules below come from the official 2021 measure. The 2026 figures come from a reproduction of the 2026 notice, because the Ministry's own notice page could not be opened, so confirm them on the Ministry's site.
Who can apply
Under the measure, applicants must:
hold Chinese nationality, obey the constitution and law, and be willing to join the force;
be 18 to 22 years old;
have at least a high school education;
be mentally and physically healthy and of good conduct.
The age limit rises to 24 for people with a college diploma or higher, discharged soldiers of the army and armed police, and government full-time firefighters or forest fire fighters with at least two years of real firefighting experience. Specialists urgently needed may be allowed up to 28 with ministry approval.
Recruitment is mainly from permanent residents of the same province, and may also be open to other provinces when needed.
Recruitment categories
The 2026 notice recruits 17,000 firefighters, all men.
| Group | Places (2026) |
|---|---|
| Graduating university and college students | 5,667 |
| Discharged soldiers | 5,667 |
| Other young people | 5,666 |
For 2026 the eligible birth dates were 1 September 2003 to 31 August 2008.
Exam pattern
The measure lists these steps, and the order may be adjusted:
Announcement and publicity.
Online registration.
Qualification review: online first review, then on-site check of original documents.
Medical examination at a designated city-level or higher general hospital, using the military conscription standard. One re-examination is possible with approval.
Political review, modelled on conscription screening, plus a check of personal records and family background.
Physical fitness test and job suitability test. The fitness test looks at muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. The job suitability test looks at coordination, sense of spatial position and psychological adaptation to heights and darkness. The Ministry sets the items and standards.
Psychological test and interview. The interview looks at physical bearing, appearance, speech and communication.
Public notice of the proposed list for at least 5 working days.
Admission.
Marking and results
For 2026, the total score is the fitness test score (maximum 40) plus the job suitability score (maximum 40) plus 40 percent of the interview score (out of 100), so the maximum is 120.
Important dates
For 2026, online registration ran from 12 to 30 June, with online first review until 2 July. Dates change every year.
After the exam
New firefighters complete one year of entry training on the pay of a first-grade probationary firefighter. Political review, medical check and psychological test are repeated within the first three months, and anyone who no longer meets the conditions is dropped. Those who pass the end-of-training assessment are formally given a rank. New recruits may not resign within five years of joining, including the training year.
Preparation tips
Read the current year's notice first, since quotas and dates are set annually.
Train for strength, endurance and flexibility, which the fitness test measures.
Is there a written exam?
The measure lists no written subject exam. Selection uses medical, political, physical fitness, job suitability, psychological and interview steps.
Can women apply?
In the 2026 notice, all 17,000 places are for men.
What is the age limit?
18 to 22 in general, up to 24 for diploma holders, discharged soldiers and experienced government firefighters.