With tighter budgets and reduced staffing, Fire & Rescue Services need more efficient and reliable assessment methods.

Perceptions of fairness are reduced when assessment methods differ across levels and when internal interviewers or assessors are involved.

The benefits
CPG CALENDAR
CPG EXERCISES
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The CPG is an online, behaviour-based assessment solution based on the NFCC Leadership Framework, FRS Values and Code of Ethics. It is designed for multiple levels (Crew to Strategic Manager, grey and green book) within the Fire & Rescue Services.

The CPG is a robust, consistent, and efficient solution for promotional assessments. It’s easy to set up and complete, proving effective in selecting the best talent cost-effectively.

The CPG uses a case study and video role-play set in a realistic but generic fire-service context, ensuring relevance and fairness. It is modular, flexible and supported with e-learning, candidate briefing and feedback, making it a full system that supports both assessment and development.

Read our client project to learn more.

BOOK YOUR ‘VIRTUAL CPG TOUR’ HERE

In a recent project, an FRS saved £34,800 using the CPG, averaging £600 per candidate

Benefits of the CPG

  • Realistic Fire & Rescue Service context assessment exercises

  • Scoring criteria aligned with the FRS Leadership Frameworks, FRS Values and Code of Ethics

  • Exercises for selection for Firefighters to CFO, and suitable for use with on-call, support staff and control candidates

  • Lower costs and resource use by outsourcing administration, role-play, and assessment

  • Fair and consistent scoring by expert, objective assessors

  • User-friendly, accessible assessments completed via laptop

  • Quick delivery, minimising time away from operations (typically 2 hours)

  • Exercises are invigilated and content AI checked

  • Valid tools ensure consistent, reliable results

  • Adheres to British Psychological Society’s best practice methodology

  • Designed by Occupational Psychologists in collaboration with FRS SME’s

  • Flexible scheduling, available on-demand or through the ‘CPG events calendar –  find out here which months we are running which levels of promotion if you would like to save money by adding your candidates to an existing project

Administration

Timetabling is streamlined with an online booking service, allowing candidates to select flexible slots and reducing internal admin.

Candidates can choose to attend assessments at a central location or complete them from home.

All activities are managed through a personal ‘gateway’ screen accessed via supplied login details.

An in-house administrator can oversee the process, or candidates can follow the provided instructions independently.

Exercises

We offer exercises designed for Firefighter recruitment and management progression across eight levels. At each level, candidates complete two exercises: a Case Study and a video Role-play.

Role-Play

Case Studies

Request an exercise catalogue >

From first application to career transitions, we support firefighters at every stage of their journey — helping them grow, lead, and thrive.

Exercise Validity

Strong evidence supports the validity of professionally designed assessment centres. Using two exercises and experienced Occupational Psychologists ensures fairness, while remote assessments minimise bias. Tailored exercises for the Fire & Rescue Service align with specific role requirements and are grounded in the well-researched FRS Leadership Behaviours Framework.

VCA’s 20 + years of experience with over 30 Fire & Rescue Services guarantees reliable implementation. We analyse data bi-annually and adhere to BPS best practices for validation, collaborating with an independent Occupational Psychologist to evaluate our tools and results

Request more information >

Results

Assessments and scoring are conducted remotely by experienced VCA Occupational Psychologist and leadership professional assessors, or preferred internal assessors. Using a leadership-based behavioural framework, candidates are scored from 0 (no evidence) to 3 (significant evidence) in each area, generating easy-to-interpret percentage scores for overall and individual performance. Assessors provide supporting evidence which is used to automatically populate a detailed feedback report, which includes developmental guidance.

Results are generated automatically, delivering score tables within days of assessment completion.

The final feedback report is accessible via the CPG portal for Learning & Development/HR personnel. Marking criteria can be mapped to align with your organisation’s competencies.

Developmental Feedback

We believe feedback is just as crucial as the assessment, significantly impacting candidate well-being, performance, and motivation. We provide detailed reports for each candidate, including personalised psychological evaluations of strengths, development needs, and next steps for skill enhancement.

Candidates particularly value our online feedback sessions with the assessment team, where we discuss performance, actionable improvements, and support strategies, such as coaching or mentoring, to enhance their experience and development

Developmental Feedback LITE

In the new CPG LITE version, exercises, criteria, and standardised scoring match the full CPG. However, assessors can now select two statements from a pre-written list for each score instead of writing a paragraph of evidence. This list is derived from hundreds of previous assessments, ensuring relevance and precision. Both the full CPG and CPG Feedback LITE reports are automatically generated based on the assessment content.

With less time spent on evidence writing, the CPG Feedback LITE is offered at a lower price, ideal for Crew and Watch Manager assessments with high candidate volumes. While VCA assessors handle objective scoring, internal assessors can be trained to use the CPG Feedback LITE as well.

Pre-CPG Candidate Preparation

Clients benefit greatly from a one-hour interactive briefing before assessments, ensuring candidates are well-prepared and know what to expect for optimal performance. During the session, candidates can ask questions and familiarise themselves with assessment methods, criteria, and reporting, reducing uncertainty and improving engagement.

The workshop can be led by an in-house trainer with provided materials, or delivered by one of our consultants via MS Teams. Topics covered include an introduction to the Career Progression Gateway (CPG), performance tips, common mistakes, and is supported by access to the CPG e-learning course.

Take a look at our CPG Step by Step Guide to show you exactly how the system runs for the candidate, assessors and HR team.

If you’d like to learn more about how VCA can help your organisation assess, develop, and retain talent, get in touch:

+44 (0)1202 798272

‘Open’ CPG Calendar 2026 – Open Assessment for other Services to attend

Whether you need to complete a behavioural assessment for FF, green book, on-call or control, promotions or selection, the Open Career Progression Gateway (CPG) allows you to ‘jump onto’ an existing project, without any fuss. Simply let us know what level and type of role you need to evaluate and we can slot your candidates in, no matter how big or small your project. The benefit of this approach is a reduction in the overall cost of the CPG. Give it a try and find out how simple and streamlined fairly and objectively assessing your staff can be.

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If you would like to join any of our ‘Open CPGs’ or would like to know more please complete your details below: