Fact check
What score do you need to pass the F-80?
You need at least 70% to pass the F-80 Certificate of Fitness test. On 50 questions, that works out to 35 correct answers. The FDNY sets the mark as a percentage; the count of 35 is our arithmetic from the 50-question format.
Plan ref 5.2Updated October 25, 2026
F-80 pass mark
70%or higher
A passing score of at least 70% is required for the F-80 Certificate of Fitness. With 50 questions, that means 35 or more correct. Your score appears on the screen as soon as you finish.
Source: FDNY F-80 Notice of Exam and Study Material, pp. 6 and 13 · checked October 25, 2026
What 70% looks like in questions
Thirty-five right out of 50 passes. Thirty-four right does not. You can miss up to 15 questions and still pass.
The Study Material gives one pass mark for the whole test. It does not list a separate minimum for each topic. A weak topic does not fail you on its own, but it uses up those 15 misses fast.
A blank answer is scored as wrong, and there is no penalty for guessing Source: Study Material p. 13. A guess can only add points. The work is in making that guess a narrow one.
Three questions left, four minutes on the clock
You have three questions left that you cannot decide. What gives you the best chance of points?
- ALeave them blank so a wrong guess does not cost youOut in round 1
- BMark two answers on each to double your chancesOut in round 1
- CRule out the options you can, then pick one answer for eachKeep
- DAsk the examiner in the room which option is rightOut in round 2
- Round 1 — rule out A and B.Both sound careful. The Study Material scores a blank question and a question with two answers marked the same way: incorrect.
- Round 2 — rule out D.The examiner helps with problems such as a frozen screen. The sample questions in the Study Material say FDNY staff cannot help with test questions or answers.
Keep C. With no penalty for guessing, cutting the options down and choosing one is the only move that can add points.
When you finish the test
- Last answer
Score on the screen
Your score appears right away at the end of the test Source: Study Material p. 13.
- Same visit, on a pass
Certificate issued
If you pass and all requirements are met, the certificate is issued the same day Source: FDNY General Notice of Exam.
- Same visit, on a fail
Failure report
You get a report that says you failed. Another attempt needs a new application and fee; the F-80 retake rules explain the limits.
How the score works
Is the F-80 graded on a curve?
The Study Material sets a fixed mark of at least 70%. As of October 2026, it describes no curve and no adjustment from one test date to another Source: Study Material p. 6.
Does the practice on this site predict my score?
It cannot. Our questions are written for study from the Study Material and are not taken from the FDNY test. Use the timed practice test to check your pacing and find weak topics, then go back to those topics.
Does the school graduation test use the same mark?
It also needs 70%. The school gives you two tries at its graduation test before you must repeat the course, per the Study Material as of October 2026 Source: Study Material p. 5. That test is separate from the FDNY test at headquarters.
Sources
- FDNY F-80 Notice of Exam and Study Material (rev. January 2026)Pass mark on p. 6; scoring rules on p. 13; school test on p. 5. · Checked October 25, 2026
- FDNY General Notice of Exam for Certificates of FitnessSame-day certificate and failure report. · Checked October 25, 2026
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